All Quiet on the Sakon City Waterfront

Only one longboat in the water

Seaweed harvesting pending

Lunchtime, Seaweed harvesters sit idle

Not sure if benches have been sitting there all year or were recently erected. Hope a safety check is on the agenda 

It's an awfully bad designed bridge, especially for senior citizens, impossible for the disabled.  Made even more difficult by missing planks 

Park entrance for the 'Parade' delivering the royal trophy.

Look at the steps to get an accurate feel for the steepness of the ramp.

Some vehicles have to  ""put the pedal to the metal" 

It all starts in eight days

Hope the upper half of this float is completed

Parade Craze

Saw this high speed parade go past me last week.

Complete with police escorts, stopping traffic to let the convoy pass  

The types of parades in this city always amaze me

As Seen at Apple's

At times it's like an antique car show

A remnant of times gone by
Probably a 1960's model

Battle station: Snake Alert

7 pm: 
A neighbor alerted us to the fact that she had seen a snake enter our garden.

Flashlights in hand we quickly discovered the invader.

With the primary defensive weapon, bleach spray,  not available, a brick served as immobilizer.
Only the head was visible and easily decapitated.

With fields drying out, snakes are on the move seeking moist environments.

Sakon Nakhon Royal Longboat Races October 26-27, 2012

The procession delivering the Royal Trophies to the Grandstand begins at  8AM 
This year there are twelve groups participating in the parade

A ceremonial delivery of the trophies near the grandstands 

At the conclusion of the delivery ceremony, the Thai National Anthem is performed, usually by a military ensemble.

By the time the speeches begin, it's time to find yourself a good viewing area

If you arrive late for "The Parade of Boats," seats are available further from the grandstands

The Boat parade includes a trophy peacock dance contest

Boat races begin immediately after the "Parade of Boats."

Recommend a pleasant walk amongst  team cheerleaders and families, you'll get plenty of hellos and welcomes

Some time in the mid to late afternoon a rest period is recommended, so you are refreshed for an evening of fun activities

DAY ONE AT THE ♥ LAO PO DAEN ♥ RACES

CRANK IT UP SEASON

         

Hadn't heard the morning bulletin broadcast for some time.
After months of pleasant silence, early morning (around 6am) broadcasts have once again become almost daily routines.

Of course there's plenty of mobile units informing us, mostly about mattress sales, etc.





Still one of my favorites at the Lao Po Daeng Longboat Races, 2003

That's where I'm headed now the 2012 Lao Po Daeng Longboat Races

Sakon Nakhon Royal Longboat Races and Wax Castle Festival

Just received my copy of this year's festival brochure.
Should have the schedule translated within a day

Blue route is the Longboat Festival parade route
Red Route is the Wax Castle Festival parade route

Amateur Hour at Thailand Tourism Authority

Earlier this year I noted an advertisement at the TAT website for the Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival.  The notice had the wrong dates. They used last year's dates Oct 12-16.

The web page was corrected four days after my second e-mail to the webmaster. But by then the damage had been done. Tourists agents throughout the world had picked up on the wrong dates.

Again there's a few of disappointed tourists in town, two weeks too early.

It's not the first time I've noted wrong dates listed for the festival.  
I've met and heard of disappointed tourists in past years.

The Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival is held each year in conjunction with the end of the Buddhist Lent and generally begins three days before the full moon.  Thus each year it's on different dates.

Wonder if T.A.T. will get this right someday.  Maybe even in my lifetime.