The absurdities of life (aka asian markets)

Perspective is key, especially while traveling in the stiffling heat, smog, noise, trash, dust, laughter, smiles, advice, tears, longings, sleepiness, night-bus karaoke, cigarette smoke, beer lao, noodle soup stands, bargaining, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, busy street crossings, and boats of all sizes on the Mekong River of south east asia. Today I wandered about 2 km across Pakse in southern Laos to catch a mini-bus to a nearby village. I wanted to watch and maybe learn from local weavers, but I got there too late. Instead, I walked through the Laos equivalent of a motorbike auto-square that melted into the typical asian market.

It's truely beyond description...cell phone vendors, hardware shops, mini-convenience stores selling toiletries, plastic rope, and cold drinks in coolers with dubious ice supplies, bicycle tires and scooter parts in all colors, next to a bucket of sharp homemade knives. Many shopkeepers are either marginally interested or are outright napping by the time I wander by around 11AM. They glance up at me with either a crack of a smile, a laugh, or a greeting: Sabaidee! Every now and then, I look up from scanning the market goods just in time to duck about 4" to avoid poking my eye out on a vendor's umbrella. I am about a head taller than everyone else in this country...

The isles of hardware and household goods are adjacent to my favorite part: the food! Fruit and vegetable vendors have their own areas. Some on tables under the 300'x1000' covered area, some on blankets under umbrellas lining the isles out front. Oranges, apples, and asian pears from who knows where are stacked artfully next to fruits I cannot name in funny shapes and brilliant colors. I try to taste at least one of everything as it varies from place to place. This journey is about new experiences, right? Mostly it's yummie. This morning, I buy nothing though, as Laos food does not sit well with my body (fellow travelers agree..."Welcome to Laos!", one said when we were chatting about this over noodle soup, which seems mostly safe). Walking away from the fruits and veggies, I cross fish vendors with their live catch swimming around each other in cramped aerated buckets, and hang a right before the isles of meat vendors--my stomach is definitely not up to watching women wave plastic bags over their animal parts to keep flies from landing too much (not all the women bother...). Whole pig heads lay on trays next to the animal's feet and butchered hind-quarters. Watching a slab of ribs get severed into sections, I understand why meat cleavers are as massive as they are--it takes repeated solid chops to get through inter-costel connective tissue. Live chickens and ducks lay on blankets and under woven bamboo dome-cages, waiting to become someone's dinner. I guess if you bring them to market alive, they will keep longer? Oh, I am happy to be a vegetarian in this country (even if it means living on sticky rice and bananas, oranges, pineapple, watermellon, tamarand--healthier than the bread and cheese I subsisted on in Europe).

And here I sit, 6 hours later, still blogging...I have missed the opportunity to hear evening prayers at Wat Luang and meet Monk Neuang (I hope he is not waiting for me), but I feel it was worthwhile to get these stories down...there are so many still to tell! Fabulous inspiring people I have met, like Brahmi, the beautiful grey-haired meditation teacher traveling with two small bags that contain everything she owns in the world (except a 4" thick sanscrit dictionary and some translations she's working on she will return for in Burma), or Pierre, the energy worker/massage therapist from Switzerland who has been on the road all over the world for 13 years, or Ellen, a sweet, adventurous 40+ year-old divorcee traveling alone who I visited the Buddha Cave with in Thakek.

mmm, so many stories! I sign off here for today. Tomorrow, I will catch a $4 bus at 7AM to Savannaket, and from there I'm headed by bus to the north of Vietnam. Blessings to everyone as they follow my journey at home!