Buskers and bargaining

We visited a Belgian restaurant last evening which served a hundred different varieties of expensive beer to go with steamed clams and fries. Come to think of it, we've been eating western food for quite a while now. I think partly as a change of pace from local Asian cuisine, and partly because the recommendations we get on-line tend to favour western style restaurants.

We mixed it up for lunch and dinner today and ate some local Lao style meals. One of my meals came with some tasty fat mushrooms I couldn't identify, which reminded me that I've seen a large variety of mushrooms on offer in Laos. Back in Luang Prabang the locals would pick wild mushrooms and sell them in the market, either fresh or dried. The first time I walked down to one of the main street corners in Luange Prabang I had to watch my step to avoid the mushrooms laid out on the sidewalk to dry in the sun.

We were walking around the night market last night and we spotted the first busker I've seen in Laos. The guy was rolling a crystal ball around his hands and arms, and he kept the ball so still in reference to the ground that it looked like it was floating. We also saw two women with white robes and shaved heads. I hadn't seen that before and learned later that they were Buddhist nuns.

We're arriving in Hanoi tomorrow a day earlier than indicated on our visas, and we discovered we needed new visas or we would run the risk that the airline would not allow us to board our flight. It all seemed designed to extract as much money as possible before we entered Vietnam. Oh well, lessen learned I guess - finalize your plans before purchasing visas.

While Catheleen sorted out our visas I took the kids on a bike ride along the river on the only bike and walking path I've seen in this country. Along the way I saw some floating shacks on the river next to a number of long narrow fishing boats I often see on the river. I wonder if people live in these shacks as their home or if they are used for fishing or some other purpose. After our bike ride we ended back at a French cafe we have visited often, which lured me in again with its good iced coffee and air conditioning. We heard many people speaking French here and elsewhere. I did a little research and discovered more French nationals visit Laos by far than any other Western nation. I don't know why but I would guess it has something to do with the country's colonial past.

Travelling abroad often involves bargaining for relatively small items, something I'm not used to or find particularly appealing. I wanted a piece of luggage and stopped in at a store to enquire about a piece of luggage which looked okay. The lady quoted an initial price which was much more than what I would pay in Canada, which seemed much too high to me. I countered with a much lower price, and then she lowered her price slightly and showed me some other cheaper pieces. At that point I walked away with the lady chasing me to make another offer. I declined, for no other reason that I just don't like the hassle of bargaining for small items. Catheleen has agreed to take on the job - I think she enjoys the process.

Here are some of the shacks I saw on the Mekong.