Pii Taa Khon

Last weekend we flew up to Loei for the Ghost Festival, aka Pii Taa Khon. We had no idea what to expect, and actually didn't know until a couple days before we left just where it was. Turned out it wasn't in Loei, it was 60 miles away in Dan Sai; our hotel wasn't in Loei either, it was about 40 miles outside Loei, luckily on the way to Dan Sai so it all worked out in the end. We still don't really know what the Ghost Festival was about, best story we heard was that someone was run out of town years ago, but the town realized the error of their ways, allowed him back in and held such a massive party even the ghosts came to celebrate. So every year the celebration continues with lots of ghosts roaming the streets wearing bells and carrying swords. And large penises. The Lonely Planet warned us there'd be "wild penis antics" and sure enough, lots of guys were carrying phalluses and teasing all the bystanders. Still no idea what it was all about, but sure was funky.