Laos was the country where I grew accustomed to seeing monks every day. These three rode with us on the slow boat from the border of Laos to Luang Prubang. At first I had urges to takes pictures of every monk I saw, but then I got used to seeing them around all the time. You begin to notice how annoying it is when everyone stops to take pictures of every monk they see. Yep, I was one of "those" people for about a week, but at least I can admit it. I also found it strange to see monks smoking; which I happened upon a lot. Weird, right? I learned that it is a common practice in Laos for men to serve in a monastery for two years and then resume their normal lives.
These are the type of boats we road in for two days to Luang Prubang. They are nicknamed slow boats for a reason! Luckily, the scenery during our boat trip was breathtaking! It was also a nice distraction to have a poker game going on in the back of the boat.
Sorry I can't rotate this picture. I uploaded this at a Korean PC room and I can't figure out the Korean word for "rotate". I tried, though, believe me! =o) These little girls are two of the many children that sell little trinkets and birds, to "set free" when you get to a temple, as a blessing to whomever you worship. What most people don't realize is that their wings are clipped and they are recaught after you leave and sold again.
Laos seriously was one of the most stunning countries in terms of scenery for me. This is the view I had from my hostel in Vang Vieng at sunset. Add a day of tubing, caving, or lounging in a hammock to this view and you can't go wrong!
The waterfall in Luang Prubang! I've seen quite a few waterfalls on my trip, but this one takes the cake! After hiking all the way to the top I jumped in the top pool for a swim. As I swam over to the edge of the first pool I was in awe as I saw the waterfall cascading down the mountain, forming 16 seafoam green pools as it fell. People were swimming in various pools and the sun was giving off the perfect light. It didn't seem real. This picture is at the pool at the very top of the falls.
Here is a another waterfall! I actually had another video of one more waterfall, but it didn't upload correctly. I'll try again soon.
So that's it for Laos. This task of 5 pictures gets harder with every country. Keep checking for Cambodia pics soon!
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