Leaving Taking, Day 6
Day 6: Tuk Tuks
I will miss my experiences in and around tuk-tuks. Tuk-tuks are the form of public transport in Lao and surrounding countries. They consist of a motorcycle converted into a taxi, or sometimes a truck converted into a taxi. They sound like they are exploding, and often, they nearly are! Actually, their name is an onomatopoetic take on the noise that they make while in motion. Erica and I have many-a-time calmly remarked to each other whilst riding in an especially special-sounding tuk tuk, "Are we about to blow up?" Luckily, this has never come to fruition. They also move at majestically turtle-like speeds. Tuk Tuk drivers decorate their vehicle with buddhist paraphernalia, flowers, and discrete bob marley stickers. A lot of drivers in Luang Prabang are part of the exclusive Lao weed ring, which they immediately let you know when you enter their vehicle. Also, in Luang Prabang, many tuk tuk drivers will roam the town center trying to convince tourist to go see the famous waterfalls by yelling "waterFALL, waterFALL"...and unfortunately, to an unseasoned ear, this often sounds like "what the F***, what the F***", which makes for a bizarre and uncomfortable misunderstanding indeed.
I will miss my experiences in and around tuk-tuks. Tuk-tuks are the form of public transport in Lao and surrounding countries. They consist of a motorcycle converted into a taxi, or sometimes a truck converted into a taxi. They sound like they are exploding, and often, they nearly are! Actually, their name is an onomatopoetic take on the noise that they make while in motion. Erica and I have many-a-time calmly remarked to each other whilst riding in an especially special-sounding tuk tuk, "Are we about to blow up?" Luckily, this has never come to fruition. They also move at majestically turtle-like speeds. Tuk Tuk drivers decorate their vehicle with buddhist paraphernalia, flowers, and discrete bob marley stickers. A lot of drivers in Luang Prabang are part of the exclusive Lao weed ring, which they immediately let you know when you enter their vehicle. Also, in Luang Prabang, many tuk tuk drivers will roam the town center trying to convince tourist to go see the famous waterfalls by yelling "waterFALL, waterFALL"...and unfortunately, to an unseasoned ear, this often sounds like "what the F***, what the F***", which makes for a bizarre and uncomfortable misunderstanding indeed.
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