Luang Prabang 2 - a selection of tourist ruminations and ramblings

Sabaidee khobkhua lae pheuon

Returned to Luang Prabang for few more relaxing days at the Satri House, a fabulous hotel.  And now we're in Vientaine before catching an overnight train tomorrow night to Bangkok and then Hau Hin.

If you're in need of a sobering experience visit the UXO museum in LP.  Estimates indicate it will take another 100 years to clear the unexploded ordinance, mostly cluster bombs, which were outlawed globally in 2008.  Something like 76 million pieces still to be cleared up and down Laos.  It's hard to imagine that bombing sorties were conducted at least daily from 1964 to 1973 and Lao people, particularly the hill tribes, lived and died through that in caves and wherever they could find shelter.

Further, further learnings:

* while practising English with students in Luang Prabang they were most intrigued its illegal to eat dog (or cat) in Australia, even your own
* if you can count to 19 in Thai you can do the same in Lao
* apparently I eat and enjoy vegan dishes quite often, as in Laos (self denial possibility 1)
* Lao Lao is the local rice whiskey which will put you into la la land, but which Lao means rice and which Lao means whiskey (theme borrowed from Spike Milligan)
* we saw flying squirrels (no Lao Lao involved)
* apparently I was heard to say the green leaves with the buffalo steak were pointless, however no witnesses have come forward
* the Lao men, in general, never shut up
* we've forgotten how good fruit can taste
* squirrels are best eaten dried (not the flying variety)
* no number of beers can relieve too much chilli in noodle soup, although I tried (it was suggested on purpose)
* have yet to find black rice beer (or maybe I should just let it go)
* elephant poo is used to make paper, however is this paper then used to make dunny rolls (ironic?)
* elephants eat 250 kgs each day which is a whole lot of paper
* Laos is the home of sticky rice
* deep fried duck beak isn't all it's quaked up to be
* apparently beer makes me hot (I know, I get hotter with every stubbie - self affirmation moment 1)

Look out for the next edition brought to you by Beer Singha.