The stories of the day were picturesque countryside and the state of infrastructure. We moved 300 km inland and into the mountains to Phonsavan. The scenery and the villages along the way were captivating. But it took us about 8 hours of driving. The road was shocking, even though half of it was the main road joining Luang Prabang and Vientiane. We went in 2 minibuses which were more nimble and able to dodge huge potholes and landslides and overtake the phalanx of trucks in spectacular fashion. Laos doesn't have a lot of resources for infrastructure. The Chinese are building stuff but that leaves a loan servicing burden.Read more