Several days of heavy rain from a rogue unseasonal storm cell pressing down from China had seen us cooped up for days. So today when the heavy tropical rains finally stopped and the blue sky shyly showed its face again, I had only two 'Must Do Today' items on my agenda: laundry 😆 and a #wednesdaywalk to our local evening market, which happens every Wednesday and Saturday from about 3pm till dark. At Wat Kong Sai here in Saraphi, Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand (where I live).
"Wat" means "temple" in Thai, and the market takes place in the public square in front of the temple - sort of the Thai equivalent of the village green.
I set off late afternoon - a bit after 5pm - for the all of 10 minute walk through our local village.
To my right as I stand in front of my house, you can see the sun beginning to sink in the west and the shadows becoming long; looking the other way you can see the road that leads to the market.
As you turn left, you can see the gentrification and westernization of the neighbourhood has begun. Sadly.
But don't let the modern-urban facade fool you: behind the new houses there are still old khlongs - small canals - which lace and criss cross the whole area and, once upon a time, had been a network for floating networks and trade based on the MeKong river system.
At night, the cacophony of frogs can be deafening. Snakes? Oh yeah. 😆
Behind me, the quiet rural tranquility still dominates.
Heading towards the market, the road is BARELY wide enough for two cars. Pavements? Nah. Everything shares the roads here - even the occasional buffalo or elephant.
The side sois (laneways)? LOL... don't even go there unless you are VERY good at backing out! Strictly, and barely wide enough for one big car.
And so I wandered to the market, passing some very humble and traditional Thai houses:
I walked past the local minimart, which sells EVERYTHING...
And also the local village bar, which does a roaring trade most nights.
As I rounded the corner after the bar, I was overjoyed to see the frangipani at the back of the temple had erupted into flower after the deluge of rain the last days. The fragrance in the air is literally Divine!
You will almost always see frangipanis or the dark pink plumeria in Thai temples; the Thai people believe the flower energy gives calm and rest to anxious and unsettled spirits.
The back gate of the temple is already sporting paper lanterns ready for the Thai New Year Songran celebrations next week:
The temple walls and fences have all been neatly whitewashed, ready for a New Year full of clean energy.
And as I walked alongside the temple, the little market came into view:
This market never fails to bring me joy and locally grown organic bargains. These are LOCAL people, many of them selling whatever they have grown themselves. The cos lettuce I bought today? The lady only had 2 to sell, but they'd been picked only a few hours ago.
My extravagant shop today?
- 10 big local organic eggs
- 6 bottles of water (to tide us over till the delivery man brings the refillable glass ones
- A small bunch of gluay hom (bananas)
- 2 cos lettuces
- 2 bunches on baby brocolli
- 1kg purple potatoes
- 1.5kg hom daeng (red onions)
176 baht. USD $5.60 😍
Walking home I noticed the plumerias too, have erupted after the rain:
The ubiquitous Thai chickens were out scratching as the do, everywhere. Free range is soooo common here as to be completely unremarkable.
I enjoyed the bodhi tree over by the little water pumping station today...
and was THANKFUL to finally see the "billboard" with the phone number of the local sewing lady:
Thankful for the moments.
Enjoying the neighbourhood.
Blissed 'n' Blessed.
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