End of Journey

Vientiane was somewhat less charming in the dusty glare of the sunlight than it had been in the cool rains of my first several days. Or perhaps the bleaching sunshine only pointed up the contrast between even this restful outpost of civilization, and the Shangri-La mood of Luang Prabang and the countryside of Laos. If there is any word to describe Laos, it has to be the route from the border to Luang Prabang that commands the best rustic feel I have ever felt - treacherous yet unmatched in any parts of the Indo-China trips. The Buddhist temple gongs at 4:00 am every morning in Luang Prabang - gives such a peaceful ambiance. The silhouette backdrop of the tipping pagodas and temples at sunset, the conservative children and people, though not as cheeky as the Vietnamese children and passerby, but radiates a genuine sense of sincerity and righteousness in them. The hired motorbike ride through the lesser-known back villages in Luang Prabang was overwhelming with wild foliage, untamed pests that became pets of village children. I have given out all of what I have brought with me: post cards from home, scented candles, mini chocolate bars and sweets that I bought at the airport in exchange for smaller notes, to the children and young adults that I met along the way. I wish I had brought along more to give. I had given my motorbike driver several packs of "555" brand cigarettes. His lips widened and his smile stretches from ear to ear on his face as he received my gift. All this made this trip all so worthwhile. Life can never be the same for me again. Looking back at the return journey to Chang Mai, I ponder over the excess supply of city necessity that is totally absent in the village life I have experienced so far.


just experience \| just sights \| just blah \| just write all photos, travelogues and journals are made available for non-commercial use only. © 2000 JSL
*LAOS - LAND OF MILLION ELEPHANTS*
Land of Million Elephants \| From Chang Mai \| At the Thai Border \| Crossing to Laos \| Truck to Luang Prabang \| Nam Ngum River \| Van Vieng \| Luang Prabang \| End of Journey
	End of Journey Vientiane was somewhat less charming in the dusty glare of the sunlight than it had been in the cool rains of my first several days. Or perhaps the bleaching sunshine only pointed up the contrast between even this restful outpost of civilization, and the Shangri-La mood of Luang Prabang and the countryside of Laos. If there is any word to describe Laos, it has to be the route from the border to Luang Prabang that commands the best rustic feel I have ever felt - treacherous yet unmatched in any parts of the Indo-China trips. The Buddhist temple gongs at 4:00 am every morning in Luang Prabang - gives such a peaceful ambiance. The silhouette backdrop of the tipping pagodas and temples at sunset, the conservative children and people, though not as cheeky as the Vietnamese children and passerby, but radiates a genuine sense of sincerity and righteousness in them. The hired motorbike ride through the lesser-known back villages in Luang Prabang was overwhelming with wild foliage, untamed pests that became pets of village children. I have given out all of what I have brought with me: post cards from home, scented candles, mini chocolate bars and sweets that I bought at the airport in exchange for smaller notes, to the children and young adults that I met along the way. I wish I had brought along more to give. I had given my motorbike driver several packs of "555" brand cigarettes. His lips widened and his smile stretches from ear to ear on his face as he received my gift. All this made this trip all so worthwhile. Life can never be the same for me again. Looking back at the return journey to Chang Mai, I ponder over the excess supply of city necessity that is totally absent in the village life I have experienced so far.