Laos, one of the world's few remaining communist states, is
one of east Asia's poorest countries. Since the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991 it has struggled to find its position within a
changing political and economic landscape.
Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in 1975, heralding
years of isolation. Laos began opening up to the world in
the 1990s, but despite tentative reforms, it remains
impoverished and dependent on international donations.
Laos
is a landlocked, mountainous country, widely covered by
largely unspoilt tropical forest.
The most fertile land is found in the valley
of the Mekong, which flows from the north of Laos to the
south and which forms the frontier with Thailand for over
60% of its length.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-
pacific/country_profiles/1154621.stm
I
spent my two weeks in northern Laos, a land of mountains, large
rivers and hill-tribe cultures which has remained more isolated from the
outside world than the flat river plains of southern Laos.
Huay Xai
The pier in Huay
Xai. Chinese barges navigate down the Mekong River to Huay Xai
I
entered Laos at Huay Xai, a border town opposite Thailand's
Chiang Khong on the Mekong River.
The pier
in Huay Xai
Slow
boats to Luang Prabang
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photos to enlarge
The Mekong River
The Mekong
From Huay Xai I
headed down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang via Pak
Beng, a two-day trip by slow boat.
On the
slow boat
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photos to enlarge
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang on the Mekong River
surrounded by mountains
Luang Prabang
is the former capital of Laos and was made a Unesco World Heritage
city for both its beautiful buildings and the serenity of its
natural scenery.
It is surrounded by mountains and set 700m above sea level at the
confluence of the Nam Khan (Khan River) and the Mekong River. Luang
Prabang is a small, peaceful town with a remarkably well-preserved
combination of Lao and colonial French architecture.
The balconies of the pretty two-storey houses hint at
colonial French architecture
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photos to enlarge
Luang
Prabang's main street has a large souvenir night market
At the market you
can buy snakes and scorpions soaked in alcohol
A small ferry taking people and vehicles across
the river
Right: Pak Ou Caves, 25 km by boat from Luang Prabang, are
crammed with Buddha images.
