While Nong Khai is an interesting little town with the
added charm of a frontier post, the Mekong is perhaps
more impressively seen at Nakhon Phanom where there is a
fine panorama of the fantastically-shaped mountains that
loom up on the Laotian side.
Finally there is the traditional culture of I-san which
is most readily experienced in the region's many
festivals. Lifestyles continue to revolve around the
agricultural calendar, the unchanging seasonal cycle of
ploughing, planting and reaping. As such, the year is
punctuated by numerous festivals, all with symbolic
meaning though now largely celebrated as opportunities
for fun and relaxation. Virtually all are special to the
northeast, and some are peculiar to individual towns.
Among the best known of these joyous events are the
Candle Festival, held at Ubon at the beginning of the
Buddhist Rains Retreat in July; the Wax Castle Ceremony
at Sakhon Nakhon on the full moon of the 11th lunar
month: Khon Kaen's December Silk Fair, and the Boon Bang
Fai, Yasothon's famous rocket festival celebrated in
May.
The latter, a two-day event, is typical in that it once
served a practical agricultural function as an entreaty
to the sky good for plentiful rains, so essential to the
rice crop. It is steeped in lore and legend and is
marked by a carnival atmosphere and much ribald revelry.
The focus of attention, however, is on the huge homemade
rockets that are fired to placate the sky god. They are
basically plastic tubes packed with gunpowder and the
successful ones take off with a roar like a jet plane
and soar to a considerable height. It is a thrilling
display of rocketry as the art must have been when first
invented by the Chinese.
Another festival, now internationally known through
promotion by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is the
Surin Elephant Round-Up in November. In its present form
of a spectacular elephant show it is not traditional,
but what it celebrates does pay homage to a
time-honoured occupation of the region as the local
people were formerly renowned for their skill in
elephant hunting and training.
Fascinating in themselves these celebrations provide
ideal opportunities for seeing the people express the
charm and genuine hospitality that is typical of their
gentle nature. The festivals are not preserved as mere
tourist attractions and are genuine manifestations of
local culture in which visitors are welcome to join.
Perhaps I-san is not for the first-time visitor to
Thailand -- there being so much else to see -- but for
the repeat traveller and for those wanting get away from
the crowds, then the northeast is a must. Touring
requires a little effort as there are comparatively long
distances between major places of interest.
Nevertheless, to journey through the region is to
journey through traditional Thailand.
