LAOS

Dear Friends,

So, you've likely been sitting on the edge of your seats, wondering about the slow boat to Laos. We began the journey in a luxury minivan! Ann and I sat in the front seat as the van was full. The ride was fine and we stopped at a local restaurant (near Chiang Rai) and ate Pad Thai for $1 (CAN). YUMMY! We arrived in Chiang Khong at approximately 1700hr. This is where the adventure began. The room was clean but very basic. The bathroom was so bizarre (see pictures). The toilet was installed backwards and you had to use a pail to 'flush' the goods away. The shower was a hose attached to the wall above the sink. The water was heated by a heater, also fixed to the wall. The water basically shot out of the hose and sprayed your body and the entire bathroom at the same time. The bed comprised of a mattress and sheets /pillows and all seemed to be made of cement. Dinner was served at 1930hr and it was a lovely buffet of local, delicious food. We met many young travellers from the UK and Canada. What a wonderful evening.










I (Debbie) explored the village with Alan and Samantha (UK). We came upon a temple and decided to explore it. We saw a 'monk' in the yard and Alan said "If we aren't suppose to be here, he will say something". So we walked onto the grounds. Immediately, he came over. "Where are you from?" etc. We talked and talked and talked. After about 15 minutes, I asked him if I could take his picture. He declined. His robe exposed one shoulder and chest and he said that the tatoo was not something that he wanted photographed. I respected that request but I must have looked disappointed. He looked at me and said "By the way, I'm not a monk"! Rather he was a widower who is very passionate about meditating thus has spent 8 years in monasteries in India and Laos ... learning the practice. Later that evening, we spotted him in the tower of the pegoda. He was in the company of several monks. At that point, he enthusiastically invited us to take pictures!

The next day, we were challenged through the immigration process. Although we had paid the guesthouse to get our VISAs processed, we endured the multiple lineups (one to fill out paperwork, another to pay the fee which varied depending on your country of origin and on the basis that we were travelling on Sunday thus had to pay overtime to the customs officers, yet another to fill out more paperwork etc). It was absolutely chaotic and another example of how our Canadian, structured society has its advantages.

We were then hoarded onto a Tuk Tuk and taken to a depot where we would be processed onto the slow boat. The adventure intensified. The guide exclaimed "Now I will tell you the truth about this trip". You are suppose to get on boat #38. It is a bad boat: 180 people, one bathroom, crammed conditions. We will stop overnight in a village a) where there may not be enough 'good' guesthouses to accommodate you, b) where people will try to steal your luggage off the boat, c) where guest house staff will steal from your luggage when you go out for dinner, d) where there is limited electricity (generator) for only the first 2 hours after your arrival etc. We were offered the option to take a 11 hour bus ride to Luang Prabang at no additional cost. YAHOO! 12 people opted for this luxury. SURE.

The bus trip began at 1300hr. One hour later, we were approximately 2km from the bus station. We had stopped frequently to collect goods to transport for the locals. Then we stopped to get gas. We finally proceeded. Within 30 minutes, the bus broke down. We waited on hour for the next bus. Within 30 minutes, we had a flat tire. We stopped at a local village and the crew changed the tire. 18 hours (and 560 km) from departure, we arrived in Luang Prabang. Initially, the roads were impressive.

The highway was state of the art, smooth but winded through the mountains. THEN, we turned off onto dirt roads that were plagued with landslide spills, potholes and innumerable twists and turns. We were miserable but had to chuckle too. We kept telling ourselves "this is part of the adventure". We stopped for dinner at 2100hr and were pleasantly surprised. I went to a restaurant / house where I found packaged noodles. I asked the woman if she could make soup. Absolutely. She stir fried bok choy, peppers etc and made the most delicious spicy soup! Soon, others from the bus joined me in her cafe / living room and we enjoyed the comfort food. The cost was less than $1 CAN. Ann and I arrived at our hotel (Haysoke Hotel) at 0530am and luckily, were welcomed and escorted directly to our room. We were covered in dust (bus had no air conditioning so dirt road debris came through the window and landed on us!).

Laos is a picturesque country. Lush tropical forest-covered mountains, emerald green rice fields, exotic flowers comprise the landscape. 85% of Laos people live in rural areas, and are extremely poor. The average monthly salary for low-end earners is $57-71 US. To maintain even a basic standard of living, a monthly salary of $110 is needed. As we witnessed from the bus, the houses are bamboo huts on stilts, with thatched roofs. There are no windows, no electricity, no water, no furniture etc. The bus passed through many villages after sunset (1800hr) and it was like witnessing ghost towns. The country side was pitch black other than the fires that were burning to cook food. Eerie.

We spent the first few days of our trip in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang one of the most preserved cities in Asia. It has been classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage town because of its historic, cultural and architectural values. It has a strong French influence (language, signage, architecture etc) as it was once a French colony. It is also a very spiritual town. There are numerous pegodas / temples and over 100 monks reside here on a permanent basis. We attended the famous night market, town centre, temples, Kuang Si waterfalls (into which Debbie slipped and fell!), Tham Ting Cave (housing 5000 Buddha statues), Ban Xang Hai village (where Debbie tried Lao Lao rice whiskey!) and an Asian black bear rescue centre. We also had the opportunity to witness alms offerings (where monks gather their once daily food from the devout locals).

Next, we flew (no way we were chancing another bus ride in Laos given our previous adventure!) to Vientiane, the capital. Vientiane is a city situated along the banks of the Mekong River. Vientiane looks like a Government town; several countries including Australia, France and the USA have embassies here. Though Canada does not have an Embassy in Laos, it does have a relationship with Australia so if we run into any troubles we can touch base with their Embassy. Good-to-know! There is also an Austrailian Clinic here providing Western-type care, this is another good-to-know as we hear that the Laos health care system is not that great.

Before leaving Vientiane, we visited an exhibit at a Rehabilitation Center. The exhibit was sponsored by a non-government organization (NGO) called Cooperative Orthotic and Prothesis Enterprise (COPE). COPE works with the Laos government in providing rehabilitative services to people who have sustained injuries as a result of unexploded ordinances (bombs, mines) and other types of accidents. Laos was the most heavily bombed country during the Vietnam War. Approximately 260 million bombs were dropped during that period with an estimated 80 million still unexploded; it has been some 30 years since the end of the war and there are still between 500-600 people injured each year. This year, 4 kids were killed and another 5 injured when, while crabbing, they picked up a cluster bomb shell which exploded on them.

During our final evening in Laos, we dined with new friends (Frank and Jacqueline --- from Holland). It has been remarkable to meet so many interesting travellers. We enjoy reflecting on both the experiences we've shared and the insights we are gaining about other cultures (and our own by way of comparing / constrasting!). Over and over, we tell each other that we must never take our blessed lives for granted. We are privileged and travelling has made us more fully appreciate that fact.

Next we are flying to Siem Reap, Cambodia.