The Land of Smiles

It really is...they smile even whilst they're pouring buckets of water over your head.

It's Pii Mai Lao and those kids are out in force. The last few days in Luang Prabang have been one huge waterfight. You LITERALLY can't go out without getting soaked. Kids are lined up along every street with huge barrels of water and water pistols/bottles/buckets/anything that will hold water....and they will chase you if (when) you run. Pick up trucks full of teenagers drive around the streets with big barrels of water soaking passers by, and being soaked by the kids at the side of the road.

So what can we do? Except fight back. Luang Prabang must make a mint in water pistols at this time of year. Yesterday I had to change my clothes twice after I came back drenched and covered in talcum power that a lovely little 2 year old had smeared all over my face (I let her, I even crouched down..she was too sweet to resist).

It's absolute craziness and I'm glad I'm here to join in :D. Just have to protect the camera! It's actually run the town dry, there's no water coming out of the showers or to flush the toilets lol.

So, other than the water.....what does Luang Prabang have to offer?

Everything.

I'm totally in love with the place.

The only annoying thing is the curfew, bars have to stop serving at 11pm and have everyone out by midnight. It's very strict and places can be shutdown for breaking the law. The Lao have gotten around it though. After the bars close there are tuk tuks waiting to take you to 'secret parties'. Secret my arse. On our first night we pulled up outside a massive noisy warehouse with neon lights outside. The police quite obviously take backhanders from these places in return for not closing them down. They stand passively by, looking in the opposite direction as tuk tuks overloaded with drunken hooting falang drive past.

Even these places shut relatively early, between 1 and 3am.

Over the past few days I've climbed to the temple on the hill to see the Buddhas footprint (Buddha must have been pretty huge to make that thing), eaten in traditional Lao style, balling the sticky rice up and dipping it in sauces and been shown around town by locals. Some of the people in our group were busy waterfighting when they suddenly heard cries of BEERLAO!! They turned around to find Ary and his younger sister Noi from the slowboat. Today they took us to their houses and fed us some traditional Lao food, and then walked us around the city, showing us the sights and taking us to places we might not have otherwise have realised were there.

They're possibly the most kind and generous people I'e ever met, and they never stop smiling! I'm not sure I'll find this in any of the other SE Asian countries, apart from possibly the less touristed areas of Indonesia, so I'm really enjoying their company.

I Heart Laos :D

Pictures soon, I'll get them stuck on a DVD :)

Ethnic fashion show at the Hive Bar

Pii Mai Lao (Lao New Year) zodiac banners

Hmong tribe tourist night market

Buddha at Phousi Hill Temple

Gorgeous fish curry

Not as gorgeous traditional Lao fare

That might be enough for now, you'll get bored, plus...my computer is slowing down. I think it might die if I push it any further!!