Nathan’s Blog

We took the slow boat up the Mekong from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai. I’ve been wanting to do a Mekong trip for a while now.

We spent 8 hours a day for 2 days winding our way North. It was a pretty relaxing and uneventful trip, apart from some rain and neo-conservatism.

I had a very brief conversation with an old-timer American. He dressed in classic summer hunting attire, hat and all. Like a character straight out of a 80′s film starring John Candy (God rest his soul) or Chevy Chase. I managed to grab a clandestine picture:

The chat went something like this:

Me: “… we ended up eating in the Indian place last night. It was a really goo …”
Old-timer: “I don’t like Indians so much.”
Me: “Oh, why’s that?”
Old-timer: “And I’ll be damned if I’ll do business with them.”
Me: “Have you been to India?”
Old-timer: “No, but in Bangkok they are everywhere. Always popping up trying to sell you a suit.”
Me: “Riiiight …”
Old-timer: “The kinda pressure sell just don’t work in America. One of them grabbed my arm, that’s Battery back home.”
Me: “Well, I guess your not in America now. The rules are different here.”
Old-timer: “Actually, I heard that those sellers might not be Indians … that they’re Pakistani or something – Muslims.”

This next bit is verbatim. I shit you not.

Old-timer: “I think they [Muslims] harass Westerners because of The War on Terror.”

Me (wry smile): “I highly doubt that”.

I’m guessing he’s a Republican and a member of the NRA.