The best part about this water festival is that everyone participates. Adults, kids and foreigners.

You're usually given a timeout when you're inside a restaurant (even if you're on the terasse) or in a shop. But whenever your feet are on the street, watch your back!

So picture this ugly fat 4 eyed white woman. She looked mean and it seemed that everyone was letting her walk without splashing water on her, simply watching her go. Then Math gave me the okay look so I aimed her back and fired my watergun. She turns around and yells: WHO JUST DID THAT? The whole street goes silent.

Of course, I was too shy to answer. But Math and a guy from our guesthouse were laughing in their sleeve. So the woman starts yelling at the man: You think it's funny? I'm so sick and tired of getting wet. Blablabla. And all of a sudden, our guesthouse's OWNERS, respectable Thais, yell back: Hey! This is Thailand! It's Songkran! Everybody gets wet! Why you come here?

And everybody just laughed while the lady walked away.

I felt a bit sorry for her but mostly, I felt foolish for listening to Math. He obviously played a prank on me. And the man who got yelled at? He thought it was hilarious. Ouf! It seemed that the lady had already passed on the street previously while I was still in the guesthouse and that she got mad when the kids and foreigners gave her no mercy. And Math knew I didn't know that ;)

From Vientiane (Laos) to Nong Khai (Thailand)

There are all kinds of people, including a colorful monk.

And of course, a lady who sat on Nis' backpack.

Songkran has started and we spent the first day water-battling our neighbours and the surrounding guesthouses' owners' kids. This is war, no kidding. Our waterguns are definitely not powerful enough. It seems the local kids are much more experienced and prepared. They dispose of multiple weapons, plus their parents prepare giant buckets of ICE water. That's a killer, that's for sure!

On the second day, I was sick (because I had spent the previous day drenched in water) and I felt pain in my left shoulder. I'm sad to say this, but I guess I AM getting old. A bit of exercice and I get all weak :)

The good part was that it rained all day so I could stay inside watching Asian Food Channel without missing any action.

On the 3rd day of the water festival, we warmed up with the kids in our street then took off with a couple of Frenchies to the main street. It was UNBELIEVABLE. People were crammed on the sidewalks with giant buckets to refill the small buckets and waterguns, motorbikes and cars were doing their best to get through traffic, trucks were filled with people shooting and throwing water into the crowd.

My best battles were against a guy selling waterguns (he was vicious), another man at least twice my age but who was having fun like a kid and finally, the 3 Thai boys who put a mixture of water and flour on my face.

We should really have this water festival Montreal!

In Nong Khai (Thailand), 

Nis and I stopped for dinner in a sweet little place on the side of the road. 

We had Chinese soup and sauteed veggies. One of the cooks was really keen to talk to us while we were very keen to catch our train to Bangkok.

Here are some pictures of our awful 6$ train ride from Nong Khai to Bangkok. 

We were two people per seat for 15 hours, all night long (from 7hpm to 10ham).

No need to say that we didn't sleep much that night :)

True backpackers: we are!

"Songkran" is a festival to celebrate the Thai New Year. This year, the celebrations are held between the 13 and 15 April. But really, it has already started.

In Chiang Mai, there are so many bazaars and walking streets which stretch forever that I can't feel my feet anymore. Thai
people also have this tradition to throw/spray/shoot water with all kind of devices (water bucket, watergun, watering hose, etc.) on cars/motorbikes/passerbys.

And don't worry. Us, "falangs" ("foreigner" in Thai) do reply and participate in this fun festival. After getting so wet yesterday, I'm definitely buying some weapon to defend myself but also to attack other people. And oh, I shall wear my bikini whenever I go out from now on!

Math and I spent 4000 bahts (Thai currency which equals to 130 CAN$) in a 3 days shopping spree. Wonder how much you can buy with that? Let's see...

Pat:::
5 dresses
1 pair of pants
2 pairs of shorts
1 tank top
1 bikini
4 pairs of earrings
1 summer hat

Math:::
1 pair of pants
4 t-shirts
2 shirts

Conclusion? We <3 BKK!!!

What's the next best thing after Food Channel? ASIAN Food Channel
Makes me want to come back to Montreal and try to learn cooking again ;)
(and grow my own veggies and herbs in the garden)

In Laos, several cats had their tail cut off. A lady told me it was because people believe that if you bring the animal far from where you live and cut its tail, it won't remember how to come back. Hence, it's a way to get rid of the cat. Quite superstitious. And obviously this method is not working since you can see loads of cats everywhere in the city. Poor kitties...

It was my bday yesterday and it was quite nice to celebrate it with Annis and Math, plus a guy from Switzerland who speaks English, French, German, Spanish and Croatian XD. We had dinner in a casual restaurant and drinks on the beach. Koh Chang sure is a nice place to be :)