Welcome to Laos! The most heavily bombed country per capita in the world!
The Americans dropped about 2.2 million (MILLION!) tonnes of explosives on this itty bitty country in the 60's and 70's, and if you think that's bad... well about 30% of those never actually exploded on impact. So poor little Laos is littered with Unexploded Ordinance (UXO's for short) which have killed approximately 10,000 people since the Vietnam/American War ended.
There's your fun fact of the day. We bussed from Stung Treng past the border to Laos (not Louse or Lay-Os, it actually rhymes with cow) and boated through the 4000 Island range along the Mekong and stopped at a little gem of an island called Don Khon. It's one of those little paradises where you're lying in your hammock watching the palm trees sway over the river and every half hour someone says, "this is the life then isn't it?"
We spent 4 days there, though it feels like one and we didn't even do anything! Took another super long (9 hours) bus ride to Laos' third largest city, Savannahket. Nothing too noteworthy here, we've just been running errands as this is the first actual city we've been in for two weeks so it's time to stock up on cash and goodies.
As for me, I think it's important that everyone know I've gone 13 days without eating chocolate. Not by choice, certainly not by choice. It's just hot here and not a single person sells chocolate because of it's high melting point and there are about zero air conditioned shops or markets that are in a position to offer them. BUT tomorrow we are heading to Vientianne (the Capital) where there are French inspired bakeries and, at the very least, a supermarket!
