Location: Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang (Lao)
Date: April 28, 2010
Sabaydee!
“Its all just part of the adventure, mate,” my Australian friend Joel says as we get whipped on our faces by giant jungle bugs and nearly hit a herd of water buffalo as we ride the motorbike under the full moon.
In Vientiane, getting a blessing bracelet.He’s right. And what an adventure it is. It is hard to see in the dark, though the full moon is providing us with enough light to barely make out the road. The bugs glisten in the headlight of the motorbike, and they seem like Christmas lights in the air- there are millions of them! You can tell the size of them by the impact they have with your skin- “oh, that was a big one…” or “oh, just a little dent, must have been a small bug.” And I love it- every second of it- I try to saturate myself in the moment, feel the cool jungle breeze blowing on my skin as we travel on the curvy Lao roads. But like many adventures, it whirls right past me, and we return to the charming town of Luang Prabang. As much as I try to hold on to the moments they soon become memories and I am left only with pictures and my imagination to recall just how I felt in those times.
Vientiane, before the storm brews...Lao is incredible. The kind, gentle people, the lush green jungle landscape, the winding Mekong River…I love it here. I crossed the border from Thailand into Vientiane, Lao, about a week ago, and since leaving Thailand, I have felt completely renewed and refreshed, which is just what I needed at this point of my trip. The heat, the business, and the pushiness of Thailand had left me frustrated, and entering Lao was like diving into a cool, deep swimming pool after being brutally burnt by the sun. Forgive me for complaining about Thailand- I just think the chill Lao vibe is much more my style and conducive to my type of adventuring.
Vang Vieng
Getting a flat on the jungle mountain roads!
Sneaking into the temple in Luang PrabangAfter my two consecutive overnight buses that were required to leave Thailand, I jumped on a border crossing bus and entered Vientiane, the quiet capital of Lao. You would never guess that this is a capital city- the city is small and feels more like a sleepy town than a city at all. The entire population of Lao is only just above 6 million. Much of the population is comprised of Hmong hill tribes who live outside of the cities. Lao is a country slow to progress, and 4 years ago, they didn’t have a single ATM. I think they have about 6 or 7 now (3 of which I tried and didn’t work!). Education is not highly regarded here, and though I encountered many elementary schools, many of the children did not go to school and helped their parents work instead. Many children are illiterate and very little effort is given to literacy and academics. English is only spoken by people employed in tourism, and even at that, it may be limited. I did, however, stumble upon a center that encourages literacy, which is solely donation based. People (mostly foreigners) can buy books from the center and then donate them to children. Books are available in both English and Lao, but since most kids can’t even read Lao, I decided to donate books teaching basic Lao. There is also an organization here called Big Brother Mouse that lets visitors come in to read English books to the kids. Yet, despite the slow progression of the country, I found myself in one of the warmest, most hospitable places I have been on my entire trip. Every afternoon and suppertime, I share meals Khmer-style with Johge, Saks, and Sou, who are siblings and the employees of the hotel where I am staying. Khmer-style essentially means a giant bucket of sticky rice and 5 or 6 dishes placed in a circle, and you share the dishes and eat with your hands. We share a mutual friend who lives in states, and since I know Bill, they have treated me like a honored guest rather than another tourist even though Bill isn’t here.
Enjoying a family style meal at the Muong Lao Riverside GuesthouseSpeaking of which, I strongly encourage you to check out NatureBag.org and spread the word. Naturebag is a company started by Bill and Sou to help reduce Lao/Khmer poverty by employing workers to use vines from the jungle to build super strong eco friendly bags. Check it out- support them and their cause! http://www.naturebag.org/
With Sou, Johge, and Saks (Sou is half owner of NatureBag)
Joel and I chilling at the Buddha park So after exploring Vientiane, I headed north to Vang Vieng, a pretty town that is nestled in the mountains, which, sadly, has become a tourist party town. Good for bringing in a profit- bad for every other reason. Basically, drunk, half naked tourists spend hours and tons of money drinking and tubing down the Mekong River and stopping at bars along the way (on their tubes, of course). Now, it doesn’t sound so bad, except it seems to me that the drunkenness of the day extends throughout the night and really permeates the once quiet town in a negative way. There are signs around the town that say, “Please cover up- respect Lao culture…” which means, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! But many of the tourists don’t, and girls continue to walk around in skimpy bikinis and guys with pants around their ankles…so, needless to say, I spent a night and then headed out, up to Luang Prabang.
LPB is a stunningly pretty town. Because of the French influence, many of the buildings look European, and there are many outdoor cafes for sitting and eating along the Mekong River. I got to this little gem after a drawn out 8 hour winding bus ride through the mountains and jungles of Lao, where we blew a flat tire along the way. Along the way, I got the pleasure of meeting and befriending my seatmate, Joel, who is an Australian man who has been living and studying meditation in Thailand for the last 3 months. Upon arrival, I got the pleasure of having Joel as my partner in adventure for the following 2 days.
Monks at the Wat (temple) in LPB
Kids leaving and going to school in the villages outside of LPB
We started off our visit in LPB by diving into the Mekong and watching the sun go down. The current was really strong, and I found myself struggling to go back upstream after one minute of swimming out into the river. After a while, many of the boys from the Hmong village across the river came to swim and bathe in the river, and it was nice to be under the tourist radar in a place that locals came to everyday.
Over the next few days, I got to explore the temple atop the hill and the many Buddha sculptures that are along a pathway on a hill. Since Joel speaks Thai, which is similar to Lao, I got to meet and chat with many locals and market vendors, which was lots of fun. Yesterday, we rented a motorbike and got out of town- drove to a cave 30 km away which we got to by boat, and then through more jungle, windy roads to a pretty waterfall. (I even learned how to drive the motorbike- woohoo!!!)
Joel, Peter (our new buddy from NYC) and I enjoying a Lao coffee
The Mighty Mekong
The pristine beauty of Lao is hard to describe, but the colors here seem more saturated than everywhere else. The greens are brighter, all of the flowers are in bloom, and even the brown Mekong has a certain appeal. Outside of LPB. The roads lead through the jungles, where wild water buffaloes roam, and there are no houses for miles and miles. Though the progress here is slow, I am sure that modern advances will come year by year. My recommendation for those of you interested in Lao is COME NOW- relish in this beauty while it lasts.
Girls outside of the caves
Grabbing a boat to the caves
Buddhas inside the caves
HERD OF WATER BUFFALOES! Look at the pink one!
Tonight I jumped on the back of the motorbike and head to the night market to help Johge pick up dinner…I’m going down to eat now- I have my choice of what to indulge in: water buffalo skin, water buffalo meat, cow brain, snails and sticky rice…
We started off our visit in LPB by diving into the Mekong and watching the sun go down. The current was really strong, and I found myself struggling to go back upstream after one minute of swimming out into the river. After a while, many of the boys from the Hmong village across the river came to swim and bathe in the river, and it was nice to be under the tourist radar in a place that locals came to everyday.
Over the next few days, I got to explore the temple atop the hill and the many Buddha sculptures that are along a pathway on a hill. Since Joel speaks Thai, which is similar to Lao, I got to meet and chat with many locals and market vendors, which was lots of fun. Yesterday, we rented a motorbike and got out of town- drove to a cave 30 km away which we got to by boat, and then through more jungle, windy roads to a pretty waterfall. (I even learned how to drive the motorbike- woohoo!!!)
Joel, Peter (our new buddy from NYC) and I enjoying a Lao coffee
The Mighty MekongThe pristine beauty of Lao is hard to describe, but the colors here seem more saturated than everywhere else. The greens are brighter, all of the flowers are in bloom, and even the brown Mekong has a certain appeal. Outside of LPB. The roads lead through the jungles, where wild water buffaloes roam, and there are no houses for miles and miles. Though the progress here is slow, I am sure that modern advances will come year by year. My recommendation for those of you interested in Lao is COME NOW- relish in this beauty while it lasts.
Girls outside of the caves
Grabbing a boat to the caves
Buddhas inside the caves
HERD OF WATER BUFFALOES! Look at the pink one!
Tonight I jumped on the back of the motorbike and head to the night market to help Johge pick up dinner…I’m going down to eat now- I have my choice of what to indulge in: water buffalo skin, water buffalo meat, cow brain, snails and sticky rice…
