Battered Suitcase “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” Jack Kerouac

Greetings, comrades, from our first-ever Communist country! It was not easy getting here, but it was a picnic compared with the upcoming workers' global revolution. The last two days we spent on a long, narrow boat puttering down the Mekong. The seats were Puritan-style benches, about 6 inches deep, and the boats were crammed with people AND an assortment of produce and consumer goods. It was not the most comfortable journey- especially since we spent 10 hours on the boat each day- but the scenery was amazing. The entire way had spectacular views of mountains and limestone cliffs, and there was literally no industrial development the entire time, not even a car. We spent the night in a dive of a town called Pakbeng, that runs on a generator that cuts off at 10. Oh Commies! I'm really glad we did the boat trip... but am not planning on getting on another boat any time soon. We got in to Luang Prabang yesterday around sunset, and ended up finding a great little hotel that even has ESPN international. A little heavy on the soccer, but that is the world's greatest problem. Luang Prabang, the entire city, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so it's really charming and beautiful. The people are friendly, and the food is good, if a little pricey. This morning Christopher and I walked all over town, saw 10 temples, visited an old palace, climbed a mountain, and enjoyed a traditional Lao lunch down by the river. For the rest of the afternoon, we're planning on drinking fruit smoothies (my FAVORITE), getting Lao massages, and checking out the night market after dinner. Communism = getting it done.