Hello and welcome to the rainy season! Even though I’ve been in Laos for a little over a month in the midst of the rainy season, it has only rained seven times. It has rained profusely several times. I’m lucky that I brought an ereader, a German textbook, and a yoga mat to keep busy inside while it rains.

The photo below is from two weeks ago. The rain just kept coming in big droplets and flooded some of the streets of Vientiane. The water was up to my ankles at the street by the hotel after only about 10 minutes of flooding. I didn’t stick around to find out how much higher it would get.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

I know this street doesn’t look very flooded, but it definitely was! This was a low spot by the hotel. My sneakers were completely soaked.

The difference between rain in the United States and the rain in Laos is that the rain in Laos comes in heavy droplets in intense showers or in a light sprinkling rain. There is no in-between. Even if it rains profusely for only ten minutes, low points in the street are usually flooded. If it rains heavily, anyone walking outside will be completely soaked in a matter of minutes. There’s a reason that Laos has so many vibrant green plants!

The End of the Rainy Season

I woke up this morning to pitter patter of raindrops outside. It was very relaxing. (Perhaps because I was inside instead of outside while the rain shower was occurring.) However, the rainy season is not supposed to last for much longer. By October, the rains will stop and the dry season will begin. The temperature will become much cooler and perhaps, just perhaps, the humidity in the air will decrease slightly.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Yeah, this was the cause of the gentle pitter patter outside. Yikes.

The Rest of My Sunday

All I did for the rest of Sunday was go to the store and get items that I needed for my new apartment. Today I discovered that Laos only uses powder detergent and that it is impossible to find handsoap here. Interestingly enough, you also grab the meat that you want to purchase with tongs and bag it yourself. This is common across all grocery stores in Laos. You then take your bagged meat, fruits, and vegetables and have someone weigh them for you at a special station. I can’t find a picture of DIY grocery store meat, so I’ll add a picture next time I go to the store.

When you check out you have to pay with cash. Laos is a cash economy, so paying with credit or debit doesn’t really exist here. You just have to go to the ATM often and take out kip. If you are a Lao person with a bank account you can pay with OnePay, which is like Venmo. It is kind of wild that I always have a good amount of cash in my wallet. Many places in the United States don’t even take cash anymore after COVID, so I feel discouraged to carry cash at home. However, in Laos, cash is king!

Courtesy of iStock