Lao markets

   We visited the night market a couple of times, the locals sell their crafts and street food here. The silks and embroidered cloth are beautiful and the venders are mellow. The market runs every night from 6 PM till 10, avoiding the searing heat of the day. I'd brought with me reading classes from Walmart. I passed out 36 pair to the old lady vendors , they loved them.They each bowed to me, clasping their hands in prayer, a Buddhist thank you. 

   Although the street food often looked tempting, we, as usual, didn't touch it. The poor simply have no coolers, ice, refrigerators, etc and eating their food is tempting fate. 

    I also visited the morning market,  ( pictures below ) held 6 AM - 9 every morning, again timed to avoid the furnace like daytime temperatures. The morning market is where the locals do their grocery shopping. I especially enjoyed seeing the bizarre fish pulled out the Mekong. The one 3 foot fish pictured had no tail fin. Clearly the river is a healthy ecosystem, there are no pollution causing population centers upstream in sparsely populated Northern Laos. 

    Although I could identify most items, some food items were baffling. I saw plates of insects ( cicadas ? ) , snake ? , wonderful hot pepper selections, unappetizing meat, gorgeous tropical fruits and nice produce. One photo shows minuscule shrimp in a aluminum strainer. 

    As they busily shopped, The locals ignored me and my picture taking.  I was the only westerner there.