Today is our last day in Laos and, after 2 and a half weeks here, we are heading back to Thailand in the morning. Laos has been an unexpected delight for us, with much to absorb, learn and experience. We had no plans to come here until our New Zealand friends, who took a detour here earlier, persuaded us to include it on our itinerary. It was quite an adventure to get to Luang Probang, requiring a two day boat trip down the Mekong river. The city was the ancient capital of the country and a slightly decrepit -but in a good way - crumbling French colonial town . We loved the laid back feel of the place, the good food, and the gentle people. It was a real contrast to Chiang Mai, which is a bustling modern city with lots of mind- numbing traffic and many American fast food chains. In Luang Probang, we could feel ourselves exhaling a bit and slowly getting into the rhythm of what Asia might have been a few years ago. No McDonalds or 7-Elevens.
Since we had two weeks there, we could take some time exploring the various sights and also take time to relax. I have been battling a chronic respiratory infection which only now seems to be clearing up, thanks to our German doctor friend and the time to rest. Our daily schedule included breakfast at our lodgings, a walk around town during the morning when the temps were cooler, a mid-morning fruit shake (crushed ice with fresh pineapple, mango, or banana - delicious) a leisurely lunch, and then back to our hotel for a nap or down time during the hottest time of the day. Around five, we would sip a leisurely Beer Lao - good beer for about $1.20 a liter - and discuss our dinner options. We have been eating out nearly every meal in Asia since it is usually cheaper and easier than preparing our own meals - a common custom here. Not only that, but we have no facilities for cooking!
We have been especially cautious about eating street food and have done so only sporadically - acutely aware of the consequences of a bad choice. Ironically, the only serious episode occurred when Linda ordered a mushroom soup at an upscale restaurant and was sick all night long. Thankfully, she recovered quickly and we have stayed safe by choosing to eat in established (permanent) street front restaurants rather than the portable types. We have found that it is best if the food is prepared in the open, cooked well, and peeled or washed carefully - but you can't always tell so there is an element of risk in a society that doesn't have the same level of food safety as at home. We have tried to be careful but you just never know if a place is completely safe and you have to assume that a place that serves tourists doesn't want to risk making its customers sick.
One of the biggest factors in the laid-back atmosphere here is the heat - which is increasing as we approach April - the hottest month. The mornings are surprisingly cool but by 10am, the heat is palpable and by noon, it's easily in the 90s. Not surprisingly, the folks here make great use of the shade offered by the lush trees, awnings, buildings, and umbrellas. We are surprised by how many people cover up completely with long sleeves, gloves, face masks, and neck coverings. We learned that sun-darkened skin is a sure sign that you work in the fields - as a peasant at the lower rung of society and thus something to be avoided. We also notice that people tend to retreat to their houses during the heat of the day. In the evening, the streets are really bustling as folks tend to come out to do their shopping, cook on the streets, and hang out - in the open. Unlike Guatemala, there is a very active street life and people seem to live outside with little privacy between their living quarters and the street. We see little of the walled-off, private compounds that we observed in Antigua. It also seems much safer here.
We have been impressed by how friendly the Lao people are - especially given their treatment by the Americans and the French over the past 200 years. Of course, 40% of the population is under the age of 14! We went to an exhibit in LP showing the problem with unexploded ordinance that continues to kill and maim someone nearly every day. It was sobering to learn that Laos had more ordinance dropped on it during the war in Vietnam than was dropped during all of World War II. Much of this ordinance was cluster bombs which are 500 pound bombs filled with 650 little "bombies" - about the size of a big tennis ball - that are designed to fling their lethal contents far and wide. The problem is that over 30% if these bombies never exploded on contact and remain active and buried in the ground: in rice fields, in streams, and in ditches, mostly in rural areas. People who inadvertently come in contact with these devices can activate them and get killed or seriously injured. This is an especially serious problem with children who find these devices and think they are toys. That is why the Laotian government has undertaken an education program to teach rural children not to touch them. It is also the reason that Laos is a leader in organizing commitments from the international community to never use cluster bombs again. Has the US signed on? We saw no evidence of that. This was a grim reminder that the impact of the war is still being felt by the most innocent people here.
A sampling of the weapons of mass destruction visited upon the Laotian population during the Second Indochina War - what we refer to as the Vietnam War.
The cluster bombs filled with many, many "bombies", the name that the Laotians use in referring to the small bombs inside the big one.
During our stay here, we had the privilege of getting to know a few young people who are trying to improve their skills in English so that they can improve their chances of getting a decent paying job in the tourist industry. These kids are all very poor and typically from the countryside, but they are acutely aware that their path to a better life is through education and especially the acquisition of English language skills. We were surprised that even some of the young novice monks in the temples are eager to learn English. These kids can enter the wats as early as 10 years of age and often do so because their parents see this as an opportunity to escape poverty or they cannot afford to support them. Many young boys enter the wat and stay for a few years to get an education before leaving to get jobs. Not many actually become full-time monks after their early years.
After two weeks in LP, we embarked on a long, 11 hour, arduous bus trip to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. We had been warned about the trip and advised to take the VIP bus rather than a minibus van. The bus was very comfortable with nice seats and air conditioning, but the road was just unbelievably twisty, rough, and narrow. It's about 230 miles long and winds through high mountains, along cliffs with no guard rails, through small villages, and is the major highway, north to south. The road is mostly paved but many stretches were washed out during last year's flooding and have not yet been repaired. During the trip, we got a glimpse of rural poverty, as well as the beautiful mountainous landscape that covers much of Laos. In one village, as we waited for a huge on-coming truck filled with tree trunks to pass by, we watched out the window as a mom scrubbed her bare-naked little boy under the village water spout. Our huge bus rushed through sleepy villages, leaving us fearful for the safety of young children along the roadsides and small herds of cows or goats ambling across the road. Finally, as evening approached, we pulled into the bus station in Vientiane and found a tuk-tuk to our hotel - happy to be safe after such a long trip.
Vientiane has a large city feel and is not as laid back as LP - but is still less bustling than Thailand. The heat is more intense here, the humidity is higher, and the haze is still as bad as it was in LP. It seems that the farmers in Laos burn their fields at this time of year to promote the growing of mushrooms that they can sell in the market. The result is that the air is thick with smoke which makes it hard to breathe and obscures the visibility. Last night, we went to a riverfront bar to watch the sunset over the Mekong and couldn't see a thing because of the heavy haze. This impacts not only Laos but is worse in Chiang Mai, which has declared an air quality alert because of the smoke. The Lao and Thai governments are trying to stop the practice, but it is still common in both countries and a real health problem for the people.
In reflecting back on our experience in Laos we have been surprised at how much we enjoyed our experience here. Although it was only a brief sojourn, we were touched by the poor kids in LP trying to improve their lives through learning English, the beauty of the landscape, the intensity of the climate, and the gentleness of the people. We were also touched by the people who are struggling with difficult economic and political conditions and doing so with grace and courage.
Since we had two weeks there, we could take some time exploring the various sights and also take time to relax. I have been battling a chronic respiratory infection which only now seems to be clearing up, thanks to our German doctor friend and the time to rest. Our daily schedule included breakfast at our lodgings, a walk around town during the morning when the temps were cooler, a mid-morning fruit shake (crushed ice with fresh pineapple, mango, or banana - delicious) a leisurely lunch, and then back to our hotel for a nap or down time during the hottest time of the day. Around five, we would sip a leisurely Beer Lao - good beer for about $1.20 a liter - and discuss our dinner options. We have been eating out nearly every meal in Asia since it is usually cheaper and easier than preparing our own meals - a common custom here. Not only that, but we have no facilities for cooking!
We have been especially cautious about eating street food and have done so only sporadically - acutely aware of the consequences of a bad choice. Ironically, the only serious episode occurred when Linda ordered a mushroom soup at an upscale restaurant and was sick all night long. Thankfully, she recovered quickly and we have stayed safe by choosing to eat in established (permanent) street front restaurants rather than the portable types. We have found that it is best if the food is prepared in the open, cooked well, and peeled or washed carefully - but you can't always tell so there is an element of risk in a society that doesn't have the same level of food safety as at home. We have tried to be careful but you just never know if a place is completely safe and you have to assume that a place that serves tourists doesn't want to risk making its customers sick.
One of the biggest factors in the laid-back atmosphere here is the heat - which is increasing as we approach April - the hottest month. The mornings are surprisingly cool but by 10am, the heat is palpable and by noon, it's easily in the 90s. Not surprisingly, the folks here make great use of the shade offered by the lush trees, awnings, buildings, and umbrellas. We are surprised by how many people cover up completely with long sleeves, gloves, face masks, and neck coverings. We learned that sun-darkened skin is a sure sign that you work in the fields - as a peasant at the lower rung of society and thus something to be avoided. We also notice that people tend to retreat to their houses during the heat of the day. In the evening, the streets are really bustling as folks tend to come out to do their shopping, cook on the streets, and hang out - in the open. Unlike Guatemala, there is a very active street life and people seem to live outside with little privacy between their living quarters and the street. We see little of the walled-off, private compounds that we observed in Antigua. It also seems much safer here.
We have been impressed by how friendly the Lao people are - especially given their treatment by the Americans and the French over the past 200 years. Of course, 40% of the population is under the age of 14! We went to an exhibit in LP showing the problem with unexploded ordinance that continues to kill and maim someone nearly every day. It was sobering to learn that Laos had more ordinance dropped on it during the war in Vietnam than was dropped during all of World War II. Much of this ordinance was cluster bombs which are 500 pound bombs filled with 650 little "bombies" - about the size of a big tennis ball - that are designed to fling their lethal contents far and wide. The problem is that over 30% if these bombies never exploded on contact and remain active and buried in the ground: in rice fields, in streams, and in ditches, mostly in rural areas. People who inadvertently come in contact with these devices can activate them and get killed or seriously injured. This is an especially serious problem with children who find these devices and think they are toys. That is why the Laotian government has undertaken an education program to teach rural children not to touch them. It is also the reason that Laos is a leader in organizing commitments from the international community to never use cluster bombs again. Has the US signed on? We saw no evidence of that. This was a grim reminder that the impact of the war is still being felt by the most innocent people here.
A sampling of the weapons of mass destruction visited upon the Laotian population during the Second Indochina War - what we refer to as the Vietnam War.
The cluster bombs filled with many, many "bombies", the name that the Laotians use in referring to the small bombs inside the big one.
During our stay here, we had the privilege of getting to know a few young people who are trying to improve their skills in English so that they can improve their chances of getting a decent paying job in the tourist industry. These kids are all very poor and typically from the countryside, but they are acutely aware that their path to a better life is through education and especially the acquisition of English language skills. We were surprised that even some of the young novice monks in the temples are eager to learn English. These kids can enter the wats as early as 10 years of age and often do so because their parents see this as an opportunity to escape poverty or they cannot afford to support them. Many young boys enter the wat and stay for a few years to get an education before leaving to get jobs. Not many actually become full-time monks after their early years.
After two weeks in LP, we embarked on a long, 11 hour, arduous bus trip to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. We had been warned about the trip and advised to take the VIP bus rather than a minibus van. The bus was very comfortable with nice seats and air conditioning, but the road was just unbelievably twisty, rough, and narrow. It's about 230 miles long and winds through high mountains, along cliffs with no guard rails, through small villages, and is the major highway, north to south. The road is mostly paved but many stretches were washed out during last year's flooding and have not yet been repaired. During the trip, we got a glimpse of rural poverty, as well as the beautiful mountainous landscape that covers much of Laos. In one village, as we waited for a huge on-coming truck filled with tree trunks to pass by, we watched out the window as a mom scrubbed her bare-naked little boy under the village water spout. Our huge bus rushed through sleepy villages, leaving us fearful for the safety of young children along the roadsides and small herds of cows or goats ambling across the road. Finally, as evening approached, we pulled into the bus station in Vientiane and found a tuk-tuk to our hotel - happy to be safe after such a long trip.
Vientiane has a large city feel and is not as laid back as LP - but is still less bustling than Thailand. The heat is more intense here, the humidity is higher, and the haze is still as bad as it was in LP. It seems that the farmers in Laos burn their fields at this time of year to promote the growing of mushrooms that they can sell in the market. The result is that the air is thick with smoke which makes it hard to breathe and obscures the visibility. Last night, we went to a riverfront bar to watch the sunset over the Mekong and couldn't see a thing because of the heavy haze. This impacts not only Laos but is worse in Chiang Mai, which has declared an air quality alert because of the smoke. The Lao and Thai governments are trying to stop the practice, but it is still common in both countries and a real health problem for the people.
In reflecting back on our experience in Laos we have been surprised at how much we enjoyed our experience here. Although it was only a brief sojourn, we were touched by the poor kids in LP trying to improve their lives through learning English, the beauty of the landscape, the intensity of the climate, and the gentleness of the people. We were also touched by the people who are struggling with difficult economic and political conditions and doing so with grace and courage.
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