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Another one of my favorite shots.
I took this from Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang. There's something
about the Mekong that draws you into its soul. |
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This was taken in Vang Vieng on
the beautiful grounds of the Nam Song Hotel of the Nam Song river.
The hotel is located right alongside the Nam Song and was incredibly
peaceful. Did we stay here? No. We stayed in the first guest
house we found after getting off the bus. It was raining so we
weren't too keen on taking our time exploring around and the
price was right, about 20,000 kip or $2. A big fan, no air conditioning,
somewhat musty sheets, squat toilet and cement wash basin for
bathing with no hot water. But the fan kept the few mosquitos
off and the temperature reasonable, and who needs hot water in
a hot climate? Plus, at the Nam Song we would have paid $25 more.
I mention this because there are so many choices and you can
travel in Laos very cheaply and I feel quite safely. Whatever
works. |
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I always wondered about the Wat
I saw on the other side of the Mekong when walking in Luang Prabang.
Well, as I found out it only costs 3000 kip to cross the river
and what a gorgeous view from Wat Long Khun. Doesn't this look
like a place you would like to visit? In some of the other galleries
you will see photos of some monks I took at the Wat here. |
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The Mekong at Sunset. A little more
moody than some of my shots, but the Mekong is like that. |
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This a more a symphonic rendition
of a Mekong sunset with the clouds taking on a leading role.
This photo and the one below are taken from the levee in Vientiane
that I showed a photo of in Gallery 4. |
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I kept waiting for a boat to add
that magic touch, but I had fun watching the clouds and the Mekong
exert their respective personalities. |
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This was taken in Luang Prabang close to sunset.
In the photo below you can see how big these boats are, and besides
being used for transportation they are homes for their owners.
I watched for a while as the girl hung up the clothes to dry
and then went over and sat down on the plank to talk to her dad. |
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Boats on the Mekong. As you can see,
in the rainy season it's often cloudy and grey, but life must
go on. |
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When I returned to Luang Prabang
a second time this summer I wanted to try to find the grandmother
of one of my Hmong students. Her family had lost touch, but had
and address of her mother's brother. Well, it was a real detective
adventure and on one day my friend Vichitdarath got a boat to
take us up the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. This is the boat on
the Nam Ou. We didn't find her grandmother, but we narrowed down
where her village is, and when I go back next I am looking forward
to finally locating her. |
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This goes with the photo above of
the Mekong from Wat Long Khun. These are the steps that lead
from the Mekong all the way up to the Wat. The hill straight
ahead on the other side of the Mekong is Phu Si hill and I stayed
at the Phu Si hotel located to the right of the hill. |
