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Published: June 21st 2017
A couple making an offering to the Ogah-Ogah
The Ogah-Ogahs represent the evil spirits that are going to fly over the island on New Years (later tonight) and though they are fun for the kids, the adults take it really seriously.Geo: -8.51927, 115.263
Nyippe is tomorrow, but that is the day of rest. Today is Nyippe-eve? I'll call it that. Today is Nyippe-Eve! It's like New Years Eve, and today is the day for the party! All the Ogoh-Ogohs that have been in preparation for the past couple weeks will get carried all through town (like a parade float of sorts), they'll travel to the football field in the center of town, stay on display there for most of the afternoon. Then, once the sun sets, they'll all make their big entrance down the streets again, and get paraded in front of the huge crowd gathered at the temple.
I followed my neighborhoods Ogoh-Ogoh to the football field, then found a nice pub with a view of the field, made friends with some nice Aussies so I could sit at their table with them (all the good tables with a view of the field were taken, sometimes it's good being a +1!) We drank Aussie beer and hung out until sundown. I got some great tips on hostels to stay at in Bangkok, and inside info on a killer SCUBA spot below an old oil rig off the coast of Thailand. The
old oil rig has been converted into a basic hotel (GO Green!), and they have dive instructors on staff because there is a whole eco system that's sprung up right under the rig. A couple I drank with was there for a week, and raved about the diving there. I am so totally going to try to make that happen. They go me all excited about it.
I digress; Back to the Nyippe festivities. When it was our turn in queue, the men who carried the Ogoh-Ogoh got all riled up and ready for the parade. (They were grunting and jumping just like a boxer before a match.) I've got video! Then I followed it all the way up the street, and back to where we started earlier in the afternoon. It's the biggest holiday of the year, and man did these guys go all out. The town was packed; every street was like I was back in Manhattan again. It was fantastic, and a huge contrast to the actual Nyippe day. But I'll tell you about that later.
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rrsquared
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American MLB player. "Show me the MONEY!!" <br><br>Evil Demons! LOL.