I think there may be more than 1 silk road, but this place was interesting. A lot of small factories which make the silk are located right here in buildings which look like gutted homes. The product is then sold right out front. Fascinating to see the whole process right before my eyes.

These gigantic, rickety wood machines, with their labrynth of strings, wood shuttle-cocks, rollers, and pattern-makers,,, all driven by 2 hp motors underneath, produce sheets of finely woven silk. It’s not as fancy as I imagined the silk process to be,,, but it’s fun to watch, and great to meet the people who make it happen.

I didn’t plan on buying anything- but,,, with folks to think of back home, and the price tags so tantalizingly low- I filled a bag or two. There seems to be no such thing as fixed prices around here. Bargaining power is the difference between taking the same bag or shirt home for $20 or $12.