Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
Methane gas? Drunken Lao soldiers? Clever monks? Or perhaps the fiery breath of the sacred
naga,
a serpent-
like being that populates folkloric waterways throughout Southeast Asia. Since 1983 (or for ages, depending on
who you ask), the sighting of the
bâng fai pá yah nâhk
(loosely translated, '
naga
fireballs') has been an annual
event along the Mekong River. Sometime in the early evening, at the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat (Octo-
ber), which coincides with the 15th waxing moon of the 11th lunar month, small reddish balls of fire shoot from
the Mekong River and float a hundred or so metres into the air before vanishing without a trace. Most claim the
naga
fireballs are soundless, but others say a hissing can be heard if one is close enough to where they emerge
from the surface of the river. Most Thai and Lao see the event as a sign that resident
naga
are celebrating the end
of the holiday.
There are many theories about the fireballs. One, which aired on a Thai exposé-style TV program, claimed that
Lao soldiers taking part in festivities on the other side of the Mekong were firing their rifles into the air. Interest-
ingly, the reaction to the TV program was a storm of protest from both sides of the river. Some suggest that a
mixture of methane gas and phosphane, trapped below the mud on the river bottom, somehow reaches a certain
temperature at exactly that time of year and is released. Many simply assume that some monks have found a way
to make a 'miracle'. The latter was the premise behind a 2002 comedy film entitled
Sìp Hâh Kâm Deuan Sìp èt
(Fifteenth Waxing Moon of the Eleventh Lunar Month), released with English subtitles under the peculiar title
Mekhong Full Moon Party
.
Naga
fireballs have become big business in Nong Khai Province, and curious Thais from across the country
converge at various spots on the banks of the Mekong for the annual show. Little Phon Phisai, the locus of
fireball-watching, hosts some 40,000 guests. Special buses (cheap or free) make the return trip to Nong Khai city,
and several hotels run their own buses where you'll get a guaranteed seat. Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse sails its
boat there and back (2800B, including lunch and dinner).
If you don't come with the right mindset, you'll likely be disappointed. The fireball experience is more than
just watching a few small lights rise from the river; it's mostly about watching Thais watching a few small lights
rise from the river. And even if the
naga
doesn't send his annual greeting on the day you come (it's sometimes
delayed by a day due to the vagaries of calculating the arrival of the full moon), it'll be an interesting experience.
Sleeping
Catering to the steady flow of backpackers, Nong Khai's budget lodging selection is the
best in Isan.
Mut Mee Garden
Guesthouse
( 0 4246 0717;
www.mutmee.com
;
Soi Mutmee; r 180-1500B; )
Occupying a sleepy stretch of
the Mekong, Nong Khai's budget old-timer has a garden so relaxing it's intoxicating, and
most nights it's packed with travellers. A huge variety of rooms (the cheapest with shared
bathroom, the most expensive with an awesome balcony) are clustered around a thatched-
roof restaurant where the owner, Julian, holds court with his grip on local legend and his
passion for all things Isan. Because nobody will ever be required to vacate their room
GUESTHOUSE
$
