Advertisement
Published: April 16th 2005
Edit Blog Post
Songkran
This has to be the worlds largest water fight...what a fun way to celebrate the new year! Chang Mai and the Thai New Year celebration After a really enjoyable time in Bangkok, I decided to head up north to a city called Change Mai. Change Mai is known for its trekking to remote Thai villages, elephant rides, cooking classes, and other things of that sort. But my main reason for going was to celebrate the Thai New Year; which is also known as Songkran.
Songkran is a Thai word which means "move" or "change place" as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck
So basically what ends up happening is a
HUGE CITY WIDE WATER FIGHT. And man, it sure is fun….or a day or two….when you are ready for it. So I arrive in Change Mai (After a 14 hour train ride) and I get a tuk-tuk to a hotel. Well I get to the hotel and it is full. So I decide to walk around and find somewhere else to stay (with my backpack on). Little did I know that no one (save other backpackers) takes mercy on someone
Songkran
more water.... like me walking the streets with everything they own on their back. In fact, the little kids did just the opposite…they totally went out of there way to get me. I kid you not, the streets where lined with 1000’s of people, with hoses, water guns, buckets of water…anything and everything that could be used to throw water was! And by the time I found another hotel I was not so happy…well…maybe I was laughing a little..The whole time planning revenge (which I later got!)…and soaking wet!! So once I get settled in my hotel, I get a bucket…a string and head down to the festival to cause some trouble!!! SEE THE PICS!
I took a cooking class in Change Mai and actually really learned a lot, and I think it is stuff that I can prepare at home! We made (everything from scratch) green curry, pad Thai, spring rolls, tom yum soup, some sort of salad, some sort of banana desert, and a few other things that I forget.
I was only in Change Mai for a few days and then I kind of got tired of the water fight (It lasts for 5 days) You could
Cooking Class
cooking class - Change Mai not walk the streets without getting soaking wet…so that really limited the things that you could do (not to mention that most of the business were shut down). So I got on a local bus and headed to Laos. The bus trip was really amusing because every single small village that you would drive through was still celebrating Songkran…so they would throw buckets of water at the bus…and if you where dosing off and left you window open you and everyone around you would get wet…and since there was no AC windows where open and closing the whole trip!
Ok I’m tired…that’s all for now. Next is Laos, and the two day slow boat trip from the Thai border to central Laos!
And you fools have been slacking on the comment!!! get to work!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.302s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 26; qc: 130; dbt: 0.2137s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.4mb
anonymous
non-member comment
Water Fight!
I can why you would enjoy a good old fashioned water fight. Did you buy one of those big super soakers to use? I wouldn't like sleeping on a bus and being woken up with water thrown in my face. We are eagerly awaiting a traditional Thai meal prepared by Chef Schwalmie when you return. Keep safe! - Mom