Lao-Lao is the name of the local hooch in Laos. It’s a rice whiskey that nearly everyone drinks. I tried a shot of this from a vendor who also had lao-lao with scorpions and other such creatures. This stuff is strong! I felt it, and I’m not a lightweight. The cobras were once thought to give …
Author Archives: Jason
A Visit to Vientiane
Despite being in Southeast Asia several times, and basically living here for over six months, I never made it to Laos. I visited all of the surrounding countries, yet always failed to get inland to Laos. I finally made it to Laos. I needed to renew my visa for Thailand. I get a 30 day …
Weekly Photo: Kuang Si Falls
The Kuang Si Falls just outside Luang Prabang in Laos are really beautiful, even during the dry season when I went. The falls cascade down through the hills leaving small pools behind, created by the calcium in the water (that also gives the water a bright blue color). You might expect the water to be …
Getting a Thai Visa in Laos
Update, 20 November 2013: The process was exactly the same as it has been that last couple times I did this. Though, this time around, I was asked questions about why I wanted double entry, what I was doing in Thailand, why I wanted to stay in Thailand so long, why I stayed so long …
Weekly Photo: Prayer Flags on the Mekong
April in Laos is one of the hottest times to of the year. It’s just before the rainy season and the temperatures get well into the 100s F, exposing large sandbars on dry the Mekong River. For Buddhist New Year in early August, Buddhists build symbolic representations of Mt. Meru, the center of the Buddhist …
Inthein, Inle Lake: Nyaung Ohak & She Inn Thein Paya
Nyaung Ohak was one of my favorite places to visit around Inle Lake in Burma. A typical visit to Inle Lake involves a day or two visiting the villages around the lake and the floating market. Nearly all of the sights around the lake are treated as fairly equal by the Burmese, though that is …
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Weekly Photo: Burmese Monk at Shwedagon Pagoda
The Burmese love their psychedelic colors and lights around their Buddha statues. When I saw this monk just sitting in front of this huge statue with all this blue light surrounding him, I had to take the photo. He was nice enough to indulge me.
Lake Inle, Burma: Pagodas, Floating Markets & Jumping Cats
Lake Inle is not that large of a lake, though it certainly feels like it. Most people live very close to the lake and make their living from it. They fertilize their fields with the nutrient rich black mud they pull up from the bottom and they use the floating plants they gather to create …
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Wandering Backwards: What Really Happened in Bagan
I went out for drink the other night with my friend and we started chatting about Burma, specifically my time in Bagan. I spent most of my time in Bagan while I was in Burma so a lot more happened than just visiting some temples like I wrote in my post. I was telling him …
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Weekly Photo: Taung Kalat, Mount Popa, Burma
Tuang Kalat (“Pedestal Hill”) is often referred to a Mount Popa, but it’s actually a volcanic “plug” near Mount Popa. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat and it’s 777 steps to the top. Throughout the entire, steep climb you have to fend off monkeys, vendors, and “donation” requests from people …
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