Lao

Luang Prabang, Lao. 20-21 January 2015

Meeting the Buddhas of Luang Prabang

Meeting the Buddhas of Luang Prabang

I arrive at the modern, clean Luang Prabang International Airport (driving would take hours). Our flight is late so we rush to lunch along the Nam Khan River. No fear anyone starves as the food continues to be superb. I pass some of my plethora of riches to the pregnant cat at my feet. This UNESCO World Heritage city of 70,000 is a perfect place. Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, Luang Prabang is surrounded by mountains, rivers, low-keyed saleswomen, and beautiful nature. My afternoon is spent amid this natural beauty.

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By Pat, ago

Vientiane, Lao – “Land of a Million Elephants”. 19 January 2015

DSC06546It’s Monday so I must be in Lao. Flying into Vientiane, I see the beauty of the land with its rice fields, buffaloes, the Mekong River, trees and green expanses. On the ground, I immediately notice the clean streets, lack of motor scooters (car to scooter ratio is 4:1), traffic lights are obeyed, and several ethnic restaurants from Italian to Korean. I pass many of the 150+ Buddhist temples in the city and what seems like as many automobile dealers. On foot, I no longer need to play dodge-a-scooter. There are sidewalks! Indeed, Vientiane seems a cosmopolitan city and I am enamored of it.
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By Pat, ago