From Jade to the Color of a Childhood Couch

It's almost as if every country I've been to is trying to out-green the one before it -- and Laos is no exception. Floating down the Mekong River for a couple of days, I was stung by greens from all shades on the surrounding mountains -- jade, neon, forest, pea soup and the rich, velvety-dark green I only remember seeing once before -- on a couch we had when I was four years old. Every one of the colors was more pronouced against the Mekong, which looks like milky tea.

Green is my favorite color, so it's a bit like visual Christmas morning.