(Mis)advising the Falang.

So and Ramsey are supposed to come back to Laos today and pick me up in Pakse. Before they find me, I see them and yell for them to come over. I spot them while sitting in the reception area of the massage parlour. I just had a one hour massage. When they see where I'm calling from, they have this look and smile that communicates "of course, where else would she be."

On the bus taking us back from to the school, the last two passengers board. I am commenting on something in English and one of the passengers says "Hey, you speak English!" I turn to look and there are two falang settling down in seats behind us. They are two guys from Portugal on their way to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. They seem excited to talk to me, and I think it is because they think I'm Laos, but can also speak English. I disabuse them of that notion quickly, but they and Ramsey and I get talking.

They inquire about the safety of the food and one guy expresses regret that he hasn't tried the fruit or street food because of fear of getting some illness. Both their doctors have given them the regular tropical shots and malaria pills, and warned them not to have "non-hygienic" ice, or eat produce. Ramsey tells them there's not too much to worry about. They counter by saying that he's basically a local at this point and wouldn't be affected. I tell them that I didn't get any shots, and didn't take any pills, and I eat everything on the street including the fruit. They asked me what my doctor advised, and I told them that I don't have a doctor, and didn't go to one before my trip. I accepted that getting something intestinal in Southeast Asia would probably be likely, but I also knew that Ramsey could take care of intestinal illnesses with the plants that grow around the school...there's also easy access to Western medications if I need them. But so far so good - It's been one month and not even a twitter of my tummy...I'm not sure if any parasite could survive the spicy chilli environment of the food I'm eating, perhaps adapting to local spice levels has been a bit of a protection against intestinal illness. I've probably ingested tonnes of microbes (these are the most unhygienic conditions I've ever lived or eaten in), but just enough for my body to adapt to them, but none of them have taken a foothold yet. Knock on wood.

I think talking to us has given them the encouragement to try the local foods and fruits. The two guys are economists and Laos probably seems (as do all countries) a case study of incentives, desires and resources. We touch upon everything from Nietzsche, to economics, to linguistics, to food, to sexual politics, to "small-c" communism, to mushroom growing to etc. It was nice speaking in English again and bumping into tourists excited about travelling.