After arriving in Phongsali we still had much to do. Firstly, we had to find a place to sleep. Secondly, we had to find something to eat.
With so few visitors to Phongsali, finding accommodation was no problem. The atmosphere of the city was immediately festive with EVERY shop and house decorated with that iconic symbol of the Chinese New Year, that red thin papered lantern. Every second house had music blaring from loud speakers with dancing that spilled into the streets.
We were absolutely starving having only has a Chinese breakfast at the Oudomsai bus depot 13 hours ago. So we settled into a dirty, overpriced, windowless, Chinese operated hotel without much looking around. With stomachs growling louder than party beats we wandered the small center of the city in search of food.
We must say that it was quite difficult evading the locals invitations to come in and party but we knew full well that drinking on an empty stomach would lead to a quick end to the night. I think we both shit our pants a few times when sugared-up, wide-eyed children lit clusters of fireworks off right in front of us. Actually, if we had an audio clip of the walk through town it would sound more like a battlefield than a celebration.
We must have walked down every street before accepting (actually re-accepting) an invitation to drink it up Chinese New Years style.
All restaurants were closed down for the holidays. The ironic thing was that because it was Chinese New Years every house had a full extravagant table setting of food. We were even desperate enough to poke our heads into some houses and haplessly point to the setting. But everyone declined our offer for food all the while offering us shots of homemade rice wine. This food wasn't to be eaten, it was the food offered only to deceased ancestors. We settled down in cheap plastic lawn chairs located in a large tent that flooded into the street. At least we had a drink!
We managed to bump into two Frechies that had made a Lao friend. We asked their new friend if we could get some food, any food. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and was on top of it.
The food did come- Chinese stir fried ginger pork with Lao sticky rice. We didn't hesitate to devour it local style, with our hands. The food was good. The rice wine was strong. This intoxicating elixir above 50% alcohol screwed us up good!
Under the large tent the locals explained to us that today was the second day of celebrating Chinese New Years. On the first day, they summon the spirits of the relatives that have passed away. For the sake of simple communication and for sheer humour value we all called the spirits 'Grandma'. On the second day they eat and share food and get smashed off stronger-than-strong moonshine for the sake of 'Grandma'. When we asked where 'Grandma' was now, the old men who we were drinking with pointed to a large rectangular wooden box covered in incense and wrapped in bright, flashy fabrics. This box was in the center of the tent and often people would walk up to it and light incense and pray to 'Grandma'.
And so all night long we got trashed with the old men and 'Grandma' as loud music pumped out of drive by motorcycles and nearby houses as people prayed, danced, and celebrated in the street.
The locals gave us the big invite the next day when they were going to take 'Grandma' to the old stadium and do some sort of 'good bye for now' ceremony with her. When we asked when this will take place they just said, "when we decide, that is when". Every body in town was drunk. The party was intense.
We managed to get back to the characterless hotel and fall asleep. The next morning we woke up to middle school students chugging beer and dancing in the lobby to the same loud music we fell asleep to.
When we went outside all the same people were still drinking with 'Grandma' in the tent and the dancing, music, and praying seemed like it never ended the night before. This was crazy!
As we bummed around town catching packs of woman's exotically dressed in costumes from years ago, we saw a large truck being driven by monks. In the back of the truck was 'Grandma' and staggering behind the slow moving truck was all of the dedicated people in the tent. They stumbled along, throwing dry rice at 'Grandma' as the truck made it's way into the distance.
We managed to bump into two Frechies that had made a Lao friend. We asked their new friend if we could get some food, any food. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and was on top of it.
The food did come- Chinese stir fried ginger pork with Lao sticky rice. We didn't hesitate to devour it local style, with our hands. The food was good. The rice wine was strong. This intoxicating elixir above 50% alcohol screwed us up good!
Under the large tent the locals explained to us that today was the second day of celebrating Chinese New Years. On the first day, they summon the spirits of the relatives that have passed away. For the sake of simple communication and for sheer humour value we all called the spirits 'Grandma'. On the second day they eat and share food and get smashed off stronger-than-strong moonshine for the sake of 'Grandma'. When we asked where 'Grandma' was now, the old men who we were drinking with pointed to a large rectangular wooden box covered in incense and wrapped in bright, flashy fabrics. This box was in the center of the tent and often people would walk up to it and light incense and pray to 'Grandma'.
And so all night long we got trashed with the old men and 'Grandma' as loud music pumped out of drive by motorcycles and nearby houses as people prayed, danced, and celebrated in the street.
The locals gave us the big invite the next day when they were going to take 'Grandma' to the old stadium and do some sort of 'good bye for now' ceremony with her. When we asked when this will take place they just said, "when we decide, that is when". Every body in town was drunk. The party was intense.
We managed to get back to the characterless hotel and fall asleep. The next morning we woke up to middle school students chugging beer and dancing in the lobby to the same loud music we fell asleep to.
When we went outside all the same people were still drinking with 'Grandma' in the tent and the dancing, music, and praying seemed like it never ended the night before. This was crazy!
As we bummed around town catching packs of woman's exotically dressed in costumes from years ago, we saw a large truck being driven by monks. In the back of the truck was 'Grandma' and staggering behind the slow moving truck was all of the dedicated people in the tent. They stumbled along, throwing dry rice at 'Grandma' as the truck made it's way into the distance.
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