| Thailand is a land of enchanting and exotic | | | | The Loi Kathong Festival happens every full |
| tastes for foreign visitors as I was to learn | | | | moon. Offerings are given to appease the |
| when I experienced the Water Festival of Loi | | | | water spirits. These offerings come in the |
| Kathong on the island of Ko Chang. | | | | form of banana leaf bowls with flowers, |
| | | | fruit, candles and incense. The candles and |
| Ko Chang | | | | incense are lit and everyone heads down the |
| | | | beach and starts putting them in the water. |
| In October 2003, the travel bug seriously bit | | | | It is one of the more amazing light shows you |
| me. The symptoms led me to sell my business, | | | | will ever see and beats Las Vegas hands down. |
| pack a small backpack with necessary items | | | | Thousands, and I mean thousands, of little |
| and roll into Los Angeles International | | | | lights bobbing on the surface of the smooth |
| Airport with a major credit card and an | | | | ocean. |
| attitude. A few days later, I was in Thailand | | | | |
| and headed for the island of Ko Chang, | | | | After the bowls comes one of the most |
| located close to the border with Cambodia in | | | | visually amazing things I've ever seen. |
| the Gulf of Thailand. | | | | Everyone is familiar with the paper lanterns |
| | | | used in Asia. Typically, they come in the |
| Ko Chang is a heavily forested island with | | | | form of a rectangle form with a bamboo or |
| little towns full of beach huts. This is what | | | | light wire frame. Very popular with college |
| I was exactly what I was after. Spending | | | | students since they are cheap and look better |
| days lounging in the sun and contemplating my | | | | than a bare light bulb. |
| navel. Unfortunately, I soon experienced the | | | | |
| local bacteria, which was not what I was | | | | For the festival, Thais would take these |
| after. | | | | paper lanterns and close off the top. They |
| | | | would then affix a small this paper plate to |
| Since I had rented my beach hut for a week | | | | the bottom with a candle on it. Light the |
| with payment in advance, the family running | | | | candle, wait for the heat to do its work and |
| the place looked me upon favorably. They took | | | | they had an instant hot air balloon. Once the |
| pity on me and I was soon growing fat on Tom | | | | lanterns could float, you simply let go and |
| Yom Kung and other soups and curries. After | | | | off the slowly went over the ocean. It was a |
| four days, I had finally kicked the bug and | | | | sight to see as there were thousands of them |
| felt halfway human. This was good news as it | | | | floating over the water. |
| was the night of the full moon water | | | | |
| festival. | | | | As the festival wound down, the ocean had |
| | | | been transformed. The air was full of |
| I had heard of full moon festivals in | | | | gracefully floating lanterns while the water |
| Thailand. For hard partying tourists, this | | | | itself was dotted with slowly bobbing points |
| was apparently the night the big beach | | | | of light. |
| parties happened. In Ko Chang, it was a | | | | |
| little different as the night was tailored to | | | | If you intend to travel to Thailand, make |
| the actual Thais, not tourist. | | | | sure you schedule your trip around a full |
| | | | moon. It is a scene you'll never forget. |