Market people watching in the mornings, I occasional hang out at Nu Nu Nini’s Coffee Time a corner cafe opposite the outside market of the famous daily Chiang Mai Market by the south gate of the moat at Chiang Mai Gate. The outside morning market selling clothes is all packed up before the day starts to get really hot and humid. So by 10.30am it’s empty. So I sit there and just watch people getting on with life. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s sunny but mainly it’s overcast.

On occasion the outside market area is taken over for religious festivals.  Recently it was taken over for the Buddhist INTHAKIN CITY PILLAR FESTIVAL which takes place over the course of 8 days in Chiang Mai each year. Inthakin begins on the 12th day of the waning 6th lunar month. It is a uniquely Chiang Mai Festival. The citizens of Chiang Mai are given the opportunity to venerate the guardian spirits of the city, particularly the spirits associated with the City Pillar, known as Sao Inthakin (The Lord Indra’s Pillar). This pillar had been used for an earlier city built in the same area and is associated with the Hindu god Lord Indra. All the congregation were sitting under gazebos protected from the heavy monsoon downpour. Each had a piece of string sitting on their head in a circle connecting them to the top of the gazebo. I can only assume this adds strength to the prays as they all become one.

a pile of sand not entirely sure why along side candles

everyone linked by string halos

During the day the pigeons take over and feed off any remains dropped earlier in the day. But about 3pm the evening carts start to roll in and pitch up in their nightly spot becoming the food court.