Sao Darly

While my parents made a quick stop to visit some friends near Hospital 103, I made a phone call to Fong and told him that I was in town. Before I went to Laos I made a promise to his wife that I will call him and have a visit with him. I met Fong and his wife, Phin at the First International Conference on Lao Studies. After the conference we spent a couple of days in Chicago together and have been friends since. Fong said we should have dinner together and I agreed.

This area used to have a market where my aunt took me to buy Dhom Khem when I was like in the first grade. I can’t even recall what the place used to look like now. This is what is left of the old market. Urbanization is changing the face of Vientiane.

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A continuation of a morning drive in Vientiane. My father wanted to go have Lao Coffee at Darn Thadeu. He said that is where he can find the best coffee in Vientiane and used to go there on a regular basis. As we were driving on Thadeu Road, my aunt told me that her husband’s brother won a contract for building the road all the way to where Friendship Bridge International is located at.

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