Recollections of a Hidden Laos

"From the air, one sees mostly jagged, forest-covered mountains etched with unexpected waterfalls, glistening like milky quartz in all the green. Closer inspection reveals ethereal villages of grass-thatched huts from a past era clinging to high ridges and surrounded by misty grand vistas reaching into the distance." So begins this lovely volume of exquisite photographs from Laos, a country whose remote regions are still hidden away to all but a few inquisitive scholars and venturesome travellers. The capital city of Vientiane and far-flung regions of the country are richly illustrated in 150 colour images. The photographs recount the author's personal journey to towns and villages in the 1990s, portraying ethnic minorities and lowlanders, their traditional life and work, and the natural environment and terrain. Apart from a descriptive introduction, the captions provide the only text. The author observes signs of modernization with each subsequent visit--traditional dress replaced by Western clothing, forests destroyed by a new road. The book provides a rare and nuanced glimpse into the country and people of Laos as they stand at the crossroads of change. Linda Reinink-Smith worked as a geologist in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and has travelled extensively in the country.