We returned Thailand on April 12th in time for Songkran- the Thai New Year festival. This is a crazy, city-wide water fight for 5 days straight. I've never seen anything like it- little kids up through grandparents throwing buckets of water at eachother, everyone's armed with a water gun- and there's no mercy. You cannot walk down a street more than 30 seconds without being drenched. The worst is when they have a huge block of ice in their water barrel- this is just cruel to be doused with. Most water is from the moat down the main street- not the cleanest water for sure- so keep your mouth shut.
Now, the tradition behind the water is actually supposed to be a blessing for the New Year- good luck and health and all that jazz. It's a nice idea, that I think has gotten a little lost over the years- but still a good time to be involved in. Kids would love this if you bring them along- and it's safe.
I did not get any pictures of this madness because I feared for my camera, but here is a YouTube link that gives a pretty good picture of the chaos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrtsO2Ho2tg
We spent close to a week in Chiang Mai just relaxing in an effort to recover from our whirlwind through Vietnam and Cambodia. This effort was well spent and much needed. Chiang Mai is a pretty mellow city and I enjoyed it here. We stayed at YourHouse Guesthouse which was good, basic accommodation.
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