Day 67
Monday 11th of January 2016
Started today picking up some things from the small market, breakfast, then making our way back to the boat back to shore and Pakse.
We joined a group of people milling around waiting for the colour of our ticket to be called
(apparently the colour is important). Of course ours was last to be called. Eventually we made it back to 'port' and followed a group of backpackers who eventually lead us to the bus stop. After meandering around waving our tickets at anyone who looked Lao, a minibus for Pakse was called and we had our elbows out for the best seats. Minibuses are about an hour faster than normal buses as they are able to overtake tractors and animals on the road.
The minibus just happened to drop us off at the end of my apartments street, so we wondered down and rested for a bit. Afterwards I went looking for a Lao shirt for the wedding that afternoon we had been invited to. After having no idea what shirt is used for weddings (I think I was offered grooms wear) I gave up and went with sheridan to the office to pick up her sinhs and someone who knew what I was looking for. Eventually sinhs were in hand and I had a faux silk shirt ($30 rather than $70+).
The lao wedding was like a western wedding with some differences; food is on the table when you arrive, some guests leave once the food is gone, there is a man up the fount who yells into a microphone all evening and the success of a wedding is by the amount of distortion due to volume of the speakers. The wedding ceremony is only seen by the close family, so we just saw the reception.
We foreigners were asked to dance several times, but most times, once up the front, it became apparent that the dances had well choreographed moves. There was also the walk around in a circle waving your hands for 5 mins dance.
Highlight of the evening was avoiding beer by saying I had to drive back home. This was greeted with confusion and the person I was talking to said that he was taking his motorbike home and he was drinking.
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| The nutbush like dance which we were invited to do with no idea how. |
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| breakfast view. |
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| Trip to see the dolphins and standard transport vessel. |
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| Li Phi Falls |
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| Lunch at 4 thousand islands. |
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| Old french bridge, 4 thousand islands |
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| accommodation, 4 thousand islands |
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