Loi Krathong

Loi Krathong is one of the biggest holidays/festivals in Thailand, and probably the most beautiful. I've heard it compared to having Christmas and the Fourth of July rolled into one. It's essentially a festival of lights. People take little baskets with a candle and incense stick, and sometimes other stuff, down to the water's edge and release them into the river or canal or other body of water. They also line the walls or edges of their yard with little candles, and often hang bigger paper lanterns around their house. It's quite something to see. In Chiang Mai it's especially beautiful, since they also release a lot of paper lanterns into the air. If you stand on one of the main bridges in Chiang Mai, you are surrounded by lights, both in the water below and the air above. People also send off firecrackers continuously, adding a lot of sound to the mix.

This year I went down to a bridge outside of town. There were a lot of people releasing krathongs into the river, and a lot of firecrackers, but not many lanterns.

 

 

You can read more about Loi Krathong on Wikipedia or in this article.

Weaver Ants

Noticed some weaver ants building a nest in a small tree by the gate.

Pulling the edges together.

Some of the silk is visible underneath the edge.

These ants do some neat stuff, like weaving their nests together with silk from the larvae, milking certain insects for honeydew, and spraying acid for defense. They're also used by farmers for pest control, and for food in some countries (see Wikipedia: Weaver Ant).

Here's a video of them at work building a nest.

It always amazes me how much there is to learn about even the little things we often overlook in everyday life.

...because there's so much to see and share...

Thailand is a beautiful country, and the longer I live here the more I appreciate everything it has to offer. I've been collecting photos and experiences in Thailand over the several years I've lived here, but up till now have kept most of them to myself. This blog is one way I can share a little bit of it with others. Hope you enjoy!