Our search for the Warorot Market, Chiang Mai

Mrs.Herbivore wanted to go shopping, and to see a traditional Thai market in full swing. So, the decision was made, we would get up early the next morning, and walk from our hotel in the old city to the Wararot Market to the Wararot Market, Chiang Mai's traditional-style market for food and other goods. And it was early.  We left about 5am ("come on dear, we need to see the city before it gets busy," cried Mrs H, the Morning Bird).  And so, armed with an imprecise tourist map, and some bleary eyes, we set off in search of Wararot. 5am turned out to be an interesting time to walk around Chiang Mai.  For a start, the Monks are up early, and it's a good time to see them strolling to and from their wats. Our map wasn't helpful.  We didn't know exactly where we were going, except that we were headed for Warorot Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai.  While it was vaguely indicated on our map, we found it hard to match the map to the streets down which we were walking.   This wasn't so much an issue with our navigation skills, as that the map didn't actually show the streets properly! We ended up by the River Ping at sunrise.  An opportunity for a spot of yoga to relax after the headaches of the map, before heading off again. After our diversion at the river, we kept walking.  We asked directions a couple of times, getting contradictory advice from the locals.  It seemed either that nobody knew where Wararot was, or it was a broader description of the area, not just the actual market. We eventually found the market.  We ventured indoors into a kind of food hall. We saw a large array of dried fruits, nuts, spices and herbs.  It was a world of vibrant colour, interesting products, and chillis. Mr Herbivore was getting pretty excited by the potential for cooking exciting dishes, but alas our hotel didn't have cooking facilities, so we limited our purchases to a large bag of cashew nuts to munch on over the next couple of days (they were delicious!) We liked the dried foods section most of all.  There was a lot more to the market area though, including a fresh fruit and vegetable area, and a meat and dish area.  We didn't linger in the latter, which was slightly disturbing for herbivores.  Instead, we much preferred the array of wooden goods and handicrafts on display. We're glad we made the effort to go to Wararot.  It was a great opportunity to see a more traditional Thai market, and to get away from the throngs of tourists at the Night Market.  We recommend an early start to get there before things get busy - and also recommend a decent map!