After a fun-filled few days exploring Bangkok from my happy home on Khao San road, I had been waffling nonstop on how/when/if I’d get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. When I asked my hostel front desk about train tickets they said all the sleepers were booked for a couple days because of Chinese New Year. This seemed a little weird, even for high season, so I decided to drag myself across town to the station to ask in person and book something once and for all.
Except that didn’t happen.
… but most sold FOOD! Oh, the street food. It was paradise, if you like cheap, delicious, food that you’re not quite sure how to pronounce or even what it is until you take a bite. I have written about Southeast Asian street food before, but today was really something special.
Even better, though, was the energy.
Everyone was happy and celebrating: locals, tourists, families, shopkeepers, dumpling fry-ers, even the sweaty, heavily clothed teenagers operating the giant dancing dragon heads. You can’t not smile being in a gigantic crowd where everyone else is smiling! I don’t know much about how it’s celebrated in China (though from Chinese friends, I’ve heard it should indeed involve a lot of food), but it must be amazing.
