Lao New Years, that is. The Lao celebrate their New Years or Pbeemai (pronounced pi-mai bi-mai) on April 13th, 14th, and 15th. The 13th is the last day of the old year; the 15th the first day of the new. What is interesting to me is the 14th: Sangkhan Nao or day of no day. April 14th isn’t part of either year, it’s a day of rest and fun. One of the activities is the throwing of water on friends and passersby—something of a purification ritual.
Since this is going to be a bit of a party, I thought I’d put my Botanica Obscura folio on sale for 50% off. That’s right, for the rest of April, the print folios will be priced at $45 instead of their normal $90.
Take a look at the Botanica Obscura folio photographs in the gallery here on jonwitsell.com, take a look at the photos in a YouTube video (turn up the sound!), and give a look at another YouTube video with yours truly describing the folios.
And, while you are at it, take a look at this Lao water buffalo I wandered by on my last trip out to the river. I’ll have a funny post about an encounter with a much larger buffalo in a future post.