Muay Thai boxing at Lumphini Stadium in Bangkok

Stop 34: Bangkok

Of course there was an elephant wandering around the night market near the muay thai boxing stadium. Why wouldn't there be??

Luang Prabang cont'd

Stop 33: Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, in northern Laos, is a very pretty little town located on the Mekong River (like seemingly half of the towns in Southeast Asia!). It is a UN World Heritage site, which essentially means that both tourists and government officials are supposed to play nice with the locals and with the local environment. It's a bit of a tourist trap thanks to its official status, but is still gorgeous.

Stop 32: Laotian countryside

The vehicle whizzing by in the foreground is one of the most brilliant inventions I saw in Southeast Asia. It's basically a big engine on a stick (mounted on an axle with two wheels). It can be adapted for just about any agricultural need, or linked to a truck bed and used to ferry people around!