I found another challenge in my Reader tonight. It’s from Ailsa at Where’s My Backpack? She does a Travel Theme challenge every week. This weeks travel theme is: fabric. So, here is my entry for the challenge.

I took these photos on my last big trip abroad (the last trip I have any photos for, the actual last trip was to Nicaragua but somebody stole -hacked the computer and encrypted- all my photos and wants $1000 to give them back! So sickening, but I don’t have the money, so they’re all gone forever- lesson learned: BACK UP YOUR PHOTOS in at least 3 places!!!)

The first photo was taken in the museum of the last palace of the rulers of Malacca, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. The cloth is woven from real silver and gold thread. Indonesia is well known for its beautiful fabrics. They do a lot of intricate patterns and batiks.

The second photo is from Northern Thailand. I took a day trip from Chiang Mai to see the hill tribes. This was taken at the village of the “Long Necks”. The ladies were busy weaving these fabrics, the little girls would watch the stalls and hope to sell you something. They all seemed quite shy and quiet.

I love beautiful things like this, it’s funny, but it’s only when I’m traveling that I ever think to look at anything like this. I never think about my usual simple shorts and t-shirts. Who made them and what it took. I assume they’re made in some big factory by machines. What a different way of doing something. Making fabrics, clothes. Handmade, local, careful, beautiful. Nice. 🙂