A Lao-sy Day

Now that the whining is out of my system, some photos that I googled and ripped off for Karen's edification. After my camera broke, I quit googling.

Shortly after getting settled in Vientiane, I took a walk along the river to avoid all of the water splashing going on along the street. Hundreds of vendors were set up, carnival style, and the celebratory tents even spilled over into the river, or what is usually the river. This is the dry season, and the Mekong River is very low right now.

When my legs tired, I sat in one of the thathched bar/restaurants to rest my legs. I invested 10,000 kip in a large beer and enjoyed looking over the river and doing nothing.



What appears to be a beach is actually a silty river bed. In the rainy season, the water comes right up to the vegetation level. If you expand the picture, you can actually see what's left of the river at this point.

One surprise for me this trip is the proliferation and popularity of Hawaiian print. I first noticed it in Bangkok, but it's everywhere. I wonder if the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau knows?



I snuck this picture of a young couple enjoying a New Year's lunch on the river. These Hawaiian prints were everywhere.

The standard mode of transportation here, for those that can afford anything at all, is a 100cc motorbike. Sometimes you see them ridden solo, but more ofter they are two up, and sometimes 3 and 4 are riding one small bike. I've seen a family of five on one of these. I tried to catch a photo, and finally got lucky. Look closely and you'll see 3 on one of these bikes and 4 on the other.



One shot of kids throwing water at a passing vehicle. Lots of water was going both ways, and nobody could escape getting drenched.



And a shot of a standard wat or temple. There are thousands of these ornate structures throughout Thailand and Laos. One wonders how these poor societies can afford so much beautiful architecture.



And finally, That Luang, one of the oldest chedis in Southeast Asia, located just a few blocks up the street from my old office. If memory serves, it's from the 13th century. (I probably should google it.) It was undergoing some major restoration when I was here about 3 years ago. It looks pretty good for its age.

I wish I did.