If you're looking for something to do over the weekend, dragon boat racing starts today on the lake at Kao Tao. If you haven't seen it before, it's worth a look.
Bit like watching paint dry after a couple of times though!
Lots of nice food stalls.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
The event takes place in the big lake at Kao Tao. You will probably be directed to a temporary car park, but if it's not too busy there will be a space on the road towards Hat Sai Noi (turn right by the temple).
I didn't go today - I've been twice in the last few years and that will do me nicely - but Mrs D-M went down for lunch and said it was a good job I hadn't gone, as the proceedings were dominated by that curse of Thai public events, the over-loud PA system combined with the overexcitable and inexhaustible commentator...
Anyone remember Stuart Hall and Eddie Waring in It's A Knockout?
^^ Went with the folks and the Long Haired General for a look yesterday - as you say, the noise level from the PA system was ridiculous and quite frankly spoiled the event. Did get to see a couple of races before the ear drums gave up though, so not a wasted visit.....
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" - Yma o Hyd.
The races are over comparatively short distances, usually between two boats, as I recall. The skill, to my untutored eye (beyond getting over 30 blokes into the boat without capsizing it) is the remarkable coordination. But that's basically why I got bored with it fairly quickly - the only thing that would make it of any great interest to me would be a bet, but that, needless to say, is out of the question in Thailand...
Most of these boats practise a lot, mostly on the river Pran I think.
I believe there was a farang entry in one of these races not long before I came to HH 6 years ago. Perhaps barrys or Terry can confirm?
dtaai-maai wrote:I believe there was a farang entry in one of these races not long before I came to HH 6 years ago. Perhaps barrys or Terry can confirm?
Went through that thread where caller's link takes you. Cheeze, all the good memories it brought to my mind. It's more than five years ago now but I can still feel it in my muscles.