This country rocks. It's what I always hoped Thailand would be, but better!!!!

After waking up from some severely disturbing dreams this morning, I decided to be ambitious. I try to have a rule: one tourist thing a day. It keeps me from burning out and forgetting half of what I've seen. Anyway, I sort of ignored it today, if you consider some light shopping a tourist attraction.

First stop of the day was Vientiane's Morning Market. There were rows after rows of silk shops and gold and clothing. It all looks the same after coming from Thailand where all the shops sell Thai silk embroidered with the same colors over and over. I had wanted to buy a piece in Chiang Mai but the vendors were all too expensive and hassle you. Fortunately, I waited because this morning I found a perfect piece of silk at a young woman's stall. She said $15, I giggled. I said $6, she giggled. After a few minutes of giggling on both sides, we agreed on $8.50, which I am sure is too much. However, I had a reason for picking her- her English was decent and I could get her to tell me where to catch the bus to the Buddha Park. She asked me to say certain phrases a few times so she could perfect saying "it's across the street" and "no, turn around, it's the other way." No prob.

After finding out where I had to go (and buying the umpteenth pair of sunglasses on this trip which I am sure will be broken within 4 weeks), I went to the bus terminal. A sign with some English pointed me in the right direction and a thin but swarthy Persian (a fellow farang) confirmed I was on the right bus. For 20 cents, I went 20 kms, and heard about how the Persian's family fled Iran when the Shah was deposed. His mother was Persian and his father some remote Iranian tribesman from a place where they are hearty people and ride horses everywhere. Now, he lives in Australia but he's been in Thailand for the last year getting some painful reconstructive dental surgery. He has family in the States as well and his family there told him that people are shot dead all the time. I had never imagined that an Iranian would be wary of coming to the States because it was dangerous.... the things you learn on Lao buses!

I hopped off at the Buddha Park and was pleased to see it was worth coming all the way for. The park was filled with grotesque Buddhist and Hindu sculpture. The buddha faces were serene but had monstrous boubous noses, occasionally with skulls attached (pictures will be coming soon). I paid my 50 cent entry and spent the next 2 hours chatting with students and monks as well as taking photos. I did my usual fib of being a farmer from New Zealand bit and I enjoyed hopping from shady area to shady area with the three eighteen year old girls I met who were told me they were students. I took a photo of them that had them in stitches shyly behind their hands.

As I was waiting for the bus back, I heard someone yell "KIWI!" It was the friend of the shy girls who remembered that I said that "kiwi" is a nickname for New Zealanders. When I realized he was talking to me, I sat with the boy and he told me his name was Nicky. We wound up chatting the whole way back to Vientiane about various topics. His favorites seemed to center around girls- Lao girls are beautiful, Thai girls like to date fat old farang who have bad breath, etc. We then had a lesson on the word "breath." He had me repeat it over and over until he said it the same way and used it correctly in a sentence. I was sleepy at one point and he asked if I was feeling lethargic and I nearly hurt myself from laughing. I would have said I was tired, but I complimented him on his vocabulary. He asked me to visit his university, but being on my own I didn't think that was a good idea and politely declined.

I polished the day off with some pork noodle soup and a can of Beer Lao for $1.30. Ahhh.... if Laos is going to be this good, it's going to be hard to leave!

Oh, and for Joe E, my toe is massively gangrenous and looks like it's going to fall off!!! Just kidding, it's fine but thanks for asking.