So while I was hanging out in Chiang Mai, waiting for my partner in crime from the Peace Boat Nicola to show up, I was able to cash in on all the yummy food and festivities of the Loi Kathong Festival (sp?) And it was beautiful!

In Chiang Mai, on the full moon in the 11th month the whole city comes out for parades, and festivities! I think in three days I saw three huge parades with everyone in the whole city in one parade or another...drumming boys, dancing girls, princesses on floats, women walking carrying candles wearing beautiful skirts, even lady boys walking in the parades wearing women's dresses, etc. Definatley not an affair to be missed! Down by the river there were tons of hot air balloons being sent up into the air. Here they have some sort of big paper cylinder that has wire at the bottom where there is a piece of coal that they light on fire. After the hot air enters the paper cylinder balloon type thing, then it just floats up into the air. The first two nights it was raining, so there weren't so many lanterns in the air, but the third night there was clear skies so there were hundreds of balloons lighting up the night sky. Truly beautiful! Of course there were also tons of crazy loud fire works...for three days...so loud that when I called home on Thanksgiving Mom could almost not hear me! Oh and there were also Loy Kathongs, which is like a small boat made out of bamboo root, decorated with flowers, candles and insence. Then you float them down the river. I floated one by myself...but heard various reports that you needed to float one with your significant other...oh well!

All and all it was a great time! Oh and Nicola finally showed up on the last night! So now we are off to Mae Hong Son for trekking!