Chatuchaked

When I got on the skytrain yesterday, ready to enjoy respite from the heat, I entered a carriage full of exhausted tourists returning from the travelers right of passage that is Chatuchak weekend market. Their faces were red, sweat dripped down the faces, their limbs hung limply at their sides, some clung to the purchases that had cost them so much energy. Bless! I thought remembering my first foray to this shopping mecca.

For those of you who haven’t experience the delights of Chatuchak let me enlighten you. As the name suggests this market happens every weekend. It is truly immense and people flock there by the thousands. I doubt there is anything you can’t buy there. You can find stalls selling anything from puppies to pashminas and everything in between.

I love Chatuchak but have learnt some lessons for practical shopping.

1. know what you want – vague wanderings with get you no-where – Nancy Chandlers map shows the different areas and highlights some top stalls.

2. don’t forget to haggle – always entertainment in itself. Knowledge of thai numbers helps immensely in this department.

3. solo shopping is best – others get lost in the crow quite easily and it saves having to hang around in the roasting heat.

4. Time it well. Either go very early to avoid the heat or go late - do your shopping and then reward yourself with a drink at Vivas. A jug of margheritas will revitalize you after your strenuous day and you’ll soon find yourself dancing away to the fabulous bands that play here.

So I propose that we add a new word to the dictionary: Chatuchaked – to be well and truly knackered.