Handicrafts

This post is just for me and my talented friends that appreciate all the work that goes into these beautiful pieces...lucky I'm not with him or he would need another flashpack to get all my purchases home...

This one was over $300 AUD

Indigo - the local indigo is dyed with flowers and bark to give a vibrant color...

Aluminium from Bombs are melted down and poured into molds to make souvenirs for the tourist market..

All the different teas from the area...

The waterfalls

Think it took them an hour to get to the waterfalls by mini bus. One word... spectacular.
The bear sanctuary is on the other side...I hope I've been paying attention and have all this information right.

Look at the food...

Or maybe not there are some terrible things and if you have a bit of a sensitive stomach maybe give this one a miss...But for everyone else enjoy the ride....did just put me off my lunch so good luck...

Skinny flattened rat anyone?

Bird and rat...I know what we are having for Greg's birthday dinner...

Some sort of grub...

Morning breakfast market.

As Greg likes to call it Laos Boost.

Aussie meat pie where the Big Bash Cricket was on the TV.

Yeah I've no idea...

Seaweed

Local kebabs...

Not sure what you do with them soup maybe?

And the fun continues.

Have decided to post the photos in the most recent order so they are out of order to the way Greg has traveled. Am hopeful I can give you some details on the photos when I get on my laptop. No promises though...Ok I've done the editing hopefully I have it all right...no complaining Greg cause I'm doing your job here mate...

Hand woven silk embroidery- Table runner around $80000 kip about $125 AUD

I wonder how long it takes them to make these by hand.

Mekong River @ Luang Pabang

This is the toll bridge cost of the toll is $5000 kip around 80 cents.

Monks out and about.

No idea what this is Greg said they spooned it over rice and it didn't have a smell.

One of the streets.

Greg's big adventure.

Not sure how this will work but I'll try and get some photos from Greg's Flashpacking holiday......
A flashpacker is when you have backpacked back in the day but now you are older you do it again but stay in flash hotels...

Cooking eggs...

Eggs to be cooked.

Some pretty mad buses.

One of the hill tribe women.

Anyone for a bit of  Alanking...

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is about a 4 hour bus trip from Chiang Mai but I decided to take a tour instead of a direct bus to see the sights.

First stop was a thermal spring that had a couple of geysers,  a couple of smaller pools for boiling eggs (you buy these in a small basket from a lady), some pools for soaking your feet and a large market. There are also supposed to be a couple of pools for swimming but I didn't see these.

One of those crazy Thai tour buses.