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