Joel Bowman, with today’s Note From the End of the World: Vientiane, Laos...
We’re on the road today, dear reader. Or rather, we’re on the rails, heading from the Laotian capital of Vientiane to the sleepy riverside town (and former capital) of Luang Phabang.
We’ll cover roughly 200 miles in a little under 2 hours, thanks to the shiny new high speed rail, part of China’s immense Belt and Road Initiative. (A kindly “xièxie nín” to our future Chinese overlords for sparing us the grueling 7-8hr hour bus journey.)
But while we zip past past colorfully named towns like Phong Hong and Vang Vieng and Xiang Ngeun, we remember to check our reader mail…
“Miss your videos,” writes one dear reader.
“Yes, I think we are deprived,” adds another.
Our apologies! In all our mindless flâneuring of late, we’ve neglected our responsibility to capture the experience for our curious Notes community. Please accept the above video, overdue, as partial penance…
Holy, Splendid Omniscient
Wat Phra Si Sanphet ("Temple of the Holy, Splendid Omniscient") was the holiest temple on the site of Thailand's old Royal Palace, in ancient capital of Ayutthaya, until the city was completely destroyed during the Burmese–Siamese War (1765-67). The ruins remind us of the inexorable passage of time, the lamentable tendency of man to inflict pain and suffering on his fellow man, and the eventual passing of all things.
We’ll write again, from further up the mighty Mekong River, next week. In the meantime, please enjoy this past week’s articles, below…
As always, feel free to like, share and comment on our articles. The more visibility we get, the further we can spread the message of free markets… free minds… and free people.
Whatever you’re up to this weekend, we hope you’re having a splendid time of it.
Stay tuned for more Notes From the End of the World…
Cheers,
Joel Bowman
Holy, Splendid, Omniscient