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Published: September 30th 2005
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10 hours, 4 taxi rides and 2 buses but yet only 100km traveled was my first experience of a land boarder crossing outside Europe. China and Laos are two of only five communist states left in the world however there seems little coordination between. On reflection we should have perhaps researched the trip some more but we expected the track to be well trodden by westerners although as it turns out we didn’t see any on our three day trip to boarder or the day of our boarder crossing. In China we’d come use to expecting a small town but finding large cities which had 5million plus people so finding civilization never really an issue but Laos only has 6 million people and the north is the least populated so went through town after town which really had no more than one shop and no guest houses. Naively we’d actually expected to change money on the boarder luckily Laos operates a duel currency with dollars.
Probably Laos biggest tourist attraction is its people. ‘Sa Ba Dee’ is such a suitable word for a Laos hello. Making the most of every syllable in a laid back way it seems an effort to
say but in Laos nothing is too much effort. Walking about the streets in Laos we were constantly surprised by people coming up to us and just asking how we were and if they could help. First few times you expect there to be some sort of catch some angle for them to sell you something but it’s just a general interest. Laos really does have a secret to living it’s the sort of thing if you could put it in a bottle you’d make a fortune…. And actually some French guy has nearly managed it for Beer Laos is another attraction in itself.
It’s a strange thought to ponder when you’re traveling but being constantly surrounded by the happiest people that you’ve ever met who in a western context have nothing. In Laos this is particularly acute as they are second only to Burma as the poorest SE Asian country and have the unenviable title as the most bombed country in the world. Before reading about Laos I had no idea that US had dropped a single bomb on Laos but it turn out that the US saw Laos as pivotal for their fight against communism so they dropped
a plane load of bombs every 8 mins continuously for nine years? (another example of US foreign policy). It takes more, however to take the smiles away for the Laos people… how I do not know but there is something about 'they are poor but they are all poor' which does bring about a very large question over the virtues of capitalism.
We arrived in Laung Pranbang in the middle of an annual boating festival and boy do they party for it. We had no idea who was racing? what they were racing for? and for that matter where the start and finish line were. But the whole town was along the river bank singing chanting and dancing. It waxs really an uncharacteristically introduction to a town which for the most part quite sleepy.
Laung Prabang used to be the capital of Laos when the French occupied it and I'd read much of its charm. French colonial style houses along side temples creating a one off architectural marriage....... and not i would want to put anyone off but i think my expectations where too high. The French didn't just leave their buildings there are croissants and baguettes galore but
perhaps more interesting is what Laos people have done using French cooking techniques.
It was from Laung Prabang that i did my first ever overnight trek and i would recommend it to anyone going (we went with Tiger). I was a little skeptical about the authenticity of the trek but a few hours in and the terrain and thick jungle told we well off the beaten track in actual fact we were on no track. I only fell once but the others were like skittles in a bowling alley. (On that note big thanks to Issy for helping me buy my spiderman shoes). The scenery all over Laos is magnificent but when trekking you get a very real sense of being at one with it all, when you have the footing to look up that is.
Our trip itinerary we visits and stop offs to various villages where these tribes lived. Again i had some skepticism, however, it is quite obvious that westerns walking through their jungle villages is not an everyday occurrence. Sa ba dee echoed from every house but as our guide informed us these people did not actually consider themselves as Laos. We went to both Camoul
Tubbing
beats the northern line any day and Mon tribe villages on our trek and these people actually account for near on 40% of the population of Laos. Luckily the guide spoke both dialects.
In the first village I zoomed in for a far a took a picture of this girl starring at us...... she was so intrigued by our presence that she followed us all the way to the next village some 2 hours trekking away (she’s in the picture). Taking videos of them and showing it back just drove them crazy! I would actually say the best thing about doing the trek is meeting the kids.
That night we spent in a village where the tour company had a shared house and it was quite a bizarre experience. News quickly spread around the village of our arrival and from about 6pm to 11pm we had a crowd of about 20 people just looking at us drinking and eating - we almost felt like inviting them inn but they seemed quite happy behind the fence just analysing everything we did???? We were like live TV to them?? One attraction that Laos seems to have plenty of is water falls and we decided that it would be
a nice reward/conclusion however the second waterfall (which we visited after a night of rain) we decided to cheat and get a tuk tuk!!!
Our last morning we decided to feed the monks. We didn’t really find out much of the history of this little ritual but Luang Prabang is full of monks and it seems every morning at 6am they walk through the streets to collect food from the locals who are now joined by red eyed westerners. It was a great thing to feel apart of this little daily event and very much worth the crack of dawn start.
From Lang Prabang we headed south to Vang Vein. There’s a lot said about this place and probably an equal amount to love and loath. It is backpacker central in Laos and not a very attractive one at that. It really is no more than a shanty town were the streets are paved with Video bars the worst being at the cross roads where four restaurants place continuos episodes friends. Although it proves strangely addictive. On the upside every meal is named as if a MacDonalds kids meal and it’s nice to sit back and relax. Vang Vein is
also home to perhaps the most popular backpacking activity in Laos…….. Tubing….. It’s strange how the most entertaining things life prove the simplest to which tubing is one. In town you rent your tube and they take you a few kms up stream where you jump in your tube and float……… back down through some amazing scenery - obviously local entrepreneurs have added to the attraction on the river setting up small basic bars and on approach screams of sa ba dee and Beer Laos echos round the limestone cliffs. To accept their invitation you simply raise your hand and out comes one of the most extendible bamboo stick in the world to taxi you in. To add to the attraction it seems every bar has built a primitive fairground attraction of their own ranging from death slides to big swings, all of which ends up with you doing a rather foolish belly flop into the river. It’s a great way to meet people and that normally means that you end up in the last bar after sunset and only have the moon to guide you on the last stint of floating and end up walking through the town in
Chief of the Village
At last keys can actually call someone Chief the pitch black!!!! So in total we did it 4 days in a row, which by no means is a record but it does show it’s addictive nature or more to the point there is very little else to do in Vang Vein.
From Vang Veing I completed the backpacking circuit to Ventaine where Keys and myself split - Full Moon awaits me in thailand.
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Shanabananas
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WOW WOW AND WOW!
Wish I had been there dude! I loved the skittles down a bowling alley! Your rock!!!