Loy Kratong

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[youtube=yl4etZLKHhI]

So, seasoned travellers that we are, we arrived in Chiang Mai completely unaware that it was "Loy Kratong", one of the biggest, if not the biggest, festival in Thailand.

Dave and Malc had arranged for us to visit the Nature Lodge, about 60 km outside Chiang Mai. For this first couple of weeks of our journey we had left all the arrangements up to them. Everything has been the most wonderful surprise.

Nature Lodge is set in a spectacular rural setting by the banks of a small river. The Lahu have formed a cooperative that grows premium rice and potatoes, mainly for export. The people are poor, and not just by western standards, but are proud. Although we had paid for the privilege of being there, they made us very welcome in their community.
One of the villagers, Mrs Lan, has, over the years, become a great friend of Dave and Malcs and took us to her house. In the time that they have known her she has really moved on and has managed to move to a better appointed house. Extremely modest compared to our places back home, but spotlessly clean. Especially the garden around the house. It was pointed out to us why. It's so that the snakes and scorpions don't have anywhere to lurk unseen!!!

Celebrating Loy Kratong with the Lahu people was similar to spending Christmas day with the family. One way or another most of the village seemed to be involved. Dinner was laid out like a market place with many dishes laid out on tables around the grounds of Nature Lodge.
It was a very emotional night for all of us (we were the only guests there), but not so emotional that we were unable to take our turn at singing the Loy Kratong song (first in English, then in Thai) to the amusement of everyone there.

A night that will stay in our memories for ever.

So we came back to Chiang Mai for the final night of celebration. It felt like the whole city was on the streets. As well as the parade of unbelievably ornate floats there was a freeform firework display that went on most of the night. When I say freeform I mean that there was no organisation at all, let alone H & S consideration. They were let off in the streets, the middle of crowds......... anywhere there was space to light one really. A sight I've never seen before.

We managed to push our way over the Narowot Bridge and ended up at the Riverside Bar, which had been taken over by Thai youth. They were incredibly polite to the middle-aged 'Farangs', and not only parted to let us get to the bar, but offered to order our drinks for us. I think they really just wanted to practice their excellent English.
A coup[le of Thai bands were playing while we were there. I thought they weren't half bad. Whether I'd have thought that in an English pub is probably a different matter.

A really great night, even if I was woken at 7 am. by a mighty thunderflash.

Ah what Mr A didn't mention was that whilst in Mrs Lan's house we were given the opportunity to try our hand at throwing her fishing net, and guess who did it perfectly? and guess who didn't bother trying? Chiang Mai at Loy Kratong was amazing people actually light fireworks in-between passing traffic. To make a 'farang' dance - well one managed to light Mal's shoe which made him dance and us fall about laughing - it's all very good humored. Totally opposite to being in the village which was very emotional, I was very impressed by two small girls maybe 7ish who did an incredible dance with huge machete type knives.

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Comments

[Dani]

Water Buffalo
Rope through nose. Ouch ! Clarification needed. Not a rein I hope. That would get their attention.

[anonymous]

"I was woken at 7 am. by a mighty thunderflash." After all that Thai food, I'm not surprised! :-) Great-looking place, Jon. That leaf insect looks HUGE - you could get a whole salad out of that.

[Dee]

Beautiful elaborate floats . . . it all looks so magical!