Monday 19/Nov/2012 - Around Paksé
A typical house along the road.
Drying rice pancakes, intermediate process step of a rice-noodles 'factory'.
The 'factory' kitchen.
The 'factory'-end-product.
Vat Phou.
Unesco World heritage.
Initially a Hindu temple complex for purification, later taken over by Buddhist.
The processional causeway, in between two bathing ponds:
on the left hand side for women, right hand side for men.
In front of one of the pavilions (that for men), where the pilgrims
changed clothes for a white dress after having taken their bath.
Indians leading the restauration (as in Angkor Wat...).
Lao execution.
Steep stairs (as in Chichen Itza...) to the next level
(as in Italian renaissance gardens...).
Headless dvralapala statues (temple guardians).
Buddhist altar.
Buddhist altar.
Lintel showing Krishna killing his uncle Kaliya (cutting him into two).
Natural cave with the holy spring
Bottles with Holy water (as in Lourdes...).
Holy Trinity: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma.
The "Crocodile Stone", sculpture that could have been used
for human sacrifices in the animist period (before Hinduism).
People puts wooden sticks under the rocks to ask for longevity,
there are still animists over here?
Here I discover once more where my French tax money goes
(have a look to the lower right corner).
The dream team, in Italian company.
Ferry from Ban Phaphin to Ban Muang (Mekong crossing)
A Buddha statue along the road.
The Mekong river.
The minibus on the Ferry.
The Mekong river. On the left hand side an island.
The minibus blocked in the sand. Ready for a new trial.
Successful exit this time.
Kiet Ngong - Elephant trek to Phu Asa.
Lunch restaurant.
My elephant, female, 22 years old.
I forgot her name.
On the elephant, the elephant on the trail.
Summit view on the wetlands, where the elephants live.
Expensive, 5000Kip is about 0.50€.
Grateful for my elephant, I gave him a sugar cane.
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Christopher McCandless' Magic Bus? 
