Laos Time

We have now been in Lao for a while....time is kinda irrelevent here. Lao seemingly has no time schedules and is very relaxed. It has a dramatically different atmosphere than anywhere we've been so far. John and I have both been sick with a cold (probably a little parting gift from Vietnam that we picked up at that crazy border-crossing) and our plans are continuously being revised.  We wanted to do some bike riding around the country side, but now we are renting a scooter and seeing the same sights. If I were to do this trip again I would plan on seeing the whole of Lao either on motorcycle or by bike. The roads here are perfect for bike travel; every 10-20km is a village and the roads are in good shape.  The scenery is by far the most stunning we have seen so far.  It is all lush, sprawling jungle and steep mountians jutting skyward, with the gentle Mekong river meandering through.  There is a playfullness and gentle nature to the people here that is also unique.  When we ride our scooter into a village almost all the people yell "Sabiadee" a greeting in Lao and smile. It is pretty heartwarming. Traveling by motorcycle is also a great way to see how people live. Grass houses on stilts, kids playing volleyball, people working in the jungle cuttting bamboo and in the fields harvesting rice.

I think this village had a hairdresser who liked to bleach hair, all the kids had streaks.

A small house in a rice field

We climbed up and over this waterfall

This water was really cold, even for us.

We are planning on going to a village tomorrow with little electricity and no internet so we will not be able to keep in touch for a few days. Lag On! (Laos for Goodbye)