Preparing the boats

 So at the beginning of our holiday ,there were the dragonboatraces or longboatraces getting started.

It was not sure if they could be held, this because the Queen mother has died this year. and there is a mourning period of a year. Many festivities were cancelled.

Because there was a lot of money already spend the city got the green light to go on, but in a modest way.

The teams are bringing in the boats to prepare and have some practice runs. The teams sleep all over the city, in temples and even homes of people. They are taken well cared for.

All the boats get blessed, for good luck and safety. Safety was this year one of the priorities. At an earlier race this tear one of the boats turned over and somebody was lost. These guys are sitting in a narrow boat and not all of them can swim or swim good. Brave guys;

Even at the first moments there are always people coming to have a look. Maybe, because there is a market next to it.

As you can see the weather was not so good. So they were working between rain showers and a lot of wind. Also the waterlevel in the river was high and quite fast running. Not without danger.

All pictures are sooc, not have much time to edit them.

Next post we will go for a bit of rowing.