I haven’t visited for years. I remember my first visit where
I noticed that not only did the city have a large number of massage parlors,
but also a large number of folk music bars.
Back then, there were still quite many ageing Americans in
Udon (and in surrounding provinces), but their numbers had been trending down
for years. Consequently, the U. S. consulate in Udon had recently been closed,
so the “guide” during my first visit was a “fixer” living in Nong Khai. A veteran
from the Vietnam war that had lived in Isan for many years and was very well
connected. He helped “fix” my first entry into Laos, but before that, we took a
drive around Udon and Nong Khai that included a visit to the restaurant of a
another vet – supposedly this was Isan’s best steak house.
 |
| Nong Prachat Park, Udon City |
Anyway, today Udon looks much the same although there are
fewer Americans and more activities (including folk music bars) have moved out
along the ring road. At the city center, Nong Prachat Park is a nice place to
relax. It is a swamp that has been converted into a lake with a small island. There
are jogging and bicycle tracks running for roughly two kilometers around the
shore of the lake.
The city has, of course, also a couple of must visit Buddhist
shrines.
 |
| Standing Guard |
