Wet T-Shirt

Today is Day 2 of the Songkran celebrations, and once again I got completely drenched. Yesterday I went into town on foot, to soak up (literally!) the atmosphere. I went back to the temple that I had seen the day before where they had been preparing for the festivities. I just wandered in to see what was going on, but I think effectively I gate-crashed their new year celebration! I was the only westerner there, and tried to wander round unobtrusively, but people went out of their way to make me welcome, plying me with food and drink, and one lady tied a little string bracelet around my wrist and said some sort of blessing, which apparently will make me happy :-) There was lots of traditional singing and dancing going on and a very relaxed and joyous atmosphere. It was also a nice respite from all the water-splashing that was going on in the streets.
This morning I set off on my bicycle to visit one of my Thai colleagues. The streets were fairly quiet, most people probably still sleeping off last night's excesses, but there were a few water throwers out and about, so I was glad I had had the foresight to take a change of clothes with me, in a plastic bag inside my backpack.
By the time I came back this afternoon, there was no escape! I was drenched again and again on the 20 minute ride home. Some people use massive water pistols, but most have huge barrels of water that they scoop out bucketful at a time to hurl at passers by.
I would have liked to have taken some photos, but to do so would have been to ruin my camera for ever. Here is one I sneakily took on Friday of a group making their preparations:

And here's what I looked like by the time I got home today. I deliberately chose the darkest T-shirt and shorts I could find - I didn't want everything going all transparent on me!

No, I didn't miss a patch shaving! As well as splashing you with water, they also like to daub you with some kind of paste.
There's another couple of days of this left, so I think I need to resign myself to getting wet again!