Laos
Laos is has changed a lot since I was here 6 years ago. The impacts of tourism are obvious after just one day here.
Heh, 6 years ago the bus ride to Vang Vieng (okay, it was coming from Luang Prabang) was an absolute nightmare. Picture the rickety local bus leaving 2 hours late, then having them stop for an hour to load melons all among the seats up to your waist, then getting diarrhea on the bus, and having the bouncy ride take 8 hours instead of the listed 4 hours. Yep, things have changed.
- Things cost about 3 times as much as they used to. Actually, it costs quite a bit more than India. I wonder if that's a difference in mentality due to the country being communist, whereas India is the ultimate capitalist, anything goes society?
- I've been offered weed and opium by the tuk-tuk drivers. Apparently they're jokingly referred to as the tuk-tuk mafia here.
- I was just propositioned by a girl on the sidewalk on my way to the internet cafe.
- The shops here are luxurious and gorgeous. Beautiful lighting, displays, goods... priced in US $.
- There's an "eco-tourism" shop selling package tours for hundreds of US dollars, using Sony Vaio laptops, sporting a small climbing wall, etc.
Heh, 6 years ago the bus ride to Vang Vieng (okay, it was coming from Luang Prabang) was an absolute nightmare. Picture the rickety local bus leaving 2 hours late, then having them stop for an hour to load melons all among the seats up to your waist, then getting diarrhea on the bus, and having the bouncy ride take 8 hours instead of the listed 4 hours. Yep, things have changed.