Travel Series: Thailand
Down a cluster of narrow alleys in Bangkok’s Old Town lies a sensory treasure, a morning market tucked in the shadows of the spires atop the Grand Palace. Amid the dawn hummings of tuk-tuks and motorbikes, vendors quietly set up stalls against age-old Chinese shophouses, their wares overflowing into the alleys. As the golden sun rises over the Chao Phraya River, the market comes to life, brimming with the vibrant sounds and colors of 21st-century Thailand.
Monks donning bright saffron robes file through the organized chaos, their chanted prayers eliciting respectful bows and donations of food from devout Buddhists. Flower crabs and tropical groupers splash water onto the concrete floors, drawing in a crowd to view today’s catch. Bright baskets of herbs spill over a stall, perfuming the air with the aromas of cilantro, pandan, and Thai basil. Nearby, a wok crackles as pork and chive dumplings deep-fry, sparks flying from the stovetop.
As the day goes on and the everpresent heat fills the city’s mazework of streets, business begins to slow. The crowded market disperses and Bangkok falls into a lull of human activity. The fervent beauty of the wet market is washed away as fish scales and flower petals drain into the gutters — a fresh slate for tomorrow’s wares.