Songkran

So I left Vietnam and caught a cheap flight over into Thailand and back to Bangkok, I was really excited to experience a festival which happens each year.It was April 13th - SONGKRAN!! That's right I was going to be taking part in the new years celebration in Thailand and I was very much excited.

Ok so the tradition goes that back in the day on new years the locals used to poor water over the buddhas head, they would collect the water at the bottom of the statue and bless each other with it, providing health and good luck for the following year.Over the years / decades following this the amount of water used got more and more and soon each family would have a mini water fight to celebrate the coming of the new year.Now in Thailand the celebration is national and lasts 3, 5 or 10 days, people fill the streets with vats of cold water, water guns and buckets and make the most of the craziest 3 days by completely drenching each other! And I was in the craziest city in the world, Bangkok for the celebrations.

I had made friends with two English girls named Davina and Sarah back in Mui Ne and they just so happened to be on my flight! And so after dodging the water and checking in I went out that night to meet them.Now I had heard the festival was insane but I had completely underestimated just how crazy it is, for example I was soaking before I left my building as my hostel owner threw a bucket of water over me, she smiled and said happy new years, but that was nothing as I walked towards Koh San I couldn't believe it, families, travelers, POLICE OFFICERS! Everyone had a water pistol or a bucket and everyone was going completely insane - it was midnight by this point but it didn't matter, it was songkran - the biggest water fight in the world and no one was stopping.

For 2 days I stayed wet, there was no point in drying off, the festivities were on every road in the city, every body who could take part did and they never stopped, it didn't matter what time of day it was, whether you were inside or out, whether you were avoiding it or joining in - someone would get you! In my many months in Thailand I had never seen the Thai people like this?! They had all gone mad! High off of the excitement I think this must be a highlight of their year, I mean water doesn't cost much so even the poorer people could join in, everyone came together to celebrate and let their hair down.I couldn't believe it when I was jeeps driving around with big buckets of water on the back and people hanging of the edge soaking people, water was getting thrown into open car windows, peoples faces and here there and everywhere.It was ridiculous but Koh San was the most insane, for 3 days Koh San Road becomes ground zero for the festival with out door stages attached to the front of pubs, huge hoses spraying water down onto the road and thousands of people partying everywhere all with water pistols and their water proof purses hanging round their necks to keep their money in.

I'm not lying when I say it definitely beat any and every water fight I had as a kid and was the best way ever to leave Thailand for the final time on my round the world trip as I made my way down to Singapore to catch my flight to Australia. I loved every minute of Songkran, the atmosphere the excitement and the way I felt like my childhood was being relived but in a bigger better and more insane way - it was the grown ups version of a play fight and it kicked ass!!