Hi! I'm in Laos!

Just a very quick note to update you all on where we are and what we're doing. The internet here is fast but so, so expensive!

Several days ago (a blur...), we left Chiang Mai and made it late in the evening to the Thai\Laos border. Backpacker central. We knew we'd be seeing more backpackers as opposed to regular tourists, as we are now on a heavily travelled backpacker route, but wow! We didn't know we'd be seeing so many!

We spent the night at the border and crossed the Mekong over to Laos early the next morning. We met some friends and we all planned on taking the slow boat.

"Great!", I thought. "We won't be bored silly on the slow boat! There will be other people!"

As we reached the customs building in Laos we realized we had nothing to worry about. Every single backpacker was planning 0n doing the same thing as us. We got our slow boat tickets, hoping we'd be on the same one as our new friends, and realized there was only one, very big slow boat with absolutely everyone crammed in there. No problem.

The slow boat took two days on the Mekong to reach Luang Prabang (the second largest city in Laos... but it's really just a town). The first night we stopped in a small village that was clearly benefitting from being the nightly stopover for all travelling foreigners to Luang Prabang. We had dinner with the people we met on the boat and went to bed, exhausted. It felt like Spring Break in our guest house, with lots of drunk frat boy-like behaviour (and thin walls).

The next day we spent another seven hours in the boat, playing charades and cards and watching the world pass us by. We saw no signs of civilization. It was like we were discovering Laos for the first time.

We arrived in Luang Prabang and we're immediately taken with the French colonial architecture, the kooky foreign-owned jewellry shops (Pat not so much) and the most amazing night market I have ever come across. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Luang Prabang made me fall of the wagon. And no, I'm not talking about alcohol (or opium, which we were at times offered!). I'm talking about my continuing addiction to textiles.

Go to Luang Prabang's night market and you will be overwhelmed by the textiles. The cotton, the silk- THE AFFORDABLE DUVET COVERS! ( Got a beauty for under 20 bucks Canadian- and managed to get the matching pillowcases thrown in for free!)

In short, I love Laos.

Immediately you are aware that you are in a country very, very different from Thailand, although linguistically and traditionally, Laos is more similar to Thailand than any other neighbouring country. Maybe it's the fact that the communist government cut Laos off from the world for so long. Maybe it's the extremely laid back nature of the Laos people. Whatever it is, it's interesting. People seem a bit suspicious of foreigners here- although their suspicions don't adversely affect their hospitality. In Laos, my usually charming smile doesn't charm anybody. Not a one! They stare back at me with suspicion and wonder why I think their baby is so darn cute. Or their puppy. Lots of puppies here. Cute ones.

In Laos, people don't want to do any more than they have to to get by. They don't seem to attack bargaining with the same fervour as their neighbours. If I start to walk away from a haggle, they don't call me back with a cheaper price. They don't budge on transportation costs. If someone asks if we have a guesthouse and we say yes, they leave it at that. In some ways this means we get fairer prices, but usually, it works to our detrement. They love American dollars here- indeed, just to get IN the country you need to pay for your visa with American dollars- and every country pays a different price. Get this: Canada pays more than any other country in the world! The US pays the least! Why, Laos? WE never bombed you in a secret war campaign! Why must you punish Canadian citizens!?

In any case, this whole Laos concept has made for excellent travelling so far. I love the fact that Laos people don't give a rat's ass about where you come from. They don't worship your white skin or your fair hair (for once, in Asia). They treat you as the outsider you are. And they're still nice, polite people. And they make amazing scarves. And silver jewellry. The food's ok.

Right now we're in Vang Vieng, a tiny town where backpacker's flock for one thing- ok, maybe two things: tubing down the river, and restaurants that show Friends, The Simpsons and Family Guy DVD's. We just spent two hours watching a season of The Simpson's I hadn't seen yet! Excellent. So we're off to tube tomorrow. We got a great deal on a guesthouse, with cute, clean rooms and an amazing view of the river for less than 6 bucks a night. This is the life!