Hmong Hill Tribe Market

Our outing today took us to Hmong Hill Tribe Market just a couple soi's from Warorot market.

Key chains, coin purses, wallets, small hand bags, large totes, backpacks, pillows, pillow covers, jackets, pants, dresses, blouses, skirts, and fabric toys.

                        There are no middle men here and all the stalls are owned by Hmong people.

Even with a sewing machine, the time and expertise involved to make most of these items says much about the traditions, skill and dedication of the lovely, soft spoken people. The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Lao and Thailand.

The items are all made by Hmong people and I saw some women doing tedious hand embroidery.

Electronic Hand Embroidery?   Hee Hee

Looking through silk scarves

Yarn, embroidery thread and fabric by the meter

This is beautiful thick, sturdy hemp fabric. 35 Baht - $1.07 per meter / yard.  I will be back!

Light weight cotton at 45 Baht - $1.37 per meter / yard

 Beads and Bling

Getting in the spirit for my next show at the cabaret

Lin found two traditional Thai skirts that made her very happy!   350 baht or $10.75 each.

I was warned by a friend that the dye would come out when I washed it. 

Random things we saw on our walk

Brand new scooter, no dirt, mud, scratches or dents!

Antique Child's Samlor

A ticket?  I have never seen one before and this was unusual because the car was actually parked on the side of the street!  Not on the sidewalk.....maybe that was the problem.

Sweet woman selling packages of clay from Burma for face masks. 50 Baht - $1.53

 I know because we played charades!

Vegetarian Festival

Every year in the Buddhist tradition a vegetarian festival is held for 7 days. Most cities hold their own version of parades, celebrations, festivals and rituals during this time. We went to Tha Phae Gate Plaza in Chiang Mai to have dinner and found an amazing array of choices. True to a city that caters to tourists from many different countries there were even booths serving chicken, pork, seafood and fish.

It was raining as we were waiting for our red truck (songtheaw) to take us into town.  It is hard to snap a picture of moving objects but I wanted to show you how the locals ride in the rain.   

This is the red truck we rode in and the blue truck in the background are always packed with kids going home from school hanging out the back.....yep it is normal!

This is part of the ancient wall at the moat surrounding the old city

Mornings Are Magical

We live near a Muslim Mosque and listen to prayers called several times a day morning to night.  We are sitting on the terrace with our coffee in the morning watching and listening to our part of Chiang Mai come alive.   The call to prayers is broadcast in real time through a speaker so the neighborhood can hear.  We sometimes hear small children calling prayers and it is really adorable.

This morning was Sunday October 5th, 2014 and we noticed the morning prayers continued much longer than usual and instead of one voice over the loud speaker there were many. It is a Holy Day called  Eid-al-Adha.

I closed my eyes and listened.  I smelled the morning air with a noticeable coolness that had not been there a week ago.  Birds were singing and the buildings cast large shadows across the river.  I smiled and wondered where I was.

I appreciate the diverse culture that call Chiang Mai home and wanted to share my morning with you.