On an 8 hour bus ride today I've realised that our commentary on Laos wouldn't be complete without saying how poor the country is. No doubt it's developing fast with tourism and the assistance of foreign aid but the local people are predominantly substance farmers who's houses are made of whatever's to hand in the jungle, mostly wood and bamboo. Education is not universal and the way of life for most Laotians who live in villages across the beautiful and mountainous countryside is basic. We've been fortunate enough to visit a traditional village to see this for ourselves and its been humbling.
Our local tour guides have also been a great source of information about life in Laos. Our guide today spent 10 years as a Buddhist monk before learning English and leaving his temple. He described his excitement on landing for his first visit outside Laos in Stockholm where after educating the Swedish immigration officials about Laos as they had never heard of it, he encountered automatic doors. This was clearly a pivotal moment in his previously sheltered monks life! Now he is known as the singing tour guide and has treated us to not only a very long local folksong but also Micheal Jackson's Heal he World, West life's My Love and an enchanting version of Celine Dione's My heart will go on, which we were required to sing along with... I thought I might suffer internal injuries I was trying so hard not to laugh but needless to say H and I joined in with gusto. A classic moment.
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