Chinatown – July 24, 2010

Decided to brave the onslaught and head into Chinatown today. I’d heard that it was an interesting place to visit, with lots of shops and restaurants. I’d also remembered from being here 20 years ago that Chinatown was incredibly crowded and noisy and chaotic. My guidebook used words like “seething” and “frenetic” – what could be more inviting, right?

Well, it’s all that and more. The streets are jammed with restaurants and shops that are more on the sidewalk than in the shop itself.

Every intersection is packed with delivery trucks, food stalls, and people – buying, selling, shopping, and eating. And I understand that Saturday afternoon is one of the more quiet times – Saturday night is when things really pick up.

I went down Trok Itsaranuphap – which is supposedly a street, but is basically a market that has taken over a street, with a narrow space down the middle that you can sorta/kinda walk down. The crush is overwhelming, with people buying and selling and, if you’re so inclined, passing through on a motorcycle. Really?!

But, it is possible to get away from the markets and find yourself on streets lined with Victorian buildings, what look like Art Deco sidewalks, and small details.