Street Art in Hanoi, Vietnam

On April 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Vietnam2 Comments

Although Hanoi is a very hectic city with bustling streets and every inch of space being utilized, we did happen to find some interesting street art. The majority of the art was found on the highway as we headed from our hotel to the airport and we took the photographs from the car, but most of them were still clear and not blurry. One of the great things about street art is that it reminds us that we are all similar around the world. Images of people, family, home, and our natural surroundings are often subjects of street art, but it is the whimsical nature of the art that is often most common.

The COPE Visitor Center in Vientiane, Laos

On March 19, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos2 Comments

During our trip to Vientiane we visited the COPE Visitor Center, which is partly a museum, but also provides insight into the work that COPE does in Laos. Visiting the center wasn’t on our original itinerary, but we ended up with enough time during our tour of the city to fit it in. The country of Laos has many unexploded cluster bombs (referred to as bombies) from the Vietnam war that are still causing injuries throughout the country. COPE is an organization that is attempting to find and defuse all of the bombs as well as provide medical attention and supplies to those that get injured.

Household Items Made from Bomb Materials

An actual cluster bomb is a large bomb shell that opens up as it nears the ground and disperses hundreds of tiny bombs that are about the shape and size of a baseball. Many of them are buried in the ground and farmers come across them when plowing their fields. Sometimes they are above ground and children pick them up and play with them. When you first enter the center, you are directed to a room to view a movie on how the millions of bombs came to litter the entire country. After watching the movie, we walked through the exhibits, which can be quite sobering and somber.

Pictures of Bombs That Have Been Collected

Artificial Legs Hanging from the Ceiling

Going through the COPE Visitor Center is certainly an experience that will impact you in a powerful way. Although it is an important message, the images can be quite disturbing, so families with children should take that into consideration before visiting the center. Overall, visiting the center takes about an hour or less with most of the time spent watching the film.

Unique Artwork in Vientiane, Laos

On March 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos, Photo Challenge6 Comments

During our visit to Vientiane, we saw a piece of art near the country’s version of the Arc de Triomphe called Patuxai or Victory Gate. The elephants and temple are almost completely made of colorful cups and saucers that are arranged to make the various shapes. When seen from the distance, it is hard to tell what the piece is made from, similar to an impressionist painting. As you get up close, the details become readily apparent as the cups and saucers are tied together to create shapes like the curved trunks of the elephants or the tiers of the temple. There are a few features, like the tusks, that aren’t made from cups and saucers, but there are very few. We aren’t sure, but it seems like the temple and elephants are made to actually move, but it wasn’t in motion while we were there.