Bosang – 10 KM outside of Chiang Mai – is a little village famous for their umbrella making skills. The craft started 100’s of years ago and the umbrellas were given to the monks. The craftsmanship was so good, the town started gaining a reputation and they began to produce umbrellas for commerce as well. This weekend is the 29th annual Umbrella festival and we want to go see the festivities.
We have two options for getting there – Tuk Tuk or Song Tau (the pickup truck converted to mini-bus that stops along a specific route picking up passengers). We opt for a Tuk Tuk going out – just because we don’t want to walk all the way up to the Song Tau station. We manage to find one by the night market who agrees to take us for 250b (about $8US).
It’s a long ride – about 20 minutes – way outside the city. It’s not country though, but thriving suburbs with stores and houses mixed together. There is even some new big housing development being built. We finally arrive at Bosang and make our way into the Umbrella making factory.
Now this is truly fascinating! First there is the guy who is making the wooden handles and tops for the umbrellas on a skill saw. Then the paper making station, where the special mulberry paper is prepared and set out in the courtyard to dry. Then it’s on to the frame makers who are drilling little holes into each umbrella frame for the “weavers” to thread string through for the base of the umbrella. Next it’s the lady who is actually pasting the paper together onto the frame to make the umbrella. Then finally we walk past the painters – lots of them – who will paint the actual umbrella – oh – and anything else you have – like your cell phone! They all have displays of cell phones they will paint for you. Unfortunately I don’t have mine with me – probably just as well!
After watching all the demonstrations, we meander out to the main road which is closed off to vehicles (well sort of – there are still cars and scooters – but I guess not as many as usual). As we enter the street, we are handed a pink fan and schedule of events (the fan actually has a map on it with locations of the events). Perfect! There are demonstrations, Fan painting contests, cultural dances (the kids are so cute!) and parades with floats and this year’s contestants for Miss Bosang – beautiful girls all parading around in traditional costume with pink parasols.
The main street is also decorated with umbrellas and displays at every street corner –and virtually all the stores. It’s a wonderful sight to see as we walk our way down the street window shopping and just generally enjoying the day.
It’s getting to be around noon time, so we stop for some food and beverages at a little place called Coffee Time. It’s cute and perfectly placed to watch the road with all the girls strolling down to the parade point. Plus – and this is equally important – they have pork omelets! For 20b (60cents US). Yum! So – we sit and have our omelet and some great pork with garlic, then chase it all down with iced caramel mocha and mocha mint for dessert!
The wildest thing about Coffee Time is that they have a bulletin board full of notes and postcards – and right in front of us is this postcard of a little town in England – and it’s one we visited after our Baltic cruise! Here is the postcard – and a picture of Pietro (sob, sob) and Victor in front of the church tower you see in the background, plus some other assorted shots! Talk about a small world!
Afterward, we wander some more, and catch the traditional dance exhibition while we wait for the parade. The kids are just adorable! Then the parade starts. The girls on their bikes. Oh my gosh – this is too much! They are so beautiful and elegant, riding their little bicycles with their parasols. It’s brutally hot and they aren’t breaking a single sweat. Just riding (or sitting there as they stop to wait for the processional announcements to begin) so refined, smiling and lovely.
There’s even one girl who didn’t change out of her spiked heels to ride her bike! wow!
The parade goes on, with a marching band, older ladies parading and then others dancing – the dancing ladies had long gold nails. Don’t want to make these ladies angry!
The floats are next, but we’ve had enough for now, so we wander the back lane through a couple of markets – Ed has an octopus skewer on the street – we watch adorable little kids play on miniature hand carved chairs - and we pick up a really great Mulberry paper wall hanging for $3US. Geez.
It’s been a full day (and we’ve still got our riverboat dinner later!), so we turn our heat infused bodies toward the main road to catch a Song Tau back to Chiang Mai. The cute girl in the coffee shop told us to just go to the main intersection and we’d see them – but of course we don’t know which side of the intersection. As we are sort of meandering about looking around – a white Song Tau pulls up to the traffic light. I run out and ask if he’s going to Chiang Mai – yep – hop in! yay. Ok – so this is the bargain of the century – 15b each (50 cents US) and we get driven all the way back to Chiang Mai market! Ok, so it’s in the back of a converted truck bed – but hey – who cares! The breeze is great and it’s a direct route back to town. Totally Fun!
Back in town, we hit the market, and pick up some more sunglasses (a bargain this time at only 49b), a new wallet for me and shorts for Ed. Plus we run into this tired little thing sleeping away on the scarves! Out cold – didn’t even move for the picture!
Life in the big city of Chiang Mai! And tonight – there’s more to come with our river boat dinner cruise!
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