Arrival into Phnom Penh from Sihanoukville is not very kind on the eyes, or heart for that matter. A steady stream of southbound ocean containers gives way to ice cube tray buildings of repair shops with a disorganized grouping of unlabeled commodities. Wooden planks span the ditch between the street and side access road. Below the planks is where weeks of garbage settle to remain there for an indefinite period of time. The rotting vegetable matter is biodegradable; one day soon enough the earth will reclaim it. The same cannot be said for the millions of plastic bags and styrofoam boxes strewn about. Since coming to Asia, I have seen trash collection trucks once, in Sihanoukville. Those seriously intent on environmental matters will have to tackle how to educate people not to use their own country ... read more

It is a tough task to understand how dodgy a third-world border town can become until stuck there overnight. The frontier between Thailand and Cambodia is open during sunlight hours, and for good reason. For as dodgy as it is during the day, even the border guards and customs officers leave when the sun goes down. Ban Hat Lek meets Cham Yeam where Thailand’s eastern shore can no longer penetrate into Cambodian territory. Cham Yeam is a one-purpose town with a handful of buildings to support the entry process. Curiously, none of the buildings house a currency exchange to buy Cambodian riels. I soon enough learn that between baht, U.S. dollars, and riels, the Cambodian money is the least desired; prices are more often quoted in the two former. I finally shook an aggravating tout after ... read more

Only after having spent time in a neighboring country does one begin to understand how truly advanced Thailand is. As our coach left customs for the Thai side of the Friendship Bridge, it left behind Laos in the dark but for a few dim street lights and blinking red bulbs atop communication towers. The south side of the Mekong is lit up in neon signs for riverside restaurants. There are signs for railroad crossings, smoothly paved and painted roads, billboards, and a large number of bank machines. All indicate that an infrastructure is in place of which the Thais are proud and which many enjoy on a daily basis. The omnipresent Seven Elevens that I once cursed now welcome me back to a nation of comforts and modern conveniences, which Laos has yet to acquire. Will ... read more

Phonsavan goes beyond its permanently linked relationship with the stone, hollow receptacles that divert visitors from a well-marked course between Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Those who call upon the provincial capital of Xing Kuong are well rewarded with a more pure and more easily accessible look at Laos. In all its simplicity, Phonsavan is a happy place and though difficult to imagine, even less stressful than points north. But for perhaps the raw fish at the food market, it is an odorless city of one main drag and a few unceremonious perpendicular streets, newly paved. Newer and sturdy buildings reflect the higher quality accommodations available. By and large, Laos’ government buildings have not embraced the stern and angular tone of Communist architecture. They are well maintained, airy, with outdoor second floor porches, which housekeeping staff keeps ... read more

By the time I reached the top of the docks at Muang Ngoi, I was already convinced coming here was worth it. To provide some relief from the bare wooden planks of the boat’s floor, Valérie and I arranged our packs as cushions when boarding in Nong Kiow. The Hmong passengers en route to villages kilometers from their drop off point looked at us with minor curiosity. The scheduled ten thirty departure pulled out of Nong Kiow right on time, at eleven fifteen. Many native Hmong worked as a team to load the boat up with supplies, including those needed in Muang Ngoi: rice, bags of raw fish and the accompanying nails, ceramic basins, tools, water, medicine, paper products, panes of glass, and textiles. The longboats on the Nam Ou just don’t transport people, but are ... read more