Quy Nhon

Travels with Martin, Kate and Andrew

We set off from Saigon, heading towards Yunnan via Laos in early July. Buddha seemed to chase us (or maybe we were chasing him). We ate well, saw a lot, walked alot, talked a lot and I cracked the shits but gave up smoking as we entered China, the land where every man smokes. My beard has got greyer. The next couple of entries will try and highlight the trip in stages

Frescos from Temples in Luang Prabang

Some beautiful frescoes in a state of disrepair in the neglected temples of Luang Prabang. We felt a little guilty about taking photos but they maybe gone completely soon unless restoration plans are put in place. The narrative paintings impressed me most within the Buddhist compounds that we visited. Funny naive cartoons and depictions of excessive violence. All of this and reading particularly about Tibetan Buddhism throws up lots of question about the "incarnate Dalai Lama". A lovely bloke I'm sure, but also the reincarnated military leader of Tibet.

Prayer Flags

Monastery

Laung Prabang, Laos

When we arrived in Luang Prabang I thought it was going to be the Sovereign Hill of Laos, but it is just a really well restored town, with a fair bit of authenticity (the Soveriegn Hill of our travels has been Lijang in Yunnan, China). Lots of Temples, Monks and Hill Tribes, with a touch of pepsi maximum. Nice to be on the Mekong again and see a little more of this river. Luang Prabang sits smugly above the river on a peninsula where a tributary feeds the Mekong. The other side of the Mekong was not restored and prepared for tourism but had some temples in disrepair with beautiful frescoes.







We went on a one day trek up the hills to see some of the hill tribes and managed to loose a few litres of water via every pore in my body.

Flowers and Butterflies in Laos