Chiang Mai- Street Scenes

this is going to be a bit hurried, relying more on images than words as i would like to get you chiang mai pictures before we leave for laos.  so here goes...lots of pictures, few words. the pictures are not as grouped as before but are in the order in which they were shot. 

random street scenes

from the cultural museum.

Along the road for the sunday night market as vendors were setting up. 

Sunday night market: a really over the top street scene with well over ten thousand thais and tourists. 

One of two traditional thai bands of musicians in the old city. 

Next morning was a day market, no tourists.  many of the food shots come from this place as well, so think both floors of grand central market on steroids. 

Hello kitty waives to buddha

Dance performance at old cultural center

Hill tribe dance

 Back to streets helmets and guitars

Sherry invited to play thai bocci ball. 

Effects of tourism

Fortunately not part of the street scene as much any more.  these are rescue elephants, many of whom used to beg in the streets of chiang mai. 

More random streets

Statue in the only wat totally clad in silver. 

Silver smiths shot from the street.

 
Ok.  that is it for a number of days.  we are on our way to Laos and will be pretty much out of touch.  One word about chiang rai for those who are thinking of traveling here:  do go.  this is the heart of what the US called the golden triangle and is a fascinating place.  be here saturday night as the walking street (their saturday night market) is a very cool place with foods we saw nowhere else on the streets. 

bye for now.