flashback

Only in Laos
- Does the bus stop for grocery shopping (driver or anyone else!) or if anyone wants to answer the call of nature
- Everyone says “No” when you ask them for directions and then point to some random direction, (which generally turns out to be the wrong one)
- Everyone says “Yes” to everything else
- There is no mail delivery service (and hence, no addresses? ) There are no street names in some cities (e.g. Attapeu)
- There are village parties on Tuesday at 2 PM, complete with communal rice liquor pot and dancing
- The songtaew driver has to be prodded to drive to your destination
- You have to struggle to get your check at the restaurant
- You can have awesome Tom Yum Paa (fish) for less than $3 and an excellent baguette sandwich for about 60 cents!
I will remember:
- Fun times with nadia- someone I know closely, someone who is family (this trip is a bit different, I suppose)!
- A village woman’s expressions as she tried an Icebreaker and listened to Bhangra Knights!
- Wonderful, friendly, honest, happy people
- Lazing, lazing, lazing
- My vow to never enter a cave again
- Wishing I find something other than noodle soup for one meal
Inspite of having been to most places easily accessible (relatively speaking), inspite of long, backbreaking bus and songtaew rides that test your patience and bladder capacity, Laos is one country I will visit again (and again)!