Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Street of silver

Bangkok is where you get your shopping done. Known for its silver markets we bedded up for the night on Rhambuttri Road just next to Khaosan Road. Luckily the rains ended just after checking in and the markets on Khaosan came alive. Cheap clothes, artwork from around South East Asia, loads of silver jewelry, good street eats, tattoo shops galore, bootleg CD and DVD stands, and questionable offers for rides to the ping pong ball show await you. We somehow managed to knock out about a third of our holiday shopping, necessary now since shipping takes about two months back to the states. If you enjoy audio and visual stimulation you will love this market. Lots of amazing colors and lots of interesting conversation. You find yourself getting into the challenge of bargaining which is a game and skill that must be mastered to fare well in South East Asia. Everything is marked cheap compared to Western standards, but you know you haven’t gotten to the real price until the vendor exclaims you are crazy at least once and cries they can't feed their kids if they sell to you at your price. As you walk away they yield and confirm the sale for your price and laugh while congratulating you for bargaining like a real Thai. You walk away with your gear, their respect, and some extra baht for a beer at the next stall.






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