Loi Krathong

All over Thailand people celebrated Loi Krathong by floating offerings made of banana leafs and flowers into the water to apologize to the water for any wrongs they had done it in the past year.  There was music, food, shopping and a float/krathong contest.  I'll spare you the several hundred pictures I took of the floats.

Black bean ice cream on a stick in a cup.

People taking pictures with dinosaurs? 

Usually there are lavish floats in the water but this one is floating in a sea of people.

A Krathong competition

Music, food, shopping, classic street fest fair without the beer sponsors.

People making a wish and apologizing to the water for any wrong they had caused it.  There was incense attached to the candles and some people tuck money and hair into their floats, or krathongs.  Men were also in the dirty dirty dirty water up to their mouths rummaging threw the krathongs looking for money.  I guess it's ok if you give an offering and someone takes it moments later.  Don't ask me to explain why.

A refreshing cart of dried squid that get rolled through a press and served with a salsa-like sauce.  My friend could seriously not understand how I could stop eating it after one bite but I claimed to be full.

A ride home in a cozy tuk-tuk, our driver was evacuated from Bangkok and didn't really know the way.  Thailand has no city planning and most streets aren't really on any maps.  I'm told most cities in Thailand use regular taxi's but in Korat the tuk-tuk is standard.  And smelly they must run on diesel and the exhaust must come out of the front.  It does feel safer than a motorbike though and is quite fun.