Luang Prabang

My first work trip is well under way. We flew out of Vientiane Sunday evening (after a 3 hour delay for our 40 min flight). Arrived late, had a quick Lao dinner and crashed for the night. I just stayed in the same guesthouse as my Lao colleagues. We all get a per diem for food and lodging. Food is 70,000 kip or just under $10 and lodging is 150,000 kip or just under $20. My colleagues choose to go the route of spending as little as possible by eating cheap cheap Lao food and staying in the cheapest hotel possible and sharing a room. So my room cost 80,000 kip or $10 and was horrible. The bathroom sink pipes weren't connected so water in the sink spilled out onto your feet, the shower had only cold water and was far from clean. Luckily I was exhausted and ignored the gapping holes in the ceiling and missing stairs in the stairwell and crashed for the night.

Today things started to look up. Work went well. I spent the day at the Luang Prabang provincial hospital and rehabilitation center. An hour and a half of that time was spent getting their new sewing machine up and running for them. I'm quite proud that I was able to successfully do it!!!! I feel like I've come along way from my days of swearing and cursing at the UC sewing machine.

In the morning we took a tour of the hospital and met with the director. Walking through the hospital, a number of people commented on how beautiful I was in my Sighn (Lao traditional skirt). My assistant, Soksai, made the point that I don't have a boyfriend. Then after pausing to consider that statement, he said "Maybe she wasn't beautiful in her country, just in ours." Uh, thanks for keeping my ego in check, Soksai. You do have to laugh at all the insults that happen due to cultural and language barriers. Keeps things interesting.

After work, I got one of the P&Os from work to help me find a better guesthouse. So now I happily have a clean, cozy room with wifi and walking distance to a coffee shop for some morning breakfast! Luang Prabang is really expensive for Lao and is also a gorgeous little town. In fact, I'm already considering when I can make the trip back for a holiday. My little guesthouse is $40 a night and on the cutest street in town.

We walked down to the infamous night market tonight and did a little shopping. I bought some beautiful silver earrings for next to nothing. I had to restrain myself from going overboard with buddha sculptures, paintings, and beautiful fabric.

We also had a fantastic buffet dinner at this makeshift alleyway buffet that rivals the SF food truck event. Lao women cook up ridiculous amounts of food and then sell plates for 10,000 kip. $1.20 for all you can fit on a plate and it happened to be some of the best Lao food I have had so far. AMAZING!!!!