Nanoseconds after we saw the first vendors, the girls started asking if they could sample the wares. We asked them to wait while we looked around for a bit, but after tramping to and fro across the field a few times, it was clear that the girls needed a break from watching - they needed to get flying on their own!

Step one: find the PERFECT kite. This was especially hard given the selection, but the girls finally spotted their prey, a beautiful blue flying fish, shown here caught in its net (at the upper left end of the display rack).
After buying the kite and some string, it was time to put it together. Four sticks were involved. Of course there were no instructions -- assembling kites was one of those things that everyone just knew how to do. Luckily, the girls were persistent, and finally figured it out!

Finally, with some help from our tour guide Nancy, the kite was launched!

Up, up and away it went! A beautiful addition to the hundreds of kites already fluttering in the sky. They took it down and re-launched it - just for fun - again and again.

While the girls were joyfully playing with their new pet fish, Sharon and I went off to meet some of the teams who had travelled to compete in the festival. Click here to meet them too!