O.K. - it's not from OZ, but I like sending postcards from wherever I go. And we just went to Laos for a three week vacation.
Laos? Laos. This South East Asian country is way off the radar of most people I know
(including myself) who had nothing directly to do with the Vietnam War. Resting on the Mekong River and bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and China, it's a rather 'poor cousin' in the region. A Communist country which keeps that fact fairly well hidden [ save for the occasional red flag with a hammer & sickle on it ] as Buddhism is a stronger life guide for its people. Away from the Mekong rise mountains housing many waterfalls , caves , Buddhist temples and Buddhist temples in caves near waterfalls. Above the equator, its winter days can still be a bit warm. And the presence of avian and swine flu, malaria and dengue fever are real enough for authorities , residents and visitors.Who travels to Laos? Cheapskates. Which explains the huge swarms of backpackers stretching their budgets by living frugally on $10-12 a day. What brings travellers back? Laos lacks the crowded conditions, frenetic pace, expense and sleaze factor prevalent elsewhere in SE Asia. And the laidback Laotians seem to take it all in stride as it brings money into their pockets with minimal energy expenditure on their part. Everybody wins.
I found many similarities between northern Asia and SE Asia but I focused on the differences. Two more postcards from Laos are in the mail. The next one will have some of the highlights of the trip, the third is filled with sparklettes of the experience.
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