SHOPPING! When travelling abroad one of the things that seems to take up a good amount of time is the shopping. In Thailand this has been no different. The best place I have shopped at so far has been the Sunday market in Chiang Mai, since this was the first city that we were going to I decided not to buy as much but as the week is dwelling down I regret not getting as much. Bangkok seems to be the land of the knock off items. Finding the handcrafted objects that are so intricately designed by Thai people is what the treasure of these markets are, in Chiang Mai there were the most beautifully sculpted pieces of jade, wood, and metal. From elephants, Buddha’s, clocks, wall hangings, frames, and numerous other objects. While searching through all of these objects you can’t help but notice the smells of the different types of vendors’ foods. Good smells like curry spices, lemongrass, and teas or unpleasant smells like dried fish, eggs, and sewer. But these things are all a part of the atmosphere of the markets.

While looking through the market I’m always doing a mental list of my loved ones at home that I need to bring souvenirs back for and here it is 4 days before departure and I can only just now start to decide what I want to bring back home with me. But I suppose the mere memories of the bargaining, smells, stares of people, crowds, children, and treasures of the market will be a part of the experience that will serve as a much better souvenir