Sunday 23 March 2008

Homestay in Laos
Vientiane and Vang Vieng
6 - 22 March 2008

Spending a week homestaying at Jon`s house is the most memorable and meaningful trip i have ever had.

Kao kope, Lao sticky rice cracker.

Yeah, you are right! I was helping my friend`s parents making Lao sticky rice cracker, kao kope. It`s very easy to make kao kope.

First you need to get all the tools ready.


Above are step one, two and three. Then you need to soak up the kao kope in the sun for couples of hours. After frying, you need to pack four kao kope into one package. It costs roughly 15cents(US$). Yummy. Crispy. Good snacks for anytime and anywhere. Have a break, have a kao kope. =p

Kao kope frying.

After and before.


Photo with Jon`s mother and friends after finished packing kao kope.

Later, i moved to a village of Patoo, another friend of mine who i knew through my Thai`s friend and had fun together for half a day in Vientiane last year. I was invited to celebrated the village`s main festival, Phavet Buddhist Festival. There i was able to wear Lao`s costume and learnt a little of Lao culture.

Dinner at Patoo`s house.

With my friend`s relatives.

Phavet Buddhist Festival.

Of course i wouldnt miss out the chance travelling around the country. I went to Vang Vieng with Jon where the main attractions are the scenery, limestone hills and numerous caves and caverns.

Sunset, Saysong River, Vang Vieng.

My bungalow in front of a beautiful landscape.

Landscape of Saysong River.

I had only visited Buddha Park in Vientiane as i was shown around the city with my friend by Patoo last year. Basically i just hung out with both Jon and Patoo`s friends around the city.

Buddha Park, Vientiane.

Mekong Festival.

Lao food is very spicy! The boring night life made me so sick. They still dont have a proper system for karaoke yet. Traditional herbal sauna was great. Celebrated my early birthday in Vientiane with group of crazy buddies together with two dozens of beerlao.

My early birthday party in Laos.


Birthday gift from Toy.


Birthday boy gotta drink beerlao.

Three Star Two Restaurant.

Overall, i had a great time in Laos with my friends and their friends.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

何であなたはそんなに美しいの。。。あえればよかったのに。。。いつみても、美しい。。。haha i mean the picture you took hehe not you young man "kidding"dammn it so nice you have travel alot place.. well soon i'll back japan too..

Anonymous said...

whoa! great travel experience, im really fascinated with the shots, ur camera is great (canon, i guess? haha)...hope to travel as hell like u next year, i must quit this stagnant job soon...good 4 u

fufu said...

anon : wow you really have to improve your japanese before you go there! well i take good pixs, sorry i have to admit this =)

shurikenstuff : yeah bingo! digital, canon ixus! will get a SLR sooner... yo wish you could travel as you wished next year =p

Anonymous said...

Oh! How sweet Beerlao(เบียร์ลาว). Can you go Aranyaphathet(eastern of Thailand) My home town for Sonkarn Day 12-16 April 2008. (I come from zorpia and My new blog is HI5)
Thank you Ahfu

POO said...

hey hey hey!!!

went to Laos again???
what's great trip^^

あなたのHOMEPAGEを見てguide bookを読んでいるようだ
すげいじゃん!!!

プーより

aaaandy said...

hey bro, long time no talk :)
how have u been? still traveling? Looks like you had a lot of fun in Laos.
oh yeah i'll show the final result later haha too lazy to post :p
alright take care

fufu said...

rockdj : thanks for your invitation! i guess i couldnt make it this yr, perhaps next yr =)

poo : そうだよ、ラオに行ってきた。チケットただやからさあ。。。ラッキ- @_< guide book ならいいけど そんなにすごくないって

andy : long time no see! i am doing great here! just finished all my travels and now busy with my job hunting thingie wish me luck! cant wait to see result of your new ink...

Anonymous said...

Waoww the landscapes pics of Laos are beautifull!!

maii

Anonymous said...

I like the one about you helping to make the rice cakes...perhaps, the whole appearance will look better if you minimize the pictures...

Regene

YNOT TONY said...

Ha ha ha... I am seeing the "puking picture" again! :)

fufu said...

mai : yeah the country is still unspoiled! go visit Laos now

Regene : erm, i think i wont minimize all, otherwise you cant really see the photos clearly

ynot tony : hahaha, nice picture right?

Anonymous said...

hi Im Isa
Kao kope frying its seem delicious
I enjoy to read with beautiful pictures that you took
A good party ^^
I saw that you intricude in the culture its good because I know a lot of people that just travel but not introduce themselves in foreing culture

Anonymous said...

this is a place i want to visit, too *_*
it was great, wasnt it?
the food looks really delicious and the peple so friendly^^
haha! ho!
what is this with the girl! XD
are you shy fu? XD

kota (maria)

fufu said...

isa : yeah luckily i have friends there so i could also mix with the people and experience the real local life there...

kota : well did the pix say i was shy? anyway it was a fun time for me though i could only speak a LITTLE Lao =p (some of the cant speak english) yeah southeast asia wont let you down... stop over for couple of weeks when you go to japan china and korea ok? buy me bottles of beer ok? =)