Welcome to Laos

The early days in Laos were spent exploring my new neighborhood, and acquainting myself with my new neighbors, not necessarily just people. There were thatched huts, dirt paths, water buffalo, oxen, geese, dogs, lizards large and small, just to mention a few. I was literally dropped into the middle of a culture so foreign to me, I'm certain I went into survival mode and instinctively found comfort in my new surroundings. As I write this posting, and try to remember the emotions I may have been experiencing at that time, I can only remember this as a very happy time. Perhaps being reunited with my dad after so many months apart, and the comfort he provided upon my arrival, it seemed nothing could go wrong.

My dad leased a house that was just minutes away from the airport, and his work. This house would eventually become known as our "Wattay House" (or "Our First House"). The airport was, and still is, named Wattay Airport. The main drag through the city was called Wattay Road, and our new house was right off this road. It was a comfortable 2 story, 3 bedroom house, with 2 bathrooms (one up/one down). There was a living room, and dining room downstairs, and a large inside kitchen (yes, in one of the houses we would eventually move to, we had an "outside" kitchen). There were seperate maids quarters outside, with a very Laotian style bathroom that was to be used by the maids exclusively. The outside quarters outside also provided an area for the maids to do the laundry. As I remember, our laundry was done by hand in large silver tubs. Eventually my parents acquired one of those old fashion washing machines, with the rollers to squeeze the water out of each garment, eventually to be hung to dry. Once dried, the clothes would be ironed if necessary, folded and returned to our rooms. This would take course within the day, everyday.

My house off Wattay was furnished with a water storage tank/ tower. A big water truck would come rumbling down the dirt street in front of my house to fill the storage tank every so often. In the early days of unfamiliar heat and humidity, I would climb up a ladder to the top of the tank, jump in and swim in the water to cool off. This was to be the water that would eventually flow throughout my house. There was no hot water upon my arrival, so the maids would boil water and fill those silver tubs in order for me to bath somewhat comfortably. Eventually we acquired a "hot water heater", and could shower with hot and cold water. Literally, there were flames inside the heater that you could actually see. Not too dangerous, I'm sure.

As it turned out, water would be an element that I would become more aware of than ever before. The "water tank" was one of the first experiences, and then the monsoons made their opening debut. Once again, I would experience something I never imagined.