Laos flag

For a month we were in the “Country of slowness”, Laos is often referred to as, on the way. Our conclusion: Laos is still very original and has a beautiful landscape with many different facets: dense jungle, high rocks, Great Falls, interesting Städte, French flair… One must have patience while traveling though, because the buses are often unpunctual, but it is definitely worth a visit.
The Mekong, der Laos auf 1800 km durchfließt, is the livelihood for many locals. We have seen the country extensively and have come into contact with many local. The Laotians are friendly, But we noticed often, that they are more reserved, unlike the Thais. The smile was often not reciprocated, and we were instead only looked skeptical. This we saw in both urban and rural, where there are few tourists.
The food in Laos has not become one of our favorites, wir waren wahrscheinlich schon zu verwöhnt von der guten thailändischen Küche 😉 Oft fehlte es uns die spezielle “Wort”.

And here are a couple of quirks and facts about Laos and the Lao:

  • The men also have long fingernails. Often they can only grow a fingernail or even all. Probably this is a fad.
  • Most locals always wear long clothes (Slacks, long sweater or jacket) - But this is common in Asia as common, to protect yourself from the sun
  • The Laotians have the rest away, and are not necessarily the most reliable, z.B. they have in the restaurant often simply forget our food or even forget to take our order.
  • There is almost always online, but the connection is usually pretty bad
  • The national dish is “Laap”, a salad of marinated meat or fish and vegetables, Herbs and spices. Meat and fish can be cooked or raw like.
  • Laos holds a dismal record: it is the most bombed country. 1,9 Mio Tonnen Bomben wurden während des Vietnamkrieges von Amerika über Laos abgeworfen. Even today, many people are still killed or injured by unexploded ordnance.

Now it will take time but farewell to Laos. We look forward to the next adventure: Cambodia we come!