Last night I went to a Kanthoke dinner and show, which celebrated the culture of the Lanna tribe. My female guide for trekking is actually Lanna, so she told me about some of the traditions I might see at the show and the food I might try. We were greeted by a group dressed in traditional clothing and got to see several artisans and musicians on our way in.
I was seated at a table with a lovely British couple (Rick and Lindsay). While we enjoyed the food and dancing show, we talked about everything from traveling to diets to international accounting standards (yeah, that’s right) to American politics. I am always a little cautious (maybe that’s not the right word, but you get the idea) when I am traveling because I feel as though the rest of the world has a certain perception about Americans not being educated about or interested in global issues. Rick was one of those people who certainly agreed with that sentiment, so we had a nice chat about that. Apparently only 18% of the American population owns a passport? That seems fairly low to me even though I know there are many barriers such as vacation time, money, length of flight time, etc.
The food was good and it was great to see the dances from the traditional Lanna culture.
Towards the end of the night, I was even asked to participate in one of the dances. I might have been able to show them a thing or two.
After the show, I went to the Chiang Mai Walking Street right near my hotel. Every Sunday, they close off a street and have a ton of vendors selling goods on the street (seems to be a common theme in Thailand). I am really trying to travel light and only get things that I am absolutely in love with, so I didn’t buy a lot, but I did find the most adorable handmade aprons, so I might have bought two (yellow rose pattern + double ruffle and polka dots + lace…too adorable!).
