Naga and Loy Krathong

So today was a big day. It’s the 1st night of Loy Krathong. It’s festival signifying the end of the monsoon season. You light your Krathong ( floating basket) and sends all your resentments, sorrows and troubles with it down the river. Since I got here on Saturday the preparations have been fast and furious. Especially the flower markets. K
So this morning I had an appointment to get a tattoo. Through another Thai Tattoo artist on Instagram, I found this guy. I loved his work, and emailed him to see if he had any availability when I was here this week and he did! So I caught a GRAB down to his place. But I needed to eat before hand. A few absolutes when I’m getting a tattoo. I have to eat a light meal with carbs (sandwich, pasta, stir fry) and I have to have a big cold container of full sugar soda. ( it helps if you start feeling clammy or icky) So I found this great little PadThai place right around the corner from Mod’s studio. It was 30 baht ($0.80- can you believe it?!) for a small, 45 baht ($1.20) for a medium. So I got a small. I finished it, and walked over to Mod’s studio. Then discussed price and payment. Credit cards? No he doesn’t take credit cards. Cash.
Shit. So I asked where the nearest ATM was and said I’d be back shortly. So that ATM isn’t giving out $ today. Ok. So I head off to the next one. No problem. But it’s only letting me take out a certain amount? So to make a long story longer, in a minute my prepaid travel debit/ATM card starts sending me notifications that it was declined my requests at the ATM because I had set a daily limit on my ATM withdrawals. I had to laugh, because that’s such a responsible good practical thing to do; and I needed to adjust that immediately!
So I adjusted the limit in settings went back to the ATM and got out what I needed.
But I can tell you this was the 1st day I had used my UV umbrella instead of my hat and it was fantastic.
So Mod, my tattooist was fantastic. I changed my mind on the piece I wanted about 30 minutes before I left the house. After that last “we need to check you for maybe cancer” I’ve been feeling like I need a bit of protection. Thailand is full of great mythical creatures that symbolize all kinds of stuff. The one I got is Naga and it’s on the back of my shoulder.
It is is a guardian serpent that keeps away evil spirits in both Buddhist and Hindu mythology. It is said the King of Nagas protected Buddha from a Terrible storm for 7 days and 7 nights.
So the tattoo is Naga intertwined with a flower. It’s a more intense tattoo than I’ve gotten in the past, but having a bad-ass guardian serpent watch my back sounds really good these days.
Mod and his wife who helps him in the studio were just delightful. They had lived in Portland OR for a number of years and were just as friendly and kind as could be.
So several hours later I emerged freshly inked. I was headed back towards the river and home, but since it was getting dark, and it was the 1st night of the festival, I figured I may want to get a good meal, before heading into the insanity. So I went back to the PadThai place, ordered a medium and took my time enjoying it and the fact that is was $1.20.
As I headed home I picked up some fruit and some noodles for breakfast. That’s what I’ve been eating this trip for breakfast. Noodles, coffee and fruit.
So I picked up some things for tomorrow at the local market, (which was nuts by now, and mind you It was only around 6pm) and got my Krathong.
I went down the steps to the river to light the candle and incense and set it adrift in the Ping River. I had given it my resentments, worries and fears, so it was loaded and ready to go. I got down to the bottom step, (and I thought I’d be savvy and do a video. Well, that didn’t really work, so I did a video once it was in the water) and it must be low tide because I didn’t get to “set it gently adrift, burning incense and candles aglow with the promise of good days to come. “
I chucked it, because the water was a few feet below the step. The candle went out, the incense stayed lit, but it hugged the side of the steps instead of floating majestically out the the middle of the river, like I was hoping. All the while; thinking I’m taking a video, laying on my stomach, freshly tattooed with a Thai mythical viper, while a lady is trying to get my attention to sell me (I’m not kidding) a small fish in a bag, so I can set it free in the river. 🤦‍♀️
Talk about Instagram vs Reality. 😆
So as I’ve been writing this, I’m out on my balcony watching the action below. There seemed to be a big issue between 2 vendors in regards to 3 tables, whose they belonged to, and who gets to use them. The police were here and everything. Now the police have left and the 2 vendors seem happy.
But they are still discussing and no one is putting product on them yet. Hmmmmm. Thai street vendor drama is an interesting genre. I’ll have to see if I can find any on Netflix.Read more