Slow down

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Hi everyone! I made it to the capital of Lao PDR now, Vientiane. This place is very relaxing for a capital city! The pace of life is very slow, there is never any such thing as a traffic jam. People are friendly, the city is very small so you can walk to wherever you want to go. A very quant French Colonial Gem!

There is one thing I notice here there are many police officers, at every corner, who like to pull over foreigners! I rented a motorbike with a Japanese guy and twice we are pulled over for minor infractions that would never have gotten a Lao person stopped. In fact, we see many Lao people do the same no problem. For example stopping 1 meter over the line or going the wrong way on a 1 way street (everyone does this and streets are not busy!) So motorbike in Lao PDR was not good, but the statues we saw and others were great!

We took the bus from Hanoi to Vientiane. This was a 20 hour bus ride with no leg room, falling apart seats, busted AC and more passengers than seats (sitting on luggage!) but it was an experience very good! The scenery we passed was amazing. That was until I took the bus to Luang Prabang, the scenery there was even more spectacular! The road was very windy with huge grades. There are no signs posted but high teens and many low twenties. With 180 degree switchbacks all the while jungle palm trees and mountains around passing through villiages with straw houses and Beer Lao signs. It is breathtaking and a camera cannot do the view any justice.

Today we got up early to see the alms giving ceremony at 5:30 am, it is where the monks walk down the streets and people in the town gather on the side walk with food and the monks as they walk by, open their jars and people put food inside. They depend on this to eat, and do this every day, quite an interesting sight! After, we went to the waterfall nearby and it is the best waterfall I have ever seen! The sun was shining at a perfect angle, and you can swim in the pool at the bottom.

Lao has been a great experience, people are very friendly, and it is supprisingly easy to travel here, there are far too many travellers! I keep hearing many good things about travel in India, so I think I would like to head there soon. Pictures to come soon I hope! The internet here in Lao is too slow to upload so please hold on!

Cheers,
Mike

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