Hello all, I thought you might like to share this experience with me.
Wat Chedi Luang dates back to 1391. In the very centre of Chiang Mai, it contains the tallest pagoda in the Lanna Thai Kingdom of the North. 
Every day of this week-long festival, a rite for the fertility of crops, the several acres of this Temple area is packed with worshippers bringing flowers and gifts for Buddha. They are placed in front of hundreds of shrines large and small, accompanied by the appropriate kneeling and paying respect to images of Buddha 
and His monks. 
Some gifts are attached to cables and hauled up to an image high up on the Pagoda. 
I guess there is 5 - 10 thousand people here at any one time, they are coming and going all through the day and night for seven days, waiting patiently in line to present their flowers. 
Because of the huge attendance, long queues and seething crowds in a constricted area, nobody is supposed to come more than once each year. It is a massive demonstration of the population's observance of and adherence to their religion. I enjoy the experience, offering a few flowers of my own, and being a part of the relaxed and happy atmosphere of the festival. 
I don't see any other westerners, but nobody gives me a second glance, even when I join the queues in the main temple building. 
In one corner of the Temple site, there is a stage with continuous performances of traditional Thai singing and dancing. People sit and relax for a few minutes, having spent maybe one to two hours of walking from shrine to shrine, queuing and kneeling.
Later, I pose with a concrete elephant. 
Best wishes to you all,
John
