http://legacy.iranian.com/main/taxonomy/term/1408/0 The air outside smelled of farmland. The two-lane paved road to our hotel meandered through farms and ended a few miles before we reached it. We continued on a dirt road. “Ninety percent of the Lao live about six kilometers from a paved road,” our guide said. “And remember, the word is Lao and not Laos or Laotian. It is the name of the people, the country, the language, the music, everything.” Everything looked quaintly simple as that!>>> FULL TEXT en http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65286 <p>Looking at Thailand which was across the river.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65286#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:49 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65286 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65288 <p>Three Monks were sweeping the sidewalk in front of a temple. </p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65288#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:49 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65288 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65285 <p>In the park nearby, at the bank of Mekong River, I heard soothing music. This was from an all Lao women Tai Chi class.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65285#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:49 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65285 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65287 <p>Backpackers, three women and two men, were up and planning their day.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65287#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:49 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65287 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65284 <p>"Relax and Dream away Guesthouse”.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65284#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65284 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65279 <p>Not that the capital city of Laos, Vientiane, is much different. One early morning there I walked on the near empty major street where the “Lao National Cultural Hall” is located.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65279#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65279 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65281 <p>A big sign advertising the country’s most famous libation product, Beerlao.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65281#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65281 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65283 <p>The driver of a tuk-tuk was even more laid back; he was taking a nap in the hammock hung inside his vehicle.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65283#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65283 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65280 <p>A plaque at te entrance to this museum oddly commemorated “Polio Eradication 2000".</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65280#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65280 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65282 <p>There were very few cars or motorbikes. The driver of a parked cyclo just smiled and said <em>sabai-dii</em> (Hello).</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65282#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:48 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65282 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65277 <p>However, the graceful residential buildings in the old town’s “protected zone”.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65277#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:47 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65277 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65274 http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65274#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:47 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65274 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65276 http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65276#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:47 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65276 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65278 <p>Residential buildings fast turning into hosts of stores.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65278#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:47 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65278 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65275 <p>Luang Prabang with its 60,000 inhabitants is a town in transition. It gives a glimpse into the Lao traditional life. You may still see a monk in his traditional dwelling (koutis) through a hole shaped like a lotus.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65275#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:47 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65275 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65270 <p>Buddha lying down and welcoming death, after which he would achieve Nirvana.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65270#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:46 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65270 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65272 <p>Wat Xieng Thong has a living quarter for monks. Its temples are daily visited by the believers. On the day of my visit a woman was genuflecting in the temple before a big and several small statues of Buddha all sitting in the meditation pose.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65272#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:46 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65272 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65271 <p>Finally there was a Buddha image with his hands facing up, preaching reason.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65271#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:46 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65271 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65273 <p>In successive moves she stood, went down on her knees, put her hands under her head while it touched the floor and her feet were crossed. She did this in silence.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65273#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:46 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65273 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65269 <p>The temples were full of Buddha images in uniquely Lao <em>mudras</em>, or gestures, such as the one calling for rain. This was a standing image with a rocket-like shape and hands held rigidly at Buddha’s sides, fingers pointing towards the ground.</p> http://legacy.iranian.com/main/image/65269#comments Life is still simple Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:45 +0000 Jahanshah Javid 65269 at http://legacy.iranian.com/main