Rainbow trout on a grill. Yia Vang says that food played a central role in his home — his mother grew vegetables and his father cooked meat over a fire pit in the backyard. Courtesy of Mary Jo Horrman hide caption
Laos Laos
Laotian Gen. Vang Pao, seen here calling in air strikes against suspected Communist positions from the Long Cheng Command Post in January 1972, led an army of Hmong tribesmen to fight against Communist insurgents backed by the North Vietnamese. A CIA-led effort that started in 1961 tried to help him in that fight. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive hide caption
North Korean restaurants, like this one in Vientiane, Laos, are run by the North Korean government as a way to earn hard currency. North Korea and Laos have had good relations for many years, but South Korea is trying to make inroads as well. Elise Hu/NPR hide caption
President Obama announced on Tuesday in Laos that the U.S. will provide additional assistance to help remove unexploded bombs dropped by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. "Given our history here, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal," Obama said. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
North Korean restaurants, like this one in Vientiane, Laos, don't just serve North Korean cuisine. They are run by the North Korean government as a way to earn hard currency to send back to an increasingly sanctioned Pyongyang. Elise Hu/NPR hide caption
A municipal worker sweeps along a pathway near the Mekong river, in the capital Vientiane, Laos. Manish Swarup/AP hide caption
Tiny Laos Readies For A Visit From Obama — And A Turn Under The Global Spotlight
Manophet climbs out of a crater in rural Xieng Khouang, Laos — a remnant of the U.S. bombing campaign during the Vietnam War. Jerry Redfern for NPR hide caption
Nearly everyone fishes for a living on Laos' Don Sadam Island, near the site of the controversial Don Sahang dam. Locals and environmentalists alike are worried about the dam's effects on fish migration. Michael Sullivan/NPR hide caption
Soldiers stand next to pieces of a Lao Airlines plane on Thursday after it crashed into the Mekong River near Pakse, Laos. Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A Lao Airlines ATR similar to the one that crashed on Wednesday. Wikipedia Commons hide caption
Kongthaly works at Thanaleng station, the first and only railway station in Laos. He received his training in Thailand, as the Laos station adopted their operating system from Thailand railway. Ore Huiying hide caption
Former Hmong Gen. Vang Pao (right) in May 2000 during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. Luke Frazza /AFP/Getty Images hide caption