Thailand Day 3: Songkran at Ayutthaya

 Today, we woke up early to head to the parade for Songkran. Songkran is considered the Thai New Year, and is celebrated with a nationwide water fight. Throwing water on everyone is a symbol of purification and renewal for the new year. It's also really fun! First, we watched the parade, which had elephants, a bit of splashing, and lots of dancing!

After the parade, we did a bit of swimming at the hotel, and then got some lunch. After lunch, we put on our bathing suits, grabbed our water guns, and went back to the parade area for some water play! We walked around the block, and basically everyone threw water at each other, either with water guns, bowls, or buckets. There are huge barrels of water along the street for people to refill their water guns with, while others choose to ride around in the back of their pickup trucks splashing everyone. It wasn't long before we were completely soaked.

It was such a joyous celebration, and the Thai people were happy to share it with us. Not only do they douse people with water, but they also have powder or paste that they spread on your cheeks as a way of blessing you, which happened to us many times. I was really moved by the warmth and welcoming spirit of the Thai people we encountered at the celebration today. Not only was today a super fun experience, but it was also very meaningful.