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Our SE Asia Tour 2013
Today we met T who we had known in Laos 20 years ago and spent most of the day just driving around town seeing what had and what hadn't changed. Good and bad changes and some things just don't change. Again, we heard the story about how the Chinese are investing so heavily in this country. A theme which we had heard earlier in both Myanmar and Vietnam. They come bearing gifts and build some grand edifices which are more or less "presents". Of course, there is a price. The Chinese need resources, anything and everything. Sadly, the benefits are not spread evenly throughout the community. There are a lot of very grand palazzos newly built or under construction which have been built with money that perhaps could not have been honestly acquired. One noticeable change is in the traffic. In 1993-96 the traffic comprised bicycles and motor bikes with a few 4WDs driven mainly by the expat project people. Now there are almost no bicycles, far fewer motor bikes but masses of double cab pick-ups, and 4WDs up to the luxury end of the range, and even a few Hummers! After a day we had had enough of nostalgia and will be happy to move on tomorrow.
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