Songkran

The past 4 days has been the Songkran holiday in Bangkok. Basically 12 million people start throwing water at everyone else via pail, bucket, water guns of every sort and size, fire trucks, etc. City officials are hoping that the death toll will be less than last year's 600+. You may wonder why it is so dangerous. The target of choice is anyone riding a motorcycle and there are probably 6 million of them in Bangkok. getting a jet of water across the eyes while moving at speed can be very dangerous, as are the slick wet roads.  Of course, not everyone likes to get soaked so sometimes fights break out.

John and I decided to travel to the part of the city that has the most water fights but discretion won out over valour as we witnessed the carnage from the SkyTrain platform and hopped back on the SkyTrain. Imagine half a million people with water flying everywhere!!!

The past week has been a school holiday and John and I headed over to Laos to visit that country. As always, the happiest people live in the poorest countries and John and I had a great time, touring the Mekong by boat, and the countryside by rental motorbikes. Pictures can be viewed at:

https://plus.google.com/photos/111841259004493957471/albums/5730000095891137921

The official beer in Laos is LaoBeer and comes in the 'Prescott' quart size.

After Laos, John and I headed off to Pattaya for a night. Pattaya is probably the number 1 bar scene in all of Thailand. Not much I can share here in print, but next time we head out for a beer, there are stories to be shared :-)

I am back at school now for a week, then a week at Taylors in Malaysia, and then a final week in Bangkok, and then back home to Vancouver.

TTYL,

Jim