Another trip with the Thai-Lao-Cambodia Brotherhood to Long Cheng and other areas

In 2011 I was invited to join a TLCB mission to Laos and recently Mac asked me again to join in another trip to Laos. This trip took us from Vientiane to Xaysomboune onto Longcheng. Unfortunately, this time the powers that be did not allow us to continue to Phonsavan so we had to back-track to Pakxane and then head north to Phonsavan. Along the way we visited school projects in Khi Xang, Longcheng, Phonchaleun, Xamkothong while, once in Phonsavan, we visited the schools in Naxaithong and Yay before heading back to Vientiane. Here are some of the pictures we took along the way:












The market in Xaysomboun


The Phou Bia Gold and Copper Mine




On the way to Long Chieng


The former Control Tower of LS 20-Alternate with a new community hall built right behind it and SkyLine ridge in the background.


Old building at the Ramp area of LS 20A




The dormitory for the students at the Long Chieng School


The dormitory for the teachers at the Long Chieng School




Shortcut road at the Phou Bia Mine area


The suspension bridge for pedestrians and bikes at Thavieng which links with the road to Xaysomboun


From Thavieng it is only 60 Km. to Xaysomboun versus over 300 Km. for cars in case they can not cross the river here to take the direct route


Truck used to carry cars over the river when the waterlevel is too high or too fast flowing (cost 100-200,000 Kip per trip)




Land slides along Road 1D


Early morning sun-rise in Phonsavan















Late afternoon on the way back to Phonsavan history repeated itself as, just like during the first trip in 2011, we got caught again behind a truck stuck on the road and again there was a grader nearby which quickly graded a new road along the stuck truck so everyone could pass.




On the way back to Vientiane