Exploring the mysterious Mekong
The mighty arterial Mekong River in Vietnam provides a fascinating vein through which the lifeblood of Vietnam flows. As we motor along the Mekong, through small villages, between trading barges and floating markets it can only give us a brief insight into the resources concealed within that influence the daily lives and culture of over 60 million people—people who depend on its water for transportation, fishing, trade, manufacture,...
Laos low-down
Our introduction to Laos gives an insight into a beleaguered people’s assimilation of modern life while trying to retain traditional lifestyles Our guest writer Helen Tippins sheds some light on this emerging but still little known country. Although nominally Communist since 1975, as the Lao people’s Democratic Republic, Laos remains a spiritual country with Buddhism influencing all aspects of daily life. Much of the country is...
