Last tour...for 2010, that is! Dec 13, 2010

This tour was billed as "Carpets, Cashmere, Flower and Insect Market", a real mixed bag. See if you can tell which part was my favourite.

We started our tour with the carpet "factory" which specializes in handmade silk carpets.

Silk worm cocoons

These are boiled to soften the cocoon and unwind the silk thread from which they're made. Yes, the pupae dies in the process. Yes, it's still inside. Eww! Each cocoon can yield a ridiculously long thread whose exact length I cannot recall.

Dyed silk

While we were there, we were able to watch a woman weaving a carpet. 

This was the one she was working on.

Incredibly intricate pattern

In action

She would first tie the knots and then trim the excess silk thread with her knife.

Now the other side

Can you believe the pattern she was working from?

I thought cross-stitch was difficult! 

A finished product

After seeing the "factory", we were lead to the carpet store.  Hmmm. Interesting how that worked out. After the carpet store, on to the cashmere "factory" which was a floor below the carpet showroom. 

The cashmere "factory" was a misnomer. It was really more of a store with stuffed goats posed outside.We had a quick explanation of cashmere and then the opportunity to shop. Double hmmm. 

We left the building and went next door to the flower and insect market. I had seen this type of thing before so I will spare you. 

These two sisters were with their parents who worked in the flower market. The girls were all bundled up against the cold and asked me to take their photos. Thank goodness for pantomime because I didn't immediately understand what they wanted me to do. Too cute!

If you guessed that this was my favourite part of the tour, you'd be absolutely correct.

There better be more tours in 2011 or I'll be going through major withdrawal!