SNAKE WINE!

I had to wonder if the mild numbness in my face had anything to do with taking my first anti-malarial tablet….or maybe it was the snake wine I had with lunch?  It’s so hard to know.

Even after reading through the former’s possible side-effects (numbness is, indeed, on the list) my vote stands strong with the latter.

Perfect for Pickling

You’ve got to imagine there is still venom in there somewhere….rumour states that the toxins are deactivated by the rice wine-pickling, but really – the entire snake is coiled up in the bottle, fangs and all.  It smiles at you from the cloudy jar… a gaping “last laugh” smile…incisors prominently displayed.  I’ve seen the same mocking grin on spiders and crocodiles (we’ve all been warned of crocodile tears, but crocodile smiles warrant even more caution; you never want to think a crocodile knows more than you).

Smiling, to be sure!

As the numbness spread down through my neck and chest I cautiously asked how Kim was feeling… not wanting to raise alarm bells unnecessarily. She and I had shared a dollop of the light amber liquid and she said she was just fine, her tone questioning…?   I laughed nervously and said I was just tired.  When we spoke of it a few days later she admitted that she had also experienced some numbness but didn’t want to worry me. Aren’t we so good to each other?

.. side-effects of snake, to be sure.  The numbness – not the kindness.

Snake wine is supposed to enhance vigor and cure whatever ails you (if the thing that ails you in sobriety then you are in luck!).  It’s sold all over the place; packaged in small bottles with small snakes – perfect for tourists to take home as souvenirs.  Many times a small scorpion accompanies the reptile for good measure.  Pretty and potent.

Our Version: Not as Pretty!

The snake wine we had was of an entirely different variety. We had stopped in a small village a few hours out of Saigon. It was so hot and so muggy and we had ordered soup (traditional pho is quite addictive even when its 35C outside).  We had a cold soda and couldn’t help but notice the dusty liquor cabinet, perched grandma-style, at the edge of the room.  Amongst ambiguous Vietnamese liquor and ancient bottles of rum, there sat a large plastic bucket.  In all its anonymous glory, it was anything but pretty.  The snake was incredibly big.  It beckoned.  Anti-malarials have nothing on this stuff.

Snake Wine Instructions

This particular concoction tasted of mild rice wine with hints of brandy, vodka, and venom.  The scaly skin doesn’t offer much taste but surely enhances consistency.  One would never know it was anything but fantastic.  A bonus: no more lower back pain.  And I’m sure my problem with ‘sweat of limbs’ has drastically subsided.…  pretty, potent and practical!

…

This was definitely one of those moments that wouldn’t have been the same had I been travelling solo.  I was so happy to share in both the horrors and the glory of snake wine with my incredible travel companion.  Thank you Kim, for the great couple of weeks together – I haven’t laughed so much in a long time!

Theme Songs of the Day:

Dog Days are Over – Florence & the Machine

Home for a Rest - Spirit of the West

*(My first choice was: Kimberly Austin - Porno for Pyros… but, alas, no good version  on the internet)