We’ve been off the grid for the last few days, riding the Khammuan loop around Khammuan province, central Laos.
And I’m coming to the conclusion that Laos, especially during the rainy season, is one of the most consistently beautiful countries on this earth.
There are gothic pinnacles of blackened karst. Reflecting pools below scalloped limestone caves, their folds concealing hundreds of Buddhas hidden from the invading Thais and forgotten for almost two centuries.
The rainy season means Laos is full of life. Half the countryside turns out to fish with four pronged nets in the new pools, hunting catch that’s escaped the confines of the paddy fields to breed. Silvery fish flirt around the rotting roots of the ghostly conifers that dams have killed.
At the village of Tha Bak, local ingenuity made boats from the leavings of the American planes that dropped more tonnes of explosive on this tiny nation than every combatant dropped in all of World War II. They loiter, like slim silver sharks, on the swollen river.
And, even in the rainy season clouds, children herd buffalo along the roads. The sticky rice that keeps the country running shines luminescent green, beside farmers’ huts, their shape, like so much else in rural Laos, unchanged for many centuries.
And all this before we explore the underground river.
I’m participating in Photo Friday, over at Delicious Baby. Head over there for more pictures from around the world.
22 Comments
Love these photos, Theodora! And your words– such a poetic compliment to the pictures. Gorgeous stuff!
Phil recently posted..Sound Memories
Thanks, Phil! I’m trying to get better at pictures… (Plus I wasn’t sure the world REALLY needed another bad roads on a motorbike saga…)
I love these pictures– they are so serene. My favorte is the last one.
Preparing for Takeoff recently posted..Soccer at the Allianz Arena
Thanks. Laos is incredibly serene, very tranquil place. I’d highly recommend you visit.
incredibly beautiful – WOW!! and it looks so calm and peaceful, in these photos.
wandering educators recently posted..Reading About Nova Scotia and Campobello
It is incredibly zen. I think it’s down to the fusion of Buddhism, animism and communism in a rural lifestyle…
I never thought before about the connection between rainy season and the area being full of life. Your photos are beautiful!
Lisa recently posted..Swimming with Sea Lions at Coral World
Yes, people so often focus on the negatives of the rainy season — and it can actually be quite a stunning time to visit.
That’s someplace I never thought of visiting. Maybe I’ll have to change my mind.
Sonja Key recently posted..Discount Euro Airlines
I would recommend it. Incredibly beautiful, largely unspoilt and very cost-effective.
I am heading there in 4 days! Will you still be there then?
Raymond @ Man On The Lam recently posted..The Sounds of Vietnam
Possibly. We’re currently in Vientiane. Our plan is to fly out to Kunming on Monday am — more likely Tuesday now — once I’ve got shot of the work I have on at the moment and am in the zone to leap headlong into flats, language learning and a BIG new country. Where are you coming into Laos, and when exactly?……
The pictures and descriptions are perfect. Not sure you could get any better. They are just too gorgeous. This is definitely a different look than another backroads tour off the back of a scooter. Thanks so much for sharing another part of your amazing journey.
Thank you! We had a lot of stops along the way, so could actually take photos, rather than just glissading down mud roads.
Looks gorgeous! Can’t wait to get there in a few months!
Lauren recently posted..Two Months of Travel – Summary and Statistics
Wait until you see the underground river! AMAZING. Posting that next Friday…
This looks absolutely stunning! I think I’ll have to put this on my dream trip list.
Terumi recently posted..McCormick Stillman Railroad Park (Phoenix, AZ)
Laos is quite dazzlingly beautiful. The city of Luang Prabang, in the north, is a welter of ancient golden temples. The highlands are stunning. I highly recommend you do it. Also, once you have the flight, it is insanely cheap to get around and stay.
Love the scenes. Number two is my favourite.
Natalie recently posted..Venosa Beach Resort and Spa
Thanks, Natalie!
Gorgeous shots- love the second one too!
Thanks, Jade!