The thing about traveling is that the most memorable experiences usually come when you least expect them and when you are experiencing things that are just mundane parts of life to the locals.
Logan and I visited Thailand for a month in 2017 for our honeymoon. We had so many amazing experiences spending time with Logan's aunt Roong's family and friends (who were the best hosts- Thai people really know how to take care of their guests), visiting beaches, diving and exploring the Thai cities and food. But, one of the most memorable experiences we had while in Thailand came when we accidentally stumbled into part of Bangkok's Chinatown.
After our experience in Chinatown, i did some guidebook research to find out what he had missed as we wandered unguided through the city streets. Most of the guidebooks said that this part of the city was a dense and confusing maze. Hard to define and full of food and good to tantalize your senses, Bangkok's Chinatown was a pleasure and also a potential hazard for getting lost. Luckily for us, we had a phone with an map app and only enough time to almost get lost ;)
Our introduction to Chinatown started one morning as we left our hotel room to kill some time before a flight. We started meandering the streets and quickly found features that both Logan and I love. We discovered a mechanic's district within densely packed streets. Stacked 10 feet high were engines, car parts and old vehicle frames. Each shop offered a unique service for your car. How on earth anyone ever got their vehicles into here I don't know, but it was rad to see. The mixed use of space was something like you would never see in Canada. Fruit trees grew into piles of parts, people ground metal on the sidewalk. Logan and I were both madly in love with the creative scene in front of us.
Next we walked to a market packed with everything from food stalls to blankets and semi- precious stones. We assumed that the street was just for walking, but all of a sudden a full sized truck was driving down the road and the vendors just pulled closer to the edge of the streets to let it pass. The streets were packed so tightly that there wasn't even room for one person to walk. Organized chaos. Everyone but us foreigners knew exactly what to do, as usually happens in these situations that seem so chaotic to us but seem to work so seamlessley in their environments.
Although we probably could have wandered all day, we soon had to head back to the hotel to catch a train to the airport. Bangkok, you are a beautiful and dynamic city and I can't wait to visit you again one day.
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