Mukdahan Boat Races 2011

The Annual Autumn Boat Races 2011

The 2011 edition of the Mukdahan Boat Races (Kaeng Rua) began this year a couple days early. Normally they start with on Awk Pansaa which is the last day of Buddhist Lent. That fell this year on October 12th. However the festivities began on the 10th. (A friend of mine from Nong Khai showed up on the 12th amazed that things were all ready in their 3rd day and wanted some information from the TAT office in Mukdahan. A woman there told him that Awk Pansaa was on the 10th - that was a lie. Another employee there corrected her but they still failed or refused to give him any information.). Anyhow I dropped by down at the Indochina market on the 11th when these pictures were taken and found it to be rather uncrowded, more like a typical weekend day, not the madness that is usually accompanying the festival. And the boat races are as exciting as, well, a boat race.If you were drunk out of your mind it might liven things up. I wandered around with my dog and a friend played a game of Thai Chess and had a nice sunny day. Enjoy the picture gallery below for a taste the end of Buddhist Lent Mukdahan style.

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