Extended Absence

Yes, I have been somewhat lacking in the post dept for the past week or so. What has been up you ask? After Luang Prabang, I hit Vientiane, the capital of Lao. It is a stronghold of French ex-pats, so I managed to pretty much stuff myself full of decent French food for three days straight. The town appears sleepy at first, but if you get into a bar or three, there is a pretty rocking and seedy underbelly to this town. The bar activity for me until now was pretty tame (i.e. non-existant) as I was on my own, but I met a couple guys - one from Quebec who lives in China and a London cab driver on the flight in from Luang Prabang, and these guys were looking to party. Let me tell you, bowling in Lao is not like bowling in Canada. As far as Vientiane sights, I got to see Pha That Luang and Patuxia. The latter was built from concrete donated by the US of A after they decimated the Vientiane airport during the Vietnam War. Instead of rebuilding the runway, they made their own version of the Arc de Triomphe and they remained runway-less for roughly another decade. Hil-ar-i-ous eh?

I just got back to Pakse fom the very south of Lao, an area called Si Phan Don where I spend a few days relaxing along the edge of the Mekong River. It was very nice, very similar to Muang Ngoi Neua, but more tropical and without the hills. Tomorrow I fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia where I will see the jewel of all SE Asian temples - Angkor Wat.