On the 17th of January my most recent Thai visa expired and I took a bus to the Laos-Thailand border. I crossed into Laos on a small boat which took me across the Mekong river, which defines the border at the northern crossing. Entering Laos, I was immediately impressed by the ethic of the Laos people I met. In Thailand and especially Vietnam the work ethic is palpable and you can see the force of it bringing modernization everywhere. In Laos, everybody seems very happy to just let things happen as they will. You don't have to tell anybody, 'Don't worry about it'. Most people have been very relaxed and often playful. Vendors at the large night market in Luang Prabang limit their sales pitch to a smile and saying 'sabadee' (hi); this would be unimaginable in Vietnam and it makes wandering the town so much more enjoyable. Although the poverty is worse in Laos than the rest of South East Asia, the people seem to be having a great time living their lives, which seem much more similar to their parents generations than those of their neighbors. The Laos ethic is more than a little like that of Hawaii and its one that I find easy to appreciate.
I've been in Luang Prabang for most of my two and a half weeks in Laos. Luang Prabang is the second biggest city in Laos, though less than 30,000 people live here. It's a really comfortable and attractive town; French colonial architecture, great street food and a lot of food growing and children playing on the banks of the Nam Kham and Mekong rivers which border the town. The French colonial architecture and upscale restaurants and galleries remind me of Hoi An, Vietnam, another place I got a little stuck in.
I bought a bike today and will be riding to Vien Tien. I will take a local bus to avoid 50km of pushing my bike up a mountain, get off and start riding. I am really looking forward to getting out of the city, seeing the mountains, valleys, rivers and villages. I am really going to do it this time. I'm leaving tomorrow.
