Bun Nam Festival

Today was the last day of the Bun Nam (River Festival) and it is held at the end of Buddhist lent. It is quite the talk of the town and we didn't want to miss it. Rowing teams from all over the country and region compete in the long tail boats races where 54 rowers with one oar each race along the Mekong River. It is a phenomenal thing to see. The riverbanks are lined with food stalls, carnival games, temporary discos, beer gardens, and a multitude of homemade shops. It is awesome. School and businesses close for a few days and everyone is out for the event.

We are finding, that while the Laotians are generally a quite group, they sure like to party. They will often set up stalls where they produce all kinds of food. Things I am not quite sure of and some things I wish I didn't recognize. Tables and chairs are set up along the street and music is playing and everyone is invited to everything. It is a blast. We spent the day at the races, came home to refresh and then went back out to enjoy the night time festivities.

We are back to meandering and enjoying the area after our time of work. Tomorrow we will do a little work at the Mother/Child hospital and then explore the countryside again.There is a small floating village we will visit on the Mekong. We have done the research on our train ride through Malaysia and found we are taking the 'Jungle Train' through the countryside. We are excited about that.

We look forward to the rest of our adventures and to seeing you again shortly...