What not to give.

The Luang Prabang National Museum occupies what was once the royal palace, so that every room has a regal air. The floor is of long, dark wooden planks and white walls are graciously interrupted with beautiful crown moulding and glass murals depicting traditional Lao lifestyles. This building itself should be housed within a museum.

Though there were many paintings, period furniture sets, and meticulously carven amulets that drew my eyes to their extravagance and yet simple placement, the final exhibit was quite humorous. Apparently, the United States and Australia need a lesson in the constitution of beauty.

In the final part of my circumnavigating walk, gifts to Laos were in glass display. The Japanese sent vases and plates of the most beautiful porcelain and with magnificient flowers in full bloom and brushstrokes of Mount Fuji. Myanmar and Cambodia sent ornamental silver dishes and platters. The Chinese gave carvings of jade. The Vietnamese sent more gifts of this ornamental splendor. India sent white stone-carved elephants and Buddha amulets.

Now we come to Australia, and their gift is a boomerang. Finally, my home country, has blessed Lao society, with among several symbols of the Land of Liberty, a model of the lunar module.

What says "lets be friends" more than a miniature, scaled, plastic and metallic, space landing apparatus?