Alexis in Laos: Adventures in tuktuks, 3G and Beerlao

Laos has taken some getting used to. One moment I love it, thrilled to be here and be in the middle of it all. The next moment I plotting my return to Boston. Its natural, I think, and especially normal for me, the girl who sent 5 letters home the first day of summer camp because every time my mood changed I didn't want my parents to get the idea that I loved/hated the place. There are lizards in my apartment. Internet is painfully slow. I lived on graham crackers for the first week because, save for the meals that others took me to, I couldn't really figure out where else to buy food. But, on the flip side, it is true what everyone says- the Lao people are very nice. And I love the fruit smoothies (fruit, ice, sweetened condensed milk, blended together into a delicious and nutritious treat for less than a dollar) more than I could describe here. Vientiane is hot but, then again, so is Boston.... and in Boston, we don't have tuk tuks to get us where we need to go. My work is great so far and the people I work with are lovely. And today, my second Saturday in Vientiane, was just a fantastic day. The weather was sunny and warm but not crazy hot. I purchased my 3G stick for my computer without a hitch (interestingly, internet is quite expensive and fairly unreliable but fast 3G is quite cheap) . I ate some fantastic food, walked and meandered around the shops, sat in a cafe, sat in an outdoor restaurant for dinner and ended the day with a tuk tuk ride home!