Vientiane, Lao

There is a gentleness to Lao that you feel the moment your feet hit the ground. It is a tonic to your heart and soul. It is an unassuming and quiet place where even going through customs is a  delight. We were met at the airport by our dear friend Boungkham and a delegation of Doctors and Nurses with beautiful bouquets of flowers. I am not sure what changes in the dynamics from country to country but it's a world of difference from any place we have been so far. I think that is part of the gift that is travel; that no two places are the same.

Vientiane means Sandalwood City. It's beautiful tree lined streets with its' peaceful demeanor conceals a history in which it has been occupied, looted, burnt to the ground  and eventually rebuilt by the Vietnamese, Burmese, Siamese, and the French. From my perspective, it is the French influence that remains the strongest today. It is truly beautiful here.

We are taking some time to rest. We have had the most adventuresome travels! From the bamboo rafts and elephants in Thailand to the Temples of Angkor and Battambang in Cambodia and then the craziness that is Saigon and Hanoi. The beauty of the quiet Hoi An and Halong Bay. It has been a whirlwind and we have been able to experience and see so much. We have had so much fun and have enjoyed our time together immensely. We have some work we are doing here in the Mother/Child Hospital but even that eases our heart and soul and does not feel like work at all.

We have decided that we will stay in this area until we move on to Malaysia. We have traveled out to the countryside and spent some time in the tribal villages. We attended church with our friend and experienced something truly beautiful in this communist country.

We will be a part of a big dinner and reception that the government and hospital are putting on that happens to be on Tom's birthday. We will fly to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia on Saturday.  We will start our travels home shortly thereafter…Singapore, Japan, Hawaii, and Travis…maybe. We will let you know!