Old dude sharpening knives near the pier close to the Grand Palace.
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Home and shocked
Well, here I am, back in the USA. The return trip was fraught with horrible possibilities. Fortunately all went well. There were many families traveling with me probably returning for the holidays. On the leg from Tokyo to San Francisco, I got to my seat and to my horror there was a couple and small baby sitting in the two seats between me and the window. Directly behind me was a woman traveling alone with a baby. This 8 hours could have been absolute hell. But the Gods of Travel were smiling on me. I was fortunate! Both babies behaved like little angels. There was a total of 10 minutes of crying during the entire trip.
The worst part of the trip was getting my baggage, rechecking it and then having to go back through security in San Francisco. That was when the real culture shock began. Something's wrong when one is practically strip searched after going through security two other times in the same day. Welcome to the land of the free.
I must apologize for posting so little in
Laos Part Trois
Here is the third posting about my trip to Laos. As to the economy, since I was only in one place, it's a bit hard to make any conclusions. Luang Prabang is booming, at least during 'high season' when the tourists are plentiful. The streets were swarming with a variety of people with varying amounts of money to spend. The internet cafes were busy as were the restaurants and tour operators. There are many businesses that seem to be flourishing. Not all businesses catered to tourists which is always a good sign. Additionally there is a vast amount of work being done on streets, electric, drainage and sewer projects. Much of this is no doubt due to the World Heritage site designation. Opportunities? I think there are lots of relatively low end opportunities here for people interested in relocating to this lovely place, but I didn't perceive too many opportunities to really do well by USA standards.
The locals seem quite happy. There certainly a few beggars, but
Laos Part Deux
As we strolled through the village, I was introduced to many of Hai O's friends and family. I tried not to be to intrusive with my picture taking. As we wandered around, one thing I noticed was that all the women were very busy sewing. I asked Hai O about it and he told me that they were making clothing for the New Year. The Lao New Year is December 12 and the women were definitely working hard to finish. We also saw a Chinese man who had driven up from Luang Prabang to sell clothing to the Hmong. The men were involved with a different type of preparation. They were cutting wood and making rat traps.
One of the most important things going on in Laos is the attempt to wean people away from the growing of opium poppies. Since the Vietnam War, there has been a concerted attempt on the part of the Pathet Lao government as well as various world agencies to help villagers learn to grow other crops. This area grows onions, pineapples, watercress and various other vegetables now. I h
Laos
What a great trip! I got back from Laos yesterday. It is a stunningly beautiful country. I flew in to Luang Prabang on Friday afternoon. Getting my visa was a simple process just as it was in Cambodia. Thirty bucks, a picture and a short wait in line did the trick. As promised, I was picked up at the airport and whisked to my guest house on the River Khan side of the city. For those who, like me, have no idea about the geography of Laos, Luang Prabang is located at the confluence of two rivers, the Khan and the Mekong. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage site a few years back. The good part is that all the renovation and new building must be in character with the existing architecture. The bad part is that it gets more visitors than it used to.
This time was even more crowded than usual due to the ASEAN conference being held in Vientiane, the capitol of Laos. The ASEAN Summit conferences are rotated among the member nations and this time it was Laos turn to host the 10th such confere
