I’m back home.

I’m back home.

After visiting Laos and KL, I’m glad to be home.

Laos OCIP was indeed an eye opener. Our main activities occured in Luang Prabang, where we stayed in a guesthouse called MuongLao, and visited the Kuang Xi Waterfall, and also the Phousi Mountain (where I lost my hoodie!) The town is really QUAINT. I love it to bits although I’d say its a tad bit too tourist-y. Alot of the restaurants there are opened by and for tourists, with few good local restaurants.

MuongLao guesthouse was good and had good facilities except that the decor isnt as nice as it looks in the pictures. But it is a good guesthouse to stay in and its location isnt too far from the city centre. There are a few good pubs and bars in the vicinity for a good night out.

The night market in Luang Prabang was just fascinating. Its amazing how so many people can gather in one street and sell similar if not identical items. It’s what I’d call ‘mass-rip-off-of-willing-tourists’. And I declare that I was one of them. It was just amazing to soak in the atmosphere and buy gifts from the night market.

Laos itself is rather backward. The schools that we went to help still use blackboards, chalk, 5 children to a big wooden table, wooden chairs and their field is a big sandy compound. Really really sandy and dustry. I had the privilege of interacting with children in the schools, and I believe the whole Laos team would say that that morning at the school was the most enjoyable moment of the trip. We had tug-of-war sessions, volleyball games, the traditional game of eagle-catch-lil-chicks, and of course a good game of soccer between the big and small boys.

There’s just so much more to write and say. Some pictures might do good. Look out for next post.