Found this big bug on the porch this morning!
The insect life here is truly diverse, although I've had a few unpleasant encounters with mosquitoes so far. Some impressive bites on my ankles and knees. If you joined the dots you'd probably have a portrait of Jack Nicholson.
Talking of random film links, we watched an incredible Laos film the other night called The Rocket. If you get the chance, do see it. It is so beautifully shot, and despite a fairly heartbreaking beginning, it's ultimately very uplifting. The story of a family who have to leave their village due to a dam being built, how the grandmother's traditional beliefs label the young son 'bad luck', and how he overcomes that stigma with a little help from James Brown.
Today we stayed indoors until the sun started to set. It's been incredibly hot. Eventually, we cycled into town to visit the Night Marker, via the wat where Ruairí and Martine got engaged, beneath this very tree.
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| Naga |
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| Drum Tower |
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| Buddha Protected by Naga |
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| Ancient Relic |
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| Any ideas who this is? |
The wat is directly opposite the Mekong, where people gather in the evening to partake in the Laos tradition of line dancing before an aerobics class. How anyone manages to exercise in this heat is a mystery!
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| Mekong in the dry season. |
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| Aerobics Class |
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| Lots of Lao Motorbikes |
There is also a large market here called the Night Market, because it goes on until about ten o'clock at night. There are lots of clothes stalls and beautiful artwork.
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| Make Spoons, Not War |
The above stall sells items fashioned from pieces of bomb. Apparently there were more bombs dropped on Laos than on Germany during the Blitz and Vietnam combined! There are still many unexploded bombs around the country, and people are often injured.
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| Common Lao street shrine. |
After exploring the market, we headed to one of M&R's favourite restaurants, next to a street food stall.
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| Poor fish! |
Our meal was delicious. The pot in the middle is stock, to which you add the accompaniments such as fish, mushrooms, greens, and a delicious peanut sauce.
After food and a couple of beers, we raced home along the Mekong, strangely competitive in 30c and 75% humidity.
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| The Night Market at Night |
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