Nong Khiaw

Nong Khiaw is a beautiful place. Truly one of the most beautiful places we've been. Made even better by the friendly and generous people we met. You're going to see a lot of photos of very similar, if not the same, places. That's because each time you look at it you can't help but think it's more beautiful than the last time. My only regret is that I'm not a good enough photographer to capture the feeling of being there.

The first night we were there a couple a guys were singing karoke and drinking Laos Laos, basically rice whisky. They invited us to join them and befriended us for the remainder of our stay. On the second day they took us fishing. Here Kham Sok is finding our bait.

Our bait.

The pond is stocked, essentially meaning that they have a nursery in the pond. You pay for what you catch but not what you cook right there by the side of the pond. Traditional open fire bamboo cooking at it's finest. Everything from fish, to fire was pulled from the nature around us.

After fishing we went back to town for some bocce.

There were some boat races a few days later which bring in a lot of people from the surrounding area. This is the makeshift market setup to sell every kind of wares to the partiers. There were also some games, just like a fair back home.

Another bocce court, this one in slight disrepair but a lovely setting.

We were taken to no less than 6 different houses for to drink and eat. By the end of the day we were tired, full, and happy. This was the yard of one... I liked the umbrella.

Some kids who just stood and stared. You get used to the attention, especially when you go off the backpacker circuit.

The grandmother at one of the homes, just taking it in but not joining.

The granddaughter of the grandmother, she was our cultural liaison explaining what to do and not to do in Laos.

Kham Sok, who seemed to know everyone and introduced us to all of them. A gem of a human.

Jacqueline getting some Laos dancing instruction.

It's the rainy season here and while mostly sunny it becomes like this like the flip of a switch. Shortly it gets switched back.

Back to Nong Khiaw, we took a boat up the river and had a picnic with the couple running the boat. This is the trip and the scenery.

Plain of Jars

The plain of jars is an ancient site of stone jars, estimated to have been made in 500BC. Some of them weigh tons, transported miles, who knows how, and the guess is that they were funeral urns. Sort of a one hit wonder town, it is a wonder though, and the town and surrounding hills were also hit hard by the US in their, one of many, unnamed wars.

We rented a scooter to get around and near the plain were many memorable views.

On the side of the road we saw an old man weaving a basket so stopped.

Inside the hut was a woman weaving a skirt of sorts.

The kids loved us. Jacqueline bought a skirt, I was going to but only one was finished. From the hands of the artisan, so to speak.

So at the entrance to the plain of jars was this warning about the safe path to take.

These are the markers it mentions. They are pretty close together so you wonder what is point in worrying. If a UXO goes off underground nearby, well, I'm not sure what protection you'd have. But it's a well trodden path so I put it out of my mind.

Vientiane

Due to poor planning and the unexpected decision to go to China we had to spend a few days in Vientiane to arrange our China visa. In some ways we were lucky as I got sick (stomach) and stayed close to the room/toilet for most of the time. I'll update this at a later date to so the one night out we had and the friends we met (they were great). Also on the Mekong, while here the land on the other side is Thailand.

The ever present threat of rain, sometimes localized.

Down a small lane we found this door and the unexpected greeting in Italian.

On one of the few days I was feeling well we went to the Buddha park, built by an eccentric who later moved to Thailand to build another, it boast the largest laying Buddha in Laos and over a hundred statues which include among them influences of Hinduism.

This was called, or described to us as, the pumpkin. Going inside you find the lowest region of hell and ascend upwards to heaven. Some statues were missing limbs, others completely missing.

The view from the top was great. A close up of the reclining Buddha.

The view, middle of frame to right is the one singular monk we found wandering the grounds.

Two pictures of the "windows" of the pumpkin. I have an idea of my favorite but would be interested in knowing your opinion.

Another view of the same thing. Incase you missed it the first time.

Buddha.

So I climbed these steps not knowing whether I should but a grounds keeper said it was fine and who am I to argue with a grounds keeper.

The steps gradually grew steeper until each one was like an overhang. Anyway I made to the doorway to find nothing in it.

The base of the structure over grown with moss... I do like geometric forms.

So back to Vientiane at sunset, same location as the first photo and filled with both locals and foreigners.

This is like volleyball and hackysack. The ball is woven rattan. The players play with their feet. The spikes are awesome.