SE Asia - Part 6: Laos: Lice Singular(silent "S")

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Possibly the most beautiful and tranquil place I've ever been and definitely the kindest and gentlest people I have ever met, Laos was nothing short of amazing at every step.

Jan 22 2003

Ramblin around old Indochine, looking and feeling in wonder, taking it all in, sucking it up through the bendy-top rainbow-striped straw of my soul. Too much to say in symbols, too much to experience beyond my reactive thoughts and emotions.
One in six billion, one in the infinity of the universe. Nothing. Nothing but the overimportance I give to my own beingness, as if it were mine, as if their was an owner.
Coming back to Thailand was a relief, a relief for my sore butt and dust clogged lungs. Back to smooth paved roads and the wonderful funky japanese rainbow buses from the 60's that zoom you all over the country for a only bit of pocket change. Back to the relatively rich and prosperous country where people have little, but not nothing. Where they have not alot, but just enough to be able to give you that famous Thai Smile as they go about their work in their slow and enjoyful manner. It seems lazy at first, their methods of work, until you realize that it is because they do only what they need to and nothing more, never hurrying and rarely losing their smiles. I still must ask why only a few kilos a way life is so much harder, the struggle so great. It's uncomprehensible to my mind why this arbitrary line existing only in people's minds can have such a dramatic effect and impact. Anyways Cambodia is behind me now going about its difficulties without my witness.
I was only in Thailand for 4 days and now I'm in the country of Laos. Laos is very similar to Thailand in cultrure and language, but is much poorer and less developed. It has many mountains and is heavily forested. And for those who don't know, as most do not. This small country is the most heavily bombed country in the world. During the vietnam war, America was responmsible for extensive bombing of Laos. Besides trying to kill vietnames hiding here, they would also unload at random any bombs left on their planes so they could safely land at their bases in Thailand.
So this is where Ill be until I leave in 3-4 weeks, giving me a couple more weeks after that in Thailand before I fly back to that place where I was born. Hope to see you all soon, TSvevetesvetesvetevetsvetetstvstvetvetvetvstvetvetsvtevten



Feb 4 2003

As if it mattered the raiders lost the super bowl, which I just found out. As if it mattered the US will soon be killing people by dropping bombs on them, nothing new. As if it mattered lots of human beings are dying and being born right this second. As if it mattered the universe is really big. As if it mattered Steven Del Favero just got back from Attapeu province after a 25 mile walk and a ride on a logging truck with no headlights.
So Ive been roaming around the southern part of this little and undeveloped country for a couple weeks now. It's been quite pleasant, despite the transportation. Laos is a land where the men like to proudly grow their mole hairs to lengths that allows them to blow in soft breezes. The men also like to grow their finger nails to lengths that allow them to pick the hardest to get at booger in their noses, which they often do in public, quite acceptably by everyone around. Yeah!!! It's also a land of hunters. Homade guns and slingshots cause the death of many exotic animals living in the lush and plentiful jungles of the country. IT's a land of vehicles that often break down, I've had to push start a couple differernt vehicles I've travelled in. It's also a land of many other things that I'm too tired too mention having just walked a long way and ridden a long and bumpy ride in a logging truck with no headlights.
The road I walked on for two days was unpassable by motor vehicles. I crossed many rivers and passed a village every 5 or so miles. Last night I spent the night at the humble home of a kind family. They fed me and fed me with what little they had and sent me on my way this morning to walk to the nearest village with a good road and transport service. The taxi had left long before I arrived, but I was lucky enough to ride on a really old and rickety logging truck that was hauling logs illegally back into town. It broke down once and took a long time to fix so its lack of headlights made it kinda scarry for the last hour of the ride as it got pretty dark.
It's all pretty primitive in these parts, maybe 5 towns in the whole country have internet access. Laos is a bit more laid back than cambodia, they seem a bit more content with their state of poverty. I think Im headed north from here, up the Mekong to Savannakhet and then the capital.
As if it mattered, STeve


Feb 18 2003

My brain is not unlike a blob of overcooked soupy mashed potatoes, mushy and soft from too many long days on buses travelling in mountainous northern Laos. I've been doin some stuff as us usual. Stuff like wrestling tigers in the jungle, raising the dead with the hill tribe shamans, eating dog meat, harvesting poppies, licking dead toads and live snakes, fighting the government with the rebels, studying the Koran, practicing levitation, and marrying as many laos girls as possible. Well actually only one of these things I really did. Ill let you guess which one, good luck.
I've just arrived in the capital after many brain smooshing hours on curvy mountain roads. The moon was rising as I rode into town. Toninght the moon is red, bloody red like the nose of an alcoholic clown snortin coke with a sun burn. It seems the end of the world is near. If not the wrath of Yaweh than that of the anti-christ and president of the United States of America, George W. Bush(the "W" stands for War, War, War!!!!!!!!!).
Anyways I feel fine. For now the earth's atmosphere is still supplying my lungs with oxygen, the sun is still doing it's fine job as a nuclear reactor supplying us with energy, and Im laos, have been for a month and am leaving tomorrow. I'll spend my last ten days of my SE Asia travel helping a friend build a mud house in NE thailand, making the most of the final days of planet earth and the time before I return to the mad machine of America. Tomorrow my visa runs out and i'll be smugglin as many $1.50 cartons of cigarettes as I can back to Siam. Ill also have to remember how to say "George Bush is a Nazi" in Thai. "That's right", I say almost everyday, "Im from Canada, Good place eh". Look forward to seeing everyone soon, steve


Feb 22 2003

hello everyone,
Well this is it, 5 more days before my flight home. I am now staying with a friend and her family in a small town in Northeastern Thailand called Keang Kro. Me and a couple other foreigners are helping her make Adobe bricks for the house she's building. . It's quite pleasant here and feels good to not be moving around so much. I am eating wonderful home cooked Thai meals everyday. So Im just working in the mud in the mornings and evenings and escaping the intense heat of the midday sun by laying around and reading. It's a good time to leave as the hot season is creeping in and it's rather hot and sticky.
This trip has been a wonderful life changing experience. I feel rather lucky to have ran into all the natural building projects as I've made many friends, Thai and foreign, and got to have much more enriching experience than if I was just doing the tourist thing. ANyways I'll see you all soon, SteveO

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Photos

Bomb Craters
Yes, Our government did that.