Before heading into the Muong Thong Thani arena,
I stopped by the official souvenir store - definitely the place to go if
you're looking for your Chai-Yo paraphernalia. The big stuffed Chaiyo
goes for 12000 baht (US$330). Also, had a chat with some of the very
friendly mobile vendors.
The first thing that struck me as the athletes entered
was, 'Wow, North Koreans!' There they were, marching right next to
their sworn enemies and neighbors.
Once the action started
though, my thoughts (and lens) turned to the remarkable feats of
athleticism on display.
The audience was quite enthusiastic (even though
the host nation wound up in last place)
and everyone seemed to be having a good time...
...well almost everyone.
The medal winning teams, not only received loud applause
and their medals, but a free Chaiyo stuffed animal as well.
