Ban That Rocket Launches

 

Gunpowder Rockets Streak Skyward Over Ban That

 Yesterday, we attended the first day of the rocket launches of the Ban That Rocket Festival.  The Festival started 22 may and will finish on 28 May this year.  However yesterday, Saturday 25th, was the first day of the rockets actually being launched.

May is the month for rocket festivals as well as just local people firing homemade gunpowder propelled rockets into the sky of Northeast Thailand (Isaan) and neighboring Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The typical rocket festival lasts for two days, with the rocket launching being set for the second day like the Tambon Nongwha Bun Bang Fai that my wife and I participated in, however large festivals can last longer.  The Ban That Bun Bang Fai Festival is one of those longer festivals.

What is a rocket festival?  Why make and launch rockets into the sky?  Why doesn't every country do it?

Well, first of all it is a cultural thing routed in religious belief.

It is believed that these Buddhist festivals evolved from pre-Buddhist fertility rituals to bring the return of the Monsoon rains.  The festivals are held just before the start of the planting season.  It also is one last opportunity for the people to blow off some steam before the exhaustive rice planting season starts.  Some aspects of the fertility rites is retained in the current rocket festivals in that there typically are floats with animals with engorged genitals.  Some men match carrying a bow powered machination - it is wood figurines of a woman on her back and a man on top of her spread legs.  It is very realistic down to the details of pubic hair.  Well close to reality - other than the size of the man's "equipment" or "package".  As the man flexes the bow, the figurines perform the "horizontal mambo", "the nasty", "do it", "hump", "humpty dance", "slapping uglies" or whatever euphemism of your choice and preference.  All this is done to the delight of the crowd people of all ages.  Either to cool off the wood "action" figures or to assist in lubricating them, people walk up and pour whiskey or beer on the moving parts.

Once the Buddhist religion was established in the area, Buddhist believes supplemented and complimented the fertility rites but never replaced them.  A Long time ago, during one of Buddha's many reincarnations, this time as a toad, the rain god (King of the Sky), Phaya Tan  (Taen)was angry with the people and animals. Buddha, Phaya Khang Khok, sermons were drawing people and creatures from earth and sky away from the King of the Sky.  He decided to punish them by withholding the necessary life giving and sustaining rains.  After seven years,seven months, and seven days of drought, the surviving people and animals got together and consulted with Buddha.  After much deliberations, they decided that Phaya Nak (Naga), the giant snake, would lead them in war against the rain god, Phaya Tan.  Phaya Tan defeated the giant snake and his troops.  Buddha and the survivors then sent Phaya Dtaw, the wasp along with Phaya Dtan, the hornet, to battle the rain god.  Phaya Tan was once again victorious and the surviving people and animals returned home to wait for their inevitable death from the lack of water.

Buddha, the toad, developed a plan to attack the rain god by using termites to build mounds up to the sky so that scorpions and centipedes could climb up to battle Phaya Tan and his forces.  Moths assisted the attack against the forces of the King of the Sky by eating away the handles of the enemy's weapons. Buddha accepted Phaya Tan's surrender on condition that the King of the Sky immediately provide the rains and in the future.  If the King of the Sky should forget, the people will remind him by launching rockets at which time he will start the rains.

A Multiple Rocket Launch Into Overcast Sky

Today, the launching of rockets is a merit making ritual for the the peoples of Isaan and their cousins across the Mekong River in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos).  Monks are often involved in the construction and observation of the rocket launches.

Rocket Launching Along the Lake

Our weather is unsettled now with widespread local thundershowers.  As such the area for the launching of the rockets was wet and in many places very muddy.  In the best of Isaan tradition of making do with what they have, the mud puddles have been incorporated into the festival.  Crews whose rockets fail to launch, are picked up by their competitors or friends and dumped into the mud.  With this being Isaan and with the heavy consumption of the moonshine whiskey, Lao Kao and Lao Lao, many people wallow in the mud just for the sheer fun of it all.

Crews Prepare Rockets for Launch

The launching of rockets was scheduled to start at 8:00 A.M..  We arrived at 9:00 A.M. and found the launching of rockets well underway.  Rockets were roaring up into the sky every thirty seconds.  Shortly after we arrived, one of the largest rockets was launched.

Large Rocket Building Up Thrust

Lesson for watching rocket launches - the larger the rocket the greater amount of smoke generated during the launch.  I had moved in close to take a shot of this large rocket launch.  Besides being fairly close, I was also downwind of the launch.  I managed to get a couple of shots of the rocket ignition but I was quickly engulfed along with everyone else in a thick choking blanket of smoke as the rocket was held in place by vines to achieve maximum thrust before climbing skyward.  The roar of the rocket was deafening, a deep and thundering continuous blast.  Smaller rockets were a sharper raspier sound.

A Whole Lot of Smoking Going On

Besides launches of single rockets there were several multiple launches.  Some of the multiple launches were by a team firing up to three rockets from the same launch pad.  Other multiple launches involved several teams launching one of their rockets concurrently.

Besides the roar of the rockets, there were the sounds of the announcer blaring out the play by play of each launch.  Play by Play?  Yes, rocket launching is a big deal in Isaan.  Officials track and announce the time for each rocket to reach its apogee and total elapsed time from launch to return to the ground.  The total time is important as well as smoothness of flight along with stylistic points for the smoke plume are important in determining the winner of the prizes for the festival not to mention the side action.  There is no gambling in Thailand but you can see many people with wads of cash in the hand despite not being anywhere near booths selling food or drinks.

Scattered about the launch area were pavilions underneath which, rocketeers were making the final adjustments and preparations for their rockets.  Many of the rocketeers were being assisted by Monks.

Using Remnants of Monk's Robe Has Got to be Helpful

Reaming Out the Rocket's Combustion Chamber

Both sides of the roadway along the perimeter of the land side of the launch area were lined with booths selling all kinds of food as well as drink - fruit, beer, whiskey, donuts, corn on the cob, water, fruit juices, soft drinks, fried shrimp. noodle soup, chicken feet, grilled dried squid, and other ethnic delights.  Other booths were selling umbrellas, hats, clothing, balloons, and inflatable toys.  It was a grand atmosphere made even more stimulating by the motorbikes trying to navigate what remained of the street available to the shoulder to shoulder phalanx of pedestrians many who were already drunk and some covered in fresh mud.

At the far end of the launch complex there was a large stage were a grand show commenced at 11:00 A.M.  I made it to 11:30 A.M. when I gave in because I was having too much fun.  I was hot and sweaty - although it was very cloudy the temperature was around 95F and the humidity was up.  My eyes were stinging from the sweat of my brow.  My shoes and trousers were muddy.  When I told Duang that I wanted to go home, she was also more than ready to head home.  Although it was a short time, we had enjoyed our stay at the rocket launches and there was no sense in risking it all due to a false sense of time being important in this endeavor.

As we walked along a narrow side street to get back to our truck, I discovered a scene that I could not ignore.  Off to the side, across a ditch filled with water, were some Monks sitting out on a dike around a rice paddy under the shade of a tree watching the rocket launches.  The colors of their skin, their robes, and the newly germinating rice, to me, were striking.  I pulled off my camera backpack, pulled out my camera once again and set across the bamboo bridge to get better access to the area where the Monks were seated.

Monks Watching the Rocket Launches

I go out on every photo shoot with a goal in mind.  The goal typically is the type of shots that I want to focus on, mood or moods that I would like to capture and a story or stories that I want to tell with or through the photographs.  Well life at times is very much like photography.  You may have your priorities and your goals which are all good and necessary.  However we can not let our goals and priorities blind us from seeing, experiencing and enjoying the unexpected opportunities that present themselves along the sides or margins of our awareness.  Often  it is these unexpected moments, situations, and opportunities that can give us the greatest pleasures.

Baan That Rocket Launches

Sunday, 01 May, was a holiday here in Thailand just as in many other countries in the world. It was also the day that the rocket builders of Baan That had told us that they would be launching their rockets. We left our home in Udonthani around 8:00 A.M. with a special guest to accompany us. Peelawat, our 15 month old grandson, had spent the night along with his mother at our home. I suggested that it might be nice for them to join us along with #4, Duang's youngest brother, on our day trip out to Baan That. We headed out under an overcast sky, hot, and rather humid conditions. May is the start of rainy season and true to form we had had another big thunderstorm the previous evening. During the rainy season our precipitation typically is in the form of afternoon or night thunderstorms.

On the road north towards the Lao border we encountered some sprinkles. The very slight shower did not deter us. Weather around here is always interesting as well as unpredictable. There are many micro climates which vary greatly resulting in torrential downpour in one area and dry as a bone weather no more than 1/2 mile away. Once in Pattaya south of here and on the coast, I saw a downpour on one side of a road and not a drop of rain on the other side. True to our hopes, the slight shower, several kilometers from Baan That was just localized.

We retraced our way from the previous trip. The village school, where the International Rocket Festival was staged , had all traces of the festival removed except for the trash. The school grounds were littered with plastic - plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic bottles, plastic cups, and plastic ground clothes. It was a real mess. Hopefully it will be cleaned up after the holiday.



As we approached the center of the village, our destination became apparent. A spiralling plume of smoke streaked from the ground high into the sky. A rocket had been launched revealing to us where we needed to drive to. In no time we were at the launch site. This was another area covered with litter. There were 15 launch pads set up on the edge of a flood plain. Three of the launch pads were for very large rockets with the remaining twelve pads more suitable for launching 6" diameter by 5 foot long rockets that we watched being fabricated on our previous visit. The launch pads were made of prefabricated reinforced concrete columns and were heavily blackened - evidence of many previous launches undoubtedly associated with the rocket festival. The launch ramps were slightly angled from vertical to ensure that the rockets were fired over the empty flood plain rather than directly above the launch area. There was a large elevated stage at the far end of the rocket launch area. We pulled into the unpaved grounds and parked to the left of the stage. We found out that a Mahlam Lao stage show was going to be starting soon. Rockets, Rocket Launches, Mahlam Lao show, and Go-Go Girls - this had the makings of a very interesting day.


The dirt road that ran along the length of the launching area was lined on both sides with booths and motorcycle push cart vendors. The booths as well as the push carts sold soft drinks, ice cubes, beer, ice cream, whiskey, cooked foods, fruits, and snacks - everything that you would need for a good time. We walked down towards the launch pads but Peelawat was not thrilled with the rockets. When the rockets are launched there is a large plume of smoke along with a loud roar. Although Peelawat did not cry, his eyes and body language indicated that he was afraid. Duang, her daughter, Peelawat, and #4 returned to the area around the stage. This was good for Peelawat in that next to the location where they decided to sit there was a booth where people could throw darts at balloons to earn prizes. #4 quickly won a large stuffed toy almost as big as Peelawat. This kept Peelawat occupied for much of the day. He is babbling quite a bit now and for most of the trip to Baan That he had been "talking" to a pillow in the back seat of the truck. At least now he could talk to an object that had a face and ears.

I wandered about the actual launch area and was quickly reunited with the rocket building family. They recognized me and brought a metal cup of Lao Kao, moonshine whiskey, for me to drink. They were having a family outing - three generations out to enjoy launching their rockets. Like all the other rocketeers that day, they had a canopy to provide protection from the sun, rain, or possible falling objects. While the men put the finishing touches on each of the rockets, the women and children sat underneath the canopy on sahts.



The rockets arrive to the launch facility without their ignitors and fuses installed. The rockets have a temporary cover removed from their nozzle to allow the men to slightly ream out the rocket fuel. Water and cotton swaps are used to prepare the rocket for the fuse/ignitor assembly. The rockets are ignited with a truck battery near the base of the launch pad. Each team provides their own battery for launching their rockets. Thin wires run from the battery up the launch ramp and into the rocket. The fuse which has been installed inside of the rocket is a thin strip of fabric that has been soaked in the tailings of gunpowder and water tailings from reaming the rocket. The nozzle of the rocket is plugged with a bunched up rag that has also been saturated in the fuel tailings. The Battery heats up a wire which ignites the fuse which in turn ignites the rocket solid fuel. The process of preparing the rockets and strapping them to the launch pads is a very dirty business as the day wore on the rocketeer's arms, hands, as well as clothing became covered in heavy black soot. Whereas there was no smoking at the rocket production facility, just as previous launches in Tahsang Village, most of the men were smoking as they worked on their rockets.



When we first arrived there were not many people at the launch area. As the morning turned more into afternoon, more and more launch teams as well as spectators arrived. There were not many falangs, foreigners, at the event. I saw four other foreigners in attendance. They appeared to be local residents rather than tourists so the event was a local celebration as opposed to the previous festival. I prefer the local events rather than tourist focused festivals. I find it to be much more interesting as well as educational to observe and sometimes to even participate in the local focused events. The Lao Loum people are very friendly and curious. Yesterday the rocketeers were busy drinking, mainly their version of moonshine whiskey, so as the day wore on they became even more friendly. Many of the booths located around the launch area sold bottles of the whiskey.


Rockets were constantly being launched. Several times two rockets were launched at the same time. Once three rockets were launched simultaneously. So many rockets were being launched that from his position near the stage, Peelawat overcame most of his fear. When a rocket was launched he would look to see it, point at it, and issue a little sound that seemed to mean "Look".


One of the rockets blew up on the launch pad. The explosion covered the ground with burning fuel, bamboo splinters and shards of PVC while filling the area with large billows of heavy smoke. Men on the nearby launch pad continued preparing their rocket seeming oblivious to the excitement below them. I had squatted down for a better perspective of the launch. Through my lens I could see the shards and burning fragments flying through the air and rolling along the ground. It definitely got my attention. Back at the stage area, Duang had noticed the explosion and was soon at my side, telling me not to get so close to the launch pads. I didn't tell her that she didn't need to tell me. I had already learned my lesson but I appreciated her concern. My friends the rocket builders offered me some more whiskey but I declined and indicated that with more whiskey I would blow up just like the rocket.

Shortly after noon, the mother of all rockets was launched. This rocket was approximately 14 inches in diameter and 10 feet long. It was massive. Upon launch, the rocket sat on the ramp burning fuel, blowing heavy clouds of smoke and flame behind it. After a long while it sped up the ramp. The rocket cleared the launch pad with a load roar, rose vertically for a short period of time and fell into more of a horizontal flight out over the flooded plain. At the far end of the flood plain, the rocket exploded sending burning debris towards the ground amongst various smoke trails. Despite the delayed flight, low altitude achieved, and short duration of the rocket's flight, the spectators as well as rocket builders were ecstatic about the launch. Apparently unlike some things in life, size does matter for rockets. The smaller rockets flew faster, longer and higher but not as loudly or impressively as the mother of all rockets. Several minutes later, the debris was still sending smoke up into the sky. I pointed this out to one of its builders and he indicated that it was smoking because that is where the rocket exploded. No one seemed concerned. I thought about the consequences if it had been in America and smiled to myself as I remembered what Duang often tells me "Darling, Isaan not the same as America". It is on days like Sunday that I am aware of that truth and happy for that.