Flower Festival part 1

If you click on a photo, it should enlarge......should you so desire.


WARNING,.......DANGER WILL ROBINSON.
Below are lots and lots of photos of the recent flower festival and parade. lots and lots!!!!
You have been warned.

The floats are made from thousands and thousands of flowers. Incredible work.


Chiang Mai's "famous" or perhaps infamous Night Safari where you drive around an animal park at night (of course) and hear the sounds of the animals. Grrrr!!! We haven't been as reliable sources say it's more than a bit tacky, and a lot of animals have died, leading to a Government inquiry. Don't you just love the ladies outfits.










Tigers and flamingos??? made out of flowers of course.







Close up of the flamingos.







The Chiang Mai Bonsai Club exhibition.













The parade jad lots of drummers, usually accompanied by cymbalists who banged and crashed away, making sure everyone stayed awake.

Now to the exhibits at the park where the parade ended.

These vandas were for sale, and as you could imagine, my resistance was very low, especially as they wanted only about $3 a plant! Of course a few followed us home, and some lucky person(s) will inherit them when we have to leave the Kingdom!

Close up of my favourite colour - vanda cerulea

Now it's back at the parade. I keep getting things out of order! Must be old -timers, or too much Mekong Whiskey and chilli paste!! Amazing though how everything is made with plants and flowers, apart from the humans, of course!

I took this one mainly for the flasks of tissue cultured orchids which I want to bring home to Australia with me. The Phaelenopsis alongside is an added bonus

Strawberries anyone? January/February are the best strawberry months in Northern Thailand. Strawberry daquiris anyone?? Ooops sorry Sharon, shouldn't even have thought of that. The large container was filled with floating strawberries - surrounded by lettuce and cabbages. Only in Thailand.

Just had to take a pic of these cattleyas to show the price tag. 100 baht for a large flowering plant? No wonder we want to live here.

More orchids. Cattleyas, Brassiacattleyas, hope trhat's spelt right and Leilias in all shades and sizes.

And Dendrobium Phalaenopsis in all their glory.

And, of course, no party is ever complete without our old friend, Ganesha. Note the rolled up 20 baht note he has gripped in his hand.

More colour everywhere with the massed orchid displays, one after another. You cold hardly hear yourself think for the clicking of the camera shutters.

This is the winners in the Phalaenopsis section. I would have hated to be a judge. Every one a winner in my opinion.

And, just to show that oit wasn't all orchids, this shows that it's amazing what you can do with petunias.

......... and onions!! and isn't this lass' jacket wonderful?

Even Australia got into the action, though perhaps their maps are a little different to ours. The shape is recognisable, (and New Zealand has grown a bit,) which is more than could be said for North America where Mexico just wasn't there. Perhaps a passing elephant needed a snack, who knows. Please remember, it's ALL flowers.

Just look at all the work that went into this float. All for a few hours. You can't help feeling they must be planning next years' floats already.

The decorated tubas in one of the marching bands. There was this lot and another with big lips later.

Aren't the costumes wonderful? and crowd control?? what's that? Occasiobnally someone would come along with a whistle and shoo us off the road but usually we only moved when a float or band required more room to pass. It's party time in Chiang Mai.

Hephalumps everywhere, but not the real ones, probably just as well. Thai do love their Chang, both as an animal - and as their favourite beer!!! Even here, he's made of flowers.

These "ethnic minority" or "Hill tribe" ladies look a bit severe, but they weren't,in reality. The camera caught them in a somber moment. They, unfortunately don't get a good deal in many ways, from the Thai Government, eg. take their land, move them to unsuitable areas etc. ( sound familiar ),but of course the govt. does not miss a chance to show them off as colourful and exotic - it pleases the farang tourists and gets them to part with their dollars!!

And don't get me started on the very sneaky, nasty christian missionaries, F#&%!!! They get lots of money to build orphanages THEN go and take children from the villages to put in the orphanages which breaks down their culture - ( sound familiar). More on them much later. F#&%!!!

Another massive float, with smiling lovely ladies and millions of flowers. 'nuf said.

And yet another. In the end the mind boggles. It's sort of like coming across yet another wat and saying "Have we seen this one?" In reality it gets to be a case of not another one. I for one love the wats as each is very different from the one before, and so beautiful - and peaceful, except when they bong gongs and chant loudly at 5am!!! as they sometimes do across the road.

Well, what can one say. A picture says a thousand words? Well, in reality, without the noise ( read sounds from the public, the traffic, the bands - and the dogs) and the smells, pics are only a very small parrt of being here and seeing in person. Wish we had smellarama!!! or is it scencarama, whatever.

Still some more flowers to come after this.........

Stay tuned.......................

Flower Festival Part 2

I knew there was a pic of the blue band tubas with their big lips!! Don't you just love it. and they could play too,, not just oompa oompa!!

Lovey floats everywhere in this section.

I don't think this hill tribe girl was impressed by everyone photographing her. She's Akkha I think.

Another group of the Hill tribes "Ethnic Minorities" as the Government calls them. These ladies are 'White Karen'. Although they are somewhat alienated by Thai society (in general), they turn out in force at Festivals and parades. As I mentioned somewhere else, again in general, they get a raw deal, being sidelined to the most menial jobs, and often don't even have citizen rights. Lots of 'them' - I hate using that term, but it's convenient here - don't speak much if any Thai, which doesn't make it any easier for us when we try to commuicate!!

We thought the rear view was more interesting than the front one here. Don't think they're wearing traditional dress though.

This school band was a real 'cool' mob. Fabulous music, swing, rock and roll, the lot, and not a sheet of music in sight. There were 3 marching bands, so lots of noise fun.

Ladies in pink. We were unable to work out what, why or where from, but they make a pretty picture.

and yet more. These are Akha ladies with their distinctive emroidery and silver headgear. One of the oldest ethnic groups in Thailand, Burma, Laos and China.

On to one of the floats. It's amazing to see work of putting all the flowrs together. So much patience and sheer endurance would be needed.

A floral chinthe, or temple dog. I would have loved to take him home.

Any opportunity to make a baht. This guy was selling balloons, rattles and drinks.

More Hill Tribe people with their wonderful dress and interesting traditional musical instruments.

and yet more. Real pride in the faces. Good to see.

More ladies in pink...... and no one could say who they were. CWA perhaps??

A general crowd scene looking down Taepae Road, probably the main street into the Old City, down which we go every day, to shop, eat or sightsee. It's usually bedlam with vehicles. You take your life in your hands, crossing the road, as NO ONE bothers with traffic lights or road rules. The big archway with the King's pic on it, is a permanent fixture. You see them everywhere. Photos of him and The Queen and the much loved Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Not many of the Crown Prince though. Mmmmm?

Back to floats. and even here, His Majesty gets pride of place.

Elegance personified.

And to show a different approach to a flower float, this one was mainly chrysanthemums. Very effective.

Brenton wants the slippers!!!!! The guys looked bored, though perhaps were a bit sullen and self conscious at everyone photographing them and probably because they have a long walk head of them.

Fly Garuda? This one at least would make a safe landing.

Look at the work that would have to have gone into this float. Aren't the naga just superb?

Oh and here we have the Night Safari van, all dressed up in zebra stripes with tigers and flamingos. Tacky? I'll let you decide. Read on for more info on the Night Safari!!!

Now, this one was a little bit over the top!!

More Hill Tribes people, showing off the men's costumes this time. We're not sure just how traditional the hats are, but black you can wear anything with, so I'm told.

Here we have some more with their traditional musical pipes. Sure, there's a bit of repitition here, for which I apologise. Just want to share these experiences.

You see these costumes for sale all over Chiang Mai, and Northern Thailand in general. These are Akha people. The workmanship is usually good, but, realistically, where would you wear it? I doubt if Rubyvale is ready for me in one of these!!

These two "little old ladies" were in the crowd watching the parade. We often see them working at a food stall in their 'street clothes', but today they got dressed up. We snuck a quick photo and they ladies gave a rather enigmatic smile as if to say "We know" which was returned, and I got a big grin!!

and now we have.............. Chiang mai's answer to Rose Hancock!!!!! Porteous or whatever she calls herself now. Well, that was our immediate thought when she came along twirling her pipe major's whatever a pipe major twirls. She threw that baton waaaaaay up in the air and caught it. The guys behind her never missed a beat. Wonder why???

Yet more young Hill Tribe ladies, dressed in their best finery.

We weren't sure what they were doing but it was something religious I think. She was carrying the flowers and he had to ensure that the umbrella was over them all the time.

Now isn't he just something else?? Who he was, we didn't again know. Our knowledge of Thai culture has many, many holes in it! but what an outfit. I think the mo was painted on..... and so serious.
Perhaps he thought if he smiled it'd all fall apart.

NOW!!! Get your thinking caps on. Look at the pic and tell us, what it means! What has guys on ATV quadbikes in fake First Nation costumes ( US Indians ), and war paint to do with 1) Thailand and 2) a Night Safari?? and as for the girls in their suede tassles and zebra stripe camoflage, well, we still have no idea, but we had a good laugh. They too were have fun and that's what it's all about I suppose. As B says "Grrrrr Pussycats"

Don't you just love the huge pink bowties, pink shoes, and the windmills on top of their hats which whirred away as they walked. They sure were a crowd pleaser. You just could help but smile smile smile.
and they didn't play 78 trombones!!

Happy happy. They were having a ball but appeared serious. Occasional smiles but in general great concentration. Whoever made their costumes must have started last year there were sooo many members of the band. I think they were from Payap University here in Chiang Mai.

A general view of the park where the Festival parade ended up and where all the stalls and exhibits were - before the crowds surged in. It's a lovely spot inside the Old City.

And back to the parade. Here's the "blue ladies" perhaps THEY were from the CWA, and not the "red" ones. Whoever they were, there were hundreds of them, all with their poles with the flowers on top.

And just in case you'd forgotten, they're all made of flowers

It would have to be a reenactment of something mythical or historical, but the little Prince and his pony weren't too comfortable amongh the noise and bustle. The guy with the umbrella couldn't keep it over them, and the chap leading the pony's outfit detracted somewhat from the overall effect, but it's a small point.

Lovely ladies with lovely cattleyas. ( Orchids).

More young men carrying more flowers.

A bit of colour from banners carried in the parade

and the ladies with the red parasols

Heaven knows what these gharries, as they are known in Burma, were doing in this parade, but the occupants had lots of flowers, so why not.

And the vegetarians. Needs no more explanation I think

And just to prove that I really was there................ I don't think the guys she was leading were sure what was happening.

I hope she isn't a blushing bride looking for a nice husband !!!

And as Peggy Lee would have said "Is that all there is to a Flower Festival? Then let's keep dancing, let's break out the booze and have a BALL"!! Yipeeeee.

That's all for the flowers............no more we promise.

But stay tuned for the next adventure..............

Back to Burma in March.