Che-ing All Over

Che Guevara - Bumper Sticker and Icon of the People (who drive tuk tuks)

 

Kaysone - Man of Many Monuments

A Monument to a Revolutionary Rebel, Party Leader, First President of Laos, Communist Idealist.

 

I visited the museum and monument to Kaysone Phomvihane. It’s big, it’s five minutes from my office, I knew it would be interesting and there was sure to be lot of gold and glory and a lot of blurry old black and white pictures. Maybe some old guns. I was right.

Northern Exposure - Sam Neua

Way Up North

A weekend up north, when you live in Vientiane, is never a decision taken lightly. There are mountains, clouds, storms, small planes, minibuses and overnight sleeper buses - all of which can mean lateness, uncomfortableness, slowness, danger and possibly even death.

Still, it sounded like a good idea.

The mountains of the north

The Caves of Revolution

Communists in Caves - a simplified view of a revolution.

In the 1960s and 70s, the Lao revolution was coordinated by passionate, idealistic men and women living in caves in Northern Laos. They lived and worked and planned and dreamed in them for around 9 years. They were bombed, shot at, hated, demonised, vilified. They survived. They won. Their children now run the Laos Government.

Communist Pride - picture collection

Inspiring Laos to be Proud

The Red Prince

Yesterday I met the Red Prince at his house

Not in the flesh – he died in ’95 – but definitely face to face.

Prince Souphanouvong, first President of Laos PDR