It has been a busy week starting with the performance to get one flight changed and another booked so I could get to Krabi. I was originally booked to go to Vientiane on the 10th, then on to Bangkok on the 12th and then straight to Krabi. I need to rest and since I don't need to dog sit DeeJai have decided to change my existing booking and fly direct Luang Prabang to Bangkok/Krabi on the 10th with 2 days doing what I swore I would never succumb to; sitting in a deck chair round a pool at a resort. As I write (at the airport on the 10th) I can't wait and am even looking forward to next weekend so I can do the same after my first week of teaching. Bring it on.
Changing the flights was easy, booking another just as easy but it meant I had to return the next day to collect the tickets (yes paper ticket -first in years). Paying for it not so easy. Nearly $500 but I had no other option. Bugger. Getting a refund for the ticket that the other airline cancelled on me proved to be harder and I think I can wave goodbye to that, but will not be giving up without a fight. I am already chasing a refund from another airline and have now threatened to go to the police if they don't give me my money.
That first night Matt, Amy and I tried to get into Makphet, the restaurant I really liked when I was here last. It was full so we settled on a little BBQ street food restaurant near the river. Pretty bad food thatdidn't warrant photos, but we did get to go to Makphet for lunch the next day. Bianca and Michael joined us and we all stuffed ourselves silly. But for whatever reason I didn't enjoy it as much as I had previously. Oh well. Saved some money as I no longer want to buy their book as I had originally planned.
The following day was the planned hens/bucks day/night. A planned bus/boat trip which was to be a few hours was now, we were told, virtually all day.
I opt out and spend the day relaxing and eating. Food for the soul. That evening, with Amy, we go to meet Kylie and Jade who arrived late the night before, so we could all go to the hens dinner. I haven't seen either of them for months so it was great to see them again and catch up on their news. It was a lovely evening and I snuck off as some of the young ones left the restaurant to move to a bar. Enough for me, cocktails, strippers and late nights are not my thing.
I was glad to be leaving Vientiane the next day. When I very first arrived it was quaint, then I thought bland, then I thought confused not being asian and not being whatever else it thought it was, but by now I had decided that it was dusty, colourless, definitely not asian, full of rude ex pats who really didn't want to be there and didn't want to support local business or customs but turn it into a Western culture. Dislike definitely comes to mind.
Some of my things were still at Bianca's and the kids wanted to see where she lived so we all headed out there by cab, grabbed the stuff, said hello, and came back into the city to get ourselves organised to leave. Our departure and stay at the aiport were uneventful as was our arrival in Luang Prabang.
Matt, Amy, Kylie and Jade were staying separately from the rest of us so I stayed with them to get them settled in. A quick wander before dinner at Coconut Garden and then they left so I joined BandM and their friends. It was a lovely night. Coconut Garden gave me a great op to take photos of the wee water feature where Jade found her fairies.
Next day; the day before Bianca and Michael's "wedding". Well it wasnt really a wedding but a ceremony for them to publicly declare their lifelong commitment to each other. I was the officiant and obviously don't have the legal power to perform weddings in Lao. I was initially under the impression that the legal formalities would be done before the public ceremony. It turns out I had made an incorrect assumption and the real ceremony was not likely to happen before the wedding nor in the near future.
Anyway a bevy of helpers arrived and everyone set about making bunting, preparing napkins and place names, writing stickers, making wall hangings, buying last minute things and generally getting the place sorted. Matt was quite unwell so was ordered back to his room but there were so many other helpers that despite the fact that no one knew what they were doing we had heaps of fun and laughs.
I had now received the vows that both Michael and Bianca had written and was able to piece my words around what they had written taking care to include the bits that they particularly wanted from a traditional wedding but being careful with the terminology as I did not want to be the one to decieve the audience by letting them think that this was a "wedding".
That night we wandered down to a restaurant that I had seen out of the corner of my eye on my last visit and as it looked so nice I suggested we all go there as the pre venue. Amy, Jade and I went early as Kylie was in town with Bianca supposedly getting their nails done and Jade was hungry and needed an early night. Indeed the restaurant was nice with the most amazing river weed. Yum yum yum. Pretty soon the place filled up and soon many more "wedding" guests arrived and the place was overflowing. The setting absolutly gorgeous with the restaurant set on multiple levels stepping down the banks of the river. Each level split into multiple "rooms" and lit with lanterns. Where we sat we could see out to the river and the bamboo bridge which was strung with fairy lights glistening in the night and the light reflecting on the tranquil water below. Just beautiful.
And so to the big day. It dawns as the most glorious day. We had all come armed with winter woolies ready for the possible cold temperatures. We discarded the woolies on day one, but today was turning into a scorcher and we were hoping it would cool down.
Everyone was right into it. "Bridal" party doing as they should, relaxing and leaving it to everyone else. Chaos prevailed but eventually, cutting it very fine, everything that could be done, was done. Some things left in Vientiane so couldn't be done or replicated but obviously they didn't matter. My first chance to sit down came late in the day and then I planned to finalise the service with the intention of emailing it from my crude version on my ipad to a pc where I could pdf it and send it back to myself to be used as a flip page version on the ipad. Technology being as it is and murphys law intervening the document left my ipad headed for both Michael's and my email addresses and never arrived at either. The line dropped out, the emails went but never arrived, neither outgoing, sent, drafts or in box...... Gone off the face of the earth. As they say in NZ,......bugger.
Fortunately I still had the vows and song words so was able to get them up for the others to read but. I had lost my carefully written words. Oh well. I knew the order of the ceremony and we had done a quick run through yesterday so we can just wing it. I say.
Pre drinks on the lawn with Pims and beerLao. Perfect. That over everyone moves along the garden to the area where the ceremony will be held. We line ourselves up and wait. The guys looking stunning, navy suits with navy/white shirts, with the exception of the one who forgot to bring his jacket and tie. There is always one! Soon we hear the wedding song and Jade leads the way, looking gorgeous in taupe spotted tuille, her silver shoes glistening in the hot sunlight. Kylie comes into view, beautiful navy with a lace top. She looks stunning as do Allanah, in black and white spots, and Stacey in a sheath of navy, teal and green floral. The girls each carry a small clutch beautifully co-ordinated with their chosen dress.
We then get a glimpse of Bianca, WOW. I'm sure I see a tear in Michaels eye. Her ivory heavy cotton lace 1970's dress is probably the most travelled dress ever, but looks stunning. Sheath with a cap sleeve and low low back, her hairpiece of flocked net held into place by a flower on each side complimented it beautifully. I dont have pics yet but they will come.
She joins Michael up the front. I welcome everyone and then the words go out the window. I have no notes and am conscious of not saying anything misleading so we go straight to the vows and from there to the rings. I was going to close, as they asked with the standard traditional pronunciation of man and wife but they were so eager to have a snog it pretty much made it all so unecessary and so the ceremony was over and time, for congratulations and drinks on the lawn.
Dinner and speeches followed. Dancing finished off the night at the resort and then the young uns went bowling. Before they left we set off floating (in the air) lanterns. A real spectacle when each of our balloons filled with hot air and floated into the sky. Something that would never happen in NZ because of civil aviation rules but here no one seems to mind.
Up until the young ones left for bowls I spent much of the evening propped against a pillar watching everyone enjoying themselves and trying to figure out what was "dancing" about the moves they were making to the noise that they call music.
Still it was fun watching and seeing the drunk get drunker and sillier. The popcorn man kept rolling out the burned sugar popcorn and I kept nibbling until it was time for a quick clean up before bed. The young ones reported it as the best celebration they had been to so that was great.
Next day was fun as we watched (and smelled) the drunks from the night before try to negotiate the noise and real life with headaches and whatever else came with it. Fun for us but not for them.
Kylie, Amy, Matt and I spent some time ambling and eventually having a foot spa, which for the others was the first time, so prompted squeals and laughter.
That afternoon we find that there had been a mix up with accomodation at the resort we were all staying and that and it turned out that there were no rooms for the Dobsons for the following night. We quickly managed to get a wifi connection and booked the only place we could find with three rooms available and so knew that with a wee child we were OK for a bed the following night.
By that stage I was so shattered I welcomed the opportunity to distance myself from the event and have some breathing space. After all these years of organising major and complicated events this was the most stressful of them all and the only thing that I have been involved in organising when everything was not completed and up and running well before hand meaning no one was stressed at the last minute. Anyway, it turned out great and no one was aware of all the things that had beeen planned but never made it. Obviously they were unecessary from the start.
Kylie and Jade went for an early night while Amy Matt and I went into town for dinner a walk and a ride home.
Next day we pack our bags. Matt goes to play golf, despite still being quite ill but the break did him good. Kylie, Amy and Jade went for a bike ride. I read my book until it was time for us to check out and move into a guest house in the city. A lovely quiet, cheap haven in the middle of the old town, walking distance from everything and at least in my room, wifi that worked. Ammata Guesthouse you were just what I needed.
We relaxed, wandered, ate and then finished our gift shopping in the night market before an early night.
Kylie and Jade were leaving first thing in he morning so we got up to say our goodbyes. Since we were up Amy and I decided to check out the Alms Procession where the monks file past the people giivng out food and other items (the offerings) the only food the monks supposedly receive. There is controversy over the event as it has become such a tourist joke showing no respect for the purpose of the event. I was curious to see what was going on. We wait in the main street till about 6 am seeing line after line of tourist taking their places along the pavement where mats had been set up. Some groups were so well organised that they even wore traditional sabai and had wee chairs ready for them. Even before the monks started to appear the event took on an air of tourist insanity. It was a joke. The monks appear and file past the people, taking the cover off their bamboo basket to allow the seated person to place their offering inside before they walk on to the next person for the next offering. We watched for a bit. I took a few photos and understood why the event gets no respect from the tourists. It was a joke.
We leave and go round the corner to the street the Ammata was on. Here a different story. Same process but the people (the alms givers) were few and far between and mainly local people. So same, same, but different (the saying from all over Asia). This part of the ceremony was lovely to watch. There was a wee boy and then a wee girl sitting on the road as well. Both with empy baskets in front of them. Some of the monks, as they passed them, dropped balls of rice into their baskets and we wondered what the story was there.
Le Banneton coffee and croissant was called for here so we felt impelled to indulge. Yes it was good.
After such an early morning a sleep was had and we returned to le Banneton to spend the rest of our kip before catching a ride to the airport and bidding our goodbyes to each other and to Laos. We were all pleased to be moving on. I wish I was on my way home, but now off for another adventure.
I have mixed feelings about Laos. As I said above my feelings about Vientiane changed and changed and changed. I didn't like Luang Prabang at the start of my first visit but would happily spend time here. It is a beautiful city and away from the tourist throngs has some lovely spaces, people and things to do. Vang Vieng was stunning. The scenery sublime. Again away from the tourist rabble was lovely. Would I go back? No.
So here I am travelling to Thailand and can't wait. Even though when I left the last time I vowed I didn't want to return to Bangkok, and that still stands but I reserve judgement on Krabi, the tourist trap of all time. My holiday that was supposed to be off the beaten track has been anything but. Experiencing Laos didn't really happen as I spent most of my time in Vientiene seeking out wedding stuff and other than the fact that it was difficult to find western things in a non western city, I didnt feel as though I experienced the city because the city didnt know what it was. It seemed a melting pot of many cultures that were not in Asia. The most "Laos" I experienced was the few hours at Kamu Lodge where I saw the rural side of Lao life and interacted with some village people.
In my time here I have felt as though I am constantly haggling for something, have been ripped off twice by money changers, happily I picked it up both times and am hopefully in the way to having both rectified, have had running battles with airlines who owe me money because they have cancelled flights without notice and caused me to rebook itineraries at great cost, have had hotels that I stayed at report that I did not show so tried to charge me again, have constantly struggled to use technology because of terrible connections. I am told that the technology issue is a Lao wide problem but that is not the case as I have been places where it works a dream. I think they just advertise it knowing that it is something that travellers now insist on and if it doesn't work who cares. It's still free. None of these things have anything to do with third world status. It is just an excuse.
BUT I have also had some great experiences and being here gave me the opportunity to spend time with all of the kids which is the best thing. I witnessed Bianca making a lifelong commitment to her chosen man and know that they will be happy together and well suited. I got to experience That Luang, an amazing celebration, I saw the beauty of Vang Vieng and saw first hand the phenomenon of the tourists spending all day in restaurants watching "Friends", I set a floating lantern off into the sky, I ate some amazing food and learned to cook some of what I ate, I experienced a wee tiny bit of rural like at Kamu Lodge, I sailed on the Mekong, I ate crickets, I wove a piece of fabric and batiked another, I experienced the Alms Procession. I had fun, I laughed, I cried, I learned to love beerLao and sticky rice and now I am ready for the next adventure. Thailand, Krabi and Koh Klang here I come.
And then I head for home sweet home.
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