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The Caves of Laos

Laos, Southeast Asia: March 28 - April 08 2015
While in Laos, filming an episode of Angry Planet, we spent quite a bit of time visiting the incredible caves that are scattered throughout central Laos. These caves are typically quite large, and some of them were even used to shelter tens of thousands of people during the Vietnam war when the U.S. dropped more bombs per capita on Laos than anywhere else on Earth.

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A water bufallo wallows in the mud near the entrance to Tham Luang cave.
The cave entrance at Tham Luang
Me, atop a rock inside Tham Luang cave

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Limestone and forest landscape of Laos
The entrance to Kong Lor cave.
The riverbank inside Kong Lor cave.

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Cave formations inside Kong Lor cave.
Column speleothemes inside Kong Lor cave.
Column speleothemes inside Kong Lor cave.

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Me, beside a huge stalagmite, Kong Lor cave.
Terry Bolger inside Kong Lor cave.
Amazing cave formations, Kong Lor cave.

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More beautiful cave formations in Kong Lor cave.
Me with old unexploded American bombs from the “Secret War” in the 1960’s -70’s.
Unexploded ordinance from the US conflict.

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A variety of cluster bombs that were dropped on Laos.
A rice storage shed, built on stilts made from unexploded American bomb casings.
A pile of cluster bomb casings that never exploded when dropped.

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A little girl plays beside unexploded bomb casings.
George with a small example of the unexploded bombs dropped on Laos during the U.S. / Vietnam conflict.
Smoky, mountainous landscape, Laos.

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One of the caves used to protect the Pathet Lao during the bombing raids.
A reinforced bunker and air cleaner inside one of the Vieng Xai caves.
Me with a large stalactite inside on of the Vieng Xai caves.

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Old military vehicles outside the Vieng Xai caves.
Me & a tank, outside the Vieng Xai caves.
A limestone mountain at Vieng Xai reflected.

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Entrance to the “Cuban Hospital” cave at Vieng Xai.
Rusted hospital beds piled up inside the “Cuban Hospital” cave at Vieng Xai.
A swarm of bees, taking over our hotel. Yikes!

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Buddhist monks on their early morning walk, collecting their food for the day, Luang Prabang.
Each morning in Luang Prabang, as the monks walk through the streets, everyone comes out to watch and to give them food donations.
A Buddhist monk crossing a bamboo bridge, Luang Prabang.

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Gorgeous light reflecting on the water as a Buddhist monk crosses the river in Luang Prabang.
A fisherman on the Mekong River, Luang Prabang.
A beautiful waterfall (this is where we crashed our drone-cam… Oops).

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Golden temple in Vientiane.
Golden dragons at a Buddhist temple in Vientiane.
Reclining Buddha in Vientiane.

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