Laa Gawn

Today marks my last day at CARE, and begins the countdown to my departure from Laos Saturday afternoon. It has been a great summer and I am leaving somewhat reluctantly. While there are many amenities that Thailand, and certainly the States, has to offer, I will deeply miss the new friends I have made here. In my travels, I have always enjoyed meeting new people and doing my best to keep in touch as the months, years and distance between us grows. Fortunately, e-mail and facebook have made this endeavor fairly easy. However, for many of the people whom I've spent countless hours with over the past several weeks, keeping in touch will not only require getting past language barriers, but will also have to bridge technological barriers. While almost everyone here has a mobile phone and karaoke machine, not many computers are featured in the home. So, e-mail, facebook and other means to communicate which we readily take for granted at home are not an option for keeping in touch with my friends in Laos. My friend pointed out today how weird it will be to leave a place we have all grown accustomed to, and grown to love, not knowing if we will ever be back again. Over the past several weeks, we have all been made to feel that we were not just visitors passing through, but a part of a community. We had our friends we saw on Monday's and Saturday's for the hash, the neighbors who were a constant each evening after work and the guys we've played football with once a week.

We are having a party tonight with many of our new friends, so there's still time to enjoy each others company one last time. And, who knows, maybe I'll be back here next summer!

Behind the Veil

Laos is one of the most laid back places I have been. If I were blindfolded and dropped in Vientiane I would have to guess that the slow-paced capital was on, or a least near, the coast. Vientiane does sport a fairly nice coastline, but I don't exactly count the banks of the Nam Khong as beach property. So, here I am in a landlocked country with a beach attitude. This wonderful demeanor at times helps to block out the sad reality that many people in Laos face horrible oppression each day at the hands of the government/Party. Laos, while full of wonderful and friendly people, is a communist country run by a single party. The Laos People's Revolutionary Party controls the country through a powerful 9 member politburo, with the National Assembly acting as a very rubbery, rubber stamp. I've asked many people how laws are drafted and passed in Laos, and have received the same answer each time; no one knows. Basically, the politburo has the appropriate ministry draft the laws and then in the comfortable cloak of darkness they pass the laws, allowing the National Assembly to do their procedural duty of voting yes for the law.

While I have not felt I've been living in an oppressive society, a recent article a friend sent reminded me that Laos is not always a nice, relaxed place. Here is the link if you are interested in reading more, but basically the article is about how five members of the Laos military gang raped an 18 year old woman and killed several civilians who are part of an ethnic minority. The troops did so while engaging in military attacks aimed at a few ethnic minorities. In the article, Laos is described as anything but laid-back.

The communist regime in Laos remains a one-party, military dictatorship closely allied with the military juntas in North Korea and Burma. Laos, under the Stalinist regime, is listed in Freedom House's "2009 Worst of the Worst" report which describes the most egregious countries in the world involved with violating the human rights of their citizens. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=383&report=81

Reading this was a reminder that the work that I am doing, as well as the work the other interns are doing, will be very important to people in Laos. We probably will not see or hear about the successes of our projects, but it does feel good to know I have been a part of something aimed at bringing equality and justice to people who for most of their lives have not been afforded such basic rights.

Catching Up

A few weekends ago we were in Luang Prabang, which is north of Vientiane. LP is situated between the Nam Khong (Mekong) and the Nam Khan and is hugged by mountains on either side. It is a very beautiful town and quite relaxed. Unlike Vientiane, LP actually caters somewhat to tourist set. There are loads of nice guesthouses, restaurants and shops. There is also a great night market selling clothes, handicrafts and jewelry. We were in LP for 4 days and stayed busy by touring the towns many wats, taking a boat ride on the Nam Khong and trekking to some waterfalls. The tour spots were littered with falang, but beautiful nonetheless. We also managed to fit in some night-time activities such as dancing at a nightclub, bowling and a late night snack at one of LP's best noodle shops.

We befriended a tuk-tuk driver our second day in town and he was kind enough to give me his mobile number and act as our driver for the duration of our stay. His wife had a stall in the night market, were Gin and his son Bohn helped out as well. In addition to being a available whenever we called, Gin also was keen to introduce us to Laos culture. After dropping us off at a pool one afternoon, he stuck around to drink some BeerLao and show us how to play pa-tong. Pa-tong is basically bocce ball and is quite fun. After a few hours of playing and BeerLao, I laughed with my friend Jase as we noticed the sun setting behind the lush green mountains that were all around us. It was a surreal moment. But, a feeling that has been somewhat common during my several weeks in Laos.

Safely back in Vientiane, we had one night to enjoy the city with Meredith and Caitlin before they returned to Kuala Lampur. Because Malaysia is very muslim, the girls had not had too many opportunities to go out in KL. So they were excited to enjoy a cheap night out on the town. Boum, our consummate hostess, quickly lined up some events for the evening. First, and at the time most important, was a van pick-up at the airport in Vientiane. She came to meet us and seemed happy to have us back in town. After a shower and some dinner, Boum had the van come pick us up to head to a nightclub. Lacking enough seats, and having failed to take a shower yet (on account of doing the dishes), I sent the crew to the nightclub and followed later on my motorbike. Being that it was a Monday night, the place wasn't too hopping, but we had a good time nonetheless. Most of my friends were feeling the effects of the tiring weekend, and headed home before I did. I stayed with Boum and her Lao friends until the club closed down. When we walked out we were met by a spectacular rain storm. I had no jacket or poncho, and waiting out the storm was not an option. So, I got my bike, Boum hopped on the back, and we had a lovely ride back home in the pouring down rain. After a few minutes I forgot I was soaking wet.

Last week I was fortunate enough to spend the week at a training on human rights law that was put on by a local non-profit. The training was for Lao people who work with INGO's. The training was not too legal, but did educate the learners on various aspects of UN declarations, charters and conventions. I did learn quite a bit, and I know that the Lao people who attended learned a lot about what they can do in their jobs to affect positive change in Laos on the human rights front.

The weekend was pretty mild. Jase and Simon were away for work and Sarah and Dena were both nursing injuries. Sarah was working off some illness and Dena was still a bit sore after being hit by a motorbike. Concerned for our general safety; I sliced my finger pretty good Thursday night while cutting cucumbers for our lap, Boum insisted that the weekend begin with a trip to the wat where we were blessed by a monk. After we received some good luck, we went over to the market to pick up veggies which Boum made in to an excellent dinner. After we ate, we watched Alive on HBO. It took me about 20 minutes and some leafing through my dictionary to convince Boum that the movie was based on a true story.

Saturday we went to the Lao-Thai border with the neighbors for some shopping. We did not know this was the purpose of the mission when we left, but it was a fun morning. I acted as the babysitter for NeeNee, who is 10 months old, as her mom and the other ladies shopped. I got a few looks from the Lao people and was asked more than once if she was my daughter. When we returned home, we mustered the strength to head to the Saturday bush hash.

The run began about 10k outside the city in a field next to a dirt road. The first bit of the run was done in a crouched position in order to make it through the bush. We also ran through our fair share of flooded rice paddies, buffalo pastures and farmland. Oh, and it was raining quite heavy the entire run. Like most hashes, it was a great time. After the run a few people had to be punished for sins on the run and were made to sit on bags of ice. The men with their pants pulled down. It was quite the scene.

After we got home and cleaned up, several of us went to a dance club with Boum. As always, it was a fun evening and we were blessed with no rain. Sunday was a quiet day. I went with the neighbours to the airport to drop off some family members who were headed to the states. It was interesting to see the fanfare that went along with a trip to the States. We spent Sunday night at a birthday party for a fellow hasher. It was fun to spend some time with ex-pats and be able to speak english without worrying about the other person understanding.

Only a few weeks left here, so I'll try to stay a bit more up to date with the postings.

Wan Kao Phansa

I'm a bit behind, but will try to have some updates from the past week posted in the next few days.

Last Tuesday was the start of Buddhist Lent here in Laos, as well as in many other countries with rainy seasons. In Laos the period is called Wan Kao Phansa. The traditional retreat is during the rainy season and lasts for three lunar months from July to October. During this time the monks remain in their wat. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the period to intensive meditation. We met one monk who has a friend who only eats once a week and spends each day meditating in a cave. It sounds quite peaceful, but I'm not sure I'd be up for that challenge. Wan Kao Pansa is said to have originated with Buddha himself. During the retreat the monks stay at one wat and can generally only leave during the daytime. During other parts of the year, monks can travel around from wat to wat and are allowed to leave the wat for weeks at a time. The retreat coincides with the rainy season because during this time of year the rice fields are flooded and full of growing plants. While there are proper roads in most parts of the Lao countryside, I'm guessing that in Buddha's time getting from one wat to the next involved quite a bit of trekking through fields of crops.

So, with that bit of explanation out of the way, my first experience with Wan Kao Phansa was quite enjoyable. This year, the first day of lent landed on a Tuesday and we had the day off of work. I arranged with the neighbors to head to the wat with them. When we made our date all I knew was that I was to meet them around 6:30 in the morning. Monday evening when I got home from the Hash; covered in mud and quite sweaty, Boum informed me that I needed to go to the market to get fruit for the ceremony. So, after a much enjoyed cold shower, Boum and I went to a fruit stall near our house and procured apples, oranges, mangosteens and dragonfruit for our baskets. When we got back home, Boum brought over 3 baskets for the fruit, and Jase provided a saucer-shaped lamp shade from his room. After Boum helped me wash the fruit, she deliberately organized the fruit for us to carry over to the wat on Tuesday morning. We finished making the baskets around 10pm, at which point Boum told me we also needed some sticky rice to take to the wat. Fortunately, I had purchased a sticky rice pot and cooking basket and had some sticky rice I was planning on cooking. So, with the uncooked rice in hand, Boum helped me wash the rice and gave me some instructions I was not too keen on hearing. She told me the rice needed to soak for several hours, and then needed to be cooked for about 30-40 minutes. So, doing the math, she told me I needed to get up around 5am to cook the rice. I had never cooked sticky rice, and while the process did not seem too difficult I asked Boum to meet me and walk me through the process. Also, not being a morning person, I figured misery loves company.

So, the rice having been placed in a bowl to soak and the baskets prepared, I headed to bed around midnight to get a few hours of sleep before my 4:45am alarm beckoned me to the stove. Surprisingly I woke up with little hesitation and was ready to cook some rice when 5am rolled around. Boum wasn't at the house yet, so I sat outside and listened to the chanting from the wat as I watched the sun rise and waited for her. Being someone who often fails to show up on time, I was not too concerned when 20 minutes had past and she wasn't at the house. However, when the clock shifted to the later half of the 5am hour, I reckoned that Boum had failed to wake up and I was going to have to make the rice on my own. I was given some instruction the night before and fortunately was not completely ignorant on the process. After all, I was just steaming rice, not exactly the most difficult cooking task. The rice cooking was a great success, and I finished just as my flatmates were waking up to get ready for our walk to the wat. After I took a shower and got ready, I went back outside with a book to wait for Boum. At around 6:30am, she came out of the house wearing a very apologetic smile. After inspecting and approving of the rice, I teased Boum a bit more about the fact that the foreigner woke up at the crack of dawn to prepare the rice for the wat. After Boum changed into her siin, a traditional Lao skirt, we headed down the street to meet Pik and go to the wat. Pik was also in her siin, and both women looked quite stunning.

The wat is right around the corner from our house, so after a short walk we arrived around 7:15am to find the place packed. The wats typically have a chedi, a large, open room where the Buddha is housed and residences for the monks. Unlike a church, there are no pews inside the room with the Buddha. When we arrived the room was pretty full, but we found a spot on the floor to kneel while the monks chanted prayers. There is a lot going on, most of which I did not understand, but there was also a peacefulness around the ceremony. We remained in the temple for about 20 minutes, then headed outside to offer our fruit and rice. There was a large table set up next to the temple, and we placed our rice and fruit in the baskets on the table as we walked around. The ceremony is to give the monks things they will need for their 3 month stay at the wat. Most people were giving fruit, but some folks handed over light bulbs, batteries, crisps and other packaged snacks. After we had given all our fruit, we walked over to the chedi and lit a candle at the base before pouring water on a tree next to the chedi. I'm not sure the significance, but it was a calming experience.

After about an hour at the wat we headed back home. The experience was really interesting and I'm glad I was a part of it, from cooking the rice down to offering our gifts to the monks.


With the rest of our day off, we headed over to Thailand for a few hours so we could get new Laos visas. Tourists are given a 30 day visa, and our time was about up. After a quick lunch in Nong Khai, we headed back to Laos as quick as possible. Back in Laos, Jase, Simon, Sarah and I rode the motorbikes down the river to the Buddha Park. Xieng Khuen is an odd place. In about 1956 a Thai monk built the park, which features many Hindu and Buddhist images made from concrete. There are some rather impressive images, including a huge reclining Buddha and a large orb that represents the levels of heaven. Lacking some age, the park comes across as a bit offbeat, but the views of the river and the location made it worth the trip.


After a long day, we finally headed back into town. The only problem we encountered was a huge rain storm that dumped on us for the entire 20k ride. It was the first time I was actually cold in Laos. We were all very wet, but it was a fun experience.

Last weekend I went up to Luang Prabang in northern Laos. It was a very good trip. I have loads of pictures I'll upload in the next few days, as well as try to update the blog with my experiences.

Weekend Update

Our weekend started off with a bang. Which was good since the 4th of July celebration here was a bit subpar.

Our neighbour had the grand opening of her salon Friday night and the whole family was out in full force. I'm still not sure how everyone is related, but young and old came out in force to wish Som good luck with her business. The party was also for Skyler, one of the neighbour's grandsons, who is returning to America in a couple weeks. Skyler, who is about 4, lives with his mom in San Jose, CA, but comes to Laos in the summer to be with his family. There was a Buddhist ceremony to wish him safe travels. It was quite something to see about 15 little kids circled around the small shrine waiting for white rope to be tied around their wrist. I think this is a sign of good luck, but cannot remember what it is called. After Skyler's ceremony commenced, the food was served. We had at our disposal the largest pot of sticky rice I have seen to date, heaps of lap gai, penang curry, papaya salad and pork sausage. It was all quite delicious. Oh, and of course there was lots of BeerLao and lots of music. Hanging out with the neighbours is always a good time, and Friday night lived up to our expectations. They are so welcoming and open with us that you can't help but like them. Recently, I have really been upset I don't know more Lao because I'd love to have more of a conversation with these great people. After a bit of dancing, in front of and inside of the salon, I sat down with the men and enjoyed some sticky rice and goat's blood with herbs. Congealed chicken blood and congealed goat blood is in a lot of the soups here, but this was my first time having the blood on its own. After a few dabs with the sticky rice, I was offered a large spoonful of blood and herbs. Keen to try new things, I gladly ate(or maybe drank) the blood. Due to my adventurous palate, the neighbours have deemed me khaeng haeng laai...very strong. After the blood treat, it was back to dancing.

The party got going around 7:30, and around 11 just about all 60 pint size bottles of BeerLao had been polished off. It was a good thing that Jase and I had purchased a reserve crate earlier in day should the party start to dry up. Unlike our last trip to procure a crate of beer, this time we successful drove to and from the beer shop on the motorbike. I say motorbike because we only took one. While Lao people - men, women, children and adults, are capable of carrying just about anything on a motorbike, we were not quite up to the task yet. So, I drove while Jase held on to the crate. This entailed the crate of beer between my legs and Jase's arms wrapped around me holding onto the crate. Not exactly Lao-style, but get home with everyone and everything intact. It did not take long for the reserve case to run dry, so I hopped back on a bike, this time a nice automatic moto, and went to the store with Boum. This was my first trip with a Lao person where I was the driver, so the pressure was on. Fortunately, after about 9pm traffic is almost non-existing, so the drive was fairly easy. Due to the weight of the crate, not my driving, Boum took us home, and the party was able to linger on a bit longer. We, as always, had a great time with the neighbours and were the fortunate victims of their never ending generosity and hospitality. This might be a strong statement, but they definitely are up there with Southerners in their hospitality.

Saturday saw the arrival of July 4th a bit earlier than most of my friends in other parts of the world. While it might come earlier, the fanfare was a bit lacking. Hardly any of our Laos friends knew what the 4th was or what we were celebrating. So, my 4th began with a bowl of noodle soup for breakfast. Not exactly bacon and eggs, but a very nice meal to start the morning. I bumbled around town on my motorbike and ran some errands before we headed off to an afternoon party at the home of the one other interns' colleagues. This house was a bit outside the city, but very nice. They had a big kitchen, a large living room and a large front yard. The food, drinks and sound system where set up in the front yard. I figured the owner worked at Speaker City from the abundance of sub-woofers and other a/v equipment scattered about. The food was great, as usual, and the BeerLao abundant. The party also featured keyboardist and the vocal stylings of whomever was keen to sing. Not having any words or backing vocals, I opted to be seen rather than heard.

The party was geared up to stretch into the evening, but we had to go around 3:30 to make a 4th of July picnic at the Vientiane International School. Keen to bring more American attitude to the party than my US soccer kit and Cubs hat, Jase and I did what we thought would show off our American pride more than anything else; at least anything available to us. We quickly cleaned up most of our beards and sported some fine mustaches. As I'm sure you can imagine, we looked great. We showed up just as the ambassador was arriving, and I could see his look of approval as he gazed upon our symbols of freedom.

The 4th of July party was pretty good. It was tame, which is what we all needed after the previous night's party. Throughout the afternoon, a raffle was held and numerous US history questions were asked, with prizes being doled out for correct answers. The first few giveaways were your average tchotchkes, and we held off on answering. However, when the red wine began being offered for correct answers, we were up there in a flash. Between my flatmates and me we took home 3 bottles. I also took home a sweet Tigo (local mobile phone company) t-shirt, a toiletries bag and my bottle of wine. We ran into some people we had met the week earlier at a party, so it was good to catch up with some new friends. Hopefully they'll take us out to see a different side of the city. They're apparently high society girls here in town and frequent some of the classier establishments. It was somewhat nice being around westerners for a while, but I for one was keen to get back to some activities that were a bit more local. Fortunately I did not have to wait long for the local experience.

After the 4th party, with winnings in my hand, I headed home in time to head out to the nightclubs. So, our independence day celebration continued at a nightclub full of young Lao people. Boum took Simon and I to meet her friends at Novotel, one of the clubs that can stay open rather late. We got there around 10:30 and the place was already pretty amped up. In almost every club we have been to in Thailand and Laos the same Sean Kingston, Akon, FloRida, etc. mix is played. Usually on repeat.
I knew Simon and I were in for a fun night when the music right away did not feature any of the above mentioned western hitmakers. The music featured some great Lao grime, Lao ska, Thai hip hop and random animal noises (elephant and cow) thrown in by the DJ. The place was really fun, but after about an hour, Boum and her friends were ready to head to another disco.

We were all keen to head to MeeNa, and did not let the fact that it was raining stop us from our motorbike trip across town. A little, but ready to dance, we headed into the packed club.
I was almost deterred by the notice of banned items on the door, but figured I'd be safe inside. The club was hopping, and packed to the gills. Unable to find her friends, Boum went to a quiet corner (aka the restroom) to call them while Simon and I hung around the crowded tables. While we were waiting, I was asked by a woman if I needed a table. To explain the club situation a bit, there are high-top tables everywhere inside. Everyone stands at their table and dances in the close quarters. So, this lady asks me if she can get me a table. I told her I was just waiting for my friend and I didn't need one. She reluctantly walked off, but returned a few minutes later, before Boum had come back, and offered me the table once more. She also let me know that if I was keen after the club closed, she and I could hang out and do whatever. Having listened to numerous interviews with sex workers, I did the calculations pretty quick and realized what was going on here. While the proposition was pretty tame, it was there nonetheless. I again told her I really was alright, and she left to advertise elsewhere.


By the time we met Boum's friends we had just about dried off. Her friends were great. Full of energy and keen to dance. A few of the guys spoke some english, but it was nice to have Simon around to talk to and point out the hilarity that was going on all around us. Around 2am, the music cut off and the lights came on. At this point, MeeNa looked like any other bar or club I have ever been to. A stream of people heading out the front door and a sea of spilt drinks and bottles. Having worked up a good sweat from dancing, the rain that had continued to fall did not deter us on our ride home. We went slow down the road to our house and Simon and I did our best "Sitting on the Dock of Bay" rendition. A little wet, but still hot, I got home and jumped in a cold shower before heading to bed. No fireworks this year for the 4th, but I enjoyed each and every way I celebrated the day.

Sunday we treated ourselves to a western breakfast at the Scandinavian Bakery. The food was okay, but what really killed me was know that I could have bought about 4 noodle soups for the same price as an egg croissant and cup of coffee. After breakfast, Simon and I headed over to the market near our house to look for towels. You would think that finding something like a bath towel would not be difficult, but of you are in the wrong part of the market it can be like asking for sweet tea in Boston. People look at you like they have never heard of such a thing and have no idea where such an item can be found. It helps to remember that you can get anything at the market, you just have to look around. Eventually Simon got his towel and I troubled a fruit stall owner for some bananas. The stall owners usually are sleeping next to their fare, so at times you need to make a bit of noise to get their attention. After the bananas were purchased I picked up some sticky rice to make back at the house.

When we got back home, I headed over to the neighbors salon and hung out there for most of the day. It turned out to be a good decision as I was able to catch up on the village gossip, eaten some good noodle soup, get a haircut and receive an invite to dinner. I learned that the guesthouse across the street from our house is a brothel, and the guy who works in the clothes store next to the salon is the mamasan. I was also able to work a bit on my fledgling understanding of the law language. Before I knew it, the sun was setting and it was time for dinner. We were doing siin dard, which Boum and Som said was similar to grilling meat. I thought we were going out to eat, so I went home and changed into something respectable. I met them around 7pm and immediately realized I had somewhat misunderstood the plans for the evening. Our dining experience was in the form of home delivery, kind of like pizza. The delivery guy showed up with a stone cooking stove filled with hot coals and a tray that we placed over the flames. The tray was metal and had a small reservoir around the sides and was convex in the middle, with slits around the dome. The reservoir was then filled with soup broth, and the small pieces of meat were placed on the convex dome. We cooked morning glory, mushrooms, noodles and eggs in the broth and pulled off the meat with chopsticks when it was ready. It was a really good dinner, and much better than pizza delivery. After dinner, Boum helped me with my Lao a bit more and then I helped her with the dishes.

It was another fun weekend. While there is not a whole lot to see in Vientiane, there is heaps of stuff to experience, and I am enjoying all the experiences immensely.

when in rome, do not do as the romans do

So, apparently there are traffic laws in this town. Returning from lunch today, I was attempting to make a u-turn on red via the pedestrian crossing at an intersection near Thalat Sao, when I heard the piercing whistle of a Lao traffic cop. I have seen this maneuver successfully completed numerous times by the locals. Apparently you cannot do this. What "this" is I am still trying to figure out. I'm not sure if making a u-turn there is illegal or if making a u-turn on red is illegal.

Regardless though, I did learn that you can negotiate a price with the nice traffic police. While informing me that I needed to go down to the police office to get my license, which the officer had in his hand, and pay the 50,000k fine, his cohort was offering me chicken wings. After declining, both the chicken and the trip to the police office, I attempted to settle on a warning from the officer in return for a promise that I would reform my villainous ways. Being unable to properly explain the concept of a warning, I told the officer that the price was too high. These two magic words knocked off 30,000k immediately. So, facing a 20,000k fine, Sarah suggested I accept their generosity and pay. I handed over a 20,000k bill to the man and in return received my license and a wry smile from the cops, which I think was their way of thanking me for purchasing them some water with my "donation."

As I walked away, I was again offered some chicken. Next time, I'm pretending not to speak Lao or English.

summer, please slow down

While I'm happy to see the summer chug along, I realized that in a few short weeks I'll be out of Laos. To some of my fellow interns, I think this is a welcomed fact, but I must say that I will certainly miss this place. The experiences I have had up to this point have been amazing, the people have been wonderful and the project I am working on has been very meaningful.

So, with roughly four weeks left here, July is already shaping up nicely. Yesterday began with me failing to get my motorbike started as I attempted to leave for work. Fortunately, after several failed starts in the past, I now always place the bike in neutral before turning it off. I do this because in order to kick start the bike, it must be in neutral. Knowing this was not the problem, I deduced it had to be the petrol, of which there was none in the tank. So, Boom, our housekeepers very able daughter, quickly changed into some going out clothes, got on her bike and, as I steered my powerless bike, pushed me down the street to buy some petrol. The petrol came in a used bottle of BeerLao. After that, I was back in business and off to work. To avoid future embarrassment, I made a stop at the petrol station before I got to work.

After work, my flatmates and I stopped off at a travel agent to book tickets for a trip to Luang Prabang next weekend. Luang Prabang is apparently a very scenic town nestled amongst the mountains in the northern part of Laos. There are numerous wats and old structures to be seen around town and some caves and waterfalls scattered amongst the mountains. It will be a great trip and I will definitely return with many photos.

Tonight is our weekly football match, tomorrow is the grand opening party for our neighbor's hair salon and Saturday we get to see how Laos celebrates the 4th of July.

Hashing by the Mekong

My first hash, a week ago, was loads of fun. Partially because it was the first hash I had been on, but the scenery was also quite nice. Well, the run from this past Monday had last week's hash beat hands down in the scenery department. After spending some time running next to one of the busier roads here in town, we cut through some backyards onto a very narrow wooden bridge that crossed a large, dried out pasture. The bridge was about 15 feet above the ground, which looked out onto the Mekong and appeared to flood when the river got high.

After we crossed the bridge we ran through some more backyards towards the banks of the river. We arrived at the banks of the Mekong, running towards the west, just as the sun was setting. Although it is tough to beat a sunset at the beach, the sunsets over the Mekong are quite spectacular. We continued the run along the muddy banks of the river as the sun set in front of us. After picking up some sand in my shoes and mud on my legs, we traversed a few more back roads and a wat before we returned back to the starting point. It was a great run, and the cold BeerLao was a good reward.

If you are in a city with Hashers, I highly recommend joining them for at least one run. You'll meet some very interesting people and see parts of the city, whatever city you might be in, that you would never stumble across on your own. The exercise is not intense, and the reward is well worth any aches and pains you might encounter.