Laos Update - from Nov 1.

1 November 07
Phonsavan, Laos
Our hotel here, Phou Pha Deng, is a retreat from the world on top of a hill above the town. With the windows closed, the sounds of kids playing, tractors ferrying people, and the domesticated turkeys and ducks squacking still carry into our tiny cabin. We're about 50 yards from the main house where a gourmet french kitchen has been cranking out delicacies while we dine by fireplaces. Without TV or radio in the room, much less an ethernet port, it certainly qualifies as rustic, but it's certainly peaceful.
From craters to ancient stone jars, and French cuisine to Laos traditional noodle soup with chicken heads in to, this trip has run the gamut of experiences so far. Today we started off in the wet market of Phonsavan; the progeny of our Central Market at home, only this one has been running as-is for decades. It started innocuously enough with some baskets and baked goods. The veggie section seemed normal enough, but as we dove deeper into the market hall, we ran into the stranger sights and smells of the fish and meats. Fermenting fish paste was particularly salty and pungent as we walked by it, and vendors hawking fresh squirrel, bird, and rat had some fragrances to add to the mix. The pork and beef and water buffalo counters were benign of themselves, and pretty clean, I should add, although I didn't dally through the section. Dogs wandering through it seemed to be enjoying themselves just fine. I suspect they got a few scraps here and there, much like the dogs that frequented the roadside restaurants that we zipped by on the highway while getting here. Fresh noodles and veggies came together in another section of the market where impromptu kitchens would put together a bowl food on the wok in no time. Central Market Cafe has met its match.
After the market, we did some pure tourism, visiting 3 sites wifh the monolithic jars, and some ancient ruins in Muong Khoun. The paths to the sites were muddy and slippery, and while the jars are certainly interesting, the highlight of the visits was the panorama of the plain around the sites. The plain itself is surrounded by mountains, and the rolling golden fields of sticky rice and green trees under a low ceiling of clouds was impressive in its timelessness. Probably the fact that the route to the sites was punctuated by people walking or biking along the dirt road in their traditional dress and bamboo hats helped make it scene from an old wartime movie. The people may have cell phones and satellite TV, but in the grand scheme, time has stood still for how the people here make a living, caring for their families, growing and raising their food, and trading with one another here.