Last weekend was a big weekend here in Chiang Mai. It was the flower festival. There was a parade with flotillas where every inch was covered by natural materials, from flowers to rice. Flowers dominated the foliage for the flotillas, but the varieties of flowers used were enormous. I saw orange, yellow, purple, and red mums, purple, white, yellow and green orchids, white, purple, and yellow irises, red and white roses, a green inflated ball with spikes on the outside, and other assorted greenery. The shapes the Thais covered and formed with these flowers were breathtaking. Shapes of Thai women and men were decorated; temples were created; and of course there were more than a few statues of Buddha. On each flotilla during the parade rode a contestant for the Flower Festival Queen. These women were dressed in bright colored, long skirts and patterned tops. The Thais are conservative when dressing, so little to no shoulders or leg was shown.
I didn't actually see the whole parade, but I did catch a glimpse. The destination of the parade was the city park and all of the flotillas parked on the street outside the park. The city closed off about a block of streets for this event. On one side of the street were countless vendors selling all the Thai foods – fried spring rolls, fruit shakes, grilled squid and chicken, noodle dishes, teas, a refried bean stuffed roll, Thai-style doughnuts, grilled worms and other insects, various nuts and fruits, and loads of other things. It was a good place to pick up lunch or dinner, which we did.
On the other side of the street were flowers. The first half was devoted to flower/ plant vendors. They sold orchids for $5, when you would buy the same orchid in the States for $20 or $30. They also had many other plants and flowers to buy. For the second half, they had orchids that had entered a contest for the most beautiful. All these orchids were hanging under a canopy that was roped off, so viewers couldn't go under or close to them. Viewers could walk beside the roped off flowers though. The collection was amazing and was a popular place for photos. In addition, the festival organizers had a few scenes with flowers where people could sit down among the orchids and have their picture taken. Joey and I did this.
In the evening, there was a series of bands, dancers and singers performing. Joey and I stayed for a few of these routines. Most performances were done in the traditional Thai style, so I enjoyed seeing the colorful dresses and headdresses. In general the Thai style of dancing is slow and subtle. So they weren't exactly action packed performances, but they were interesting nonetheless. Most performers were in grade school, so lots of parents and families were in the crowd.
I will post photos after I have found my camera cable. Sorry!
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