Leaving Luang Prabang
Cute Kiewkacham Kids
So after basically a solid week of awful weather it was time to leave Luang Prabang. There was actually one day that was perfect from dawn ‘til dusk, and I made great use of it by shooting most of the day at Wat Xieng Thong, which is arguably the most beautiful temple in Laos. On my final night there I met two other photographers, a guy named Branden who I met on top of Phou Si hill at sunset, and another guy, Paul, who’s living and selling photos in Luang Prabang. We hung out and talked cameras and photos for quite a while, but before too long it was time to head back to my room and get some sleep before the long ride back to Vang Vieng in the morning.
Highway to Luang Prabang
The view from Phoxai village, Vang Vieng District
Photography in Laos is not easy, I’ve been averaging about two photos a day which I can use, and for those of you that don’t know, that’s definitely not enough. But I think I’m figuring out how to work here… more on that towards the end of the post.
Yesterday I tried to rent a motorbike in Vang Vieng. I wanted a real Honda, not some Chinese piece of junk. I asked a guy if I could rent one for 10 days, and he got very suspicious. “Where are you going to go?” he asked. “Kasi”, I replied, which isn’t all true. Kasi is only 56 kilometers from Vang Vieng. Yeah, I was going to go through Kasi… but I was going to keep driving another 150 kilometers or so through the mountains to Luang Prabang. He said Kasi was too far, then became very aloof and stopped looking at me, which is the Lao way of saying no. Being the bastard that I am, I stood and stared at him and basically forced him to actually tell me no. Which he did. I asked another guy, went through the same questions, and was told a ridiculously high price for the bike. So, what should I do now?
Houses and Detours
My House in Vientiane
Well, it’s been about a week or so since I posted, so it’s time for another. Overdue, actually, but internet access is a pain in the ass here, so… bear with me.
I know the photo I started this entry with is less than exciting, but a few people have asked to see my new house, so… there it is. I signed my contract 12 days ago, and moved into the apartment unit next door while I waited for them to finish fixing up the house for me. I was assured that it would be ready in 2 or 3 days, and 12 days later it’s finally ready! Now, this is Laos, so I wasn’t expecting it to be ready on time. But my patience was starting to wear thin. I wouldn’t have even been getting too concerned yet, except for the fact that tomorrow I’m taking off for Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang in the early morning, and won’t be back until the day before Hans, my friend, will be arriving and moving in with me. I’m not positive, but my gut feeling tells me that Hans wouldn’t be too happy if he arrived and I told him that we would be sharing a bed until the house was ready. In fact, I’d be a hell of a lot more concerned if he wasn’t upset about that.