The change of the Millennium was approaching as I met a Norwegian United Nations Project Manager, being responsible for an Anti Drogue Project in Laos. As he was hiring the sister of my girl friend here in Luxembourg we came to talk and finally decided to all spend the New Year in Laos, instead in Luxembourg. So the trip was rather short, about two weeks of which we were spending three days as a stop over in Bangkok. We saw the capital Vientiane, where there is not much to see, and travel into the North of the country. As travelling take a lot of time, we had no possibility to also visit the South. Very friendly and very poor people we met everywhere, and many children. Travelling in the country north, the roads in the mountains, one wonders from what the people live. There are valleys to the road and step hills on the other side. Squeezed in on the both sides of the road the wooden houses. Soft drinks and beer, little kitchens and some souvenirs are all they have to offer.
Absolutely nothing to see from the communist regime. The one or the other poster I saw was old and yellowing. The party and the government are not very well respected and the normal people do not even know who the top leaders are.
The country has opened itself now since a few years and the year 2000 was declared to be the year of tourism.
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