Lao welcome

                          

(This photo from Sept. 2010)

We'd ventured to Laos with trepidation in '09.  We had still to discover more of Europe.  How did southeast Asia suddenly get on our bucket list?   But, Room to Read was offering a trek to Laos to see their program in action and I'd spontaneously checked the "yes" box on the RSVP.  We'd commited.

Though personally untouched by the Vietnam War, we were not immune from feelings about it. Dave and I

were quiet even to each other.

Our first day in Vientiane and first photo.
We watched as this lone Buddhist monk walked in the early morning.  It was a beautiful moment.

A thousand pictures later it remains a favorite image.

And then...

Within hours, upon leaving the RtR office, we saw these children peeking at us from a schoolyard next door.

Almost two years later, here I am, sitting by myself in a coffee shop writing this, and smiling at the memory. 


                             

We were smitten.

Dave came home from that trip and immediately devoured a 700 page book on the history of southeast Asia.  Photos of Souphe (see blog post) were fixtures on my desk.  And, it seemed I thought of Laos in one way or another every day.

                           
                           

Could it be that we are back in 2010? 

The children are saying. "Sai-bai-dee" (pronounced saw-bah-dee) which means hello and a whole lot more.   It represents not just welcome but like "Nameste" in Nepal, it suggests  "the spirit in me recognizes the spirit in you." 

               

      

 We were happy to be in Laos again.