Boat Racing Festivals
Posted by Stuart at 12:55 PM on October 23, 2002I am back in Bangkok now after one of the best vacations I ever had. (I can call it a vacation now that I have a job, right?) Laos was a wonderful treat in every way. The lifestyle is even more relaxed and the food is even cheaper than Thailand (which is saying alot!). The countryside was beautiful and the people were all very friendly.
Looking back now, the last three days we were there was basically one big party. We were lucky enough to be in Laos for the end of the Buddhist Lent, which happens every year on the full moon of the 11th lunar cycle. The whole country was celebrating with boat races and festivals. Each of the last three days I went to a boat racing festival; each day in a different town: Luang Prabang, Xan Nguam, and Vientiane; each day filled with smiling laughing people, a little bit of lao lao (homemade Lao whisky) and plenty of great Lao food and Beer Lao.
The best example of this was in Luang Prabang. Rupert and I crossed the Mekong in a tiny boat along with two friends of ours (friends of friends from Bangkok). The minute we reached the other shore we heard calls from one of the nearby grass huts. A friend of one of our friends signalled for us to come over to join them, so we did. There were about 10 Lao guys and girls all sitting in a circle on the floor of the balcony of the grass hut. In the middle of the circle was about 10 bowls of food and soup and a few bottles of homemade lao lao. We were given shots of the lao lao and spoons for the soup. Of course it would have been rude to refuse, but luckily it all tasted very good. There was much chatting and smiling and laughing, especially when the white guys downed the shots and gave the rest of the crowd the thumbs up sign.
Now I am home in Bangkok and a new chapter in my life is starting. Tomorrow I start teaching at the university and I will soon see what real life in Bangkok is all about.
