Chapped Middle Of Lower Lip

Luang Prabang.

I have to take back some "prejudice". The airport of Vientiane, in addition to the international section is also a part-Domestic and is a better bus station. Our flight to Luang Prabang has been brought forward spontaneously by one hour, thus we come just in time to Hatscher to direct to the airfield and in the then to rise seems not too old and rickety propeller machine. A gentle lift and a nice, short flight later, on beautiful landscape we have arrived to be greeted with an all-day downpour. Anyway, we have already decided to stay here a few days and only on 30 December directly by bus to drive back to Vientiane.

Luang Prabang, to monarchical times until the 70's, the residence of the Emperor Lao is magical. Just 30,000 inhabitants, adorned with many colorful Wats hundreds of orange-heeled monks and novices. There are inevitably a lot to see and do. On the first full day "deal with" a number we Temple, including the Temple Mount Phou Si, the old imperial palace and enjoy the atmosphere of the main street with its vibrant night market and a myriad of smart-equipped cafes and restaurants - and we set the program for the next set two days. In the evening we visit a youth center, a dance and puppet theater that grew out of a social project. Here are consecrated at the beginning according to Buddhist custom ribbons and tied us for good luck for the new year around the wrist. Let us be happy :-).

Given that we move around 15km east of true in a jungle camp. I'm not a star, so I will not be brought out, too: We are here by tuktuk one hours went out to us to go into the natural environment of the resident elephants. Laos used to be called officially "Land of a Million Elephants" - are only a few thousand remained. Of whom are or were many long time as "animals" in the forestry sector, often under harsh conditions and tortured in use. Beneficial, however, the "work" they have: to tourists on their backs a tour of the area carry.

The initial skepticism (of cruelty to animals) is different in the two days with elephants and their supervisors clearly great enthusiasm. The animals are obviously great fun - and so do we. We ride first as a companion to a Royal Bank on the back, even then most of the neck, to feel a little Jurassic Park atmosphere and feed them with bananas, bamboo and sugar cane. We learn the most important commands and are supported at all from the "guardians" of the elephants, the mahouts, as well as our personal guide accompanies Pat.

In an Elephant "pause" we take a small transport boat down the Nam Ch'ien-river to the Tad Sae waterfall, which, while its size can not keep up with his Icelandic and Austrian colleagues, but knows how to impress different: About many small rocks and islets can be the waterfall into numerous small basins down to form "pools" in which one can also cool down excellently.

An all around great experience is rounded off by the little wooden hut where we spend the quietest night of the holiday - and the star surrounded by an impressive backdrop. The universe and came straight out of the new moon phase Erdtrabant never appeared to me in my life in three dimensions, I have never been so tied up like this. The infinite depth of space is here perceptible and tangible. Also in Central Europe are beautiful starry sky, but this is a category about it. It's different, it's fantastic.

swim the next day and we scrub the 40 to 60 years for women's elephant an early morning ride from the jungle-term elephant camp in Nam Ch'ien and break around noon with a heavy heart back to the city.

evening we meet us at the night market or with various textiles and blankets, and slowly work a lot of fun at Lao National Sports: action. Tomorrow begins the arduous, multi-part return home. Stay tuned :-)

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Vientiane.

This year we mixed European and Anglican Christmas tradition in our own way: While we are on 25 December by 5 clock start early (at a time when Santa Claus has already stuffed the socks), it is in Western Europe or Christmas Eve. However, for us the next flight to Laos is on the program. Now I

as historically and geographically not disinterested person before this trip have not been able to accurately and secured the capital and government of that country mentioned. embraced the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia from China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, Laos is one of the poorest places in the world, but also as a kind of huge open-air museum for a lot of culture and landscape.

The capital, which is certainly Vientiane. And when we arrive here expecting us an ultra-modern, clean, professional airport where the colleagues in Ha Noi and could even cut a slice. And, although this country under a communist Einparteienlandschaft, um may flourish. The city itself is like a loud screaming joke towards Vietnam. She counts just 250,000 inhabitants, is full of calm in comparison to the great metropolises of the neighbors and has not at any time as the capital of a country with an area of Great Britain. No loud honking, no smell, but a truly refreshing look with subtle, but nicely decorated trees and stylish cafes at the roadside.

Despite poverty, which expresses the GDP well, people go here if so, primarily (fat) cars instead of mopeds, have a different on than in Vietnam even supermarkets and restaurants no sidewalk. The "progress" is undoubtedly arrived, but he is quiet, balanced and (like the Lao stress yourself:) ecological CARRIED. A real treat after the turbo-State Tiger Vietnam.

arrived in our "Guest House" in the city center, we have to wait a little on the cover of our rooms, but we make a living for years in Ha Noi American. Over coffee, we learn many things about Vietnam, let us often nod and confirm us in many of our assessments. We also learn much about Laos, Luang Prabang about our future target and about the value rating of the intended peace in this country. A most valuable and informative meeting.

The tour of the city leads us to some "Wats" (Buddhist temples), for the Vientiane and Laos are known. In between, we also climb the Laotian version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris - very rewarding. The highlight is but the That Luang dar. all bathed in golden color, it is the most important Buddhist Pilgerstaette the country. Powerful yet subtle, it stands 45m high in the form of a Buddhist Grabesstaette - the legend about the Buddha's breastbone resting here. A completely different effect than it was before that day with Uncle Ho in Ha Noi.

Before That Luang.

A bissl Paris, a bissl Asia: Patu Xay Vientiane.

Deeply impressed, we follow the advice of our leaders in Laos Wat a remote for us to throw in the Krauetersauna and treat yourself to a massage, we had a long, hard day ... The announced nuns in the monastery, we do not find, but a competent business woman, offering the concept at twice the price as well. After looking at but after the steam bath coriander gerauecherter feel more like salmon and look through short massages poached TukTuk drivers watching not very inviting, we flee back soon.

Dinner on the Mekong River bank with a view of the opposite, already Thai city is great, but extremely sharp. Sure ... such as language and writing is also the culinary Dyed more like Thai culture here ;-) On Boxing Day are some more to Luang Prabang, a reportedly still verschlafenere city has to offer but not much. We are very excited, although the flight with the old, small, rickety propeller engine of the "Lao Aviation will probably be more adventurous ... we'll see!

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Ha Noi & Ha Long Bay

The Vietnam trip turn into the home stretch and it was more important to us as a small trip through the old town of Ha Noi in the house. Except that "Cyclos" to control this through the narrow streets again a corner is more stressful than in Sai Gon and unanangenehmer and therefore less funny. The drivers are rude and clumsy and spoil ourselves a little fun, go on foot would be the better option was, as we see later.

through the bustling night market in the capital walking back towards accommodation and pick up in passing a few sweets and rice with vegetables on one of the stalls, it was an interesting experience and has allowed us to absorb some real Vietnamese Lebensgefuehl.

We got the "Water Puppet Theater to see a programmed highlight here. Liab funny, you should have seen well, for once, something like that. Especially because here, surprisingly, where the original has not completely nullify the desired mass tourism can be as in other Schauplaetzen.

then we treat ourselves with a cocktail on a roof top bar overlooking the Old Town and An adjacent lake. A foretaste of much more water the next day, we reach the bus ride to dreistueniger Ha Long Bay . This incredible bay in the north-east of Vietnam has in the local language called "Descending Dragon" - and you learn quickly understand why.

About 3,000 small and tiny islets gather majestically off the coast, and by cruising these bizarre rocky landscape with a small excursion boat (where we have spend the night also serves excellent food and) is like by crossing a surreal film set. We pass floating fishing villages and visit the Sung Sot cave, a huge cave-like a Tropfsteinhoehle midst of these many islands. In addition, there's a auesserst wet, but fun kayaking trip in the Virgin cave. We would have loved to have stayed much longer, the images in my head We will remember anyway will long remember. Nature can stop it quite a bit ...

In Hanoi you hold while tourists due, but usually rather less on Christmas Eve high. So goes this day that is otherwise light looked into the dark, without spectacular last-Christmas-sprees. Instead we see ourselves Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (with the bizarre sight of the embalmed corpse of the father's country), to house and presidential palace, because that's it then needs to be.

And last we have a fantastic lunch in a no-choice restaurant. There is only one food that is unique: at the table standing barbecue simmering a pot with plenty of delicious fish and lots of herbs (plus noodles, peanuts and other herbs for everyone at the table) - our Christmas dinner, almost.

More on Vietnam, particularly an evaluation of the collected impressions (which were all adventure and beauty of this country is ambiguous) - then after our return ...

before but after Laos. Yesterday, we can just get hold of tickets and be on Christmas Day (25) to Vientiane, the Laotian capital of flying. Then on to Luang Prabang (flight) where we will stay a few days. The way back we will dare to take the bus, with one stop in Vang Vieng what we should be the main attraction points are built into the landscape not as cultural highlights of Laos poor in our journey. Call it positive anticipation of what is going on in us.

Oh, and: Merry Christmas too!

Can U Get Herpes On Stomach

chaos theory

Something that strikes me here every day and am more fascinated by the day, I realize that there are no one-off observations:

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in Gangnam is against the urban jungle used by relatively organized. This difference is now I only noticed that and I have come to the conclusion that the Government in Seoul actually has little influence over the city. Can it not. Much more than in Berlin, where it's more about the identities of the neighborhoods, has in Seoul each district a certain amount of power and the population (and thus tax revenues) is a given authority can use it - or not. This has nothing to do with parties but with attitudes and organizational structures. To my knowledge, all district mayor of Seoul and majorities in all the district council in the conservative Hannara. Nevertheless, the differences in administrative efficiency are still huge.

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What me while I was in Gangbuk (the northern part of the city) lived, was never noticed, is Gangnam that really extremely well organized and as clean as it is a district with a daytime population of nearly 2.5 million people without a police state can be in the background. In contrast, Gangbuk increases in the high summer heat funny smell in the drains, garbage lying around. I never quite understood why my friends in Gangnam me always as a "romantic" mocked because I Gangbuk and especially the old town so much to like. It really is a big difference.

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Since I now live here in Gangnam dive again unknown to me, cars and uniforms. There are things I've seen in a year never Gangbuk: Mobile speed cameras illegal parking, Cleaning robot, street cleaning patrol car, sidewalk pressure jet cleaner. The parking lots are located not only accurate - is the wrong car is within a half hour of the tow truck as I was today when translating observed on the roof garden. Shops put on their tables or costs within specified limits. The garbage disposal is already late in the evening, picks up the waste, which otherwise can not fressbar for each rat are in plastic bags on the roadside, but are stored in large plastic barrels. Then comes the cleaning the streets and washes through.

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And I emphasize like: It destroys the myth that disorder and Korea together. The side streets are still Gangnam Korean, still improvise a little and quite confusing. But to recognize a common line. Red lights on here is just as driven, but that is suddenly on the sidewalk in front of a car is stopped, comes roaring in at 20 mph, which is not often the case here. And illegal parking, as I said I have only seen 3 times within 3 weeks - because in Germany there are more of.

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So my times confused observations summarized systematically

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first The Seoul city is still so much planning, if not the districts are the necessary autonomy (South) and also the resources (parts of the North) to implement the many good ideas that the city administration. In this sense, the creation of bodies such as my foreign correspondent no point if nobody cares for, that ideas are implemented in each of Dong. A city like Seoul as a whole is not easy to manage. Local autonomy, however, is in Korea in Seoul is still a relatively new concept with which many of the old officials can not or want to befriend.

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second What the North (or parts of it as well as part of the South) I think that is necessary, therefore, such a systematic implementation of some very simple principles that does not cost much, but require only a reasonable planning. Certainly this is easier if the district mayor not a veteran bureaucrat of the developmental state, but a well-traveled businessman with international education as in many districts is the case now.

have to watch the same areas like Gangnam (or just Songpa), not to lose its character. Chaos is not Korean, order anything Western, but a certain amount of disorder leads to creativity and dynamism, how for example, places like Hongdae Samcheong-dong and see. With strict town planning, the unspeakable "Redevelopment" and similar jokes do you get the not out.

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