Let us just say this first off, we have never been more wet in our lives and Laos sure knows how to party! After hearing that Luang Prabang is the place to be for the Lao New Year (which it is now the year 2551 according to their calendar), we enduldged in another 7 hour 'VIP' bus ride North from Vang Vieng. When the Laos say VIP, they mean a grotty old bus that you would have thought surely wouldn't even start any more, with windows for aircon and not even enough seats for everyone! After the bus filled up, out came the plastic outdoor chairs and they piled people into the aisles as well - there was about 10 people sitting in the aisle! The bus drive, although long, was actually superb, as it drives most of the way through massive mountains, so the views are simply spectacular (and some of the mountain curves are quite scary!) and the tiny mountain villages that you drive through are fascinating - pure little huts lining the edges of the mountains along the roads, such a simple life these village people live.
After being dropped in to town from the bus station, the touts at once began riding their bikes towards us flogging their 'special price' for accomodation to fill their guesthouses. We conveniently enough ran in to one touting the guesthouse we had already booked, at a much cheaper price! Feeling liberated from the huge mark up we had been quoted on the phone since it's the new year, we threw our bags down, threw on our soon to be wet clothing and hit the streets to join in celebrations.
As soon as we stepped on to the main strip which follows the Mekong around the town we were greated with "Happy New Year!" by Laos young and old followed by buckets, pans, saucepans, and water guns filled with good ole' H2O and then they proceeded with the drenching. It didn't matter if you were driving a tuk-tuk, a car or a motor-bike, no-one was safe from the festivities. The favourite seemed to be throwing big buckets of water into the faces of motorcycle riders as they rode through town. But it didn't just stop with water, oh no! Once you thought you could not get any more wet, it was time to bring out the wok-grease (while little kids brought out the muffler grease!) and flour and have it smeared any where they could get you. We were hit with the 'good luck' trying to escape down a back street. Good plan Jess! Haha! It was pretty much a tar and feathering that we received!
Across the Mekong from all this madness was an island filled to the brim with Lao under marquees drinking, eating and singing their finest renditions of Lao and Thai-pop karaoke. Of course we had to go check that out! After jumping on one of the 50 or so boats going back and forth between the mainland and island, we arrived to see the beach lined with sand sculptures which looked like mounds surrounded by balls with white flags depicting images of Buddha and the animals of the zodiac made to bring good luck. By the time we had made it over this way however, it was pretty late in the day and the beer already warm, so we endured one beer, walked around the island and handed our water pistol over to a young Lao boy whose face lighted up like all his Christmas' came at once and sped off to soak his friends and family immediately.
To describe the vibe that was engulfing this town today would mean to say that there was not a frown in sight, everbody constantly laughing and foreigners and locals were as one wetting each other and drinking the local Beer Lao (which we found is half owned by Carlsberg now). Being in Luang Prabang for the Laos new year is just one of the many things that you need to see for yourself, but be sure to put it near the top of the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment