Hence the firecrackers. I don't think the noise let up day and night for three days as it's quite a long celebration here in Thailand, starting on the New Year's Eve, then the day and then the day after seemed to be a bit of a holiday too leading into the weekend. On the New Year's Eve as I did my morning walk people were setting up great feasts for the spirits in front of their spirit houses with tables laden with duck, rice, fruit, red fizzy pop and a half bottle of local whiskey. Smoke everywhere from the bunches of incense. Everyone in red clothes. Red lanterns hanging wherever they could. The spirits were in for quite a day. When I reached the pier, I noticed all the boats that go out on snorkel trips to the marine park were "parked" with their bows facing the beach rather than the other way round ready for their passengers to clamber in. In front of them was a huge long trestle table filled with more food and drink offerings. And leaning against this were eight red streams of firecrackers ready to be lit. Lots of incense was planted in the sand and various prayers and bows made. Pictures of the staff were taken and then the firecracker strings were lit. They really can make a noise those things especially eight at once! But I guess it would have been an extra safe day to go on the boats!
I walked back passed the temple and similar things had been happening there with a sea of red paper left where the firecrackers had been lit.
New Year's Day coincided with Mae Nam "Walking Street" which is the evening they close the small roads to any traffic and all sorts of stalls appear selling food, drink, clothes, fake bags so it's always busy but this time it was manic. Loads of people, firecrackers, acrobats.
This tower of Chinese acrobats would climb up, take a bow, collect some money and then do it all again ten metres further up the road, they must have been knackered! But the worrying thing for me was that the person on the top, 30 feet in the air, taking a bow and blowing kisses was so tiny, she was only about two. Health & Safety isn't big here... The firecrackers were let off willy nilly and the huge open pans of oil, balanced precariously on top of a burner with a short lead to the gas bottle, frying all sorts of delicacies as very young children play hide and seek amongst them is to me a huge accident waiting to happen. The Thiai's also try and get round safety issues by festooning their cars, vans and trucks for Chinese New Year with big "bouquets" of orchids and marigolds attached to the front for a safer year behind the wheel. I think better, slower, more careful, more sober driving may be more effective in the long run...
The acrobats were also joined by the lion and the long golden dragon. At each business they go in as much as they can - these are small shophouses and restaurants so the huge dragon can't really fit, and the proprietor pays them and then another stream of firecrackers is set off. I hope that they all have a prosperous year as a result. The celebrations went on late into the night with bands on the beach, a huge firework display and great searchlights in the sky. At one point a stirring National Anthem was played, don't know if it was the Thai one or the Chinese one but whichever it was everyone, tourists taking a lead from the locals, stood still very respectfully as it it played its martial tune.
The only thing that didn't go to plan on the day was the whole red packet thing. It's a tradition to give red envelopes filled with money to children and "seniors". I tried to look hopeful all day but none came my way...
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Location:แม่น้ำ,Thailand
