Laotian Thepmoukda used to travel between Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and Boten, a city that borders China, for business by car. "The trip took several hours. The road was slippery, especially during the monsoon, and some sections were even not built with asphalt, but with mud," the 27-year-old woman said, adding that she usually prayed onboard with the Zen gesture for herself and other passengers. "Some sections wind through the mountains. I was afraid when I traveled by car, especially on foggy and rainy days."