A Hungry Game

Laos New Year, day 1, was incomparably one of the best days of my life. It's how I've dreamed the world to be. I spent the first day in the capitol city of Laos, Vientiane. I spent the days drenched in joy. Every person in the city, and it's a big city, joined in with water. There's a hose or gun in the hand of every age and gender. The moment you step outside you're guest house, you are hosed, sprayed, shot, or bucketed with water. For 3 days down every street an ally are people waiting to get you wet. Argh it's so awesome! Hiding behind cars or trees and popping out to spray oncoming strangers. How the whole world should be. No one was safe. Old ladies with children on motor bikes will get sprayed in the face as they race down the road. Water balloons are falling from balconies, pickups full of kids with buckets and guns drive around. And every corner is blasting music as loud as they can. For 3 days this happens. Day one for me was gorilla warfare in the Capitol, one of the best days I've had a long as I've lived. Then day 2 I moved to a new town. It was a mission getting my backpack and me through the streets of vientiane, on the bus ride through the villages water was thrown at the bus, spraying them back as we passed. I arrived at Thakhek, water guns still blazing, and then my day tripped on it's face. I arrived at the bus station at night, and was a bit over 3k from where I needed to be, I got a Tuk Tuk to the cheapest guest house. Payed the driver, (note that I had my wallet at this point) and went to reception. Full, save the most expensive room. A bit let down the dorms were full, I left to hunt for somewhere to sleep. A motor bike stopped and gave me directions to the next cheapest bed. It was again far away and I got another Tuk Tuk. Now, on my backpack, on the hip belt, there are two pockets. One I keep my wallet in. I took off my bag, plopped it on the floor, and told him where I needed to go. He wasn't totally sure where it was, but I had good directions and knew. A bit down the road we picked up two passengers. Maybe 16 or 17 years old. I was really focusing on looking forward, telling the driver to turn left here, straight her, never once looking back. We dropped the other two off, and arrived at the place I wanted to be. Stepping out of the Tuk Tuk, I shouldered my bag, and went to pay. But as you may have guessed, my wallet was gone. I'm assuming the others on the Tuk Tuk were just really ballsy and took it behind my back. My wallet had money, something like 120,000 Kip or so, $17ish, it's ok, my ID, eh, and my debit card, mmm. So left with $8.75, alone in small town Laos, with no way to get money, I spent a few very hungry days figuring out what to do. And hopefully, after now waiting some days for things to open after new years, today it'll be sorted and I'll just keep waiting till I get a new card sent. Everything is all alright. The kindest, angel of a girl, hearing my story lent me enough money to wait for a card. Amazing, and the most generous kindness I could have asked for! The world if full of good. So with the incomparable kindness of Joeri, the helpfulness of reception where I'm staying now, and a handful of books. I can sleep in a bed, eat more then 1 bowl of rice a day, and sit around reading, and talking to travelers passing through for the days to come waiting for a card. Don't let anyone tell you the world is a bad place.