In Laos

It's been a trek to get into Laos as we didn't fully plan out our trip in. We had a hard time because we tried to book our flights too late. Not to mention the fact that we've ridden on every form of transport from planes, trains, boats, automobiles and motorcycles...it's all exhausting. We were fortunate enough to connect with Aunty Betsy in Chiang Mai who was pivotal in guiding our way into Laos. We left Chiang Mai heading west to east on a long 12 hour overnight bus route to Udon Thani transferred to another bus to Nong Khai and finally found our way across the Friendship Bridge into Vientiane. It was a long, long, trip...inexpensive but time consuming. We finally were relieved to be in Vientiane thanks to Uncle Sombee, a relative of Aunt Betsy.

We connected with Legacies of War and have been on the meeting trail...with different organizations for this trip. We are also doing a blog on the www.legaciesofwar.org Lao trip as well. Vientiane has dramatically changed in the past few years...lots of development and a major contrast of old and new. You can see it very clearly at the Dalat Sao (Morning Market) where there are vendors in the buildings of old as well as the new Malaysian funded air conditioned mall built as an extension of the market. Selling and buying of goods is still the same just the new materials like computers and cell phones mixed with fruits and vegetables. Development holds a double edge sword as we see the colliding of the new and the old. It been the biggest issue for us as we visit different organizations and speak about the work that we do. You've got major poverty with a push to progress...how does a country that has been slow to change do so...so drastically. We will find out in the next few years.