Wild, wild west

Laos is somewhat of a funny country, a cross between the wild, wild west and Stalinist Russia. This country is one big open-air drug market. I've been offered openly marijuana, cocaine, opium, and prostitutes several dozen times in less than a week. The equivalent of neighborhood watches, but very well-armed ones, roam the streets in the evenings. At the same time, the Lao government imposes a very strict midnight curfew throughout the country. The contrast between illegal activities and the government's heavy-handed communist controls is comical.

A small story. Last week, a few of us were eating at a restaurant on Huay Xai's main street at about 10:30PM. Suddenly we noticed all the shopkeepers and restaurant owners on the street turn off their lights and pull down the metal grates in front of their establishments. Not more than 5 minutes later, a group of seven very serious looking men with rifles ambled down mainstreet. We were asked by our waitress/restaurant owner to hurry up and finish. We learned from our host only that there had been some "tension" in the town over the last few days--something about drugs, Thailand, and danger. After seeing the men with rifles, we didn't need any further encouragement; we were all back safely at our hostels within 10 minutes.

Though quite beautiful, I don't feel the need to stay in this country for more than a few more days....