Laos is a few degrees north of Awesome

Laos is breathtakingly beautiful. Most of it is mountainous, and right now, during the rainy season, everything is lush and green. I took this picture not too long after crossing the Vietnam-Laos border:


Beautiful, isn't it? Right then, I knew I was going to like Laos. The capital, Vientiene, has a small-town feel -- people are friendly, nobody has tried to rip me off (yet), and walking across the street isn't ludicrously dangerous. Check this out:


That's right, folks. It's a pedestrian crosswalk with an accompanying traffic signal. And even more impressively, the drivers in Laos -- although they can be a bit absentminded -- actually obey the signals, more or less.

If I had to live in Indochina, I might choose Laos.

btj

PS. If you get the chance, try Lao's national dish. It's called "laap," and consists of mincemeat mixed with fresh mint, lime, cilantro, chili, other herbs, and fish sauce, and you eat it with glutinous sticky rice. Mmm.