Tall Trees
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The ’s’ in Laos, like the Statue of Liberty and deep fried potato chunks, is another example of French opulence leading to unnecessary things. Let’s ignore it, shall we?
I have never seen old-growth forest in Asia. In China and Vietnam, rows of environmentally-friendly reforested trees marched up hillsides in perfect lines. Surely jungle areas creep and crawl with all sorts of growth, but huge trees one sees not.
In Western Laos trees of unprecedented height and girth spring up dozens of feet above the canopy. At their base they prove too wide for even two tall women to encircle in their arms. The trees ooze up rock faces, forcing nubbies of stump and bark into every nook and cranny, searching for purchase. They provide shade for whole seconds, even when biking past at high speed. Thank God the French were averse to logging this far inland. Hopefully the Lao government takes the “Preservation Area” signs seriously. In other areas clear cuts and slash and burn areas are apparent.
Big trees and cut trees. Courtesy of Pete.
The people of Laos seem as honest as their trees are tall. I constantly confuse 20000s and 50000s with 2000s and 5000s. I always seem to get the correct change, though.
In the heat of midday, we bike in our own sweat, while villagers sit in the shade provided by their porches. Thatch huts raised on stilts always have significant porch space. Villagers lounging on the porches casually waft a “Sa-bai-dee” towards us. Sometimes they shake their heads and laugh afterwards. I taste the sweat dripping off my mustache, examine the ample shade provided by the big trees, realize I my idea of destinations is itself excessive opulence. I join the villagers in their laughs.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:51 am
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Hi Jim,
The scenery from Laos looks beautiful!
We are hungry for a fresh vegetable meal after reading your last blog!
Hope you are able to find ice cream for dessert..
It is -20 degrees here, so sweating on a bike ride sounds good!
Take care
Jo and Dean
January 25th, 2008 at 1:04 am
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Hey Jimmy, the words are interesting - keep up the visual images you create…. glad to hear there is no clear cutting inland. Thanks for sharing about the trees - list the animals that live in them… any good birds spiraling around???? love - your mamma
April 4th, 2011 at 9:12 am
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Hi Jim,
Just wanted to make a quick comment as i`ve just returned from a trip around Laos i dont know if you`ve been back since you wrote this blog post but things are really changing there. The cost has gone up so much in the last 2/3 years the tourism sector is really growing which is great for the Laos people and the traders at Luang Prabang’s night market they are really cashing in on the new found tourism boom.
Anyway just wanted to post something on a blog about my fav country.
Thanks James
April 18th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
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After reading the stories on your blog, I am so interested to go to Asia and visited several countries such as Laos. I’ve heard that countries in Asia have beautiful scenery such as mountains, fields, the air is still fresh and completely natural. My first destination is to village. I can not wait anymore, this would be my experience that amazing.
April 20th, 2011 at 11:10 am
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This looks really attractive to me too. I’m glad to hear that tourism is growing and that the people are benefiting from it. Perhaps one day…
May 16th, 2011 at 2:37 am
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Laos is a very attractive place. Like its neighboring country, Thailand, it too have a lot of rich culture and places worth visiting.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:58 am
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Making me laugh and be nutty everyday…
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