We've been on the road for nearly 50 days! We are all still speaking to each other BUT I am really looking forward to interacting with some other adults. I've met a few folks along the side of the road etc, but always a casual chat. The kids need to connect with other kids their own age too. Thankfully Ema and Abby are face timing right now which should give her a bit of a lift!
In about a week or so we will be reconnecting with a couple from Tazmania, Australia, who we met when backpacking through SE Asia in 1997. As luck would have it, they have two daughters our kids ages and we are reuniting in south Vietnam for a week or so during their winter break. We are all super excited and seems a little surreal that we are hooking up 18 years later! Abby and Robin are most interested in what Ashlee and Sophie will sound like!
Overall, doing well and on track with our budget. The kids have gotten used to working within a fixed daily budget for meals with a few slips here and there...Lots of questions as to why we don't operate like this at home, and will we run out of money etc. some funny conversations but good learning for the girls that it's not an endless gravy train. Especially when there's no income coming in!
News flash for my family and friends! I survived a craft afternoon. That's right. I managed to have not only the patience to tolerate tie dying a scarf BUT actually enjoyed myself! The girls and I spent an afternoon learning about silk worms and making our own natural dyes out of turmeric, teak leaves, fermented indigo leaves and then using these dyes for scarves which turned out pretty well! We also learned that silkworm poo is a thing. Silkworms which do actually produce the silk by spinning a cocoon, eat only mulberry leaves. Then they poo out the leaves and the Laotians make a tea out of it. Good for diabetes apparently. You can imagine Abby and Robins inappropriate reaction when they saw that on the menu of the cafe. Lol. Actually, mine wasn't much better!
We spent this morning at a place called Big Brother Mouse. It's a not for profit centre to encourage literacy with Laotian children. They also have English conversation drop ins every day from 9-11 and 5-7 where tourists can stop by and help the locals practice their English. We all went by this morning and spent 2 hours talking to some really great people. Robin had the full attention of a young teenage boy who peppered her with questions and then taught her about the local Lao customs. I had about 5 young men between 17-22 with varying levels of proficiency, and we discussed all sorts of topics. They all came from families with 7-10 children! Mostly farming families. Craig and Abby joined a little later and they had a group of 4-5 men and one very chatty woman who goes twice a day, every day to help her English. Coincidentally, we recognized her and she us from the tie dye place. Luckily for Abby who was a bit shy, she did all the talking. Robin was in her element trying to teach her new friend. He wanted to know a bunch of new words of things you'd need for travel like passport, birth certificate, insurance, health card etc. Robin also taught him the term "drinking license" which is apparently a card you produce to prove you are of legal drinking age...?!? No comment.
Have really enjoyed our stay in Laos. The people are incredibly friendly, sincere and chill. Notwithstanding the zip line experience, I have felt safe and relaxed our entire stay. Beautiful country with fabulous people.
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