It's called Lao, duh

Laos. Well, I guess I should refer to this communist state properly, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). No one calls it Laos, its just Lao. So now you have learned something new.

Nate and I finished working for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). And all we got was a lousy t-shirt. We actually really enjoyed it and the tshirt rocks. It was an educational experience, we were able to give back to the community, have an impact, and do it all in ten days! Our job was to completely re-write, re-do, and re-create their webpages. After two full days of interviewing all of the staff and project managers, Nate and I sat down with a plethora of research and reading materials. The WCS updates their webpage fairly frequently, but the Lao webpages have not been updated in nearly three years. Needless to say, we had a lot of work to do. It was quite difficult creating webpages when the office only has a dial-up connection and our computers couldn't even connect. So, we created the templates, wrote the information, and added the pictures. The data CD is being sent to New York in order to be uploaded. If you are super bored and would like to check out the website and in a few weeks compare that with ours, feel free. The address is www.wcs.org and then follow the directions to the Asia page and then the Lao PDR page. Enjoy.

Due to the long stint of our time in Vientiane, the size and population of the city, and the opportunity to work with long-seated foreigners, we were quickly immersed in the expat lifestyle of Lao. Just to give you an understanding of Vientiane, it has a population of 280,000 in a country of under six million. It's small and to tell you the truth I have no idea of where these 280,000 hang out because Vientiane is more of a ghost town with tuk-tuk drivers and travelers. We found our hangouts, breakfast place, lunch bar, and of course, evening lounge. Through our exat co-workers we were dialed into the social and cultural Lao scene. We went to a huge rubgy tournament that was far more professional than I had anticipated. We also went to a hug concert at the Cultural Center. A french hiphop and reggae band that rapped in spanish came to town. Everyone showed up and it was quite a mob. They were awesome. I can say that honestly, even with my distaste for the french.

After ten days in lazy Vientiane, we were ready for something new. A gorgeous bus ride filled with contouring around mountains brought us to the relaxation eutopia of the world. Laung Prabang. This town is filled with pagodas, wats, and monestaries. And, young travelers like ourselves. Last night we watched the UEFA Cup Final (soccer match between Liverpool and AC Milan). Because the government shuts the city down at midnight, we were illegally crouched in the back room of a Kiwi's bar with belligerent Brits and their Swedish companions. What a sight to see. It was a thrilling match that went into overtime and finally a shoot out. I will let the suspense of the result motivate you to look it up yourself.

That is all for now. I have uploaded a few Lao pictures to the internet and will be sending the address very soon. Eighty days down and only twenty-seven to go. Time flies. Miss you all. Take care.