One Month On

I did a visa run today, which means that it has been one month since my trip to Laos ended.

It's funny where my memories take me when I think about my trip. My favorite place, Luang Prabhang, is a place I rarely think about. I mostly think about Vientienne and somewhat about Ponsavan. Those are the places I seem to be "missing."

Weird.

But, it is true: One month down the road, the place I would most like to be is back in Vientienne, enjoying dinner at La Terasse, and riding with Rick, Da, and Toom on motorcycles around the tree-lined streets, sitting in bars sipping fruity cocktails, and wandering around crowded markets looking at trinkets.

And yes: Even dusty backwater Ponsavan strums the heartstrings louder than Luang Prabhang. Awful food, generally boring tourist attractions, no entertainment... but this sugar-coated memory of "the real Laos" creeps in and makes me long to ride around in the countryside in a van just looking at things again.

(It's strange though, because I know that if anybody asks, Luang Prabhang will still be the first thing I recommend seeing in Laos.)