Been my favorite event here in Sakon Nakhon for years.
It most likely goes by another name, involves dragons and lions and cobras and . . .
Generally a three to four day celebration sponsored by the Chinese Temple "Chao Pu-Chao Ya Shrine."
The Parade has always been on December 11 with daily public activities at the temple grounds.
The origins of the festival are obscured in history, it is generally agreed that the event has been celebrated since ancient times.
There are three main versions to the Bun Bang Fai legend.
One has it that the rain god Vassakan loved to be worshiped with fire.Villagers shot rockets into heaven in hopes that he would bless them with plenty rain needed for rice cultivation.
A second version is that the rain god Vassakan would be sleeping during this time of the year (hot season) . Villagers would shoot rockets to awaken him to begin the rainy season.
A third version claims the event as being a fertility rite, shooting phallic symbols (rockets) into the sky in hopes of fertilizing the land.
The celebration is held mostly in North Eastern Thailand and Laos and is a mix of spiritual and religious beliefs, with plenty of modern day entertainment.
Dates for the festivities vary throughout the area Some festivals are held as early as April, and as late as July during the dry and hot season. Religious ceremonies, parades and a variety of merit making are part of the celebrations.
The celebrations were especially dangerous in 2009 when a rocket misfired and decapitated a spectator. The news video of that event has long since been removed
Rockets are returned to the ground by parachute. Trophies are awarded for the parachute which stays in the air the longest.
Watermelon Star Show - Best Variety Google Translation
It's not watermelons, but then, who am I to complain?
Coconut Harvest
Decided to harvest some nuts before heavy storms bring them crashing down.
A few will wind up in my blender, mixed with rum preservative.
Rescued Plant
Found it abandoned in a vacant lot and brought it home.
So far it seems to not attract insects
Bangkok experiences hottest temperatures in three decades
Recently saw a number of headlines declaring the Bangkok Heatwave of 2012.
Temperatures in the mid forties (113F).
The local thermometer hasn't gone quite that high, but local humidity made it feel just as hot as Bangkok.
I'd been hoping for some rain accompanied by cooler temperatures.
Three days of nearby thunder, but the rain clouds just passed us by.
I've frequently referred to that phenomena as the Doughnut Effect
A Heavy Rain and Flash Flood Warning by the Thai Meteorological Department (this morning)
excludes North-East Thailand.
"... very heavy in some places ... in the western portion of Thailand, the North, Central, the East and the South West Coast
