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.
- Coffee Time in the rain drinking Green Tea Smoothie
- look at me in my plastic bag keeping dry in the rain
- plastic blue rain coat available in an assortment of colours
- it’s a wet wet day.The roads became flooded very quickly as the rain came down in torrents.
- Thai adverts nearly always show excitable Thais looking as European as possible
- the clothes market is starting to pack up
- packing nearly done
- overlooking Chiang Mai Market plaza area. Mornings are for the clothes market
- 10s of cycle rickshaws transport food purchases and morning shoppers home
- Lots of shoppers arrive on cycles
- waiting for the lights to change
- check out this guy’s amulets
- the mobile broom and brush cart
- waiting patiently for the lights to change, but it’s no guarantee of safety seeing the green man at the pedestrian crossing, as it’s only a ‘suggestion to stop’ according to Thai road rules
- this lady must have rushed out to the market as she’s still wearing her pinny
- home please
- easy with no passengers
- quick stop to check the map
- I think I bought too much
- backpacker alert
- late for playschool
- travel in style
- ice cream lady on her daily rounds
- stopped by a customer on the zebra crossing
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.
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.
- seating and tables arriving for mobile ‘restaurant’
- more deliveries
- portable cart with the kitchen area with extractor filter
- front angle with menu
- and enough food for the night service
- mornings a clothes market, evenings a restaurant area
- open air kitchen area
- and a fan to cool down the chef
Great post Judie. Enjoyed seeing local daily life thru your camera lens.
Kind words Carol thanks. I enjoy just watching life happening in the moment.