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Published: April 10th 2008
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City
View from the arc. Nice city. Photos lost. From Nong Khai to Vientiane was only a short journey, crossing the Mekong, over the Friendship Bridge.
Vientiane is the Laos capital, but it’s population is just about 250,000. Laos has one of the lowest population densities in the world and, later, whilst traveling through it’s mountainous heartlands, it was easy for me to see why. Nevertheless, the city is lively, bustling with tourists and amusements to engage them. Our primary source of enjoyment here was food and drink. Much to our satisfaction, the French have left behind a rich culinary legacy and so we pigged out on delicious pate, cheeses, bread and fillets of beef, heartily guzzling good imported wine. Even better, we chanced a small festival set on the banks of the river, called the Mekong Festival. To all intents and purposes this was a French festival: the French music was performed by French musicians accompanying old Jack Tati movies projected on a big screen; the floor was covered in hay, and the tables covered with red and white gingham table cloths; in addition to beer, patrons could purchase bottles and plastic cups of wine; there were old-fashioned, wooden amusements scattered around; performers dressed up as vegetables rode
Arc de Triumph?
Sights beyond sights... bicycles and frolicked with chortling passersby; and there were figure-boards of characters from Moulin Rouge with face slots ready for those classic photo opportunities. It was really good fun and the atmosphere was great. There were a few locals attending, who appeared highly amused by the crazy antics of us assorted European and American ex-pats. Otherwise we may as well have been in France.
We spent two nights and two days in the Vientiane, before setting off for Luang Prabang. We walked around and visited a few remnants of the colonial era, and refamiliarised ourselves with some of the rich Western delights that we had not been able to get hold off in Thailand. It was a lovely city: small enough to reckon with on foot and not too busy but with enough to keep one occupied. And to agree with everybody else’s descriptions of Laos, the people were very calm, cheerful and passive. In contrast to Thailand, there was barely any hustling or touting: tuk-tuk drivers would nonchalantly mumble tuk-tuk at passers by, and that was it. Kids bearing souvenirs would come up to you but, after a single refusal, they were more likely to hang around and
Legs on that
Look at the legs on that. 'VNTN'- as it known- provided me an outlet for my previously ignored impulses. just play with you than to sulk off or barter harder. It was all really charming but I did come away feeling a little bit confused about it: was Laos comfortable with all the tourists roving around? They seemed to be… there was no inkling of disharmony or discomfort in Vientiane. Everybody says that Laos people are adorable; how do they feel about all of this development? The country had only been open to tourism since 1989.
I started to feel as sense of shame about my countries’ colonial past. (Not that I should since it was nothing to do with me!). As we traveled North to Luang Prabang we passed numerous settlements that were little more than wattle and daub habitations. Really simple living, the like of which I’d not seen before. I gathered that the habitants were pretty poor: a World Vision camp a few kilometres outside of Luang Prabang was an indicator of the economic status of this part of rural Laos. The contrast between the urban and the rural was really marked. I didn’t see that much of suburban Vientiane, and I would see very little of Luang Prabang, but I have the predominant impression that the gap between rich and poor in this little country is huge. The question is was I helping to level things out by being a tourist? I don’t want to feel that I’m not, but the obvious answer to the question is ‘no’: I wonder just how far tourist money reaches in this country. If I could find out more about the presence of World Vision, I would like to know what needs Laos has; and I also like to know what the Laos government is doing. Is tourism the big leveler?
I think that Laos is microcosm. It represents to me the face of modern colonialism. That all sounds a bit far fetched I know, but I can’t help but to feel that the two places that I did visit in this country, were little more than remote, colonial outposts where tourists roam freely, cloaking a sense of superiority- which is part of the legacy of a colonial mentality- in a thin cultural compassion.
A little heavy for a travel log I guess. And really I’m sorry! It’s 8:25am and I’m on my second cup of coffee, so don’t pay too much attention.
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