NurseMarnie: December 2005

Mekong

Good Morning: not on the fast boat, not on the slow boat, but on the middle boat from HoiXai to Luang Prabang, Laos. Typically, tourists have the option of taking a speed boat which takes 7 hours or a two day boat for this journey. On the speed boat you are strapped in with ear plugs, a helmet and knees to your chest. On the slow boat you stop overnight at the midway point. But this new option, the "middle" boat is the way to go. A bit more than what you're used to paying in SE Asia (65 US$), you can take a 9 hour boat all the way to Luang Prabang with meals and all the drink you could want.

Hmong woman and albino girl.

Lance.

Mekong in the late afternoon.

Sunset on the Mekong.

Caves, Mekong

Pak Ou Cave, Tham Thing, or Cave of 1000 Buddhas (there's a whole history about this with the Lao King having a vision here, but I'm having a hard time finding details, will fill in later). A fantastic stop about 3/4 way down the river from HoiXai.

Many Buddhas.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang is gorgeous. Granted, I need to photoshop these photos (as with many of the previous and following) to get the light exposure right. It was a very sunny day and I forgot my camera manual in the guesthouse so I couldn't get the light correct.

This is the Palace for Laos' former monarchy. Luang Prabang was the seat of the old Lao Kingdom; it has over 30 temples and was certainly one of the gems of the trip. I highly recommend it.

These photos were mostly captured from the top of Phou Si, the sacred hill.

On top of Phou Si.

Lance.

Wat Mai from the top of Phou Si.

Sim of Wat Xiang Thong, the Golden City Monestary, perhaps the oldest in Laos.

Wat That.

Very cheeky monk at Wat Louang, I'll tell you in person.

Luang Prabang is an UNESCO World Heritage site; thus, the UN has poured millions of dollars into the town for street, curb and gutter, and general beautification (super touristy, but so perty). You can see the French influence in the storefronts.

Vang Viang, Laos

Northern Laos is mountainous. I tried to get a picture of the hammer and sickle flowing, but the wind wasn't with me..

Pha Tha Luang, Vientiane, Laos

This is a 45 m gold stupa is the national symbol, and the symbol of Buddhism in Laos.

Vertical Runway, Vientiane

Going to the top of the vertical runway, named so as it was built with cement donated by the US Government to build a proper runway.

Museum of the Revolution, Vientiane

This is the Lao Democratic Republic's Museum of the Revolution, Vientiane. Notice the huge hammer and sickle.

Choppers are big.

Pose in front of the tank, Marnie.

I was not supposed to take pictures inside the museum, oops! But the first floor of the inside mirrored the outside -- old heavy military equipment. This side of the hall featured old artillery guns, which I can't imagine moving around easily in mountainous Lao. The other side featured old military vehicles whose battle scars were rather evident. The upstairs was an exhibit on the history (delineated through a collection of stunning photographs from the French era through skirmishes with "ultrarightists" in the 1990s) of the liberation of Laos from the "imperialists" (French, Americans) told from the perspective of the Communists in Laos. The upstairs exhibit also had old military equipment. This equipment was more interesting to me, radios, personal affects, firearms -- even reckage of an American F4 fighter jet (I took a bit of a jump when I saw that and wrote down as much of the number on the plane as I could identify). Although I can't verify the authenticity of any of the materials in the museum or the story (it is a propaganda museum after all -- no more skewed than our own propaganda about the indochina war), it was one of the more interesting, time consuming single events of my trip. I had to go twice.

Amputee, Vientiane. This is a relatively uncommon sight in Laos, unlike Cambodia.

Around Siem Reap, Cambodia

Rice farming village on the Tonle Sap: most people come to Siem Reap to see the ancient temples of Ankor -- thankfully life exists outside toursim.

Ankor Wat

Ankor Wat is a 12th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Visually stunning, it's the first temple the tourist sees after entering the ancient Ankor city.

I suddenly developed a fear of heights climbing the tower to take this picture. Lucky for me, I just sucked it up.

Lance and Marnie taking their tourist photos at Ankor Wat.

Ta Prom

This mid-12th century Buddhist temple is a favorite of the tourists -- intentionally left unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow throughout the temple.

The Bayon Ankor Thom

The Bayon is the first temple the tourists see after entering the south gate of Ankor Thom. The 12th century Buddhist temple is famous for its carved faces towers which face cardinal points (what these cardinal points are, I don't know). Quite an awesome structure to see and explore, couldn't help but feel guilty that I was one of the thousands of tourists pouring thru this fragile structure, currently under restoration by a Japanese team.