Luang Prabang

In addition to the temples, the palace, and other traditional Lao architecture, Luang Prabang is filled with interesting old French colonial buildings. Some have been kept up and/or rebuilt.


While others are still waiting their turn.

This is the other face of Luang Prabang for years to come, as old buildings are rebuilt and new buildings go up, mostly in response to the demands of the growing number of visitors. It also will follow that one of the things that has made the UNESCO part of Luang Prabang interesting (to me anyway), the goings on of the local Luang Prabang residents outside of the tourism service industry, will slowly but surely fade as they are pushed out of the old city to make space for another guesthouse, the next cafe, the new internet shop.

But, at least for now, this guy is still around to guard his owners' rice store.

And these scenes are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

All in all a good spot to spend some time. Not my favorite place in Laos, but a nice spot.

I will likely be back for one more visit to LP in three weeks. My last UXO field visit. UXO Lao is doing some good work in risk and information management and survey techniques based on the results of a pilot project we supported last year.