A Visit to the Silk Center and Dinner at the 1-Baht

We've heard about shops that specialize in products from the hill tribes and arrange a tuk tuk excursion across the river.  We get a lovely tour through the outskirts of CM, but the tribal shop is a bust.  On to the silk center.  This is fascinating.  Women sit at looms, their feet and hands flying, and weave this gorgeous silk fabric.

There must be 20 or more looms, and all but two are silent.

 In typical Thai fashion, the women are friendly and patient with us.

The two weavers create a counter-point of rhythm with their feet and hands, all the while chatting easily.

These skeins of silk thread are a thing of beauty . . .

I have no idea what these long, slender poles are for but each one is wrapped with silk thread.

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Monday night we've arranged to have dinner with the son of a pal from Silver City and his girlfriend. They're meeting us at the famous 1-Baht restaurant, so named for the 1-baht bowls of rice that accompany the entrees.  Colin has lived in CM for over 10 years and spent 6 years as a Buddhist monk.  After a stint at a local university, he now teaches English at a private language institute.  Winnie, his lady, works at a highly-rated guesthouse near the Ping River, just steps from the famous Warorot Market.

Colin and Winnie -

I think we ordered enough food!

Lovely, relaxed evening - thanks Colin and Winnie!

Tomorrow we're off on an all-day excursion with Jake!

Sunday Night Action in CM

The sun goes down and Sunday market is in full swing.  We've arranged to meet our new friend, Jake, at Wat Chedi Luang, the most famous temple in CM.  It is spectacular, dating back to the mid-1500's, and an oasis of tranquility in the midst of the old city and the incredible energy of Sunday market.

That is a golden Buddha at the top of the stairs.

One of the smaller temples.

I couldn't help but think:   Lady Gaga . . .

This pudgy fella had a fascinating story.  As a young man he was incredibly beautiful.  So beautiful - as beautiful as a woman - that a very important monk fell hopelessly in love with him and wanted to marry him.  Monks are celibate so that wasn't such a good idea.  What to do??  Our poor PF was shamed, left his monastery, went far away, and vowed he'd do away with his beauty once and forever.  He did - by getting very, very, very fat!

No shortage of goodies to make you pudgy here . . . I loved these wee donuts, making their way through the fryer in front of my eyes (and under my nose).

These little ones couldn't have been more than 10, maybe 12, years old and were enthusiastically performing karaoke, standing on a couple of wooden boxes.

Our last stop was a spectacular light show at the Folklife Museum.  

We get back to our hotel and hear the market and music from local bars well into the night . . . 

Sunday in Chiang Mai

All I can say is we're not in Tucson any more!  Sunday (night) market in CM is not to be believed.  One of the lures for booking the hotel where I did was its proximity to the Sunday market.   Things get going late in the afternoon and continue well into the night . . . and early Monday morning.  The streets are closed off, both sides are jam packed with stalls selling everything imaginable - to wear, to eat, to decorate with - and the crowds are a moving mass.

We didn't realize that things didn't really get going until the sun goes down, and we started our tour with a temple or two . . . I loved the promise of Phan-Ohn Temple:  Visiting this place your body and mind will be light and filled to the brim with boons.  

Tim looks a bit dubious . . .

 Lots of gold . . .

Looking for boons . . .

Each of these numbered cubicles contained horoscope-like statements - in English and Thai.  the containers on top have numbered chopsticks . . . they didn't seem to match the numbered cubicles.  Maybe it's boon thing.

I so wanted to run my hand down this long row of gongs and ring all these bells!!
We do some shopping instead.

We actually haggled over this purchase!

Yes, these are orchids and they are real.  This is one of a host of flower boxes outside a restaurant.

These sidewalk massage 'parlors' are everywhere, patronized mainly by locals.  I couldn't resist a photo of this guy, absolutely passed out after his massage.  BTW - 150 bath equals about $5.

On to the night market!