It's the time of the year when Phuket goes veggie crazy. For nine days, most of the island takes part in the annual Vegetarian Festival. This year it runs until Friday 19 October. The festival started off as a Chinese religious celebration, but the Thais have embraced it and the odd farang (foreigner) also gets into the act. Of course, it also draws a significant number of tourists these days.For the duration of the festival, participants wear white clothing, only eat vegetarian food, abstain from sex and alcohol and attend temple festivals. However, if you're imagining passive animal-loving people all happily chomping away on legumes and roots, you'd be mighty mistaken. The real drama of the festival is the blood and gore generated by the body-piercing and other amazing feats.
This is where you can see a man sticking a huge dagger through his cheek - or a knife through his tongue. Participants, who are ostensibly possessed by gods, pierce their bodies with metal spikes and rings. Going into a trance, they also climb ladders with rungs of sharp blades and walk barefoot across beds of burning coals. The belief is that the Chinese gods will protect such persons from harm. They apparently feel no pain and show little or no sign of real injury. I'm not so sure - but everyone does seem to have great fun. And the blood shows up beautifully on the white outfits.
It is a huge hit. The streets of Phuket Town, in the centre of the island, are packed with people celebrating this bizarre event. The traffic is a nightmare. In every town and village yellow flags indicate where vegetarian food is available. The dishes are not expensive and apparently they are very tasty. Some of them look just like meat dishes, but are made from tofu and protein substitutes. The best food is on offer at the six Chinese temples.So, do you think I am participating in this glorious event? Not a chance. In fact, I am not eating a single vegetable this week, as I am back on my high proten diet. Strangely, last month I ate only fruit and vegetables for 24 days, but the weight loss was too slow for my liking. Of course, I may have overdone the rice and the pasta during my vegetarian fling. So, its back to meat, chicken and eggs for me.
The rebel in me delights in sitting down to a plate of lamb chops or devouring a chicken when everyone else is eating cauliflower curry. And I won't be expected to walk around with a pair of scissors through my nose either. Sorry, I don't mean to be cynical and supercilious. It really is a very interesting event and one of the nicest times to be in Phuket. Why don't you come out and see it for yourself next year?
