The last few days in Chiang Mai

Due to a few sick days for me (Jill) and a less than stellar internet connection, we have a few days of activity to post about.  Now that I am feeling better and the internet is stable...there are a few updates.  

We hired a Tuk-tuk for an afternoon and visited some of the local factories.  We started at a lacquer factory, then a jewelry factory (my fav), a leather factory, silk factory and an umbrella factory.  Now, back to the jewelry factory...it was one of the largest of its kind, specializing in gemstones mined in Thailand (sapphires and rubies) jade from Burma, and 925 silver.  You would have had to spend an entire afternoon there to see all of the jewelry cases.


We also took a 1 day trek beginning with a visit to a butterfly/orchid farm (kinda lame, but we took a few great pics), then an elephant ride down the river, a visit to Hmong and Long Neck tribes, and finished with white water and bamboo rafting down the rest of the river.  It was a great day spent in the sun with a few other young tourists.  (Nice for both of us to have new conversations!) :-)

Rice fields, currently planted in the off season with Soy Beans

Elephant River Ride with Kristi and Nikki

Our Little Lady

Long Neck Tribe women weaving scarves by hand

Another Long Neck woman and her daughter with her first few rings (begin at age 5 and end at age 45)

Little Long Neck-ers, no neck rings yet, just wrist and knee rings