Wednesday 29 November 2006

Back to the Land of Smiles Part 2

Day 2

Woke up late, and went to Thapae again as there was a Krathong (lantern) making competition. These boys and girls were making giant krathongs! Not the ones u can hold with just one hand. These are double, triple deckers! With wine glasses and other decorative stuff! Definitely a team effort and takes an entire day to complete. Here are some pics of the finished products.













This is Ping River in the evening. This particular spot is beside the Riverside Restaurant/Bar. During Loy Krathong, the locals will set up stalls by the river selling krathongs, food and drinks. There're many people launching their krathongs into the river at the banks of the river. Good place to sit down, relax and enjoy the festive feeling, with occasional shooting of mini fireworks from the bridge and the river banks! The frequency of shooting will increase as the night falls, until it becomes so chaotic that if u closed your eyes, u might think u were in a war zone!


To be continued...
Coming up: Mini & Giant Krathong Parade babes!

Back to the Land of Smiles

It's coming to a month since my vacation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was there for the Loy Krathong Festival and it was my 3rd time in as many years. I know I'm not the only one who keep returning to this wonderful festival. Even the locals say that Chiangmai is the best place to see Loy Krathong. Why? Maybe this little travel diary will show you.

Day 1
Flew by Tiger Airways. 0605 flight. Gosh! Gotta wake up at 4am and then rush to the Budget Terminal by taxi. Not that budget here after all, because taxis are expensive in SG, especially after midnight. Touched down at Chiangmai airport and passed through their new extension. It must have been built just in time for the huge legions of tourists that are expected to flood the Royal Flora expo. Took the Songthaew to my hotel. 50 baht, after some bargaining. And slept for much of the day.

Evening came and it was time to check out the Loy Krathong festivities around Thapae Gate.
It was Sat, but the Sunday Walking Street was open! The street was closed off to traffic and the street vendors will come and set up their stalls on the roadsides by evening. Lots of goods here, mostly home decor, fashion accessories, art and food (of course!). Many more varieties and handmade trinkets here than at the Night Bazaar.


At Thapae Gate, a stage was set up for performances to entertain both the locals and tourists. I saw this traditional dance and look at the GIGANTIC crown this dancer had to wear! She was supporting and balancing the heavy thing with one hand all the time and still manage to keep on the megawatt smile. Amazing!

It was getting late, and time to check out the local clubbing scene. After all, it's a Sat night! Went to a club just 5 min walk away from Thapae. Boy did I regret my choice. Spent about 1 hr in there watching soccer on the TVs inside as there wasn't a big crowd yet. They do have a cute lady DJ though. The Thai singers and dancers then came on but the entertainment value has dropped since the last time I visited this place. Not to mention, the ratio of guys to girls is about 7 to 3. Saw many gays and lady boys too. Definitely feeling out of place and called it a night before the clock hit midnight.
To be continued...

PMS for guys



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