November 13: Departure early morning from Montreal to Singapore via Detroit and Tokyo by Northwest airlines. Special fare (1040 can$ return including taxes). Simple but good service. Quite old planes. Very good timing for connections.
MRT
I Bought a ticket to Nong Khai (North east of Thailand) by the 20:45 train. Afternoon: relaxing in Bangkok, walking around, eating my favorite dish: pork legs, bought SIM mobile telephone card, re-connecting with some friends.
With rice and garlic....yummy pork legs
Night of November 15: 13 hours in sleeping train (15 can$) from Bangkok to Nong Khai. 
Thai train. Bangkok-Nong khai
Thai sleeping train. Bangkok-Nong khai
November 16: Arrival to Nong Khai, breakfast in front of the train station. At least my 8th breakfast there. The waiter remembered that I don’t like mayonnaise in my omelette sandwich.
Nong Khai railway station and the typical Thai Tuk tuk.
By tuk tuk (75 cents) to the Thai border and bus (30 cents) crossing the friendship bridge to Laos. Visa on arrival. Surprise: The cost of the visa for Canadian is 42 US$ for one month stay instead of 30 for 14 days. For Chinese: 20, for American 35 and Indian 40 !!. Canadian are the richest hehe. After paying another entrance fee of 30 cents I am in Laos. By Tuk Tuk to Vientiane 24 km for 7.5 can$
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, built in the 1990s,
Car disinfection prior arrival to Laos
November 16-22: Vientiane. Since it’s my 8th visit to Laos, spent relaxed week in Vientiane. Staying in the same hotel close to Mekong river (20 can$/night).
Vientiane is relatively small city but with nice places, small bistrots, restaurants…very nice quiet people. While making my visa to Vietnam (50 us$ 3 working days) walking around, visiting friends, enjoying sunsets on the Mekong, eating papaya salad, rib pork, Chicken BBQ, sticky rice and off course with Beer Lao . Very popular also in Laos are the very hot herbal saunas (steam bath, for one Canadian dollar). Lao disco with Thai and Lao music and disco rythms are also very lively.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientiane
Vientiane (Viangchan) is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong Valley. The estimated population of the city is 200,000 while the number of people living in the Vientiane metropolitan area (the entire Vientiane Prefecture and parts of Vientiane Province) is believed to be over 730,000. Vientiane is located at 17°58' North, 102°36' East
The great Laotian epic, the Phra Lak Phra Lam, claims that Prince Thattaradtha founded the city when he left the legendary Lao kingdom of Muong Inthapatha Maha Nakhone because he was denied the throne in favor of his younger brother. Thattaradtha originally founded a city called Maha Thani Si Phan Phao on the western banks of the Mekong River; this city was told to have later become today's Udon Thani, Thailand. One day, a seven-headed Naga told Thattaradtha to start a new city on the eastern bank of the river opposite Maha Thani Si Phan Phao. The prince called this city Chanthabuly Si Sattanakhanahud; which was told to be the predecessor of modern Vientiane.
Contrary to the Phra Lak Phra Lam, most historians believe Vientiane was an early Khmer settlement centered around a Hindu temple, which the Pha That Luang would later replace. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the time when the Lao and Thai people are believed to have entered Southeast Asia from Southern China, the few remaining Khmers in the area were either killed, removed, or assimilated into the Lao civilization, which would soon overtake the area.
In 1354, when Fa Ngum founded the kingdom of Lan Xang (One thousand elephant), Vientiane became an important administrative city, even though it was not made the capital. King Setthathirath officially established it as the capital of Lan Xang in 1560. When Lan Xang fell apart in 1707, it became an independent kingdom. In 1779, it was conquered by the Siamese general Phraya Chakri and made a vassal of Siam.
When King Anouvong raised an unsuccessful rebellion, it was obliterated by Siamese armies in 1827. It eventually passed to French rule in 1893. It became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos in 1899.
The name of the city is derived from Pāli, the literary language of Theravada Buddhism, and its original meaning was "The king's grove of sandalwood", this tree being prized for its fragrance in classical India. It is also believed that the original name of Vientiane (Viangchan) means "City of the Moon" in the native Lao language. Modern Lao pronunciation and orthography do not clearly reflect the Pali etymology. The romanized spelling "Vientiane" is of French origin, and reflects the difficulty the French had in pronouncing the hard "ch" syllable of the Lao word; a common English-based spelling is "Viangchan", or occasionally "Wiangchan".
Therafter some scenes of Vientiane.
Lan Xang avenue.
In a cultural village, close to the friendship bridge. Reconstitution of the different cultures in Laos.
Breakfast time....
The following section is not related to the present trip and complement informations on different other Laos regions
In Vang Vien.
Located between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Vang Vien village is a peaceful stop that makes a traveller discovering another face of Laos. In spite of a borning tourism and all the substructures that go with it, the place still keeps a great charm and remains quite authentic. This charming village is situated at the heart of a flat valley, circled by abrupt mountains raising from nowhere. The surroundings quickly takes a visitor into an incredible natural dream. Passing the fields covering a flat plain and sinuous tracks in a deep jungle, an adventurous traveller will have the occasion to visit one of the numerous caves that make all the great reputation of the place. The substructures to explorate those caves are more than basic and the discovery is closer to archeology rather than an easy experience.
Sunset activities in Vang Vien
After Vang Vien. On the way to Luang Prabang
.
Local people in villages.
Royal palace complex in Luang Prabang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 22,000.
The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is also notable as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Contents Muang Sua was the old name of Luang Prabang following its conquest in 698 A.D. by a Tai prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when Nan-chao was engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, who is associated with the Lao legend of the creation of the world, which the Lao share with the Shan and other peoples of the region. Khun Lo established a dynasty whose fifteen rulers reigned over an independent Muang Sua for the better part of a century.
In the second half of the 8th century, Nan-chao intervened frequently in the affairs of the principalities of the middle Mekong Valley, resulting in the occupation of Muang Sua in 709. Nan-chao princes or administrators replaced the aristocracy of Tai overlords. Dates of the occupation are not known, but it probably ended well before the northward expansion of the Khmer empire under Indravarman I (r. 877-89) and extended as far as the territories of Sipsong Panna on the upper Mekong.
In the meantime, the Khmers founded an outpost at Xay Fong near Vientiane, and Champa expanded again in southern Laos, maintaining its presence on the banks of the Mekong until 1070. Chanthaphanit, the local ruler of Xay Fong, moved north to Muang Sua and was accepted peacefully as ruler after the departure of the Nan-chao administrators. Chanthaphanit and his son had long reigns, during which the town became known by the Tai name Xieng Dong Xieng Thong. The dynasty eventually became involved in the squabbles of a number of principalities. Khun Chuang, a warlike ruler who may have been a Kammu (alternate spellings include Khamu and Khmu) tribesman, extended his territory as a result of the warring of these principalities and probably ruled from 1128 to 1169. Under Khun Chuang, a single family ruled over a far-flung territory and reinstituted the Siamese administrative system of the 7th century. At some point, Theravada Buddhism was subsumed by Mahayana Buddhism.
Xieng Dong Xieng Thong experienced a brief period of Khmer suzerainty under Jayavarman VII from 1185 to 1191. By 1180 the Sipsong Panna had regained their independence from the Khmers, however, and in 1238 an internal uprising in the Khmer outpost of Sukhothai expelled the Khmer overlords.
Xieng Dong Xieng Thong in 1353 became the capital of Lan Xang. The capital was moved in 1560 by King Setthathirath I to Vien Chang, which remains the capital today.
In 1707, Lan Xang fell apart and Luang Prabang became the capital of the independent Luang Prabang kingdom. When France annexed Laos, the French recognized Luang Prabang as the royal residence of Laos. Eventually, the ruler of Luang Prabang bacame synonymous with the figurehead of the French Protectorate of Laos. When Laos achieved independence, the king of Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state for the Kingdom of Laos.
Nice french-style old houses in Luang Prabang
In Luang Prabang
Early morning in Luang Prabang.
On the Mekong river from Luang Prabang. You can go to Thailand (Chiang Khong ) on a slow boat. 2 days trip, 12 hours each day, night in half way in a small village on the Mekong. On the way very close to Luang Prabang you can stop at Pak Ou caves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Ou_Caves
Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are not too far from Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours upstream from the center of Luang Prabang, and have recently became more well known and frequented by tourists. The caves are noted for their impressive Buddhist and Lao style sculptures carved into the cave walls, and hundreds of discarded Buddhist figures laid out over the floors and wall shelves. They were put there as their owners did not wish to destroy them, so a difficult journey is made to the caves to place their unwanted statue there.
Plain of jars in the North of Laos
The Plain of Jars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_of_Jars is a large group of historic cultural sites in Laos containing thousands of stone jars, which lie scattered throughout the Xieng Khouang plain in the Laotian Highlands at the northern end of the Annamese Cordillera, the principal mountain range of Indochina. In the context of the Vietnam War and the Secret War, the Plain of Jars typically refers to the entire Xieng Khouang plain rather than the cultural sites themselves.
Archaeologists believe that the jars were used 1,500–2,000 years ago, by an ancient Mon-Khmer race whose culture is now totally unknown. Most of the excavated material has been dated to around 500 BC–800 AD. Anthropologists and archeologists have theorized that the jars may have been used as funeral urns or perhaps storage for food.
Lao stories and legends claim that there was a race of giants who once inhabited the area. Local legend tells of an ancient king called Khun Cheung, who fought a long, victorious battle against his enemy. He supposedly created the jars to brew and store huge amounts of lao lao rice wine to celebrate his victory.
The first westerner to survey, study and catalogue the Plain of Jars was a French archaeologist, Madeleine Colani of the École française d'Extrême Orient in the 1930s. She excavated the area of jars with her team and found a nearby cave with human remains, including burned bones and ash. Her work is still the most comprehensive although there have been other excavations.
An American bomb damaged the cave during the Vietnam War, when the Pathet Lao used it as a stronghold — the surrounding area still has trench systems and bomb craters. The land is littered with metal shrapnel. The town of Xieng Khouang was utterly destroyed during the fighting between the Pathet Lao and American backed anti-communist troops. A new town was built in the mid 1970s, known to foreigners as Phonsavan.
There are total of more than 400 sites across the whole Plain of Jars that centers on the area of Xieng Khouang. They range from Khorat Plateau in Thailand in the south, through Laos and to North Cachar Hills in northern India. Archaeologists have found more similar burials in India. The jars appear to be laid in a linear path that was probably a trade route.
The jars are made of sedimentary rock, usually sandstone, but also granite, conglomerate or calcified coral. They are angular or round and some have disks that could be lids. They can weigh up to 14 short tons (13 metric tons) and range from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 meters) in height,
The jars lay in clusters. The largest one near the town of Phonsavan, known as Site 1, contains over 250 jars of varying sizes. The jars now lie amidst thousands of unexploded bombs left behind by the Secret War in Laos in the 1960s. The large quantity of UXOs (unexploded ordnances) in the area means that only Sites 1, 2 and 3 are open to visitors—the others are considered too dangerous.
The bones, beads, bronze and iron tools and other artifacts that Colani discovered led her to believe that the jars were funerary urns. They have all since been dispersed, many to France. Her archaeological accounts have been published in the form of two large volumes, The Megaliths of Upper Laos. They still remain the primary source of the area.
Although the jars are the best-known and most visible aspect of the plains, researchers there have also discovered and photographed stone carvings. These include very tall, thin slabs of stone. The method used to create the thin slabs of stone without fracturing them is unknown.
Madeleine Colani speculated that the plains of jars connected a caravan route from northern India, for which there is much evidence.
Colani also found a natural double chimneyed cave at the site of the largest jar field, with evidence of smoke accumulation by the chimneys, similar to a primitive kiln. She believed that it was a crematorium and speculated that the jars were used to deposit cremated human remains. Later excavations have found more human remains and also unburned bones.
Because the found bodies have been dated to various periods, it is possible that the place had been used as a burial ground also in later periods, using the contemporary customs.
This theory is the most popular, although there are various other theories.
Some refer to local tradition that states that the jars were molded, by using natural materials such as clay, sand, sugar, and animal products in a type of stone mix. This leads some to believe the cave Colani found was actually a kiln, and that the huge jars were molded there and are not of imported stone. Considering that many jars are made of substances like granite, archaeologists do not accept this idea.
Another explanation for the jar's use is for collecting monsoon rainwater for the caravan travellers along their journey in a time where rain may have been only seasonal and water not readily available on the easiest foot traveled path. Rainwater could then be boiled, even if stagnant, to become potable again, a practice long understood in Eastern Eurasia. The trade caravans that were camping around these jars and could have placed beads inside jars as an offering, to accompany prayers for rain or they might simply have been lost items.
The Plain of Jars remains one of the most dangerous archaeological sites in the world. Unexploded bombs, the results of massive US bombardment during the Secret War, still cause injuries every week. Visitors can safely visit only three sites, designated Jar Sites 1, 2 and 3, and they should follow signs still warning of unexploded bombs. Many ignore them.
Archaeologically speaking the area is mixed with original artifacts, artifacts of the intervening eras - Buddhist statues, colonial items - and large amounts of scrap metal from the bombs.
The Laotian caretakers of the Plain of Jars are currently applying for status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO-Lao Plain of Jars Project surveys the area. Clearing of the UXO hazard will be necessary before many of the sites can be studied and turned into tourist attractions.
The Mines Advisory Group, a non-governmental organization, was hired to remove explosives in July 2004. As of July 2005, they have cleared most of the three aforementioned sites. They destroyed the week's cache of removed explosives every Friday. Their funding is at an end.
More recently, those from the Ministry of Information and Culture and from Australian universities, among others, have taken part in studies of the jars. One of them is a Belgian archaeologist, Julie Van Den Bergh, who as of September 2005 had worked there regularly for four years..
Heavy bombed area
Recuperation of american bombs by villagers.
Old Stupa in Xiangkhoang region.
Ancient city in Xiangkhoang.
Pakse,
The capital ofChampasak province is situated at the confluence of the Se river and the Mekong (Pakse means 'mouth of the Se') and is a busy trading town. Champasak (or Champasak, Lao ຈໍາປາສັກ)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champasak_Province is a province in the south-west Laos, at the boundary to Thailand and Cambodia. It is one of the three principalities that succeeded the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang. Population: 500,994 (2001 estimate). The river Mekong flows through the province. The capital of the province is Pakxe, but it takes its name from Champasak, the former capital of the Kingdom of Champasak.
The Khmer ruins of Wat Phu are located here. Champasak can be reached from Thailand through the Chong Mek border crossing, at Vang Tao, from where the highway leads east towards the city of Pakxe. Crossing the border at Chong Mek is relatively straightforward, as there are large border posts on both sides of the border, as well as large outdoor markets. It is possible to obtain a Lao visa from this border post, and Thai baht is freely accepted for purchases on the Lao side of the border.
In Pakse
Sunset in Pakse
the Khong Pha Peng waterfall, “the Niagara of the East“, close to the Cambodian border
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phu
Ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champassak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it
remains today.
On one of the "4000 islands" on the Mekong river in Champassak province
View from the hotel.Sun rise on Mekong, 4000 island region, Champassak province
While waiting the bus in morning, Champassak province
