Thailand, Day #3

Our third day in Thailand was the start of our tour with Gap Adventures. Basically, we have a personal tour guide and driver that take us through Thailand. We were in Chaing Mai and they took us around to see several craft places.

We started at a huge temple on the top of a mountain...

And yes, we climbed all of those stairs behind us....

After the temple, we went to a Jade factory. Thailand is pretty well known for their jade jewelry and figures. Ironically, I didn't buy any jade, but instead got a pair of pearl earrings!

This is a picture of us at lunch... just like Japan, most of the Thai restaurants serve all the same Thai food...

We then moved on to the paper-making factory. Essentially, the people in Thailand are so poor that they find really creative and crafty ways of making things to sell to foreigners. At this place, they made paper, then turned it into umbrellas and other items.

You could then purchase your items and take them to their artists, who would paint these beautiful designs in just a few minutes....

We then went to a silk factory, where they grow silk worms, pull out the silk, and then weave it into fabric using machines. This was essentially a demonstration place, attached to a silk store. Thailand is also known for their silk, but lots of people in the street markets claim that their products are 100% silk, but they're really not!

This woman is pulling out the silk thread from the worms...

And of course, we had to fit in a few foot massages! Thailand is also known for their cheap massages... they were about $7/hour for a foot massage! :)