Loy Krathong Day!

As we pulled out on to the jungle road, I want to cry. Overstimulated and hypersensitive for sure. Our amazing evening was ending and I was exhausted. I am so thankful for my new friends here, they certainly showed me a magical night!

Before today Loy Krathong Day was explained to me as "flowers with lanterns on banana leaves in river." This morning I was given my first Krathong from Khun Iad (nanny). It was homemade and beautiful. I see that the lantern was actually a candle which seemed like a much better idea than a lantern...

The day was fabulous. I hung out at home- had a great yoga session, was accepted into a teacher training program that I applied for (here in Thailand for the month of Feb.), and confirmed my logistics for India. Khun Oye (nanny's niece) called to say she would pick me up at 4pm, so I was ready for her at 3 and expected her to show up anytime before 6. Khun Oye arrives on time and is casually dressed. To see my friend who usually resembles a cupcake in jeans gave me a little sigh of relief for both the evening plans and my clothing choice of gauchos (sp?)

So we get in the car and our mountain of a language barrier is becoming more traversable (were aren't climbing yet!) She has taken some English in the past so we teach each other what we can and laugh through most of it. We drive for awhile, heading to "ban Khun Pay." Khun Pays house is not only where she and her family live, but also their coffee shop. They ask me if I want any coffee drink (in sign language). I look at the options and say "cappuccino."

"Yen or Lawn?" Cold or hot.

"Yen."

From a previous experience I had with a Thai interpretation of a mocha, I was anticipating some sort of dirty grounds meet powder milk collaboration. I am sitting on the couch with the little kids (where everyone was initially sitting but one by one they moved in the middle of different conversations, and I wasn't conversing so I just stayed...) as he brings me this drink. This cappuccino put Starbucks to shame.

Oh and when I say "everyone" I am referring to this little community I had met at the wedding two nights before. The names remind me of a tell-a-tubby episode; (I will leave out the Khun which just goes in front of everyone's name, male or female) Oye, Ot, O, Oot, Net, Mam, Meow, Pay, Doon, and you gotta giggle at Pee and Thong.

I see that we went there in order to pick up Khun O, who is definitely Khun Oye's boyfriend but her aunt does not approve because he drives a motorcycle so they pretend like they are not together when I am around. O (he says "no Khun for him") is awesome.

He drives us to our destination, about 1.5 hours away. We talk a little and laugh the whole way there. From what I understand we are going to meet a few of O's friends to go out to eat. I wonder when we are going to put our Krathongs in the water but I don't ask.

Once off the freeway we take turns until we are on a dirt road in the jungle and pull up to a beautiful little resort on the river. O's friends that I meet are married and their family owns the resort. When we sit down we are served the most amazing dinner. The tom yum gong (curry soup with shrimp) and ga lam pee (garlic cabbage dish I am very found of) were out of this world. My favorite moment of dinner was when they asked "do you like fish" I answered "sure" and a entire fish (fried) is placed on the table. I thought to myself "well there is one way to do it!"

During dinner I see dozens of Krathongs of all sizes floating down the river. There is a duo playing some tunes and lots of parties on the resort's deck.

After dinner they put us in this long wooden boat on the river. Our driver turns on the oversized motor (which I think is a car motor) and we put down the canal. As we get closer to where all the action is- FIREWORKS begin to bust into the sky, changing the color of the night and are reflected in the dark water. It is ridiculous how perfect life seemed at this moment! We put the boat down a canal that has many sets of cement steps leading to the active streets above. We "dock" and climb up the stairs to find a full blown "night market!" Food and trinkets being sold on every square inch of the street. Women making Krathongs right in front of you, seafood being cooked in stands and boats, motorcycles carrying families of four slowly traveling in the street.

O buys a "floating lantern" which we light and release into the air. As I look up, I think of everyone in the whole world sharing the same sky. I think of all of you!

The excited energy of every one around is highly contagious, this is one of the most fun events I have seen. A great holiday, I would compare to New Years, but without the over-dressed and the over-served. Magic is the only word I can think of as I sit in the boat as we return to the resort. And, as if we ordered it, more fireworks appeared in the sky as we drift past a carnival of some sort in an open area of the river.

It is now when we light our Krathongs and place them in the river. I do not know if we are supposed to pray or make a wish when we release our little beautiful works of art, but I decided to do both- just in case.