With most travel being cancelled for 2020, I took some time to look through some of my photos from past trips. It’s a great way to reminiscence on places and people, and perhaps find some insight which I missed out because I was busy catching up with work after a trip.
Laos is like a diamond in the rough. As the most under developed country in South East Asia, you don’t find that many tourists compared to the more popular destinations like Bali or Bangkok. Which in my view is also a good thing, since it doesn’t suffer so much from the negative effects of over tourism. Looking through photos from my visit to Laos last year, I saw a recurring theme in these portraits where the relationship between pairs of people and animals is explored.
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Luang Prabang is the former capital of Laos but functions as the cultural and religious capital, and is the main draw for tourists. You will find a temple every block or so in the city. Monks make their way from home to the temples in the morning and their saffron robes provide a stark contrast to the dull streets. Here, a pair of monks walk down the street to their temple with an umbrella to protect from the heat of the midday Sun.
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Many of the monks live within the temple compound and can be seen performing their daily chores when they are not studying or meditating. I passed by this temple in the evening and saw a pair of monks carrying a basket of fallen leaves which they have swept from the front entrance of the temple.
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A pair of sisters playing on the steps of a village temple. It’s a wonder that children here can find joy in simple games other than smartphones and television.
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I came across this pair of kittens that were lovingly entwined while sleeping on the front porch of a village house.
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A pair of brothers who were very curious about my camera and the huge 100-400mm lens on it. They were shy at first but warmed up after I showed them this photo on my camera’s LCD screen and wanted more photos.
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A pair of siblings playing on a swing as they enjoyed the coolness from the nearby waterfall. We have the big brother giving his little sister a push on the swing.
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One of the more adventurous things to do in Laos is to take an overnight cruise along the Mekong River. Passing by one of the many villages along the river bank, I spotted this pair of boys watching our boat sail by. I wonder if they are brothers or just friends. The contrast of one of them being a monk and the other a farmer is quite jarring.
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The overnight Mekong River cruise stops for the night at a village called Pak Beng. This pair of elephants come from an elephant sanctuary across the river where they exercise and wash themselves every morning together with their trainers.
It’s not hard to fall in love with Laos because of the friendliness of the people and the laid back lifestyle. For those of you who are interested in exploring Laos in the future, here are a couple of my past blogs: Luang Prabang, Mekong River cruise.
