One Month in Laotian Roadside Town πŸ‡±πŸ‡¦ for #Monomad Challenge

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(Edited)

A roadside town is probably the most precise definition for Xepon: a remote small town that has a highway as its main street. However, that's a quite lively roadside town: they have street lights along the highway, a dozen hotels and 20 or so basic restaurants working until late night including ones with karaoke + at least one convenience store that works 24 hours a day.

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The main crossroads with chickens crossing the street

But can't call Xepon beautiful: the highway's dirt sidewalks are littered and covered with puddles and the heart of the town, the market, is actually a group of ugly shacks looking like a slum quarter.

However, I think Xepon is photogenic. See for yourself - sharing photos taken in August-September 2024.

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Late afternoons are amazing in Xepon, at the main crossroads where the highway and the town's major street cross each other.

I used to go out there just to photograph the last hour of the day with a 50mm or a 70-300mm.

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The lower the sun, the better.

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Shadows are getting longer.

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The asphalt shines as bright as the sun.

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Plus those wondering giants, trucks plying from Vietnam to plain Laos and Thailand and back.

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Textured road and lines of the wires.

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A new spectacle every day thanks to the changeable sky.

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Besides the central crossroad and its sunsets, Xepon can offer the Banghiang River and rapids.

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It takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach the rapids; a picturesque route.

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Banana trees, castor bean farms, forests.

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Almost no traffic, almost no people - only tiny settlements on the way.

The rapids are visited by men from nearby villages. They all catch fish with the same type of equipment, a fishing net framed with a heavy chain:

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They throw the net to trap fish between it and the river bottom.

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As you see on the guy's belt, quite successful.

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Closer to the Lao-Soviet friendship bridge, you'll find a pier area with kids as the most frequent visitors.

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One day, I was lucky to witness their leisure in the late afternoon together with a rowing team having their training.

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Laotian children are probably the most friendly kids in the world. I found it when I visited Laos for the first time in 2012. Nothing changed since then.

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The kids were posing for me and then tried to impress me with their jumps into the water.

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It was a precious evening. And it was a precious month. Leaving tomorrow morning - returning to Vietnam. Thinking about going to Kon Tum City with a short stop in Da Nang, let's see how it will go.

I took these images with a Nikkor 50mm and Nikkor 70-300mm on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 in Augusy-September 2024, in Xepon, Laos.



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Your trip was very enjoyable my friend

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That's true. 😊 There were hardships too - they don't have chicken in this town, only pork. 30 days without chicken, that's tough for me πŸ˜„

Thanks for stopping by!

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That boy had already secured food for himself and the family... great. Very good scenes here. πŸ‘

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Yes, enough fish to feed a family. Really useful skill, I would say more useful than photography :D

Thank you! :)

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Everyone fishes in their own way and you do it well.

;)

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Love it, the shadows and light have worked well, lots of atmosphere πŸ‘Œ

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Good to know! Can't evaluate clearly my images until much time passed, thank you for this feedback!

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