We had come to witness the Mekong Fireballs, a natural phenomenon. They appear as balls of red or pink light that shoot into the air from the depths of the Mekong and hang there for 10 seconds before disappearing.  

They come every year, or almost every year on the last night of Buddhist Lent, Legend has it that the spirit world of the Naga lies below the waters of this part of the Mekong river and the fireballs are sent to be Lord Buddha's stepping stones for his return.

Boys lit fireworks, adults sent large lanterns soaring into the sky where they slowly drifted out of sight,  vendors plied, food, drink, candy floss, toys. balloons and just about anything a festival goer might need.  Women offered to share their homemade food with us and the men their beer.

As darkness fell thousands and thousands of little illuminated lanterns like these were floated downstream.  Traditionalists used coconut shells instead.  

Two hours later they were still coming and we could see them in either direction as far as the eye could see. But no fireballs.

Would this be only the second time in living memory that the fireballs failed to arrive?  In 2004 they came a day later on the night of the Laos full moon.   Not sure how that works but everyone agrees that the Laos full moon falls a few miles from and 24 hours later than the Thai.

This was the only red we saw in the sky that night and we finally had to give up and head for the pier for dinner and the long cruise back to Mutmee.  No easy task as the whole Esplanade was jammed with people.  Many sitting in groups eating supper while the rest of us tried gamely to inch by.  Sometimes only inches away from mad hot coasl in equally mad hot clay ovens on tripods.  Nobody seemed to be in charge, nobody directed operations and somehow everyone had a good time, nobody lost their temper and nobody got hurt.   If you find yourself hemmed in by 1/2 a million people it is great if they happen to be Thai.

Back at the boat we  had a lovely buffet supper, laid our mattresses on the deck and slept our way back to Mutmee.