Different new years have different "themes" and traditions. Lao New Year celebrates with a water festival. The festival last several days with different meaning and tasks assigned to the various days. On the first day, everyone holds a basi (most likely misspelled--when in doubt, just sound it out). This is a feast where you also give wishes to everyone for the new year. While tying a string around someone's wrist, you recite wishes for their new year. I got wishes for money, happiness, a husband, and many other things. You are supposed to keep the bracelets on for at least three days. I kept mine for a week just to be on the safe side. :-)
Now let's get back to the water part. Water plays a huge role in Pi Mai. It is used to wash the Buddhas at temples, clean your homes, and also bless yourself and others. Laotians pour water on each other to wish their target and themselves long and happy lives. In practice, you don't have water poured on you so much as you have it hurled at you from all directions. Walking down the street or riding your motorbike into town (even to the airport) is like walking the gauntlet. From my arrival in Vientiane, Laos' capital, until I walked into the airport to fly back to Hanoi, I was wet. Yes, I was even pelted on my way to the airport. Thankfully, I was wearing a poncho, although it only kept me mostly dry. In order to fully appreciate the revelry that takes place during Pi Mai, I'll have to paint you a more US-imagined picture. Imagine MTV spring break 1999 in Cancun, Mexico, except put more clothing on the women (no bikinis walking around this Buddhist country) and picture the people dancing instead of around a pool, in the pool. That's what Pi Mai is like. I got water thrown in bucketfuls over my head, shot with massive water guns from across streets, hit with what I can only describe as a fire hydrant water hose (yes, it was that powerful), and rarely, sweetly flicked with a small spray of water from a sweet grandmother. After all of the water that touched my body during those 4 days, I must be set for an amazing new year!!
Because it is a water festival and you never know when you'll get hit, I couldn't take many pictures. Here are a few from the Beer Lao stage where they played music for most of 2 days of the festival and some others.
 |
| My ride from the airport. Good thing I didn't have a big suitcase! |
 |
| Little parties popped up at storefronts all around. These guys are quiet now, but they know when to get the buckets out for passersby. |
 |
| Side view of the Beer Lao stage. |
 |
| Yep, we were totally soaked. It doesn't look like I have hair because it is so plastered to my head! |
