Bye bye Laos

I spent my last evening in Laos beside the Mekong with Lao Beer and watch the sun set … only to be interrupted by:

• Women selling dried squid which they would warm over the coals for you (yummy with beer), and
• The tap-tap-tap of spoons against semi-hatched eggs by the young couple sitting opposite me.

I thought through what I liked and disliked about my short stay in Laos.

Likes?  Laos has been wonderful … add the familiarity of Thailand but rather unspoilt.  I most liked the gentle and pleasant people (they are nearly Thai in language and culture) and atmosphere.  Most of the sights (except the Plain of Jars) were somewhat familiar but still enjoyable.

Dislikes?  None really.  But while Laos is cheap, I can’t help thinking that it is still somewhat expensive compared to more developed countries like Malaysia. USD1.5 to USD2 for a meal in Laos in my view seems rather expensive.  But I guess these prices are tourist prices whereas the prices many foreigners pay in Malaysia are local prices. 

Many Laotians don’t have the buying power to eat in the touristy places and many local Laotian places are too basic for many tourists.  But beer is good (just over USD1 for a big bottle) and cheap … and the ice is safe if you like to drop a few cubes into your tall glass (like many of the expats have grown used to doing).