Is Tention Excedrin Bad For You

Once is not custom, we celebrated Christmas in Laos with our friends Martin and Sandra. Funny destination for Christmas, but nothing more exotic! We knew nothing of the Southeast Asia and so everything was for us to field discovery and enchantment. We usually like to prepare our travels as much as possible by reading guides or novels, but this time, due to lack of time or energy, we started shrinking violet this December 22, 2009, to reach Vientiane after a short stop Bangkok in the hotel from the airport. Night hotel option easily, very nice after 9 hours on a plane.

the Great Stupa of Vientiane

Ephrem doing the Zouave the amusement (or not) Sandrine

We spent too little time Vientiane, but enough to enjoy the tranquility of this city that looks like a village, whose airport is 3 minutes by tuk-tuk from downtown and where one never feels weighed down like that Sometimes in some countries where we offer you every two minutes to buy a breast or take a taxi when you want to walk quietly. Ephrem was happy in his stroller, he opened his eyes wide, watching carefully what is happening around him, will naturally meet the children laos or tourists. The Laos love kids, and our little boy 18 months and the huge belly of Dominica, the day we receive all smiles kindly.

Little Buddhas

(Note that young children do not laos layers but effective bottom pants without underwear.)

Two Buddhas Australians

Lucky also able to spend Christmas with friends! On the menu, duck foie gras from Normandy, Tilapia sin in the local pond, sticky rice Lao style served in a small wicker basket, fricassee of mushrooms and tomatoes Provencal, dragon fruit (a kind of large fruit with bark red and white flesh to the consistency of the kiwi), all washed down with a little Chardonnay Australian Mornington Peninsula. Then shoot at the foot of our Christmas palm, opening Christmas presents wrapped in leaves of the chained duck, thyme and tea Hop in bed.

Merry Christmas!

Fishermen casting their nets

The next start for the eco village of Nam Lik. At the foot of the mountains, this small village for "Falang" (Western or tourist) is nestled in the forest, so it is an ideal base for lovers of natural science in which our host Richard, a man of many talents. Program, meet with the spider bull, giving mice to pythons to mealtimes, canoeing with Ephrem on the Nam San river, taste the fish pie crust and boar house, lounging in the hammock, walk in the nearby village to watch the traditional wooden houses on stilts and admire the art of the weavers laos.

Lao weaver

Martin and Dom in the pampas

Habitat traditional wooden

last leg of our journey, sublime and shining: Luang Prabang The city of thousand temples. But to get there, I subscribe first Vang Vieng, a sort of cocoon for backpackers in search of series American TV and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Soon we'll go our way and jump in a minivan who joined Luang Prabang in 6-hour drive through rugged mountain landscapes in silhouette, covered in mandarin.

artificial lake of Nam San River

golden Buddha, frangipani and palm

Luang Prabang is in line with our expectations. World Heritage of Humanity, Luang Prabang in Laos is that Kyoto is Japan, a jewel of culture and history, which contrasts sharply with the Australian cultural vacuum. The city abounds in temples and Buddhist monks, the city is dominated by green vegetation and abundant orange robes of monks. We enjoy fried seaweed and covered with sesame seeds, then the sausage Luang Prabang, we take our last meal on the banks of the Mekong River, majestic. That's it, our journey is over, too short, as unreal as a dream, we find ourselves in the bustling Thai capital in less time than it takes to tell. We do enjoy only half of this stopover of several hours in the kingdom of Siam, we welcome quickly stole the Emerald Buddha in Laos by the Siamese armies, take a picture cable-stayed bridge Rama VIII, and now, back in the Southern Hemisphere!