and found a wonderful little treat awaiting us!But before that - what do you all know about the country of Laos - I bet not much! Own up, I bet some have you have never even heard of it? We didn't before we started looking into our trip. So get your cup of tea at hand and absorb some interesting facts about Laos, you may be shocked. As we mentioned in the last blog, Laos is land locked by Thailand, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. What surprises people the most is that during the Vietnam war with the USA, Laos was actually bombed more than Vietnam. In fact this beautiful place has the unfortunate title of being one of the most bombed nations on earth. This will amaze you; America dropped the equivalent of a full plane of bombs on Laos EVERY 8 minutes of EVERY day for NINE years (1964 to 1973) could you imagine that?
It cost the USA two million dollars a day and if that wasn't bad enough, over 30% of the ordnance dropped didn't go off and is still lying around in fields. At the current rate of clearing mines and bombs etc, it will take 100 years to clear all of Laos. That's why when you're in remote parts of Laos and you need a No.1 or 2, then you have to do it on the side of the road, if you wander into a field you may need more than a few sheets of toilet roll to clear up the mess - if you know what I mean!
All of this because Laos borders Vietnam and it was thought that communist Vietnam soldiers were using Laos as a supply line although at the time the USA never officially admitted to dropping a single bomb on Laos.
Having said all of that (and that's quite a lot) you'd be hard pressed to find happier people and a country with some outstanding natural beauty (like the first picture of a beautiful sunset over the Mekong River). So top your tea up and lets lighten the mood a little.
This is the night market - it's a bit like a wedding night buffet, but instead of sandwiches, pies, nuts, crisps, sandwiches, pies, nuts, crisps....etc. it's scarves, handbags, jewellery and t-shirts, scarves, handbags etc... Even Elvis got a little bored with it after a week and that's saying something!!
Here's some 'cheeky monk-ees'! A lot of males may become a monk for a short period in their life as a family earns great merit when a son 'takes robe and bowl'. There's a few interesting 'monk rules': women aren't allowed to touch or sit next to a monk or his belongings and the back seat on a bus and boat are reserved for monks.
This was a comical site, they had more paint on the ground and themselves than the building. They were also 'painting' with a brush that looked like it was used to sweep the floor. Just after we took this picture a monk dropped a whole bucket of white wash which hit the ground and splashed all over some tourists.
I love this picture of an old boy selling ice cream from the back of his bicycle. What a fantastic face eh!
There's two rivers in Luang Prabang, this is the scene looking up the Nam Khan. This flows around the east side of Luang Prabang and joins the Mekong.
Mmmmmmmmmm yes! We've both become rather addicted to fruit shakes. We'll be getting the blender out when we get home! Oh yes, and this is Elvis forgetting about the beautiful view of the Mekong and concentrating on her belly!
It's 'moped city' here with all the locals riding them. In fact tourists can't hire them anymore as there's been too many accidents with locals knocking them off their scooters after one too many! Notice how they ride with umbrellas up - not for the rain but the sun!!
The climb up the many steps to the temples on the slopes of Phu Si was worth it - superb views of the city.
A fisherman returning from his boat with the sun setting over the Mekong.
There are many fruits available for the divine concoction that is a 'fruit shake'. For a free cup of tea what is our current favourite? Hint: I wouldn't bother googling this!
As for the last cup of tea question, this goes to Rusty with the first answer of green chillies, red chillies and the other curry is yellow. A little thimble of tea for Ginny with the technically perfect answer courtesy no doubt of google. Oh.... and another thing, how exactly do we take pictures of us white water rafting? Bearing in mind you're in a raft that could overturn and we don't know anyone on the riverbank to take pictures - I don't know, think before you let those fingers type!!!
Many congratulations to Tom successfully got one one of only two places to study Jazz at Newcastle University - well done!! We're very proud of you.
4 comments:
Well, I'd like to continue playing along with the cup of tea question game, ( and my guess would be mango, if anyone cares, lank), but it seems that even if you're right, other players with less than correct answers get to win! And why you ask? Because the judge, jury and chief executioner gets offended easily and doesn't like the blog content to be challenged. I hate to harp on this white-water rafting thing, but faithful readers will remember back in the days of yor, when Elvis's picture was taken totally kitted out in rafting gear and she never got in the watter! So, when I read of another such excursion, I work on precadence. And another thing, yellow curries really get that color from yellow chiles? Be very nice to your older sissy Pyni, she is after all, your pre-winter vacation every year...wouldn't want the latest blog to get in the hands of US Customs....don't you know what happens in Laos,stays in Laos? Anyway, all bitteness and revenge aside :) these are marvelous pictures and commentaries our boy...you know that you missed your calling in life!
(PS I'll be your friend again if you just pretend that mango is your favorite flavor :)
apples, guava, watermelon, mango, durian (spikey looking things) bananas and limes all widely available in SE asia... so i'm going for a mixture of any of the above or any single one of the rest, except mango which has already been taken... any good?
schmenny xx
Schmenny..it's bound to be one of yours even if mango is the answer! Apparently, even when they've acknowledged that you've provided the correct answer, it's still very arbitrary as to who gets the cup of tea.
On another note, Bob and I had a bloomin good laugh at this blog's "Situations in which toilet paper may not suffice" piece!
Now just a minute Sissy J. I think you'll find the question was why green curries were green, why red curries were red and what the third popular colour was; not at any time asking the reason yellow curries were yellow. I think you'll also find that mine was in fact the first correct answer. I did take a punt at the reason for the third colour and got the wrong spice, and am happy to take my hat off to your correct spice answer.
However, mine was in fact still the first and correct answer.
So I do deserve that cup of tea.
I also didn't drop any bombs on Laos every minute for nine years (NINE CHUFFIN' YEARS!) unlike your neighbours over there, so I'll be able to sleep well tonight once I've finished it.
I aint gonna guess as to the flavour of the fruit shake 'cos I think it's been covered enough, but will have a go at how you managed to get photos taken of white water rafting whilst still in the raft. Either a) you trained a monkey to take it for you, or more likely (and I know sissy J has been down this route) b) you've been on that Photoshop package again.
On an completely different note, and maybe only Keith will get this one: them painters look like one of Marley's radios!
Daint veer off them main roads now.
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