I bought a kratong, a pretty one,with orchids. I added a coin. I lit the candle and the incense sticks. I did everything I should have. I mentally put my troubles into the boat. Health, I thought. It was slippery on the river bank, so I asked a Thai man, already safely crouched by the water, to launch my little boat. The poor thing stayed put in the water, missed by the current. The breeze blew out the candle, and even the incense sticks stopped burning. Then everything just tipped over and it sank. Bad luck. Very bad luck.
My lantern was more successful. I stood in the street watching it rise, until it became one of the dozens of bright yellow points in the sky.
I walked about four and a half miles today, first hunting for free wifi, then returning to the guest house for a nap, then following a parade. The sinking of the kratong occurred at the end of the day, and I still had to drag myself back to my room, over a mile away. As I walked I looked longingly at the curbside massage setups. Sixty baht (less than two dollars for a 30 minute massage). But it was getting late, and I had a long, slow, dragging walk ahead of me. I have promised myself a pedicure later this week, when the Loi Kratong festival is over. Three dollars, and my feet deserve it.
No comments:
Post a Comment