Plain of Jars-Lao

In my third novel, “Laotian Tears,” I portrayed the Kong character as a womanizing, hard-drinking teenage guide who talked and moved as a reincarnated John Wayne. He learned English by watching cowboy movies growing up.

In real life, Kong is the owner of a hostel in Phonsavon, Lao. Judy and I hired him as a tour guide through the Plain of Jars, a critical scene in the book. The middle-aged Kong, what a treat! Historian, Comedian, Entrepreneur, Archeologist, and Activist. He is a significant force behind removing unexploded bombs from the Plain of Jars, dropped during Vietnam.