Songkran is the Thai New Year celebration.
Originally (I don't know when), water was sprinkled over the head of elders for luck, I believe. A bit of an oversimplification most likely.
Now everyone gets wet and the wetter the luckier.
I didn't know what to expect and what I ended up crossing paths with was like a dream.
The main part of the city is contained within a very large square. Take a look here. The pin is where I'm staying.
What happens is drivers and pedestrians walk the length of the square and turn down side roads now and then. I only stayed on the eastern stretch and its side roads as that square you see is quite large.
Some people post up on the sidewalks, some travel around. But EVERYBODY has a watergun and/or bucket and we all make many playful enemies and friends as we douse anybody we can. There are trashcans of water everywhere constantly being used to reload one's gear. Local folk feverishly fetch water from the city moats to fill plastic trash cans (and holy crap do these guys and gals bust their asses), hoses fill tubs wherever a spicket is, and some people throw buckets into the moat with a rope attached to real it back in.
Music is pumping around every corner of many varieties, people are drinking, and everyone is having an amazing time.
There are people of all ages, very young to very old, and people from across the globe.
Like I said, everyone's being a great sport and it's a helluva time.
Not a single picture taken because, well, buckets of water ever minute + electronics = no more electronics. Some people have special bags for their electronics, I might have to find one for my ipod. Some people have their nice cameras out and people are courteous not to douse you if they see it or if you're eating but accidents happen. I saw one guy's nice camera get sprayed -he mad- but what could he honestly expect??
I'm on my way out for a bite, then to meetup with some couchsurfers, then who knows what. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Here's a google search for "songkran chiang mai", it sum's it up =P. Clickety click click click
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