The day began with a 6:30 alms ceremony for the three Buddhist monks who came by to receive donations of food. The monks are not allowed to cook for themselves and can eat only what they are given. In addition, they eat only two meals, breakfast and lunch. The hotel prepared rice for them and Ron prepared a dozen individual bags with containers of milk and Oreos. 
I had a container of dates that I donated. Ron and another Buddhist then poured merit water from a glass into a cup and the monks chanted a blessing.
We had a marvelous breakfast including freshly made coconut cakes served in banana leaf boats and bananas fried in an egg roll. 
We had a full day drive from Sukhotai to Chiang Rai, leaving at 7:30 and arriving at 5:30,with bathroom stops every two hours. We drove through lots of rice paddies. 
We also made several interesting stops, one at a gas station with a pond full of huge koi. We had a wonderful buffet lunch along the way.
Another stop was at a coffee shop beside a 5,000 acre artificial lake where tilapia is being grown. The coffee shop made the most beautiful coffee creations 
and also had quite a selection of crunchy dried worms for sale.
The most interesting stop was at the original batik factory that uses indigo to create the batiks. 
We saw indigo growing and saw the entire process of mixing the indigo with white lime to make a thick paste that is thinned with ash water to make the dye.
The pots for the dye have been in use for 70 years.
We watched as batik immersed in dye and then brought out to dry in the shade. 
It is green when it first comes out but quickly turns blue. The cloth is generally submerged and dried four times.
We also got to see how the patterns are made with hand-carved wooden stamps dipped in hot wax. Then the buying frenzy began. The boys bought me a beautiful dress and a large shawl that can also be worn as a skirt or dress. Steve scored a gorgeous shirt.
Our hotel in Chiang Rai is the A-Star Resort, where we each had individual bungalows surrounded by tropical landscaping. 
The infinity pool overlooking the mountains was perfect after a day on the bus.
Dinner was five dishes, each presented with carved flowers. What a place to spend Mother’s Day,
