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| I have other
sunset shots from my first two trips on my first Laos site, but
I like this one too. The tranquility of the Mekong as it flows
peacefully by Vientiane is captivating. |
This was taken
on the same levee as the photo on the left, but on another day,
and the clouds were so incredible that the Mekong flowing peacefully
below got left out! |
This is Pa
Houa who works in her family's stall in the Talat Sao (Morning
Market) in Vientiane. She's quiet and soft spoken and was gracious
enough to pose with Peter Rabbit. She also was nice enough to
come up and say hello at Hmong New Year at Km 52 (see Km Gallery
for photos). I have to admit I didn't recognize her dressed in
traditional clothes. She's in her fifth year at Ratthana Business
College and speaks English quite well and hopes to find a job
after graduating in June. |
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| There's much
that I miss about Laos and I have to admit that I've grown addicted
to Lao coffee. This woman has a stall outside the Talat Sao and
is one of my favorite places to 'hang.' Sometimes you hear Lao
coffee referred to as 'bag coffee' and in the photo you can see
the 'bag' filter. They make the coffee (sai nom, with milk) by
pouring in this coffee concentrate on a layer of condensed milk
and adding hot water. Delicious! |
Another photo
that shows her pouring a glass of hot tea which is always served
with the coffee. |
This
was taken in the stall next to the coffee stall. Here you see
the Lao staple, "Fer." It is a noodle soup that can
include meat balls, slice-innards, soya-sprouts, fried garlic
and whatever else is on hand! When your served the bowl of noodles
you also get a plate of greens that you can tear into small pieces
and add to the soup along with all the condiments you see on
the table. It's usually eaten with chopsticks and chinese spoon.
Of course there is both fresh and pickled hot chili peppers that
are guaranteed to warm one up! |
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| This photo of Nang and
Aloun is taken at Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) about 40 km outside
of Vientiane. Do you get the feeling that us human beings are
meant to feel relatively small in this unique landscape? |
The Patuxai. This
is a large monument modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
There are souvineer stands inside the base and between 8:00 -
4:00 you can pay 1000 kip to climb stairs to the top for a beautiful
view of the city. |
This is a view from the
top of Patuxai. You can see its shadown on the grass below. |
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| This is a photo of my
friend Nang and her sister Nong, and their two friends taken
at Buddha Park. I like this shot because it shows the closeness
between Lao friends. |
Nang would say that her
sister Nong is "Crazy." A nice 'crazy' of course, and
after spending some time with them at Buddha Park I would agree.
She is spirited and does like to have fun and joke around and
I bet this statue doesn't mind her affection... She is a math
teacher at one of the local colleges. |
A photo of Nong coming
back home from the local wat. |
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| I included this shot
to show you that Christmas is not forgotten in Laos |
The Lao Plaza Hotel is
an upscale hotel where many dignitaries stay and 'important'
meetings are held. |
This is the new Lao Cultural
Hall that is being built through a grant from China. It is huge
and when I visited Laos in summer I saw it in the beginning stages
of construction and this fall it was beginning to look really
nice. |
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| This was taken outside
the Vientiane Times as you can see by the sign. What's interesting
here is that all these 'landscapers' are actually secretaries,
accountants, reporters and other workers who have the responsibility
of keeping the outside cleaned and maintained. |
This is a view of a pharmacy,
which in Laos is where many Lao will choose to go rather than
to a doctor or hospital if they are sick. Here you consult with
the pharmacist who will then immediately prescribe the medicene
you can purchase immediately. |
The top photo is taken
in the PlaNet Cybercafe that provided me with Internet access
for this study trip. They provide both Macs and PC's and the
staff is very friendly and helpful. The bottom photo is of the
only Mac store in Vientiane with its owner Chaleunxay. It's nice
to know there are Mac kindred spirits in Vientiane! |
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| These bottom three photos
were taken at Sunshine School. Sunshine is a private school in
Vientiane that is progressive and provides an alternative to
traditional Lao schooling. |
This lesson plan was posted
outside a pre-kindergarten class. |
These older students were
outside practising their reading. |
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| Another one of my
favorite coffee ladies. I discovered this little family restaurant
because it is across from the hotel where my friend Thavivanh
parks his tuk tuk in the morning. It became a habit to meet him
here around 8:00 where we would talk for a while until he had
a customer or I had him take me somewhere. |
The That Dam or 'Black
Stupa' is located close to the US Embassy |
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