Happy Songkran

Songkran is the traditional Thai new year and celebrated from the April 13th to 15th.  Anybody that has been in Thailand knows about the throwing of water during these days.  It's hard to stay dry during these days as the Thais (and tourists) roam the streets throwing water and have fun with the 'Super Soakers'.  Although this is all fun and games the more traditional  Songkran is  a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks.  People cleanse their Buddha's and this is how the water throwing originated as the 'blessed' water was collected and poured over the family and friends for good fortune.  This is also the hottest month in Thailand and getting soaked every now and them is not that bad.

Songkran is also the 'summer' holiday and people generally take a week off and the productivity of Thailand comes to a complete standstill.  Hotels and flights are booked out weeks in advance and we also decided to leave Bangkok for 4 days and drive 400 km northwards to Sukhothai.  In the 13th and 14th century this was the center of the Sukhothai kingdom.  Sukhothai broke away from the Khmere empire and effectively was the origin of modern day Thailand.

The Khmere influences are clearly visible and the sites are really beautiful.  There are also relatively few tourists adding to the serene experience.  Although sight seeing at >35 C and no wind with 2 small kids made us appreciate the air-conditioner.  As Lee Kwan Yew (creator of modern day Singapore) once said: the greatest technical innovation contributing to the successful development of Singapore is undoubtedly the air-conditioner.

The drive was half the fun and its amazing to see how fertile this country is.  Almost every tree has some kind of edible fruit in it (mainly mango's) and countless rice paddies make Thailand the biggest rice exporter of the world.  It was also nice to experience a more rural Thailand.  For these people Bangkok is like New York is the the Mid West: full of arrogant urbanites.  It is here that the people live modest lives working tirelessly on their farmland and it is also here where there is a lot of support for the 'red-shirts'; the pro Thaksin movement that was responsible for the upheaval last year.

Serene beauty in Sukhothai

Sight seeing at >35 C and no wind.

No tourist to hold the camera ... too hot I guess ... family shoot with the self-timer

A tamed Asian elephant along the Yom river in Sri Satchanalai

Family picture ... Quinn still intimidated by the elephant

Some type of very basic truck ... it looks like they're hand built and the engine seems to be an air cooled generator and is completely exposed ... they must be cheap to run because the farmers up North tend to drive around in them

More Asian hotel luxury .... financially I don't understand how these places can operate as we were the only guests for diner.

Swimming in a beautiful pool ... probably a rice paddy 1 year ago.

Songkran in Phitsanulok

Almost every shop house owner has a little shrine

Throwing water from the back of pickups is the favored activity during Songkran

Elegant dancers during Songkran.

Tibbe is beefing up ... no longer a small baby.

Quinn has perfected her camera pose.  She practiced every night in front of the mirror (vanity at 2 and a bit).

Safari World near Bangkok ... after this picture Quinn's mood was fouled by a wet giraffe tongue.