Loy Krathong

 

Loy Krathong, the November festival where people make little floats to launch out onto the river, was this last Full Moon, but it was a dud because of the Covid restrictions still in place.  Other years – except for the last two – vendors would set up for a week ahead of time, to sell food, toys, etc., and even rides for the kids down by the river.  It was always wall-to-wall people with a lot of families with kids.  Carnival fun, with a lot of lights. 

But people are afraid to be in crowds.  And our nearby river pier, the Rama 7 Bridge, is undergoing major re-construction, making it hard to access the river. 

And the Chao Praya River is incredibly high!  The runoff from the earlier heavy rains in the North is finally reaching us, and the high tides in the Gulf of Thailand are blocking the outflow here in the estuary.  We did not get flooded, but other locations along the river did. 

Not much news here.  Our family is now fully vaccinated, but we are careful.  Masks are mandated in all public places.  Bars and pubs, etc., are still closed, but restaurants can be open for limited hours. 

Thailand is slowly improving its vaccination rate, but it has a long way to go.  Two-thirds of Thais have had at least one jab, the same as the USA.  But Thailand is starting to slowly open up to foreign tourists again and will relax more restrictions in the next couple of months – and I fear this will cause another surge in infections. 

Since cinemas have again re-opened, I have continued to see a few films.  Most are not Oscar-worthy, but they are generally entertaining enough to be worth the two-dollar (senior discount rate) fee to sit in a comfortable a/c theater, most of which are almost empty on weekdays.  I love a diversity of films, so access to them again is a joy.  I combine a trip to the cinema with major food shopping. 

I’m not turning on my laptop much, thus not writing.  But I have been reading quite a variety of stuff, on Kindle and tablet. 

And I’ve been exercising more regularly since my aches and pains have slightly decreased – perhaps because of the end of the Rainy Season and the now steady high barometric pressure, as well as maintaining careful workouts that above all avoid training injuries.  I’m starting to feel stronger again.  For an old guy. 

- Zenwind. 

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