PHOTOS: Harambe in Taunggyi, and other adorable things we saw

Our feeds are still flooded with gorgeous photos of hot air balloons exploding over the crowd at the Tazaungdaing Festival in Taunggyi last weekend. That’s great. We love balloons. They’re terrific. But they’re not the only thing to see at Myanmar’s messiest, scariest, most lit festival.

Here are a few of the other moments that burned their way into our memories:

Harambe wasn’t the only celebrity in Taunggyi last weekend. Mr Incredible was also there to celebrate Tazaungdaing.

And a fake elephant helped collect money for the monks.

The Pa-O folks came correct. They’re Myanmar’s seventh largest ethnic group and the second largest in Shan State.

Entering the balloon festival was a logistical nightmare that made us long for Yangon during rush-hour. (Photo: Heraid Castillo)

Once inside, the first thing we saw was this graceful figure in a glass balcony.

Some locals thought it would be funny to remind Judeo-Christians of their susceptibility to peer pressure. Too soon, y’all.

This man put his life in danger to inform us that we should drink beer.

It was cool to see the inner workings of the explosive balloons. Here are a few guys checking their firework stack.

This is the thing that has to be soaked in oil, inserted into the butthole of the balloon and then ignited to make it fly.

The guys who light it laugh in the face of danger.

This balloon looked like it was going up well.

It crashed and burned a few minutes later. Dishonor on your cow.

Some made it into the air only with a boost from the public.

The balloons came with varying degrees of ambition. Some were content to float elegantly into the sky with a trail of candles.

Hella tasteful.

This purple ferris wheel professional was the star of the event. RIP Prince. (Photo: Heraid Castillo)

This is what happens when everyone’s gaze is fixed upward. (Photo: Heraid Castillo)

A few Babies of Burma were there to remind us that life is way more adorable than the mainstream media will tell you.

 

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