Happy Lao New Year ( or Saibadee Bi My)
After our attempt to get to Sam Neua, a town in the far northeast corner of Laos, failed, we had no choice but to return to Luang Prabang in order to head further south.
For this journey, Scott and I sat in the front of the songthaew with the driver. A songthaew is a pickup truck that has benches installed on the sides of the back as well as a cover, and is used as a passenger vehicle. Songthaews are used throughout parts of Southeast Asia and riding in one is a cheap, convenient way to get around when a bus isn't necessarily available. When we bought the tickets for the 3-4 hour journey, I requested the front for comfort (even though Scott was skeptical of its true comfort benefits), but it worked out fabulously since today was the first official day of the Lao New Year. What does that mean? Water. Bucketfuls of water being splashed at you by cheering, oftentimes drunk, wet young people on the side of the road.
Scott and the driver had the luxury of rolling their windows up whenever we saw trouble up ahead while those in the back had to fend for themselves. The passengers who moved around in an attempt to dodge the merrymakers got half as wet as the passengers who just stayed sitting in one spot; they got drenched. It was humorous for me to watch the groups of kids and adults on the street get ready and wind up and even more entertaining to watch those in the back of the songthaew scurry about. One tourist in the back lent his souvenir rice paddy hat to a local to use as a shield for her toddler son. By the time the rice paddy hat was returned though, it was in no longer worth bringing home.
People on the street had tubs and garbage cans filled with water, hoses, supersoakers, bowls of water, pots of water, anything to get others wet. Scott and I may have been spared for the three-hour ride back to Luang Prabang, but we got nailed even harder about 20 times walking from the bus station to a guest house - large containers of water poured down our backs, on our heads, in our faces - all with the intention of wishing us Happy New Year, or "Saibadee bi my" in Lao. We were drenched to our underwear, our backpacks were soaking. Pick-up trucks passed by full of equally drenched locals wearing matching t-shirts and cowboy hats, bass-heavy music filled the air. Those driving by in the trucks attacked those standing on the street - a reciprocity which seemed a lot more fair than how Scott and I got wished Happy New Year.
The whole of Luang Prabang was in a drunk water fight. Every few feet it was the same story.
For this journey, Scott and I sat in the front of the songthaew with the driver. A songthaew is a pickup truck that has benches installed on the sides of the back as well as a cover, and is used as a passenger vehicle. Songthaews are used throughout parts of Southeast Asia and riding in one is a cheap, convenient way to get around when a bus isn't necessarily available. When we bought the tickets for the 3-4 hour journey, I requested the front for comfort (even though Scott was skeptical of its true comfort benefits), but it worked out fabulously since today was the first official day of the Lao New Year. What does that mean? Water. Bucketfuls of water being splashed at you by cheering, oftentimes drunk, wet young people on the side of the road.
Scott and the driver had the luxury of rolling their windows up whenever we saw trouble up ahead while those in the back had to fend for themselves. The passengers who moved around in an attempt to dodge the merrymakers got half as wet as the passengers who just stayed sitting in one spot; they got drenched. It was humorous for me to watch the groups of kids and adults on the street get ready and wind up and even more entertaining to watch those in the back of the songthaew scurry about. One tourist in the back lent his souvenir rice paddy hat to a local to use as a shield for her toddler son. By the time the rice paddy hat was returned though, it was in no longer worth bringing home.
People on the street had tubs and garbage cans filled with water, hoses, supersoakers, bowls of water, pots of water, anything to get others wet. Scott and I may have been spared for the three-hour ride back to Luang Prabang, but we got nailed even harder about 20 times walking from the bus station to a guest house - large containers of water poured down our backs, on our heads, in our faces - all with the intention of wishing us Happy New Year, or "Saibadee bi my" in Lao. We were drenched to our underwear, our backpacks were soaking. Pick-up trucks passed by full of equally drenched locals wearing matching t-shirts and cowboy hats, bass-heavy music filled the air. Those driving by in the trucks attacked those standing on the street - a reciprocity which seemed a lot more fair than how Scott and I got wished Happy New Year.
The whole of Luang Prabang was in a drunk water fight. Every few feet it was the same story.
posted by Siapiau | 8:20 PM
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