The itinerary said "Sala Keow Ku Park", but the thermostat said "find some shade, quick". Though we had prepared for a visit to the sculpture garden, and there was not one complaint of heat or fatigue when we announced that we were heading there, the Song-taew by-passed the sunny square and headed straight to the Smuggler's Market. When we arrived there, we were amazed at how close the Laos boarder actually was. It was like standing on the River Walk in Downtown Detroit and looking across to Windsor. It was really quite a site. In fact, the Mekong River connects Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and several other countries.
The Smuggler's Market was hot, but shaded. Everyone was able to find some sort of authentic Thai souvenir - purses, rings, pashminas led the way. Given 45 minutes, students were able to wander the U-shaped market and comfortably have time to return to the song-taew.
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| Two large representations of the snake, Naga, act of the gate-way on the river walk. |
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| The group standing on the viewing platform, with Laos in the background |
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| The Mekong River, as seen during the dry-season. |
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| The short walk to the Smuggler's Market |
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