It is an easy walk from the house to the Gate – really only about 10 minutes. Surprisingly the streets aren’t all that crowded at 10:45 when we leave. On the way we watch people buying lanterns from street vendors for only 100 baht ($3 USD). We couldn’t believe they were that cheap! We thought about buying one, but had read where it was really tough to light it and to be prepared to exhaust your lighter. Needless to say, we don’t have lighters handy anymore and we weren’t going to go on a hunt for one at this late hour. Executive decision made: We’ll just watch. Sometimes it is better to be a fly on the wall than a participant in the thick of things!
We make it to the moat easily enough – and it is absolutely beautiful. The trees are all lit up in white lights. The Ferris wheel at the end of the moat glows cheerily – and all around us are lanterns in various stages of lift off. It is such a wonderful, magical feeling. WARNING: Here begins far too many pictures of the moat, the lights, the lanterns and the fireworks. Just saying – forewarned is forearmed and all that.
Remember the warning? Well, that applies to videos too, but then again, I mean really, how can you not video this – it is too special!
As we watch, there are inevitable failures. Burned out lanterns floating in the moat. Lanterns on fire disintegrating in the air. And the frequent lantern stuck in a tree. Physics is not really a focus here tonight.
Eventually we move away from our lantern watching perch, heading toward the Gate where the concert is located. Once again, there are people galore, and once again all very orderly. Nobody unruly. There are families and kids and couples and everything in between. All very happy and having a great time. Very refreshing.
Arriving at the stage area, we decide not to wade into the crowd but hang out on the peripheral watching an listening to a surprisingly good rapper and band. There is a whole carnival here behind the state, Ferris wheel, bouncy houses, rides, the whole gamut. Quite the festive atmosphere for a New Year’s celebration.
Then it is back to the moat where we strategize the best place to see the fireworks and lanterns. It is getting much more crowded now, so going down to the end where we started isn’t an option, even though that would make for the best views. We end up about 1/3rd of the way down and luck into a spot right on the moat where we can sit when another couple leaves. Success! Here we sit for the next 30 minutes watching the lanterns and waiting for the countdown.
Finally the countdown begins! (As an aside, I had already counted down because somehow the clock in my phone is 1 minute fast. Now can someone out there tell me how on earth that can happen?) And we all join in cheering in the New Year, watching more lanterns (yes, they are never ending) and enjoying the fireworks from all around the city. There had to be at least 6 separate locations blowing off big, professional fireworks. Crazy! And oh so fun!
Fireworks over, we disperse out into the gridlocked traffic (ok, why are these people out here in their cars? This isn’t a spur of the moment event, they had to have known there would be a standstill here – even though it is a major thoroughfare? It defies logic. And before you say it, no, they aren’t thereto watch the fireworks. They are all trying to get somewhere – there are taxis and tuk tuks and song teaws and scooters and…..well, everything!).
This makes for a really fun walk home. Really! Everyone is still very orderly, but we are all just squeezing our way between cars and scooters and phone poles and whatever else happens to be in our way in the little sois around the city. It really was quite a fun little adventure home.
Back at home on our 2nd floor balcony, we decompress a bit from our exciting evening and watch the last (at least we hope it is the last) of the lanterns floating out over the moat in the distance. Most fun New Year’s Eve in a long, long time!
Andiamo 