Special Lao moments

I've had some time to reflect on the moments that have been unique in Laos- not necessarily good, but things I won't forget that added to the experience.

• Having my backyard lit up with fireflies
• Children 10m up a tamarind tree next door, picking the fruit and singing Thai pop songs out loud
• Eating crickets/ grasshoppers, stinkbugs and waterbugs
• Drinking cicada infused wine
• Checking a bird for bird- flu before it was killed for my lunch- this was around 20-50km from a bird flu village
• Drinking from one of two shot glasses at the entrance to a wedding with 600 guests
• 30c coconut or soy drinks, and meals costing 50c- $1 US
• Seeing a large jar of rice wine at a festival with a straw and sign reading 'free alcohol please try'
• A baby snake sticking its head out of the drain as I had my shower
• Pigs on the roof of the bus squealing as the bus went around the corner
• Showing up at the airport and the airport being closed, flight cancelled
• Spending three lots of 24hrs on the bus during the first three months of 2008
• Wrapping a book cover in paper due to concern that the government wouldn't agree with the book
• Listening to a driver rabbit on in Lao language about having 3 wives, each in different towns and being able to understand most of it