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A French saying goes: The Vietnamese plant rice, the Cambodians watch it grow, the Laotians listen to it.

Laos is a pleasantly laid back place - and Vientiane, the capital, provides a refreshing contrast to the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City. Although Vientiane rests on the banks of the Mekong, in this, the dry season, it has the look and feel of a dusty frontier town.

There are lots of NGOs as well as joint venture projects with Thailand, Japan, and other countries, with designs to help improve infrastructure. Laos is trying to catch up to the rest of the world - but at its own calm and leisurely pace.