The monster’s breath
A friend of mine has been to Nong Khai in Isaan to see the Naga fireballs. He said they were fiery and red.
The fireballs are the breath of the Naga, a monsterish creature that lives in the Mekong river. The monster keeps track of the calendar and puts on a special performance on the last weekend of Buddhist lent, when huge crowds come to the area to see the fireballs. Each fireball is greeted by applause from the spectators on the riverbanks.
Spoilers and naysayers claim the balls are fake and that the fuss is a ploy to attract tourists and make money, but the locals know better. They say the monster doesn’t like to be disturbed and any scientific equipment put in the river to monitor it will only upset the creature and make it dangerous to mankind. The Naga is best left alone.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
is that photo, the fireball in the water or in the sky?
October 11th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
In the sky.