Never in my life did I think I would be walking on the streets of Laos
Looking out over the Mekong river. I mean, how many people even ever think of Laos, or could point it out on a map? Yet, here I was just chilling for a week while my passport got a tourist renewal visa for Thailand.
I had gone into Thailand overland by train from Malaysia, which got you 14 days in the country, but I was going to be there longer because my girlfriend was coming to visit me on my trip. That meant a side trip to either Cambodia or Laos. Since I knew I was going to Cambodia later and didn't want to rush around, Laos it was. Cool thing was at that time Thailand was giving away 90 day multiple re-entry visas to tourists because of a huge conflict going on between the red and yellow shirts. A very, very nasty political conflict. They wanted to drum up tourism even with bombings going on in Bangkok. I kid you not, lol. (please don't tell my mom...)
I think I captured this on the first day I was there.
There were so many moments that I want to go through, I just need to find the photos again, but this is where I wanted to start. These men working beside the river. I have no idea what they were doing and sat there for minutes, just watching them pile stuff up, move it over, pile it up again, never in a hurry.
The dirt was this crazy reddish brown. More vibrant then I'd ever seen before. Thick, rich, piled up everywhere. All along the river there was some sort of construction going on. Machines parked, haphazardly, spaced far apart. Yet, very few people were working. Like the river, they just seemed to flow at a different pace. I had just come from the frenzied insanity of Bangkok and this sudden downshift was a bit jarring. Yet, very welcoming as I I got in-step with the world around me.
I mean, seriously, how the heck did I end up in Vientiane, Laos?
Thanks for stopping by and reading! Hope you enjoyed my memory.
Love to hear what you think!
Michael
my submission to the #monomad Saturday challenge - Silhouettes - hosted by @brumest
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