Flashback: Loy Krathong

Chiang Mai, THAILAND--The Buddhists believe that floating a krathong (a circular raft made from a section of a banana trunk decorated with flowers, candles, incense) on a full moon on the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar means letting go of all your grudges and anger so that you can start life afresh. Think getting rid of bad juju. Blissfully ignorant of this interpretation, Reese, Rochie, Trina and I headed off to the Northern city of Chiang Mai. Loy Krathong is celebrated throughout Thailand but the city of Chiang Mai is known for its Khom Fai or lanna-style hot air lanterns on which people write their heartfelt desires and release into the air lighting up the sky with tiny specks of light. Aha!



If you're tired of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is your next best bet. The food- 10B Khao!, roti (local crepes), and your usual Thai cuisine are in abundance but with a slightly international flavour. For breakfast you can have noodles or muesli and yoghurt with fruits and strong coffee. Yummm. You can get your fill of temples in Chiang Mai as well, although we didn't. Depending on how much time you have, do check out the Doi Inthanon National Park, the Orchid farm, the Chiang Mai night bazaar, the traditional Thai massage, and the little artists' shops. By all means, avoid the elephant park unless you think elephants who have been taught to perform on cue are anything other than cruel. Chiang Mai is pretty small (at least the center) so pick a hotel in town and walk walk walk. In November the nights are a bit chilly so carry a light jacket. Otherwise, there's always the trusty old tuk-tuk. We stayed at the cosy Sri-Pat guesthouse where much to Rochie's horror, USD 25/night/room gets you two comfy beds, a decent bathroom and the best banana pancakes in town! Move over, Libernard Cafe. For a night cap, head over to House, a spacious restaurant/tapas bar with big fluffly cushions and a good selection of reds. Thankfully, Sri-pat was walking (crawling?) distance from the House so we could kick our drunken friends' arses back to our rooms on our last night. Why must we be 'nurturing' drunks?

So whether you're releasing bad juju, wanting to make a wish and ran out of candles, or you just want an alternative to Bangkok, head off for Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. Allons!