A haze in everyone's future right now....
It is planting season in Laos and the whole country is engulfed in a haze, the kind you find in Los Angeles on a hot summer’s day. It’s hard to breath, it’s hard to see and it takes away from the beauty of this land. Farmers everywhere from Luang Prabang to the north all the way down to Vientiane and beyond to the south, is cutting, clearing and burning land in preparation for rice planting. In a country where over 80 percent of the population still farms, one has to wonder when will it end. There are government has set restrictions everywhere and yet jungle, virgin jungle is still being clear. It’s hard to feed a starving nation, so most officials turn a blind eye to the practice of “slash and burn”. It makes me appreciate the things I have and the food that’s on my table every night I am here.
The heat is oppressing and there seems to be no immediate relief in sight. Everywhere you go, people are hoping for the rain to come soon. Those that can afford have portable AC, those that can’t, have fans and those that have neither, hide and bare the heat as best they can. The small streams and rivers offers some relief, but even those are starting to dry up now. In May’s village, there are 10-12 families that share a common well and the well is now dry. It takes 15-20 minutes to fill her pale when she goes to draw water. Some families stay up all night and wait in line just to have enough water for the next day. The more I grow attached to May, the more I begin to worry about her future.
I told May I have been having nightmares and she asked if I wanted to spend the night with her… I told her it would not be proper and that we should not rush into things. I know most readers would find this shocking or would doubt it … but it is true. I kiss her good night and left.
May and I drove up to the Lake and Dam, it took us over 2 hours for the trip. We left early to beat the heat and also because we wanted plenty of time to spend on the lake. The lake level is low, really low, even for this time of the year. We ate at a restaurant near the lake and for the most part, just talked. It felt so good just to be with her, just to have that much attention to myself. For me, it has been so long since anyone has cared so much for me or wanted to be with me. I will have to admit, the attention was nice.
We got home a little after 4:00 PM, an exhausting and hot day, but will worth it. Tomorrow, May is going home. Her store needs her as Pei Mai is about to begin and I will be heading up to Vang Vieng. I am going to miss May. I could not bring myself to tell May nor can I find the right words, but I think I have fallen for this women. Something I told myself that must not and should not happen… CRAP, I am fuked!
Talk to you all when I get to Vang Vieng!!!
LHG
Topic: Going to Laos... For Dummies (Like Me) (Read 227066 times)