Laos slightly edged out Cambodia to become my favorite stop in Southeast Asia, but I didn’t take very many pictures there. As I was exploring the Pha That Luang stupa in Vientiane, my memory card gave up. I freaked out.
Unsure of the fate of the hundreds of pictures I’d taken thus far, I had to put my camera away for the rest of Vientiane and through Vang Vieng until I was able to find a shop in Luang Prabang where I bought a new memory card. When I got home, I took the defunct memory card to a camera shop where they miraculously salvaged most of my pictures.
You never want to have your picture taking system fail on you while you’re on the road, but considering I was able to get back most of my pictures in the end, if it was going to happen somewhere, I’m glad it happened in Laos. The country exudes such genuine calm that wraps itself around travelers and encourages them to embrace it. As I was caught up in the serene present, I didn’t think about taking pictures as much and it tempered my worry about the fate of all my pictures.
While much of my Laos experience had to be stored in my own memory, I did manage to get a few snapshots while I was there:
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely photos! I’m glad they were salvaged. Photos are my favorite things to bring back from a trip- although sometimes it is also good to just enjoy being somewhere marvelous.
I loved Laos when I visited last year and it was a real suprise as i didnt expect to love it as much as i did. The scenery is amazing and the people are so friendly. I will return!
I would be so upset if that happened to me! Very lucky that you managed to get your photos back. And some great photos here. I am very curious why that is a ‘don’t swim area’ though 🙂
These pix are so beautiful! I know the terror of a camera mishap during a trip and it makes the ones you have all the more precious. I always carry two cameras because of it. These really tell a vivid story of your connection to Laos. The one with the broken Buddhas made me sad but I love the smiling golden one.
Those are some phenomenal photos. I really like how you used a diverse selection of landscape shots showcasing the scenic side of Laos.