Happy New Year Thailand

Songkran, the Thai New Year Festival, occurred the last week of our stay in Chiang Mai. Basically the Thai people let loose with a lot of water, flinging it on whoever passed by using fire hoses, water guns, or even buckets. Anyone is fair game with no sympathy shown for camera or cell phones. You reach your destination completely soaked and probably covered with a rice paste as well. After several days of crying children and wet clothes we opted to head to Bangkok which was in the middle of seige itself--the red shirts were trying to take control of the city and the government troops were spraying tear gas and rubber bullets everywhere but a war zone seemed preferable to more water. We came to our senses and got off the train early, in Ayuthaya, once the capital of the country and now filled with lovely ruins. But at 4 in the morning with 13 pieces of luggage, two kids, four adults and the guesthouse not open until 7am none of us were very happy. The train trip was lovely( if you ignored the occasional cockroach). We each had our own cabin and shared children. Before departure the engineer loaded the boys into the engine and let them "steer" much to their delight. While exploring Max pushed the emergency call button and the porter rushed to our cabin where we were profusely apologising. Thank goodness it wasn't the emergency stop button!