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302--Thailand: Beauty in Butterflies, Orchids, Silk & Parasols @ CherieSpotting     Jul 12 2005 - 08:58 PST cherie writes: Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross put it another way: “People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.” Some people find beauty in the wild wings of a butterfly or nature’s most glorious parasite—the orchid. Others find beauty in man’s ability to create beauty from nature; the ability to turn a shaft of bamboo into a graceful umbrella, or a cocoon of silk into a fabulous dress. You make beautiful what you love. In Thailand, we explored beauty in many dimensions: from orchids to butterflies, from silk to parasols. Here are my photos. Click on each picture to see it full size. read comments (0) | write comment| views: 4443    | rated: 0.0    printer-friendly version   Cherie tucked in the colorful shade of hand-made bamboo parasols. How to make a paper umbrella: first, you make the paper. Then you darn a mask and try not to swallow too many wood chips. The parasol assembly line. Ford would be so proud. Making umbrellas is considered an art form in Thailand. Always be nice to the lady with a big hatchet. Umbrellas so beautiful, you don't want to use them in the rain. Freshly made umbrellas drying on the lawn. Diane, Cherie and Hilda. Paying homage to the umbrella man. I hope this doesn't turn into a parasol sweat-shop. A splash of color to repel the splash of raindrops. Hilda admires the art. You could toss one of these umbrellas in a giant-sized fruity drink. Keeping alive old traditions. Like all art, it all comes down to details. With these umbrellas, you are protected from the elements by art. From umbrella art to nature's art. We explore an orchid garden swarming with butterflies. Peaceful tranquiltiy. The black butterfly. She's a tiger. The butterfly is so close it can sense the pulse of Hannah's beating eyelashes. The orchid. Caught it the act! A photo of butterflies mating. The beauty of life's miracles. Butterfly in a Hibiscus. Amanda with a butterfly. Silk worms, up close. A silk-maker grabs a cocoon of silk. She gently teases the silk into a strand. Weaving raw silk into fabric. It takes a long time to make silk the old-fashioned way. The secret of silk was China's best kept secret for 3000 years. Hand-made. Diane and Leighton wait by our Thai transportation. Soup break. The twins like soup. Back on stage, the girls sing! Diane and Leighton perform a duet. Real travelers pack light.