Tags
crop burning, elephant sanctuary, elephants, Laos, Luang Prabang, rice fields, rice paddies, slash-and-burn, smoke, sticky rice, Tak Bat
Laos might have been the most confounding destination on my trip to Southeast Asia. It started under blue Bangkok skies with the most cheerful turboprop ever, and it offered a multitude of unique experiences, but everything about our time there was dimmed – quite literally – by horrific, smoky fires.
From our first stay in charming Luang Prabang, through a 200-mile boat ride up the Mekong River, and on into northern Laos and Thailand, the pervasive fires lent a sickly grayish-yellow tinge to everything we saw.
Still very much a user of slash-and-burn agriculture, Laos in late March/early April 2023 was in the midst of one of the most extended crop burns in recent history. Even before we touched down in our plane, my nostrils and throat began to register the smoke, and a quick glance outside made me think the pollution here was even worse than in Hanoi. We deplaned onto the tarmac and were hit by eye-watering particulate and the realization that this was no temporary haze.
Feeling a little bit ill both emotionally and physically, we proceeded into Luang Prabang for almost a full day of sightseeing before we could check into our lovely hotel. We started with the National Museum (formerly the royal palace) and went on to Wat Xieng Thong, both just outside the main downtown area.
The main attraction for me at both the museum and the temple were the stunning cut-glass designs on the walls, both inside and out.
Our young guide initially appeared to be very serious, but we were quickly surprised and amused by his deadpan delivery of some rather salacious facts about the palace’s residents. As our time with him continued for the next five days, we were regularly entertained by his blunt, slyly-joking manner.
Our lodging here was one of the places I had booked for J and myself in 2020, so I was eager to see if it lived up to my lofty expectations. The good news was that it did; the bad news was that we were unable to enjoy the gorgeous amenities because of the suffocating smoke. The pool, the outdoor bar, and the private patios outside our rooms were all off-limits if we wanted to protect our lungs. We partook of some of them in very small doses, but for the most part, we were stuck in our rooms when we were not out touring the city and countryside.
(Lest you think I am being dramatic about the air quality, for that period and the surrounding weeks in Laos, the AQI was a shocking 500+ for days on end. As a comparison, the recent fires in eastern Canada resulted in several readings of about 400, with the worst day in New York City registering 377 and causing all sorts of cancellations and flight stoppages. Unlike the mostly accidental fires in North America, the weeks-long fires in Laos and a few other Southeast Asian nations are set on purpose every spring despite educational efforts about the effects on the environment and human health.)
Still, we tried to avail ourselves of all of the charms Luang Prabang offered: cute little shops, a huge night market, distinctive architecture, delicious cuisine, and more.
One morning, we rose extra early to participate in Tak Bat, the giving of alms to the Buddhist monks who live in Luang Prabang. At about 6 am, the monks began their procession through the town, where locals and tourists alike lined the streets with baskets of sticky rice.
In fact, we saw very few tourists, which surprised and pleased me as I had worried that the whole alms-giving thing was just a touristy thing to do. On the contrary, the rice and other food handed out each morning is the main sustenance for these monks, and we saw many local people, women especially, who sat and supplied the monks long past our brief 30-minute stint of placing small handfuls of rice into the bowls that the monks carried.
After breakfast at the hotel that day, it was still early in the morning, and we had some free time before our next outing. Smoke be damned, I was eager to climb Phousi Hill for a little exercise as well as a view of the town. Although no one would join me, my inner badass compelled me to do this short hike after an innocent comment made by our van driver the day before.
Upon arrival in town, we had parked at the base of a long set of stairs up a hill, and when asked what was up there and if we could climb them, the driver let out a small laugh and said yes, we were allowed, but certainly no one in our group should attempt it. Challenge set and accepted, buddy!
As it turned out, the hike up was not difficult at all; it took me about 15 minutes to walk from the hotel to the top of the hill even with a second set of stairs that were hidden from view at the bottom. The joke was on me, though, because (a) there was no view to speak of given the air quality, (b) my lungs were now choked with that heavy, dirty air, and (c) I dutifully followed the “Way Down” signs and ended up semi-lost up on the back of the hill (with a bunch of gold Buddhas) and then totally disoriented when I arrived on the complete opposite side at the bottom, along the river and nowhere near the streets back to the hotel.
Using a general sense of direction and a landmark electrical pole I had spotted the night before, I half-ran, panting, my way back in the thick, hot air and barely made it before the van left for our next stop. (As a funny aside, I learned firsthand what our guide had warned us about when I asked for directions. I would point left and say, “Avani hotel?” Big smile and nod yes! “Or that way?” as I pointed right. Big smile and nod yes! Back to dead reckoning, I guess.)
I was reluctant to participate in our afternoon activity that day because I have a big problem with most kinds of animal tourism, and we had an elephant sanctuary on our schedule. After much questioning and my own research, I became comfortable that this place was ethical and positive. There were no elephant rides, no bathing of the animals by tourists, and only four elephants were in residence at the time, with a few mothers and babies out in the nearby forests but not in the visitor part of the sanctuary.
Despite my worries, it was an amazing afternoon. After an informative and enthusiastic talk by the sanctuary spokesman/manager, four mahouts brought out their elephants and “introduced” them to us. I don’t imagine I will ever stand so close to such magnificent creatures again, and I’m glad that this chance was one that felt acceptable to take.
After the trip, I happened to read a long, fascinating article about the musical genius of some elephants; apparently, they have naturally perfect pitch and an uncanny sense of rhythm. In that essay, I also learned that in some places, female Asian elephants are used by human mothers to babysit their children because of the elephants’ very high levels of intelligence, sense of nurturing, and responsibility. Having seen them up close, I can very easily picture this scenario. They are gentle, sentient souls.
Our last outing in the Luang Prabang area was another activity I initially pooh-poohed but ended up really enjoying. We traveled outside the city to a working rice farm that allowed small groups to come in and both learn about and help out with every aspect of rice cultivation. Over the years, I’ve seen rice paddies and terraces, watched farmers plow with their water buffalo, and cooked and eaten rice (obviously), but I have never really thought about the enormous number of steps involved in getting rice to my table.
We got started by taking off our shoes and wading into a small square of clumpy mud into which we scattered rice seeds (grains) to start the process. Rice fields must be flooded at planting time and remain constantly waterlogged; there is no clean way to do most of the jobs in a rice field. A short distance away, we stepped into a section a bit farther along in the growing process; here we pulled up small clumps of rooted rice plants that had just started to grow, carried them to another field, and planted them in new mounds of mud.
In the next paddy, we learned (out of order) how the water buffalo-powered plows turn the soil for new plantings (with a few of us getting to “drive”), and in a final section, we helped cut the mature rice with a scythe before knotting the bunches and carrying them under a roof for the next series of tasks.
Threshing, dehulling, winnowing, cleaning – the list went on and on until the rice was finally hanging over a wood fire, cooking in its bamboo basket before being spooned onto a plate. Here, as in most of Laos, the rice is sticky rice, and I am now an ardent fan.
In fact, I might miss sticky rice more than any other food in Southeast Asia … those plump grains all glutinous and full of nutty texture, baked to a slightly crusty perfection inside their baskets, scooped out in chunky spoonsful, and piled with fresh vegetables, meats, sauces, or just eaten plain and simple … Oh, I miss that rice!
It was a highly instructive day overall, and we felt like we’d been in an outdoor classroom while also helping, in a very minor way, with the work of the farm. Covered with mud to our knees and an ashy film everywhere else, we shuttled home and blissfully showered before our final stroll around town and a much-enhanced appreciation for the scrumptious sticky rice we consumed at dinner!
Next up: a cruise (seemingly into the apocalypse) on the Mekong River
Annie Berger said:
Lexie,
What an enchanting but also apocalyptic tale you wove of your time in and around Luang Prabang. We also had some of the same experiences but none of the ones you shared with your group in the elephant sanctuary and the rice fields. No doubt you now have a far richer appreciation of the rice you enjoy at home. Great read!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Annie! In spite of the awful air quality, I found Laos and particularly Luang Prabang to be a fascinating place to visit. If you think these shots look apocalyptic (they do), wait until you see what we looked at for 100 miles on our way up the Mekong! Spooky scenes …
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Annie Berger said:
Too bad you were unable to enjoy the hotel’s amenities because of the horrendous smoke, Lexie. I’ve never experienced that and it’s certainly one experience I can do without.
Looking forward to finding out what other places in Laos you visited and your observations on each, Plain if Jars, Vientiane, etc. Be safe.
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lexklein said:
The worst part is that I am actually sort of allergic to the smell of smoke, so my throat felt awful the whole time.
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
I love the patterns you present in your photos. And the one of the man riding an elephant in the river is amazing! As for the smoke, someone commented apocalyptic and I think that describes my thoughts, too.
I once almost visited Laos year after year, because my friend lived there for probably almost a decade, working for an NGO. But I never did go and visit her, because it seemed like too much of a hassle to get there! I didn’t yet have kids then and now I’m wondering what kind of an excuse that was! I had no idea what a hassle was back them, I now say, shaking my head at my naivety. Anyway, I’ll probably never go but it did always sound like a friendly and beautiful place. Except for that smoke…
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lexklein said:
Yes, apocalyptic is exactly how this felt. As I noted at the end, my next post will be about sailing off into what appeared to be the apocalypse on the Mekong! Ugh. And I know what you mean about youthful naiveté on what’s really tough – haha! (Now that I’m on the other side of childrearing, I’m seeing what elder care looks like. Yikes – the other side of the sandwich!)
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
Well yikes, yes!
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Liesbet @ Roaming About said:
What a wonderful post, Lexie. Apart from the smoke. Not only is burning the fields bad for the health and the environment. I reckon it’s not good for tourism either.
I recognized the way Asians give directions, reminiscing on how I thought I found the answer at some point, asking someone “Is it that way?” When followed by a nod, I asked, pointing the other way: “Is it that way?” Another yes followed and, like you, I had no clue. 🙂
And how I love sticky rice. I have one of those baskets from Laos in Belgium. It’s my favorite rice ever and I now miss it too! Thanks.
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lexklein said:
Ha – sorry to get you thinking about sticky rice! Laos was so cool other than the smoke, so I’m still glad I went. They just have to get control of this practice; it’s a menace all over that part of Asia in the spring.
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leggypeggy said:
What a glorious time you had in Laos, even though it was shrouded in smoke.
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lexklein said:
It’s true, Peggy; I would not have given up anything I did although I sure wish I had not been choking on that stuff all week!
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restlessjo said:
Well, there’s a lesson learned, Lexie. Should I ever go there it’ll not be in the burning season. And I’m not too likely to plodge in the rice fields. Glad you could still enjoy the experience. Being with those elephants, yes, I’d do that.
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lexklein said:
This burning season was apparently exceptionally long this year. Still, I agree that staying far away from late spring is probably a good idea! I have found that Asia is best climate-wise in the fall. I’ve always had clear skies and temperate days at that time. Must keep that in my brain although I have no plans for that long a trip again anytime soon.
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Anna said:
Laos looks amazing even in a smoky haze. At least through your posting I know never to go during burn season!
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lexklein said:
Yep, it’s a blog post and a public service announcement all in one! 🙂 And, yes, it was amazing even in the haze.
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AndysWorldJourneys said:
I walked up some of those stairs many years ago now. What a pity there was so much smoke it looks awful. the smoke, not your pictures nor the surrounds. thanks for sharing, wonderful part of the world Laos
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lexklein said:
Thank, Andy – I’m sure you’ve seen that entire part of the world! It really was a cool place in spite of that awful smoke.
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davidoakesimages said:
Others have already said “apocalyptic tale”… it is, but also a fascinating tour and a perspective of real life. Thanks for taking us with you…. though I am glad I didn’t have to physically endure the smoke.
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lexklein said:
I would not wish those conditions on any visitor! But your words “real life” are a good reminder that much of the world does have to live with the effects of economic choices that despoil their environments. 😦
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davidoakesimages said:
Sadly yes
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Bama said:
I’m sorry about the haze. It looks and sounds really bad! It actually reminds me of my first time in Singapore where the sky looked just like in your photos from Luang Prabang. Only in my case, the haze came from the peatland fires in Sumatra. I like your attitude when you heard what that driver told the group! Speaking of sticky rice, while I’ve had it since I was little, it was actually in Laos when I had it in a meal for the first time. In Indonesia, sticky rice is usually used to make desserts or light snacks. You know, despite the haze, your photos make me miss Luang Prabang. It was there when for the first time in a long time I felt very relaxed.
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lexklein said:
I totally understand why Luang Prabang made you feel relaxed. It’s a peaceful little town, and I would have loved to walk even more of it than I could while choking down all that smoke. I’ve seen some polluted and hazy skies, but this one hit me hard – I think because I have an allergy to wood smoke in particular. (I can’t even enjoy a wood-burning fire in the winter or while camping. 😦 ) I imagine Singapore being so clean and responsible, so it makes sense that the smoke came from elsewhere!
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Manja Maksimovič said:
Oh, wow! What an experience. I believe your new-found appreciation for rice. I’d love it sticky too, I’m sure. And the elephants as baby-sitters! As for the smoke – I cannot understand why they do it, burn the crops every spring. To improve the soil?
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lexklein said:
That addictive rice was not only sticky but also a little bit baked around the edges in the baskets. The crunch and the stickiness combined were just heavenly, and I’m not even a big rice eater in general!
And yes, burning the fields does produce ash that nourishes the soil, but I think the main objective of slash-and-burn agriculture is to clear the fields. If it were just the previous season’s crops and any weeds, that would be one thing, but they burn down trees to make space for new fields as well. So much burning – ugh!
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James said:
Reading this in smoggy Jakarta, where the AQI level is currently 163 and my throat is noticeably irritated, I’m dismayed your time in Laos was clouded by that awful, pervasive smoke. I’ve read several blogs and articles saying Chiang Mai (and Northern Thailand by extension) is best avoided in March because of burning season, so it makes sense that the same rule also applies to Luang Prabang. What a shame you couldn’t use the amenities of the Avani+, which looks gorgeous. But at least you still got to explore the town, go on some very interesting excursions, and do the solo hike up Phousi Hill.
Being a big fan of sticky rice myself, I found the account of the immersive rice cultivation experience very entertaining. And the colorful photos from the market almost seem to jump right out of the screen. When Bama and I went 11 years ago, we didn’t manage to visit the National Museum because it was nearing lunchtime and Bama suddenly got dizzy out of hunger! Instead, we made a beeline for a fabulous Lao restaurant by the Nam Khan river called Tamarind.
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lexklein said:
First things first, I can’t imagine Bama skipping a museum! 🙂 He must have been famished!
This trip was apparently not originally scheduled for March, so the organizers do normally try to avoid the burning season. Our trip leaders could only go at that time due to teaching schedules (the leader was a professor), so we had that bum luck. Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai were indeed both very smoky at the time, and I remember as we sailed up the Mekong, I kept having the irrational thought that once we were in a different country that did not burn their fields as they do in Laos, that we would be ok … Ha – even as I thought it, I knew smoke knows no borders!
I still enjoyed the town of Luang Prabang so much, and as you could tell, the sticky rice and its trip from seed to plate was lots of fun for me!
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Jolandi Steven said:
Now that I live in a place where the air is pure and clean (unless there is the odd fire in summer in the area), I felt like choking, not just from your description, but also your pictures which I think capture the polution very well. It is sad that, despite an attempt at educating people against it, it is still just a normal practice. It sounds like you made the best of your time there, despite your allergy to wood smoke. And that inner badass of yours – I like her, Lexie!
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lexklein said:
I had to laugh at your last line … I’m not so tough, but I am (more than) a little bit stubborn!
You are very lucky to live in such a pure, fresh-aired place. It’s easy to take clean air for granted until we see how truly awful it can be some places. I had never been in that much haze before, and it was so irritating physically (and eventually, psychologically, too). When I took them, I was so sad about the photos, but now I think they are surreal and shocking enough to make me never forget any of those places and scenes!
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Dave Ply said:
Bummer about the smoke. I have a first hand “appreciation” for what a 500+ AQI is like, and we were able to stay inside for the bulk of it. Laos looks like it’d be beautiful on a clear day, and your rice farm/elephant encounters must have been very interesting.
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lexklein said:
I remember that time for you in Oregon; it was awful! I had no idea what those AQI numbers meant at the time I read that post of yours, but now having some context, I can’t imagine living through that at home. Of course, it was no treat while traveling either, but I felt compelled to get out and see stuff in spite of the air. Good for my memories, but probably a pretty bad idea for my health.
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Alison and Don said:
Oh I loved this post! Too bad about the smoke! That must have been so disappointing, but it sounds like you made the most of it. Your photos are wonderful of course, especially the rice field experience. It reminded me of going to a hand-made rice noodle factory, in Vietnam I think it was, and watching the whole process from rice boiled into a liquid which was then spread on a fire-heated “grill” in big circles, and the circles dried in the sun on big bamboo mats, etc. Amazing process.
We climbed Phousi Hill, easy as you discovered except for the smoke! And went to the alms-giving, and went swimming with elephants – way back in 2012 when we didn’t know any better. I think the elephants were ok with that part of it, but the day included an elephant ride and it was a horrible experience with the elephant clearly not wanting to go. Makes me sad to remember it and I’m glad I know better now. On a happier note we went to an elephant place in India and it sounds very much like your experience. They were rescued elephants and were being cared for by their own mahouts who lived with them. It was a lovely experience.
Alison
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Alison! I’m glad my post brought back so many good memories of Laos. I don’t think many of us thought about some of the “animal tourism” we participated in way back when. I rode a camel in Jordan, and don’t feel great about it looking back (although the camel didn’t seem upset like the first Lao elephants you mention, but who knows?). I’m so glad you got that other experience with the elephants in India. They are really sensitive, smart creatures, and I think that kind of meeting is valuable in a world where we have mostly taken advantage of our animal brothers and sisters. Then there’s my new appreciation for rice … it was a whole country full of learning! 🙂 So glad I was finally able to visit even if through a yucky haze.
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awtytravels said:
Luang Prabang – nothern Laos overall – has been a place I’ve always been fascinated by. Maybe I’ve read too much Tiziano Terzani, but I do have this romantic views of jungles, the big Mekong, long rows of Buddhist monks… So nice to visit through your photos and words.
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Fabrizio – I had those same alluring images, and they were mostly true to my imagination. I hope to post at some point about the 100-mile boat ride we took up the Mekong into those more remote, jungly parts of northern Laos as I feel like that part of our trip was definitely off the touristic path to some extent.
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awtytravels said:
Oh, I’ll look forward to that one!! And apologies for the Apocalypse Now clichés that will inevitably come from me…
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thirdeyemom said:
Hi Lexi: I am finally catching up on my blog reading. I can’t believe the smoke when you arrived. It looks maddening. Your experience at the rice fields sounds really amazing. A new Laotian restaurant just opened up here in my city and I’m very curious to try it. It is named after the sticky rice. I hope to catch up more on your posts. This is one part of the world that I have really not seen much of and long to. Hope all is well!
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lexklein said:
I had also longed to see this part of the world for a very long time. Laos was really fascinating, and I feel like the awful smoke throughout our time there simultaneously marred our visit and yet enhanced our ability to see the way agriculture still functions in many parts of the world. It is maddening, but it’s hard for us to judge from outside the system; they are very poor, and these methods are what works for them in the short-term, which may be the only timespan they can afford to care about.
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twobrownfeet said:
I’ve wanted to visit Laos when we were in SK. We had an opportunity in 2017, but opted to go to Vietnam instead. But, I had great air and the sky was blue with white clouds. Climate change and bad air is such a reality today. We used to wear masks in Seoul much before the pandemic. The sky was usually grey and we’d have to check the weather app to be sure. But 500 is surely off the charts! Your pictures are beautiful and capture the essence of Laos just as I imagined it to be. 🙂 Looks like you had a great trip in South East Asia.
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lexklein said:
Did you by chance go to Vietnam in the fall? My blue, clear-sky experiences in Asia have all been in the fall. I wish I had thought about that, but this trip pretty much fell into my lap and I jumped on it! I did indeed have a marvelous trip overall to Southeast Asia!
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notesoflifeuk said:
What a wonderful trip (aside from the air quality, obviously). Despite the smoke, you still managed to get some fantastic photos. Spending time with the elephants must have been amazing.
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lexklein said:
Thank you! If nothing else, the photos in the smoke made for some unique coloration! The elephant visit was infinitely better than I could have hoped or imagined, and I’m glad I got to spend time with those magnificent animals.
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Christie said:
I’m so sorry your trip got spoiled because of the smoky skies. I know what you mean, as we are still dealing with air quality, and the bad smelling of the smoke, here in Canada. Especially you don’t want to have that happening after you planned so carefully your vacation! But I guess you made the most of it, I love the rice fields, and enjoyed reading about your new experiences!
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lexklein said:
Thankfully, it didn’t totally spoil the trip; I still got to do most of what we had planned. The Canadian fires right now are so bad (and sad), and we are getting that smoke even in the Midwest and Northeast in the U.S. Hope they can get them extinguished soon!
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Christie said:
Indeed, the smoke got to Europe as well. We managed to see small patches of blue sky this evening, a premiere for a long while, hopefully we are on the good direction!!
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lexklein said:
I hope so!
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