LAOS

LAO looks best in capitols, like an abbreviation.

It looks best in army green and tangerine orange.

Green jungles march down limestone cliffs. Men in green uniforms sit stiff-backed on motorcycles. The guards on my bus sling green machine guns over their shoulders, and green bomb casings decorate a bridge.

But the green is offset by a dazzling orange.

Mountains of tangerines perfume the market and come with breakfast with peel split to make a blossom.

Monks wear tangerine robes and stop to practice their English, "Hello, where you from?"

And as the sun sinks low over the mountain it blazes tangerine through the haze before spilling orange juice across the sky.

VANG VIENG

My first destination in Laos, and it was magnificent, but the photos tell it better than words.

I even tried the famous tubing trip down the river. It was freezing cold, but had great views.

Never let anyone tell you there is no local bus. Sometimes you have to get a little creative, but you never have to resort to air-conditioned giant VIP buses or mini-vans.

And it is always worth the effort, even if it is just for the stories you have to tell and the funny things you see.

LUANG PRABANG

Well worth the long trip through the mountains.

There was a lot to see in town, but everyone told me I had to check out the waterfall (when you go to Luang Prabang, go to the waterfall, not the cave). So I found some friends, split tuk-tuk fare, and went to the waterfall about 35 km outside of town...





It wasn't just one waterfall, as I walked up the river I went past cascade after cascade of cool blue water, and then the grand finale: a towering three tier waterfall that plunges down through the jungle. To top it all off there were three endangered Moon Bears and a Tiger that had been rescued from illegal animal traders, and brought to this amazing park to help teach people about the damage this trade causes.




PHONSAVAN


Then I was off to Ponsavan and its famous "Plain of Jars" I toured three archaeological sites with these mysterious jars. It isn't clear yet if they were used for food storage, burials, whisky or what, but further exploration is halted while teams continue to sweep the area trying to clear it of UXO (unexploded ordinance).

FROM USA: BOMB

It would be hard to miss the military history of this area. Every guesthouse and restaurant in town has a display of military artifacts: bomb casings from the infamous cluster bombs, hand grenades, land mines, anti-aircraft guns, helmets, and so on.

My guide at the Plain of Jars would continually apologize to me as he pointed out craters and blasted out caves with signs that said "American Bomb Craters 1960-1970."

I think, HE'S sorry. I'm sorry. It blows me away (ha-ha, no pun intended) that the Laos seem to love Americans. They talk about wanting to visit, telling me about friends who live there, and they wear US Army hats, and smile when they talk about the rain of bombs that brutalized their northern regions.

Feeling the burden of guilt, I go into MAG headquarters and read about ongoing efforts to make Lao safe by disposing of UXO. I donate a few bucks and wish I could rewind and watch those bombs rise up out of the soil into the aircraft, back to the base, all the way to the point before they were invented. Does anyone know if we continue to use cluster bombs?