Laos
Laos
Laos was not originally on my list of plans, but I decided to fly to Vientiane after Saigon to check it out. On the plane I found out that it was going to be the Lao New Year all week, and that it is quite a festive party. I really had no idea the extent of these festivities, but I was looking forward to finding out what the deal was…
It turned out that this part of my trip did not evolve around food that much. The food here is ok, very similar to Vietnamese and some Chinese foods. But instead I was distracted by the beautiful landscape and the water festivities of the new year!
Be sure to check out the Pi Mai Lao pictures!
SO I said it was part of my trip that did not involve food as much as normal…. But….
It was not more than 30 minutes after I found a place to stay that I had to walk down the road and try some street food. I suppose this is a problem?
This is Pha That Luang, the Buddhist Stupa that is in Vientiane, Laos. It has become their national symbol, and one of the most important monuments in Laos.
Its touristy, but it is still a tranquil place. Partly thanks to the temple next to it, with buddha statues and peaceful monks hanging around.
Pha That Luang from the Buddhist temple.
The Patuxai War Monument in Vientiane. Quite an impressive structure for around here, and there is a nice little Euro style place to sit and have a drink underneith it. A must see when you are in Vientiane.
There were six of these guitars hanging on this fence above the chair, with no one in sight to inquire. They were pretty cool looking, and I would assume hand made. I was really curious how they sounded but nobody showed up….
I have to say that a lot of people in S.E Asia have a knack for using what they have. This was a pretty good attempt at reconstructing a temple wall.
Laos seemed like the people were doing much better financially than other places in the S.E. Asia. Lots of brand new pickup trucks, new homes, and definite money rolling around. But as everywhere else there are still huge poverty issues. At least they found a decent spot in the shade.
Great noodle soup to be had at this little place in Vientiane. Don’t know the name but I can give directions to any one who wants to know.
After my compliments of the soup and noodles, she was happy to smile for the camera….
Fresh pressed sugarcane juice. Cant get enough of this stuff. I don’t really have a sweet-tooth, but I have to say that this is a great refreshing drink when its hot and you are walking around…
This guy was trying to get me to take the picture with his wife in it, and she got so embarrassed. Very entertaining.
Illegal (in Laos due to 250cc limit) 650cc motocross bike was a great way to get around. Lots of fun and plenty of fresh air in between all the scooter smog, truck smoke, and endless dust in your face. I would definitely do this again.
All kinds of things and people rolling down these roads.
I almost ran over the goats, slowed down after the fact to look back, and saw the rooster. I though this was a funny shot and couldn’t stop thinking about “why did the chicken cross the road?” jokes….
I figure just ask the goats!
Lots of ox around here. And they are quite unpredictable. I had a few pop out of nowhere on to the road, as well as a whole heard that jumped across the road pinning me in-between. Close calls!
Met this Australian guy who flew out of what I think was Phonsavan, and he said the ox kept running onto the runway at the airport. The airport crew continuously had to try and drive them away with trucks. Not sure what they were looking for on the runway, perhaps a flight to Thailand or something….?
There were loads of these tractor like things with trailers of varying degrees. Quite funny as the driver has to use their feet when turning sharply. They are also very slow, but I have to say that every one on these things were the first ones to smile and wave.
Some where near Pak Lay in the west.
Crazy not-so-sturdy looking barge was the only way across this river. I made it across with out a hitch though, and on this particular one I was charged the correct amount. On another crossing two days later at a more northerly location, the guy tried to charge me 10 times more. I laughed at him, and after a little arguing and some “officially written” numbers on an “official” piece of paper, the guy finally took the little amount that I was willing to give him. Funny stuff.
(Rule learned, yet again…NEVER pay full price!)
There was a lot of slash and burn farming going on in Laos. I was amazed at how many places I went through that were on fire, smoky, and completely leveled. Not the best practice for the environment, these people obviously don’t understand the disastrous effects. Here is one example, where erosion quickly takes place. I’m seriously curious what a lot of these places look like once the monsoon season kicks in…
I got a great laugh out of these roadside gas stations. I thought it was pretty cool that there are places where you can still get gas out of a drum. And its easy to know you are about to come up to a gas station….you can smell the gas from quite a far way away! Awesome.
They only problem is, you tend to get more than just petrol when you buy from these guys… They definitely pad the gas with a few cheaper liquids!
One of the many varieties of rice. Yum.
Not sure which one it is, but in Laos there are hundreds of varieties still.
Rice fields outside of Xayaboury.
The one road through Nam Phoun Bio-reserve Park. Nearly impassable for 4×4′s, and really tricky in the wet season. It was a little hairy, but I had it fairly easy on the bike I used. Nice and deserted, absolutlely no one for miles… I highly recommend a trip through here if you want a little isolation.
Awe shit… which way? And why did I have to get the English map!!?? I had to guess…and luckily I did not have to turn back around.
Out in Nam Phoun park.
Loads of butterflies in the park this time of year. Many different kinds, and there were lots of these clusters with 10-20 fluttering about. I had to stop and watch them for quite a while. Very mesmerizing.
It got pretty misty and foggy in the mornings up in the mountains. Very beautiful place. This was just south of Luang Prabang on the road to Vang Viang
Near Vang Viang, beautiful rice paddies. I have to say there were far too many scenic spots like this. So tempting to stop at each one and take photos…
Net fishing on the river in Luang Prabang.
There are many little cafes and terraces to sit and have a coffee and some food with river-views. Just walk along Khem Khon Rd or Kingkitsarath Rd in the center of LP, and you will quickly find something nice.
This was a fun winding road to cruise down…. Going south from Luang Prabang to Vang Viang was an incredible road. The view, the curves, the little villages in the mountains. Awesome.
Spectacular jagged mountains, in between Luang Prabang and Vang Viang. One of the most scenic landscapes (without tourists, touts, and tours) I have ever seen. Well worth the trip to check it out.
Good views on this trip.
More beautiful landscape near Vang Viang.
This kid and her friend were laughing hysterically at me as I was trying to take some pictures of the view behind their house in Pha Tang. Every time I looked over they got shy and hid. I thought I was going to be sneaky and get a photo of them without them knowing, so when they were laughing at me I slyly turned my camera at this one and took a shot. When I looked at the photo after, I was surprised to see that she had even posed for the shot! Cute.
Pi Mai, Pha Tang Style in the river. Cool party! Nice backdrop!
Vang Viang Sunset.
Monks in Vang Viang.
Kids cruising by in Vang Vieng.
When I started into this town I noticed a very fishy smell. Then I realized that the entire road through town was lined with shops selling loads and loads of dried tilapia. It was everywhere!
Somewhere south of Vang Viang on the way back to Vientiane.
The Buddha Park outside of Vientiane. Lots of buddha statues, including the big reclining buddha. Interesting, but not necessarily worth the trip…
I have to say that some things, be it a monument, a temple, a park, whathaveyou, are not always worth checking out. This was disappointing, in part, because it took me forever to get there and it was really quite small. You can walk through it in ten minutes and get a good feel for all the “buddhas”…