Chiang Mai

The Lantern Festival

So, about 3 weeks ago, we all ventured to the North of Thailand via overnight train and woke up in Chiang Mai in time for the Lantern Festival/weekend. There was a group of 8 of us who stuck together the whole time, but practically our entire staff was there as well to enjoy the festivities. We kept seeing fellow co-workers in parks, at temples, and even Starbucks! Yes, disgusting to say, but they do have Starbucks here. Where don't they have a Starbucks? In any case, we had a great time celebrating with others in the finale of paper lanterns that we lit to fill with hot air (from the fire) to eventually float off into the night sky. It was an incredible sight. Literally, thousands of paper air balloons filled the sky, and it looked like a thousand flickering stars. They say that when you release the lantern into the sky, you a special wish for others. :)

Traveling around town to see some sights, like the umbrella market!
Yeah, we're dorks


A Beautiful hand-painted flower umbrella




More umbrellas!


First, I was a size 20 and now look at me a size 4! Weight watchers worked for me! ha,ha! These are actual pants you can buy in Thailand called Fisherman pants. You can pretty much make them as big or small as you want....errr...rather maybe as big as you want! :)


After we were pooped out from shopping, we all hit up the lantern festival and found ourselves walking along with the parade to the field where the lantern festival was about to start!

People walking with kratongs in the parade


Little girl selling kratongs along the parade's route.


Even the monks were taking pics of the parade!







A float in the parade


The Crew (my teacher friends and their significant others)


This is a kratong. You light the candle and the incense in the middle and then float it into the river as you make a wish.


Us and our kratongs


There were at least a 100 monks there, all meditating, and encouraging all of us to share in the calm and beauty of preparing for the final lift-off of everyone's wishes and hopes into the air together.






A cool pic of Radim with all the lanterns in the background


The beloved King of Thailand


Some children and I at the bottom of the temple steps. Here they are dressed in traditional mountain hill tribe (the Karen Tribe) clothing. These children generally ask for you to pay to take a picture of them....little entreprenuers!


The Wat on top of the mountain


Another Buddha statue at the temple on the hill