Soaking for Songkran; Chiang Mai.

We left Chiang Rai yesterday full of anticipation as to what was to come in Chiang Mai. The Songkran New Year Water Festival in the Northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is internationally famous and we were really eager to get there and see all that Chiang Mai has to offer. For some reason, we didnt seem to click the slight problem of arriving off a bus with bags in the middle of a city of festivities. After getting on a taxi after the bus arrived, we found ourselves at the walls of the old city where the taxi said he could go no further and we had to walk from here. We lugged our bags off and took in our surroundings and found our jaws on the floor. The place was insane. Everywhere people were throwing buckets of water, traffic was at a standstill, people were running around with huge water pistols and everyone was dripping wet. Not the most ideal place to find yourself with a suitcase that holds all of your worldly belongings and another bag full of your valuable electronics. Putting all the electronics into the case, we ploughed on through, with comments being thrown at us from passers by such as 'you arrived at the wrong time' and 'you are walking into the belly of the beast'. But, three buckets of water over our heads and a sympathetic tuk tuk driver later we arrived in our hostel.

We soon came to realise that if we spent an hour dry in this city for the next three days we would be doing well. All of last night and all of today we have been drenched, and you cannot walk ten feet without a bucket of water on your head or a hose pointed in your direction. We soon armed ourselves with pathetic little pistols and a water proof bag for our money and phone, though I havent been brave enough to bring my camera out, so no pics so far I am afraid. We are hoping to go and see the tiger sanctuary while we are here, but we are doubtful how good it will be since the entire city is packed out and I imagine the tourist attractions will be the same.

But despite that, the atmosphere is incredible. Thai families are all sitting with picnics enjoying the party and water, people are happy and rediscovering their inner child soaking everyone around them, and since most of the city is an alcohol free zone in line with Thai morals, its not a drunken brawl. Its definitely one of the greatest experiences I have had in Thailand, and I genuinely think its one of the greatest festivals in the world.

Sawatdiikha.