My Summer in Thailand and Laos

I have just returned from my summer vacation. I was lucky enough to be able to spend 3 weeks in Thailand and Laos. My girlfriend is also a teacher but because she is Japanese she has to work most of the summer vacation. She could only take a 4 day break to Osaka. It was the first time I have visited south-east Asia. I started and finished in Bangkok and went in big circle around Northern Thailand and Laos.
I flew into Bangkok and spent a day sightseeing there. There are many interesting landmarks and cultural attractions, not least the worlds biggest reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf. However I didn't take to the city very much. Crowded, polluted, busy, full of packs of stray dogs and tuk-tuk (a kind of taxi) drivers giving tourists the hard sell. Perhaps Bangkok's charms take more than a day to reveal itself but I'm in no hurry to visit again. The next day I took a train to Nong Khai, on the border with Laos. I travelled 3rd class to experience like the locals do. I can't say the train was clean or comfortable but the journey was nice. The landscape changed dramatically along the way and the other passengers treated me with curiosity. A vendor tried to sell me roasted chicken on a stick but I declined (you have to be very careful about what you eat to avoid the worst food bugs). 14 hours later I was in Nong Khai. It is a very nice, sleepy little border town on the banks of the Mekong river. It has a famous Buddha statue park which was full of curious statues (snakes and elephants featured heavily). I took a 1 hour dinner cruise along the Mekong river around sunset. It was most relaxing and a beautiful view. 3 day slowboat tours down the Mekong river are very popular but I can't see what another 71 hours would add to the experience other than tedium.
The next day I crossed the Mekong river and entered the People's Democratic Republic of Laos; my first taste of communism. Getting in was straightforward and then I took a large tuk-tuk for the 20km journey to the capital Vietienne. At first I was the only passenger but the driver kept picking up more passengers and by the time I had arrived there were twelve people , mostly traders carrying their wares, in the rather modest sized tuk-tuk. Anyway, for 1 dollar it was good value. I checked into a hotel and proceeded to see the sights of Vietienne. The golden temple called Pha That Luang is the most famous landmark in Laos and significant historical building. It was very impressive. Elsewhere, Vietienne is quite bizarre. The French colonialist left a significant mark. I accidentally ordered raw steak at a French restaurant but I ate it. I was quite nice and to my relief got no food poisoning from it. Around the city there are a mix of French colonial buildings in various states of disrepair, golden and orange temples and communist monuments. Some of Vietienne is what I imagine a less scary North Korea would be like. I went to the Lao Peoples Army museum. Seemingly the only visitor they had all day I saw displays about the communist revolution and victory as seen through the prism of their own ideology (lots of America bashing needless to say). Vietienne is the only place in Laos where communism (or much evidence of any functioning government) is very visible. Mind you, its a quite laid back and incompetent communism rather than scary, North Korean style communism.
I took a bus (along with several chickens and some motorbikes strapped on the roof) to Vang Vien, further north in Laos. It has spectacular scenery with mountains, cliffs, jungles, rivers all in the same place. It has become famous for tubing recently but I eschewed that rather strange 'sport' and went kayaking instead. I had a great time kayaking; we stopped along the way to see some caves. I overcame my fears to dive underwater to enter a pitch black cave (the water was very high that day usually you can just wade in). Much more rewarding than floating aimlessly down a river in an inflatable tube unable to steer I think.
My next destination was Luang Prabang further north. The bus I took to get there broke down and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere for a few hours whilst they scrambled a replacement. In Luang Prabang I saw the very impressive Kuang Si waterfalls. I also went elephant riding. It is a tourist cliche but it was very fun. I researched to check the tour company treated the elephants well. The elephant I rode was saved from a life of logging and was well looked after. I even got to sit of the elephants neck and steer the big animal like their driver or 'Mahoot' does for a few minutes. Luang Prabang is a very picturesque town, full of temples and monks on the banks of the Mekong river. Torrential rain for several days didn't spoil my trip but led to several power black outs and the Mekong bursting it's banks and flooding some main streets.
My next destination was Phonsavon. I went their to see the mysterious Plain of Jars. Phonsavon was heavily bombed during the "Secret War" by the USA. As a result Laos is now the most heavily bombed place on earth and Phonsavon is the most heavily bombed part of Laos. Despite the fact that the war ended over 30 years ago, bomb removal on started this decade and unexploded bombs kill or injure thousands of Lao every year. The main street and the Plain of Jars have been cleared but almost nowhere else has. Having found this out I donated some money to a bomb clearance charity working in Phonsavon. Anyway, the Plain of Jars were an intriguing site. These various stone jars can't be aged so no-one is sure who put them there or why. The most likely explanation is they are funeral urns but local legends say they are giants drinking vessels.
I returned to Luang Prabang and a couple of days later took a one hour flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand (the alternative was a 2 day bus trip). Chiang Mai was noticeably richer and more developed. Only after I left Laos did it strike me how poor and undeveloped a country it is. As far as I could tell most Lao people have no access to decent healthcare, electricity or clean water. A lot of school age children were doing nothing or working in rich fields or worse selling things to tourists. The roads were terrible and there are no trains in Laos. If Laos had the transport network on Japan I could have saved at least 4 days travel time. Anyway, in spite of its poverty I had a wonderful time in Laos and recommend it to you.
Back in Chiang Mai, my holiday was in it's last week and winding down. I learned Thai cooking amongst other things and Team GB's success at the Olympics caught my attention. I would like to see more of Thailand and want to visit the region again. I had a wonderful trip and feel very lucky to have the time to do it.