Mao on Thai moonshine.

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Vang Vieng, 25-03-2008. I opted for a room at the other side of the river instead of staying in the village itself. My present room has a balcony where I can sit at night, burn a candle, drink cold Beer Lao and listen to the sounds of the Lao country night. Even now late afternoon sitting in the family's restaurant, I can see the cattle returning from their grazing grounds, listen to the restuarant's sound system playing Thai music while a bunch of local males is getting themselves mau - drunk - on Thai moonshine - rice whisky of the extreme cheap kind called Khao Lao in Thai. A few fishermen in the knee deep water of the river throwing their nets around in the vaque hope of catching a few tiny fish while Peking ducks are busy rearranging their feathers preparing for the oncoming night. Yep, this side of the river is definitely better than tourist invaded Vang Vieng village where the restaurants play endless runs of Friends on their TVs.

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