Shopping at Chatuchak and JJ Market, Bangkok

I love open air markets.  Flea markets, street markets, antique markets.  I've been to some great ones - Rue Cler in Paris, San Telmo in Buenos Aires to name two.  Chatuchak is one of my favorites.  It is over 27 acres, some covered, some not.

Be prepared for heat, crowds, smells (some good, some not), bargains, high-priced items, food and languages from around the world.  It is intense and crazy.  I love it.  Some say Chatuchak Market and JJ Market are the same thing but they're not.  They are adjacent but JJ Market is more of a mall with small, individual vendors.  It is also air-conditioned and has the kind of food court that you'll find in every mall in Bangkok.

My preference is to hit Chatuchak in the morning, wander, shop, get disgustingly sweaty and then walk across the street to the air conditioned comfort of JJ.  Lunch there with a bit more shopping before heading home to relax.

Here are some photos:

Most of Chatuchak is filled with bargain items:  cheap t-shirts, bags, children's clothes, bath salts, lighting, etc.  Much the same as you see in every market in Asia.  One section, though, specializes in higher end items - some new, some antique.  Most related to home decor.  These are antique door handles and knockers.

I loved the huge, antique carved doors.

But I would have to buy a much larger, grander house for them to work.

Tons of lighting - much of it with a Moroccan feel.  Some is clearly also from China.

Perfect for lounging by my pool with a cold beverage.

A chaise lounge made from a solid piece of wood.

Yes, yes, yes!  Perfect place for reading or canoodling.

Prices in this section of the market aren't cheap.  This light fixture was about $1,500.

More lighting.  And on the right is a sink/vanity for a very special bathroom.

Hmmmmm.  This statue is about 2 feet tall.

Lighting and bowls to be used as sinks.

Wall gardens like this are popular in Asia.  I've seen them in Malaysia made with repurposed 2 liter soda bottles.  I want one!

I also want this intricately carved door.  It will be perfect in my new, huge home since it won't fit in my current house.

Picture out...by the pool, friends stroll up to this bar for snacks and drinks.

In addition to the antique items are tons of new home decor items, many with religious themes.  I also saw a number of beautifully done, huge portraits of the recently deceased king.

We were shopping mostly for baby clothes.  There were adorable little girl clothes everywhere!

Lots of sundresses and hats.

These cute, well made dresses were 200 Baht.  That's about $5.60 USD.

C'mon - all that cuteness for less than $3?

Little girls wear a lot of dresses like this out on the street.

And more...

Hard to see in this photo but this is the back of a pair of toddler shorts - that's an elephant butt, with a 3D tail hanging off.

This stall sold stuffed animals and bags (some for the kids, some for the moms).  I liked this one that had a detachable stuffed toy.

Lunch was in the air conditioned food court in JJ Market.  I got my favorite, the #2 - oysters tossed on a red hot metal plate and topped with a sweet/savory/spicy sauce and fresh sprouts.  $1.70 for about a dozen small oysters.

The picture above was the menu photo.  This is the deliciousness I received.  Soooooo gooooooood.

Here's the deal with Thai food courts.  You go to the centralized cashiers where you trade cash for a card like this.  Then you go from stall to stall, ordering what you'd like.  They swipe the card and give you a receipt with your new balance.  You can keep the card to use for your next visit or cash it in after you dine.  Brilliant idea.

The food court was crowded by the time we left.  It looks like a food court in American mall, but instead of American chains, it's locals, selling one or more dishes they've honed for sometimes generations.  Singapore calls them "hawker stands" and is famous for them.  I like that you can get several small dishes - in this case, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese.

I fell in love with this necklace but only came away with the photo since it was an antique and the price was about $1,400.

These trinkets were cheap, cheap, cheap.  So much to see!  27 acres of tables like this.

Interested in more modern items for your home?  These ceramic dishes were on sale.

Beauty products are sold everywhere.  Skin whitening is really popular.  In Myanmar I struggled to convince some sales ladies that I didn't really need deodorant that also whitened.

Because they've already started the Chinese New Year celebrations, they had new Hondas on sale.  As I looked at them, not a single sales person approached me.

Open my kitchen cabinets and you will see piles of white dishes.  Killed me to walk away from some of these uniquely shaped ceramic items.

Baby onesies and leggings.  About $1.50 each.

Live music and sales.  Let the celebration begin!

The reasons I'm in Bangkok - my friend Lori and her "due to be born in 3 weeks" daughter.

Food in Armenia

One of my favorite things about traveling is the food.  Let's be honest.  Food is one of my favorite things about life.

I love to try new foods and am up to try pretty much anything.  After having visited over 60 countries, though, it's becoming harder and harder to find new taste treats.  Armenia has served me well.  From mulberries to fruit lavash, my taste buds have found a new home.  Here are some photos of our trip to the market in Yerevan yesterday.

Denise and Otis swore that their color coordinated outfits were not planned.  I'm not buying it.  They're standing in front of the fountain which is at the entrance to the subway.  Sadly, it is no longer operational.  After the dissolution of the USSR, Armenia (and other places) was left with little infrastructure.  Many parks, fountains, factories, etc. have still not been restored.  The progress made in the last 20 years is a testament to the strength and determination of the Armenian people.

The entrance to the subway has a bit of a Mad Max/end of the world feel to it, but the subway itself is clean, efficient and only 25 cents a ride.

First sight when entering the market.  Dried fruit plates.  Decorative and completely edible, they're offered to guests with coffee.

These are the fruit juice covered strings of nuts I first tasted at the art/craft market on Sunday.  America - we need these!

One of the tragic side effects of the conflict in Syria is the number of refugees seeking asylum in Armenia.  The bright side?  One Syrian family started this spice/olive/etc. business at the market.  Best hummus in Yerevan.

Spices!  Cheap and fresh.  Want some fresh saffron from Iran?  Yup, we got it.

Olives are popular and inexpensive here.  I bought a quarter kilo of the small green ones on the right.

Fruit!  It's only May, so most fruits aren't ready for harvest yet.  This is some of what is available - some local, some imported.

I was taking a photo of these beautifully displayed local cherries when a vendor wanted to literally get in the picture.  For effect, he snagged a cherry from the top.  The vendor who owned and had just stacked the cherries gave him a cheerful telling off.  Laughs all around.  It was early (for Yerevan) and we were among the few shoppers.  Vendors smiled, chatted with Denise and Otis in Armenian and I just smiled.

The man in the middle sells the dried fruit/nut mixture that I love.  He gave us samples of EVERYTHING he sold.  Otis goes to him regularly.  Denise and the female vendor from a nearby stall were using the dictionary to help with translation.  She was every bit as interested in learning English and about us and we were to learn Armenian and about her.  It's a friendly, safe place.

Another view of the dried fruit plates.  Amazing.  No sugar/preservatives added.  All edible.

We bought zucchini, garlic and some other stuff from this lady who sells to Otis regularly.  She was so pleased to have her photo taken with him.  There aren't many black folks in Yerevan and he still gets strangers asking to have their photo taken with him.  They also don't see a lot of natural blondes, so the two of us walking together get stares.  Just like Peace Corps.

The market is about 5 times the size of the Apia market and offers fresh meat, sausages and dried meat and fish, fresh fruit and produce, cheese and bread.  One stop shopping and more free samples than Costco!

Lavash is the staple bread.  It is thin and comes in a variety of textures. It is similar to a tortilla and delicious.  I asked to take this woman's photo and she was pleased to oblige.  Her neighbor asked me "German?"  I said "No, American."  She seemed a bit disappointed.  Wish I could have explained in Armenian that while I was born in America, my genes are from Germany.

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but had to try the local brew.  Served with a frosty mug it was cold and tasty.  A bit heavier than typical American beer.

Yuck.  Yet another PDA.  Young love.

My chicken schwarma lunch.  That's grilled chicken, herbs and pickled veg wrapped in lavash.  $1.75

Breakfast this morning.  So sweet, so delicious, so fattening.

I can't remember which fruit this is made from but he called it the Snickers.  It tastes just like a Snickers bar.

The tomato, stuffed with nuts and dried fruit.  I hate fruit cake but I could eat this stuff all day long.  Or until I went into a diabetic coma.