Day two of new years is when the parade is on. It goes from one temple to the other on day two, then back again on day 3. The parade comprises people in traditional dress, a Miss Lao New Year and runners up sitting on a peacock float. It is lead by three big red heads with long hair, which I didn't see, which represents something I can't quite remember. From memory it may represent the head of a legendary king which was kept by his daughters after he died. I got very wet again this day. I didn't mind because it was such a hot day- April is the hottest month of the year. We were talking to some Australian Lao people and they said that Lao in Sydney also splash water on each other but it's not so fun because the weather is cool!
In the afternoon we had lunch with this Australian Lao guy's family. He has been living in Sydney for 12 years, and hadn't been back for 5 years. They were really nice to invite us along. We crossed a hand- made bamboo bridge to get to this restaurant on a little island in the middle of the river. We drank lots of beer and ate mostly Vietnamese food ie raw garlic, ginger, herbs and noodles wrapped in lettuce leaves. I swear I'll never be afraid of raw garlic again, or eating bunches of raw snake beans, coriander and mint as I eat so much of it here. There was one guy on the dancefloor by himself most of the time doing a 'drunken monkey' dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment