Land of a Million Elephants

An excursion to Elephant Village. Credit Justin Mott for The New York Times 

36 Hours in Luang Prabang, Laos

 

After reading the NY Times article, click here for Kade's and my experience in Laos.

A Laotian Funeral

Since my English teaching days in Bangkok I have managed to stay in touch with several students. One such student is J-Lo! That's her nickname anyway. I have to say that she has been the most faithful in staying connected, and for that I am very happy. A couple of years ago J-Lo sent images of her grandmother's funeral in Laos. I had wanted to post something ever since, but had not gotten around to it. Well, today I did something special.

Click here for an experience some Western travelers had at a funeral in Thailand.

Royal Digs

Buckingham Palace, London

Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
Versailles Palace, France
Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, Laos

These are some palaces I have had the good fortune to see. The only one that is still a residence of a royal family is Buckingham Palace. And, only two countries of the ones highlighted here actually still have royals: Thailand and Great Britain. Rama IX is the longest reigning monarch in the world today. Queen Elizabeth is the world's most recognized.