laos

in the winter of '08-'09, i spend some time in Laos conducting research on rural development projects. i found the country to be welcoming. the southern part (vientiene) was budding with evidence of the west: sushi restaurants and java shops. the northern part (luang prabang) was well on its way to change: loads of heritage and monasteries decorated with evening markets and tourists.



i particularly liked the food: fresh fruits, greens, and local dishes like laarp, mango shakes, BBQ.