The past few days have been a whirlwind of light, noise, beauty and intensity. Loy Krathong. If you have experienced it in Chiang Mai, you realize that only those two words really explain the Loy Krathong festival.
On Friday night after work, I headed to the newly remodeled Tapae Gate to see paper lanterns or khom yi peng being launched into the sky in honor of the King’s 80th birthday. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes are strung up in rows above your head. A giant paper lantern tree is in the center, surrounded by a flurry of activity.
Even though the festive atmosphere drew me in, my stomach was screaming. I knew just where to get food, and off we were to Three Kings Monument. Food stalls lined the sidewalks, tables filled the street, and there were a variety of musical performances to keep us entertained.
With our variety of different dishes we headed to a table to enjoy what we dubbed our Thanksgiving Feast. Shrimp, roast beef, chicken, tempura vegetables, stir fried veggies & noodles, samosas, custards, and black jelly drinks were on the menu. We ate and talked and then ate some more.
Badly in need of a walk to work off dinner, we leisurely strolled back to Tapae gate.
This time we decided to launch our own lantern. Lighting it, and then waiting for it to fill with hot air, we contemplated our wishes. It started to raise, and we held it for a bit longer until eventually letting go watching it rise with others towards the nearly full moon.
We decided we had to experience the madness at the river, even if just for a few minutes. We walked by wats decorated with beautiful paper lanterns of various colors, and jungle entry ways. We were walking towards the noise; there was no doubt where the action was.
The river wasn’t as crazy as I expected. But numerous people were letting off fireworks, and you had to be on your toes. We stood on the bank of the river watching khom yi peng float into the sky and lit krathong floating down the river, and the occasional firework shot at a passing boat.
Nerves frayed, we headed back walking through Warorot market, filled with food, clothing, bugs, lanterns, krathong, shoes, locks, fireworks, and hairclips. As we walked home, our steps were buoyed by the atmosphere of the evening. I passed by a wat near my home and I could here the monks chanting. It was not going to be a quite night.
I stood on my balcony for awhile, watching fireworks, listening to chanting, watching paper lanterns floating on the breeze completely unaware that it was after midnight. I eventually fell into bed exhausted. But rest wouldn’t come easy. Throughout the night I was awakened by a firework so loud it sounded like it was lit in my room. Eventually, I began to tune out the noise, and drifted off to sleep.
