The hotel put on a small traditional Songkran festival ceremony at the beach where an altar with flowers and a Buddah were set up. We were shown how to put jasmine soaked water over the Buddah's lower half (never the head), and make our "wish", followed by a wai (the prayer like gesture and bowing of the head). I wonder whether it was a language issue, being told we could make a "wish" rather than the traditional blessing that is usually asked for the family? Perhaps they think that's what Westerner's want, but the word "wish" made it feel more of a selfish sort of a ceremony than I think is meant. But we Westerner's all did our bit and looked faintly ridiculous in what David would describe as "bad leisure wear" although at least most people had dressed appropriately in as much as they had (just) covered up their swimwear...
But tradition and religious intent notwithstanding, the commercial and fun aspects of Songkran were evident the minute you stepped out on to the main road. I had prepared better this year than last and wore a top that didn't go transparent as the first deluge of water.... No repeat of last year's Miss Wet T shirt I'm pleased to say.
On the short walk towards the busier part of town there are groups of people lining the road with huge vats of water, hosepipes and buckets. Additionally, pickup trucks with huge vats of water drive by and throw it at anyone innocently walking, or indeed driving, by. I get quite a dousing as I get as far as Walker's Inn, a Brit owned bar restaurant where I have eaten a lot (their why why why is cheap, maybe a contributing factor...). They were just setting up their pickup truck with a huge vat of iced water to drive up and down and dump it on any passers by, dry people were the main target. But of course if you throw, you get soaked in return so I was pleased to take up the offer of sitting safely inside the cab as we drove along to deliver our water cargo. It was good fun watching from the dry inside and we had to take on water refills at a couple of places with hosepipes who were cashing in and charging a few baht for the service.
The couple who own Walker's are an interesting pair, Andy the Brit and his Thai wife, Joo, had a place on Phi Phi island for a few years before the tsunami. Luckily for them, they were in the UK when it struck, but they lost everything. A while later they decide to open up here and go back to Phi Phi to find their staff and bring them back. They are all still working together today. But their place now, quite a way back from the beach and higher up, really brings home the extent of the tsunami damage here. When they took on this place it was just a shell, the water having virtually destroyed it. But they rebuilt and now have a thriving backpacker hotel, bar and restaurant. Good luck to them, they are nice people.
So, soaking wet, it was time to go back to the relative dry safety of the hotel only to be assailed by really loud music where the Songkran Pool Party was happening at the main pool - there are four pools here as well as the big one, the Andaman Sea! In for a penny I thought... It was happy afternoon rather than just happy hour and after all the trouble the hotel had gone to to celebrate Songkran, it seemed rude not to give them at least some business, so I ordered my 100 baht caiparinha and whilst there was a lot of madness happening, I got away with a slight pouring of water on me. But I didn't stay long. Feeling in danger of being thrown in, I took my drink back to my pool access room and celebrated in my own way by taking a dip in the lovely warm pool.
But Songkran has a darker side here, all over the papers are the warnings of the "seven dangerous days", the three each side of Songkran itself, where traffic accidents soar. It's a holiday rivalling Xmas at home and many people move about to stay away for the holiday or visit relatives. The papers print the accident stats each day and most are due to drink driving.
But I stay safe as I wander into the town for dinner. But not much to be found, many of the restaurants are closed as their Thai owners enjoy some well earned holiday time.
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Location:ถนนเพชรเกษม,Takua Pa,Thailand
