Only in Laos
- Does the bus stop for grocery shopping (driver or anyone else!) or if anyone wants to answer the call of nature
- Everyone says “No” when you ask them for directions and then point to some random direction, (which generally turns out to be the wrong one)
- Everyone says “Yes” to everything else
- There is no mail delivery service (and hence, no addresses? ) There are no street names in some cities (e.g. Attapeu)
- There are village parties on Tuesday at 2 PM, complete with communal rice liquor pot and dancing
- The songtaew driver has to be prodded to drive to your destination
- You have to struggle to get your check at the restaurant
- You can have awesome Tom Yum Paa (fish) for less than $3 and an excellent baguette sandwich for about 60 cents!
I will remember:
- Fun times with nadia- someone I know closely, someone who is family (this trip is a bit different, I suppose)!
- A village woman’s expressions as she tried an Icebreaker and listened to Bhangra Knights!
- Wonderful, friendly, honest, happy people
- Lazing, lazing, lazing
- My vow to never enter a cave again
- Wishing I find something other than noodle soup for one meal
Inspite of having been to most places easily accessible (relatively speaking), inspite of long, backbreaking bus and songtaew rides that test your patience and bladder capacity, Laos is one country I will visit again (and again)!
Showing posts with label laos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laos. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
a day in the life
I have been experiencing Laos Withdrawal Syndrome (LWS). Its easy to feel that when the owner of the guesthouse feeds you corn, biscuits, carrot juice throughout the day.
On Don Khong, the biggest island of 4000 islands in Southern Laos, I relaxed, read, biked, ran, ate and slept.
For six days.
Then its time to move on and the island closest to the Cambodian border is Don Det, a party island (if you like partying with lizards and mosquitoes), with 2 hours of electricity every evening.
I like electricity. I like fans, laptops, music. I don’t like lizards! After a sleepless night, I cross over to Cambodia on the “backpacker’s mini bus”- aptly named so because its really "packed" (but it’s a mini-van.)
On the bus, I sit next to Ruth from Israel and, within moments of meeting, we shake hands and decide to travel together in Cambodia. Yet another country where I will end up staying longer than expected- but I'm not complaining at all!
I have been here for a few days now. Every day I have been here, I read in bed, anxious to finish my book so I can exchange it for another one that I saw in a bookshop. I read till it falls flat on my face a few times- it's been quite a few long days.
Come morning, I get dressed quickly (in two of the 8 clothes I have), rested after a good night sleep, have a wholesome breakfast of yogurt/fruit salad/muesli and then venture out to see Phnom Penh as a tourist.
Every day, I pass the tuk-tuk/moto drivers, shouting for business, offering a tuk-tuk/moto/weed/heroine and everything in between, the little girls and boys, tender shoulders crushed under the weight of photocopied books they sell, a rice cake vendor whose wares are to die for, men playing cards on the street, locals chatting up foreigners, giggling schoolgirls playing badminton on the street littered with fragrant frangipani- quietly taking in, and yet ignoring the >chaos that is Cambodia.
Just like India.
Today I get up feeling homesick and want to relive my past. So I get on a moto to a new-age café with the music and brownies and whole wheat bread, and the best bathroom I have seen in SE asia yet and sip on my first latte in two months- on a Friday afternoon of a long weekend.
Just like the Bay Area.
And I feel at home- right here, between the two countries I have called home.
On Don Khong, the biggest island of 4000 islands in Southern Laos, I relaxed, read, biked, ran, ate and slept.
For six days.
Then its time to move on and the island closest to the Cambodian border is Don Det, a party island (if you like partying with lizards and mosquitoes), with 2 hours of electricity every evening.
I like electricity. I like fans, laptops, music. I don’t like lizards! After a sleepless night, I cross over to Cambodia on the “backpacker’s mini bus”- aptly named so because its really "packed" (but it’s a mini-van.)
On the bus, I sit next to Ruth from Israel and, within moments of meeting, we shake hands and decide to travel together in Cambodia. Yet another country where I will end up staying longer than expected- but I'm not complaining at all!
I have been here for a few days now. Every day I have been here, I read in bed, anxious to finish my book so I can exchange it for another one that I saw in a bookshop. I read till it falls flat on my face a few times- it's been quite a few long days.
Come morning, I get dressed quickly (in two of the 8 clothes I have), rested after a good night sleep, have a wholesome breakfast of yogurt/fruit salad/muesli and then venture out to see Phnom Penh as a tourist.
Every day, I pass the tuk-tuk/moto drivers, shouting for business, offering a tuk-tuk/moto/weed/heroine and everything in between, the little girls and boys, tender shoulders crushed under the weight of photocopied books they sell, a rice cake vendor whose wares are to die for, men playing cards on the street, locals chatting up foreigners, giggling schoolgirls playing badminton on the street littered with fragrant frangipani- quietly taking in, and yet ignoring the >chaos that is Cambodia.
Just like India.
Today I get up feeling homesick and want to relive my past. So I get on a moto to a new-age café with the music and brownies and whole wheat bread, and the best bathroom I have seen in SE asia yet and sip on my first latte in two months- on a Friday afternoon of a long weekend.
Just like the Bay Area.
And I feel at home- right here, between the two countries I have called home.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
goin' nowhere
I am still in Laos, in Si Phan Don aka Four Thousand islands.
Over the last two weeks, I have:
- Stayed in seven different cities – it’s a record
- Learnt a lot of Laos (about a 100 words)
- Had a lot of Tom Yum Paa (Fish Soup)
-Explored the countryside on a bicycle
- Attended a village party at 2 PM on a Tuesday (for just long enough to introduce myself and take a few pictures – there was too much lao lao (rice whisky))!
- Briefly worked In a rice field
- Petted a black piglet who eats cherries
- Taught a card game to a Laos woman using 2 Laos words (no, good and their combination- no good)
Just when I am beginning to have conversations with the locals (even if its the same 10 questions I ask), its almost time to leave. A few days island hopping and then I will cross over to Cambodia.
Since I can’t say goodbye (I can't find a word for that in my phrasebook), I guess I will just have to come back :)
Ngaam (Beautiful)!
Over the last two weeks, I have:
- Stayed in seven different cities – it’s a record
- Learnt a lot of Laos (about a 100 words)
- Had a lot of Tom Yum Paa (Fish Soup)
-Explored the countryside on a bicycle
- Attended a village party at 2 PM on a Tuesday (for just long enough to introduce myself and take a few pictures – there was too much lao lao (rice whisky))!
- Briefly worked In a rice field
- Petted a black piglet who eats cherries
- Taught a card game to a Laos woman using 2 Laos words (no, good and their combination- no good)
Just when I am beginning to have conversations with the locals (even if its the same 10 questions I ask), its almost time to leave. A few days island hopping and then I will cross over to Cambodia.
Since I can’t say goodbye (I can't find a word for that in my phrasebook), I guess I will just have to come back :)
Ngaam (Beautiful)!
Friday, June 13, 2008
dark side of the moon
June 12, 2008
I went on a boat ride yesterday. There were limestone cliffs all around, a rocky river bottom. At times, we hit some rapids, and the motorized canoe trembled before the two boatmen took control and steered it in the right direction.
And I shuddered throughout! After all, it was on a river running 7 Km through a pitch-black, winding cave.
As Nadia found out two weeks ago, after a 30-minute, steep, rocky, slippery climb, I am not a “cave” person. I couldn’t go further than about 2 meters into the cave, just when it becomes a real cave (even with its golden promises of a reclining Buddha and a swimming lagoon!)
I get claustrophobic, and can’t wait to run out to the open skies.
So there I was, trying to soothe my nerves by listening to dance music, while struggling to recollect synonyms of 'fear' to look them up in my Lao phrasebook, so I could tell the boatmen to not stop in the middle of the cave to look "closely” at the stalactites and stalagmites. I saw enough for my lifetime in the first 15 minutes of the 90 minute ride, well, as many as I could in the dark.
Finally, it got over , and it was time for the good part. I was going to live in the village for a night.
Feeling the real Laos, Lonely Planet says, is through a homestay.
I am put up in a home with 4 beautiful little girls, Ta (12), Te (9), Dali (7), Ami (1) and their mother Teng.
I walk around the village, following the kids racing their “bottle” cars, have café Lao in the village noodle shop, while taking in the views, and spend the rest of the evening trying to learn Lao and teach the three girls English.
After an early dinner of noodles with cabbage and egg, everyone is in bed by 9.
A few observations:
- Men and women sleep in separate homes (maybe my host family was well-off to have two houses)
- When a kid gets sick, there is an endless stream of neighbors inquiring about the kid’s health.
- Everyone watches a lot of Thai television.
- The older children get up before dawn. The 12 year old goes to the paddy fields by 5, the 9 year old helps in the cooking and then walks to the field, with the breakfast.
- A quick baasii ceremony is performed if a kid is sick, to help her attain equilibrium or for falangs, who are clearly crazy to be taking photos of their bed and food served to them, among other things
The roosters wake me up at the break of dawn to a rainy morning. At 6 AM, I am fed a lot of fried rice, all of which I ate (because it was yummy!). Then I take their leave, with 2 white threads on my left wrist and a pocketful of memories.
Would I do it again?
The cave – Never, Homestay – Sure (but won’t eat up all the fried rice), Baasii – that’s something I need most – equilibrium !
I went on a boat ride yesterday. There were limestone cliffs all around, a rocky river bottom. At times, we hit some rapids, and the motorized canoe trembled before the two boatmen took control and steered it in the right direction.
And I shuddered throughout! After all, it was on a river running 7 Km through a pitch-black, winding cave.
As Nadia found out two weeks ago, after a 30-minute, steep, rocky, slippery climb, I am not a “cave” person. I couldn’t go further than about 2 meters into the cave, just when it becomes a real cave (even with its golden promises of a reclining Buddha and a swimming lagoon!)
I get claustrophobic, and can’t wait to run out to the open skies.
So there I was, trying to soothe my nerves by listening to dance music, while struggling to recollect synonyms of 'fear' to look them up in my Lao phrasebook, so I could tell the boatmen to not stop in the middle of the cave to look "closely” at the stalactites and stalagmites. I saw enough for my lifetime in the first 15 minutes of the 90 minute ride, well, as many as I could in the dark.
Finally, it got over , and it was time for the good part. I was going to live in the village for a night.
Feeling the real Laos, Lonely Planet says, is through a homestay.
I am put up in a home with 4 beautiful little girls, Ta (12), Te (9), Dali (7), Ami (1) and their mother Teng.
I walk around the village, following the kids racing their “bottle” cars, have café Lao in the village noodle shop, while taking in the views, and spend the rest of the evening trying to learn Lao and teach the three girls English.
After an early dinner of noodles with cabbage and egg, everyone is in bed by 9.
A few observations:
- Men and women sleep in separate homes (maybe my host family was well-off to have two houses)
- When a kid gets sick, there is an endless stream of neighbors inquiring about the kid’s health.
- Everyone watches a lot of Thai television.
- The older children get up before dawn. The 12 year old goes to the paddy fields by 5, the 9 year old helps in the cooking and then walks to the field, with the breakfast.
- A quick baasii ceremony is performed if a kid is sick, to help her attain equilibrium or for falangs, who are clearly crazy to be taking photos of their bed and food served to them, among other things
The roosters wake me up at the break of dawn to a rainy morning. At 6 AM, I am fed a lot of fried rice, all of which I ate (because it was yummy!). Then I take their leave, with 2 white threads on my left wrist and a pocketful of memories.
Would I do it again?
The cave – Never, Homestay – Sure (but won’t eat up all the fried rice), Baasii – that’s something I need most – equilibrium !
Friday, June 6, 2008
bombastic..
Paradise, I haven’t seen the last of it, I suppose.
I decide to step away from the french cafes with their fresh croissants and toasty baguettes, banana pancake stalls, restaurants with backpacker’s, California, and American breakfasts on their menu and view the other side of laos, the one which exists without the oui influence. So I head to the northeast.
Vieng Xai is the kind of place where you want to empty your backpack and air it out for a bit. There are man-made lakes with the limestone karst peaks as the backdrop (man-made by the bomb craters), hidden waterfalls, paddy fields, white and yellow wildflowers, (and hence) drunken butterflies, a fresh produce market with a buffalo head, and mangoes and bananas.
Every restaurant in town has a net submerged in the lake for the “fresh catch of the day”, for your order of fish soup. There are no cafes- internet, french or others..
This is the birthplace of Laos PDR, the former headquarters Pathet Lao (Land of the Lao) revolutionary headquarters. The evidence is the caves – the former meeting rooms, houses, hospitals, printing presses, a theatre - all housed in caves. Around 23000 people sought shelter in them for 9 years during the war.
After three days of playing catch up with history and then playing cards, arranging my itunes music, reading, relaxing, I head to Phonsavan.
On the way is Hintang Archaeological site with ancient stone pillars, a mini Stonehenge- a 6 Km hike from the main road. Christian, whom I met in Sam Neua, and I keep our backpacks at a motorcycle repair shop in the village and begin on what, at times, seemed to be an endless hike.
The lonely planet mentions the way to get here, some history, but what it forgets to mention is that the hike is all uphill (and it is 8 km, I am convinced). So, with my daypack with one soymilk, 3 bananas, one mango, a laptop, 2 books, a big camera, a 5 lb. poncho, more snacks (for the bus ride), extra batteries, memory cards, I drag myself up a muddy trail to the mountain top.
The site itself is a small one but spooky, with 1.5m upright stones, stone discs. The views are spectacular.
Of course, coming down is the best part on a hill. Christian walks by a little snake on the trail and doesn’t flinch when I mention the snake. “Do you know how many snakes they have in Australia? They are everywhere.” he says. Hmm, one country I might have to think twice about visiting.
Once in the village, we flag down a bus to phonsavan. I doze through most of the 6 hour journey.
In Phonsavan, I am handed a key with a bullet as a keychain. I have reached the most devastated province in the most bombed country (per capita) in the history of the world.
Here, Cluster Bomb Unit casings are used as fence posts, planters or plain decorations. Bomblets, which can be bought for as little as $2-3 are used as lamps and ashtrays. There are warnings about UXOs (unexploded ordnance) everywhere. There are songs about UXOs, which are a part of school curriculum.
I don’t quite realize the gravity of the situation till I see a bomblet (click on the picture!) – by the road we were driving on, in a ditch.
Our van had a flat tire on our way back from the customary ‘Plain of Jars’ tour and that’s when a girl in the group discovers it.
For a brief moment in time, I feared the ground I was walking on. I can’t imagine living with this fear. But the people here do, and sometimes, they pay a price for their own land, a heavy price- with their life or a limb or an eye. 30% of the bombs dropped were estimated to be unexploded.
After a 10 hour bus ride, my eyes constantly searching for more bomblets in the roadside ditches, I am on safer ground- Vientiane for a quick trip to Thailand, to get another 30 days in laos.
I decide to step away from the french cafes with their fresh croissants and toasty baguettes, banana pancake stalls, restaurants with backpacker’s, California, and American breakfasts on their menu and view the other side of laos, the one which exists without the oui influence. So I head to the northeast.
Vieng Xai is the kind of place where you want to empty your backpack and air it out for a bit. There are man-made lakes with the limestone karst peaks as the backdrop (man-made by the bomb craters), hidden waterfalls, paddy fields, white and yellow wildflowers, (and hence) drunken butterflies, a fresh produce market with a buffalo head, and mangoes and bananas.
Every restaurant in town has a net submerged in the lake for the “fresh catch of the day”, for your order of fish soup. There are no cafes- internet, french or others..
This is the birthplace of Laos PDR, the former headquarters Pathet Lao (Land of the Lao) revolutionary headquarters. The evidence is the caves – the former meeting rooms, houses, hospitals, printing presses, a theatre - all housed in caves. Around 23000 people sought shelter in them for 9 years during the war.
After three days of playing catch up with history and then playing cards, arranging my itunes music, reading, relaxing, I head to Phonsavan.
On the way is Hintang Archaeological site with ancient stone pillars, a mini Stonehenge- a 6 Km hike from the main road. Christian, whom I met in Sam Neua, and I keep our backpacks at a motorcycle repair shop in the village and begin on what, at times, seemed to be an endless hike.
The lonely planet mentions the way to get here, some history, but what it forgets to mention is that the hike is all uphill (and it is 8 km, I am convinced). So, with my daypack with one soymilk, 3 bananas, one mango, a laptop, 2 books, a big camera, a 5 lb. poncho, more snacks (for the bus ride), extra batteries, memory cards, I drag myself up a muddy trail to the mountain top.
The site itself is a small one but spooky, with 1.5m upright stones, stone discs. The views are spectacular.
Of course, coming down is the best part on a hill. Christian walks by a little snake on the trail and doesn’t flinch when I mention the snake. “Do you know how many snakes they have in Australia? They are everywhere.” he says. Hmm, one country I might have to think twice about visiting.
Once in the village, we flag down a bus to phonsavan. I doze through most of the 6 hour journey.
In Phonsavan, I am handed a key with a bullet as a keychain. I have reached the most devastated province in the most bombed country (per capita) in the history of the world.
Here, Cluster Bomb Unit casings are used as fence posts, planters or plain decorations. Bomblets, which can be bought for as little as $2-3 are used as lamps and ashtrays. There are warnings about UXOs (unexploded ordnance) everywhere. There are songs about UXOs, which are a part of school curriculum.
I don’t quite realize the gravity of the situation till I see a bomblet (click on the picture!) – by the road we were driving on, in a ditch.
Our van had a flat tire on our way back from the customary ‘Plain of Jars’ tour and that’s when a girl in the group discovers it.
For a brief moment in time, I feared the ground I was walking on. I can’t imagine living with this fear. But the people here do, and sometimes, they pay a price for their own land, a heavy price- with their life or a limb or an eye. 30% of the bombs dropped were estimated to be unexploded.
After a 10 hour bus ride, my eyes constantly searching for more bomblets in the roadside ditches, I am on safer ground- Vientiane for a quick trip to Thailand, to get another 30 days in laos.
soul kitchen
Mitu wrote poems, beautiful poems, words in perfect harmony. Mummy handed out a beautiful diary to her. I expressed the desire for one.
“You have to earn it. Write a poem and it’s yours”, she said.
So I did. It was about spring- 12 lines, every alternate line rhymed (the rule for poems, I thought). It was 1985.
The third poem I wrote was about my love for books.
I have rediscovered that love. At any given time, my backpack has four-five books – that’s more weight than my toiletries (and that says a lot). My third most-visited website on this trip after gmail and flickr is Shelfari.
In a part of the world devoid of Barnes and Nobles and the used bookstores like in SF and because of my inability to order on amazon, I find myself wandering the streets of a big city in SE Asia, searching for the familiar-buy, sell, trade books sign.
So I publish a list of book exchanges I have found in the two major cities of Laos that I have visited.
Laos
Luang prabang:
• Hive bookshop – the only one in LP
• Book exchange at Three elephant café- the café is mentioned in LP but book exchange isn’t.
• A small collection opposite Café Toui on Th Sisavang Vatthana
• A small collection in a restaurant on Th Kitsarat opposite the Post Office
Vientiane
• Kosila bookshop (mentioned in LP)- the best collection on Th Chanta Khumman
• Oriental bookshop, 121 Chao Anou road, 856.21.215 352 – opposite La Gondola – the second best collection
• Book café –053/2 Heng Boun Road, Haysoke 020.6893741- adjacent to the Bank on Heng Boun Road - owned by a british expat, Robert Cooper.
• A good bookshop opposite Douang Deuane Hotel (I think its called Kosila 2)
• A small bookshop opp Mixay Boutique on Th Nokeo Khumman
• Monument Books (mentioned in LP) sells new books only, very limited collection
• Vientiane Book Center (mentioned in LP) limited collection but buys, sells, trades books
• A small bookshop on Th Setthathirat next to Wat Hai Sok.
Cambodia:
Phnom Penh• D's bookshop II- next to Number 9 guest house- the best collection i found in Phnom Penh
• London Book center has closed
Siam Reap
• Blue Apsara (Old Market Area next to Capitol Tour, 012-601-483) the best collection and best value for old books
• D's bookshop #112 Mondol 1 Village, Siam Reap - great collection- opposite Angkor What? on Pub Street
• Le Tigre de Papier (012-659-770, pub street next to Angkor What? bar) free wi-fi and free book exchange with a meal, great collection of french books
• Siam Reap Book Center (#699 Pithnou Street, Phoum Mondol 1, Khum) limited collection
“You have to earn it. Write a poem and it’s yours”, she said.
So I did. It was about spring- 12 lines, every alternate line rhymed (the rule for poems, I thought). It was 1985.
The third poem I wrote was about my love for books.
I have rediscovered that love. At any given time, my backpack has four-five books – that’s more weight than my toiletries (and that says a lot). My third most-visited website on this trip after gmail and flickr is Shelfari.
In a part of the world devoid of Barnes and Nobles and the used bookstores like in SF and because of my inability to order on amazon, I find myself wandering the streets of a big city in SE Asia, searching for the familiar-buy, sell, trade books sign.
So I publish a list of book exchanges I have found in the two major cities of Laos that I have visited.
Laos
Luang prabang:
• Hive bookshop – the only one in LP
• Book exchange at Three elephant café- the café is mentioned in LP but book exchange isn’t.
• A small collection opposite Café Toui on Th Sisavang Vatthana
• A small collection in a restaurant on Th Kitsarat opposite the Post Office
Vientiane
• Kosila bookshop (mentioned in LP)- the best collection on Th Chanta Khumman
• Oriental bookshop, 121 Chao Anou road, 856.21.215 352 – opposite La Gondola – the second best collection
• Book café –053/2 Heng Boun Road, Haysoke 020.6893741- adjacent to the Bank on Heng Boun Road - owned by a british expat, Robert Cooper.
• A good bookshop opposite Douang Deuane Hotel (I think its called Kosila 2)
• A small bookshop opp Mixay Boutique on Th Nokeo Khumman
• Monument Books (mentioned in LP) sells new books only, very limited collection
• Vientiane Book Center (mentioned in LP) limited collection but buys, sells, trades books
• A small bookshop on Th Setthathirat next to Wat Hai Sok.
Cambodia:
Phnom Penh• D's bookshop II- next to Number 9 guest house- the best collection i found in Phnom Penh
• London Book center has closed
Siam Reap
• Blue Apsara (Old Market Area next to Capitol Tour, 012-601-483) the best collection and best value for old books
• D's bookshop #112 Mondol 1 Village, Siam Reap - great collection- opposite Angkor What? on Pub Street
• Le Tigre de Papier (012-659-770, pub street next to Angkor What? bar) free wi-fi and free book exchange with a meal, great collection of french books
• Siam Reap Book Center (#699 Pithnou Street, Phoum Mondol 1, Khum) limited collection
Monday, June 2, 2008
Guest entry...
Hello there! I'm not the normal blogger here, but rather a guest here. And, here are my thoughts on my last two weeks in Laos:
One of the first questions I got from people, when I told them I would be going on vacation for two weeks, was “where are you going?” The second question happened to be the same question, “where?” Sure, to many, Laos is not the typical place you would hear from someone who wants a real vacation, which is what I was wanting. But, when your good friend, almost cousin (as we referred to ourselves in Laos) is on a globe-trotting adventure, you go to meet her, in a destination you may have not gone to otherwise, right?
My trip started in the sleepy capital of Vientiane. I was assured that this is not what Laos is like, not just by my friend but also by the folks on the Lonely Planet Thorntree forum, which I frequented daily before my trip. Next up was a, longer than what was suppose to be usual, bus ride on a local bus. Local buses in Laos are those that leave the bus station once every seat is full, and those that stop along the road to drop off passengers in their villages, which equal very long. Vang Vieng is a haven for 20 something year-olds wanting to “chill out” and be “happy.” By happy, I mean you can order bags of pot and opium for as little as $10 US. Also, this haven served as a place for some biking on rocky and gravel-filled dirt roads (as a side note, I broke my foot on a bike, on a similar road on a vacation in the past). But the bike trip was successful, and quite beautiful. We biked along the limestone caves that surround the picturesque Vang Vieng, and even dared to enter one cave.
On route to Luang Prabang, I was filled in on where to stay and what to do by my friend, as she had already spent several days there. I was not prepared to meet so many around-the-world travelers, as I was about to meet in this city. Each day, I felt as if I met a new traveler, who was traveling until the money ran out, or had already been traveling for months. I was the odd person out, who was only in Laos, and who would only be traveling for two weeks. Regardless, I tired to pull off the “I’ve-been-traveling-for-months” look with my North Face gear and giant backpack. Luang Prabang is where I was told I would want to spend most of my time, and that I did. We spend about six days there, instead of the original three days I gave us on my rough itinerary. I was able to take a slow boat ride on the “mighty” Mekong River, saw the amazing Kuang Si waterfalls, saw more wats (temples) and monks than I could imagine, spent plenty of kip (Laos currency) at the night market, played several frames at the local bowling alley, and even assisted in teaching English to the local kids and monks.
Although Laos is not a typical vacation destination, the country does know how to treat its visitors. I think I have traveled a fair amount, and I have to say the country is probably the friendliest, laid-back place I have every visited, along with being a place I felt very safe with my belongings. It has been a rough transition from flip-flop wearing, sun block wearing, 90 plus degree temperature to fleece-wearing, closed-toed shoe wearing, 60 dgree temps in a matter of days. My friend asked me if I would return to Laos. Initially, I said no, but perhaps I will. There is still the South to see, which is where my friend will be spending the next month. As the Laos people say, it will be “same same, but different.”
One of the first questions I got from people, when I told them I would be going on vacation for two weeks, was “where are you going?” The second question happened to be the same question, “where?” Sure, to many, Laos is not the typical place you would hear from someone who wants a real vacation, which is what I was wanting. But, when your good friend, almost cousin (as we referred to ourselves in Laos) is on a globe-trotting adventure, you go to meet her, in a destination you may have not gone to otherwise, right?
My trip started in the sleepy capital of Vientiane. I was assured that this is not what Laos is like, not just by my friend but also by the folks on the Lonely Planet Thorntree forum, which I frequented daily before my trip. Next up was a, longer than what was suppose to be usual, bus ride on a local bus. Local buses in Laos are those that leave the bus station once every seat is full, and those that stop along the road to drop off passengers in their villages, which equal very long. Vang Vieng is a haven for 20 something year-olds wanting to “chill out” and be “happy.” By happy, I mean you can order bags of pot and opium for as little as $10 US. Also, this haven served as a place for some biking on rocky and gravel-filled dirt roads (as a side note, I broke my foot on a bike, on a similar road on a vacation in the past). But the bike trip was successful, and quite beautiful. We biked along the limestone caves that surround the picturesque Vang Vieng, and even dared to enter one cave.
On route to Luang Prabang, I was filled in on where to stay and what to do by my friend, as she had already spent several days there. I was not prepared to meet so many around-the-world travelers, as I was about to meet in this city. Each day, I felt as if I met a new traveler, who was traveling until the money ran out, or had already been traveling for months. I was the odd person out, who was only in Laos, and who would only be traveling for two weeks. Regardless, I tired to pull off the “I’ve-been-traveling-for-months” look with my North Face gear and giant backpack. Luang Prabang is where I was told I would want to spend most of my time, and that I did. We spend about six days there, instead of the original three days I gave us on my rough itinerary. I was able to take a slow boat ride on the “mighty” Mekong River, saw the amazing Kuang Si waterfalls, saw more wats (temples) and monks than I could imagine, spent plenty of kip (Laos currency) at the night market, played several frames at the local bowling alley, and even assisted in teaching English to the local kids and monks.
Although Laos is not a typical vacation destination, the country does know how to treat its visitors. I think I have traveled a fair amount, and I have to say the country is probably the friendliest, laid-back place I have every visited, along with being a place I felt very safe with my belongings. It has been a rough transition from flip-flop wearing, sun block wearing, 90 plus degree temperature to fleece-wearing, closed-toed shoe wearing, 60 dgree temps in a matter of days. My friend asked me if I would return to Laos. Initially, I said no, but perhaps I will. There is still the South to see, which is where my friend will be spending the next month. As the Laos people say, it will be “same same, but different.”
Friday, May 30, 2008
paradise
It is like taking the back road. It takes me 19 hours to get from luang prabang to sam neua, in northeastern laos, at the border of Vietnam.
the Ipod battery didn’t last that long. Should I be thankful for the blaring laos pop music, occasionally accompanied with clapping and singing, through the night, that forced me to stay awake and “acquire” a taste for it?
when day breaks, I see lush green valleys, paddy fields shrouded in fog, and land irregularly punctuated by bomb craters, remnants of US bombing during the IndoChina war.
The bus chokes on the uphills, it is overloaded with boxes of rice, cement on the top, back seats and the floor- they outnumber the humans on it! The road as wide as the bus leaves little room for anything else. The honks are to scare away the roosters, pigs, cows, sometimes children who run out of the village huts to wave their goodbyes. Buses are a once-a-day occurrence on this route.
Village huts, dish antennae are the signs of civilization, but other than that, this land is pristine.
I forget the sleepless night and look out and look forward to another day in paradise..
the Ipod battery didn’t last that long. Should I be thankful for the blaring laos pop music, occasionally accompanied with clapping and singing, through the night, that forced me to stay awake and “acquire” a taste for it?
when day breaks, I see lush green valleys, paddy fields shrouded in fog, and land irregularly punctuated by bomb craters, remnants of US bombing during the IndoChina war.
The bus chokes on the uphills, it is overloaded with boxes of rice, cement on the top, back seats and the floor- they outnumber the humans on it! The road as wide as the bus leaves little room for anything else. The honks are to scare away the roosters, pigs, cows, sometimes children who run out of the village huts to wave their goodbyes. Buses are a once-a-day occurrence on this route.
Village huts, dish antennae are the signs of civilization, but other than that, this land is pristine.
I forget the sleepless night and look out and look forward to another day in paradise..
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
with a little help from my friends..
it’s what I imagine heaven to be like. a cool, mountain breeze hits me as I look out the window of our bus, as it climbs the winding roads- I can’t stop looking and trying, in vain, to capture how beautiful this place is. there is no other word to describe it – beautiful does it.
Nadia arrived in Vientiene on the 19th with all the goodies on my list and some not on it – so great to pick out the cranberries and almonds from trail mix again and have non-whitening sunscreen and of course, the best thing of all – the Thinkpad, with all my music (iDump rules!) and a regular Ctrl key.
In the last few days, we
- watched “home-made rockets” being shot into the air
- endured a 5 hour bus ride on a local bus (on an empty stomach)
- rode bicycles on rocky laos dirt roads on a really, really, really hot day, nadia even gave a ride to a local kid
- explored( for 10 minutes) a cave after a treacherous 20 minute climb on slippery rocks
- got a room with a gorgeous view of the cliffs in vang vieng
- skipped “happy” meals in vang vieng and tubing down the river (loud music and bar islands at every bend)
- splashed around in a waterfall, while fearing for dear life (due to slippery rocks and my refusal to put my feet on river/pond/waterfall bottoms)
- walked around in the sweltering heat around luang prabang
- bargained at the night market
- tried to lie as still as is possible, in the afternoons– because talking, laughing made us sweat (and we have three fans in our room)!
- Went bowling
- Finally gave in and tried beer lao and lao lao (lao whisky)
- Taught an English class
- Played ‘petang’ (bochi ball) with the locals
on nadia's last day in laos, we just want to do what everyone does best in lao – not much!
Then its long bus rides to our respective destinations- nadia goes to vientiene to catch a flight back home, and I take a long bus ride to Sam Neau in Northeastern Laos..
Nadia arrived in Vientiene on the 19th with all the goodies on my list and some not on it – so great to pick out the cranberries and almonds from trail mix again and have non-whitening sunscreen and of course, the best thing of all – the Thinkpad, with all my music (iDump rules!) and a regular Ctrl key.
In the last few days, we
- watched “home-made rockets” being shot into the air
- endured a 5 hour bus ride on a local bus (on an empty stomach)
- rode bicycles on rocky laos dirt roads on a really, really, really hot day, nadia even gave a ride to a local kid
- explored( for 10 minutes) a cave after a treacherous 20 minute climb on slippery rocks
- got a room with a gorgeous view of the cliffs in vang vieng
- skipped “happy” meals in vang vieng and tubing down the river (loud music and bar islands at every bend)
- splashed around in a waterfall, while fearing for dear life (due to slippery rocks and my refusal to put my feet on river/pond/waterfall bottoms)
- walked around in the sweltering heat around luang prabang
- bargained at the night market
- tried to lie as still as is possible, in the afternoons– because talking, laughing made us sweat (and we have three fans in our room)!
- Went bowling
- Finally gave in and tried beer lao and lao lao (lao whisky)
- Taught an English class
- Played ‘petang’ (bochi ball) with the locals
on nadia's last day in laos, we just want to do what everyone does best in lao – not much!
Then its long bus rides to our respective destinations- nadia goes to vientiene to catch a flight back home, and I take a long bus ride to Sam Neau in Northeastern Laos..
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
break on through..
he is a sixteen year old who dreams of becoming an actor (or a physics teacher), only if his acne go away, which he (and his friends) believe are there because he doesn't get his beauty sleep. he asks me if i know how to get rid of them, while solemnly spelling acne on the blank piece of paper ( i correct the spellings)
another sixteen year old (som peng) dreams of becoming a doctor, and wants to open his clinic or pharmacy, he's not quite sure of the difference between the two. he uses the word "success" as much as he can because he can. he is in third grade, because he didn't study when he was younger. he wants a laos to english dictionary which would increase his vocabulary and the $10 lonely planet phrasebook is too expensive to be bought. he also wants a thai to english dictionary. when asked how he knows thai, he smiles and says, 'thai television. we used to watch it back home.'
his elder brother, who lives with him, goes to college. he is in his first year and wants to work in a bank, he has many subjects in college, he says.
the nineteen year old (som pan) is quieter. he wants me to talk slowly, so he can understand. his sister, who was about thirty passed away in a house fire. he, then, left home. he wants to be a doctor and work in china hospital in luang prabang. it takes five years and a lot of hard work, he emphasizes.
in the afternoons, they practise english with foreigners such as me. sometimes, they practise their vocabulary with friends.
these days, they are learning about the different body parts- so there i am teaching them elbow, nails, eyes and correcting their grammar and spellings and solving math and chemistry equations, their homework, they say.
most everything is in laos, or so it seems, some pages are photocopies from a thai book, but all i see is chemistry equations. in any language, the symbols are the same and so is the periodic table.
they ask me to write the alphabets of hindi and then the basic questions - hello, how are you, i am fine, goodbye. i ask them if they have been to india- 'not yet'. a perfect reply- hopeful.
they ask me to explain what lonely planet says about the bqaasi ceremony - and then one runs to his room to give me three threads- white, yellow and red- the colors signify something important, he doesn't know what.
novice monks aren't allowed to do the bqaasi ceremony, he says but i give them to you
they aren't allowed to touch me, so no handshakes. even pencils are handed to me carefully
i can visit their room and their school
they aren't allowed to drive/ride bicycles. they can take a tuk-tuk, if they have the money. but they don't. so everyday, they walk to school - its a half an hour walk one-way- its tiring, they complain.
they have three terms of computer classes, the first teaches them MS word, XP, the second- excel etc and the third, photoshop. they ask if i will teach them photoshop on a laptop?
they don't do dinner- only lunch and breakfast.
they used to get books from the library, but now that the library has moved, they don't have access to them. they don't know where the new library location is.
they are learning the "part of speech", world history- the thais and the english, the vietnamese and the french.
to the world and to me, until a few hours ago, they are novice monks in a temple in luang prabang. but really, they are only teenagers, who because of circumstances and ambitions had the wisdom to put on an orange robe and lead a life of chastity and penance for sometime, to pursue their dreams, to give themselves their only chance to fly, to get out of a farmland into banks and hospitals
their ambition makes me humble, their passion for knowledge makes me proud, their age makes me envious- i want to be sixteen again.
every day, i continue to meet a variety of people, i have discussions on anything and everything from hair conditioners to relationships. i leave every good conversation with a feeling of satisfaction for having learnt something new or for having seen a different perspective to something
but its when i am down to some very basic topics that i realize, sometimes, how little i truly understand.
how do I explain "equilibrium" to someone who thinks 500000 kip(about $70) is too expensive for a year's education. that's the "discounted" hourly massage rate in san francisco.
how do i explain what divorced is?
how do i explain what a software engineer really does?
just when you think you are able to answer some pretty tough questions in life, some seemingly simple questions leave you wondering.
another sixteen year old (som peng) dreams of becoming a doctor, and wants to open his clinic or pharmacy, he's not quite sure of the difference between the two. he uses the word "success" as much as he can because he can. he is in third grade, because he didn't study when he was younger. he wants a laos to english dictionary which would increase his vocabulary and the $10 lonely planet phrasebook is too expensive to be bought. he also wants a thai to english dictionary. when asked how he knows thai, he smiles and says, 'thai television. we used to watch it back home.'
his elder brother, who lives with him, goes to college. he is in his first year and wants to work in a bank, he has many subjects in college, he says.
the nineteen year old (som pan) is quieter. he wants me to talk slowly, so he can understand. his sister, who was about thirty passed away in a house fire. he, then, left home. he wants to be a doctor and work in china hospital in luang prabang. it takes five years and a lot of hard work, he emphasizes.
in the afternoons, they practise english with foreigners such as me. sometimes, they practise their vocabulary with friends.
these days, they are learning about the different body parts- so there i am teaching them elbow, nails, eyes and correcting their grammar and spellings and solving math and chemistry equations, their homework, they say.
most everything is in laos, or so it seems, some pages are photocopies from a thai book, but all i see is chemistry equations. in any language, the symbols are the same and so is the periodic table.
they ask me to write the alphabets of hindi and then the basic questions - hello, how are you, i am fine, goodbye. i ask them if they have been to india- 'not yet'. a perfect reply- hopeful.
they ask me to explain what lonely planet says about the bqaasi ceremony - and then one runs to his room to give me three threads- white, yellow and red- the colors signify something important, he doesn't know what.
novice monks aren't allowed to do the bqaasi ceremony, he says but i give them to you
they aren't allowed to touch me, so no handshakes. even pencils are handed to me carefully
i can visit their room and their school
they aren't allowed to drive/ride bicycles. they can take a tuk-tuk, if they have the money. but they don't. so everyday, they walk to school - its a half an hour walk one-way- its tiring, they complain.
they have three terms of computer classes, the first teaches them MS word, XP, the second- excel etc and the third, photoshop. they ask if i will teach them photoshop on a laptop?
they don't do dinner- only lunch and breakfast.
they used to get books from the library, but now that the library has moved, they don't have access to them. they don't know where the new library location is.
they are learning the "part of speech", world history- the thais and the english, the vietnamese and the french.
to the world and to me, until a few hours ago, they are novice monks in a temple in luang prabang. but really, they are only teenagers, who because of circumstances and ambitions had the wisdom to put on an orange robe and lead a life of chastity and penance for sometime, to pursue their dreams, to give themselves their only chance to fly, to get out of a farmland into banks and hospitals
their ambition makes me humble, their passion for knowledge makes me proud, their age makes me envious- i want to be sixteen again.
every day, i continue to meet a variety of people, i have discussions on anything and everything from hair conditioners to relationships. i leave every good conversation with a feeling of satisfaction for having learnt something new or for having seen a different perspective to something
but its when i am down to some very basic topics that i realize, sometimes, how little i truly understand.
how do I explain "equilibrium" to someone who thinks 500000 kip(about $70) is too expensive for a year's education. that's the "discounted" hourly massage rate in san francisco.
how do i explain what divorced is?
how do i explain what a software engineer really does?
just when you think you are able to answer some pretty tough questions in life, some seemingly simple questions leave you wondering.
Monday, May 12, 2008
country roads
so much for staying in one place..
i am in a french cafe in luang prabang, opposite a school with school kids in crisp white shirts and blue skirts running about, with a wireless internet connection!
my loas book mentions a fabulous, circuitous route to vientiene, via sainyabuli and pak lai, which i plan to take tomorrow. there i meet my good friend and then we will travel north..
more details about the awesome slow boat journey to follow soon..
i am in a french cafe in luang prabang, opposite a school with school kids in crisp white shirts and blue skirts running about, with a wireless internet connection!
my loas book mentions a fabulous, circuitous route to vientiene, via sainyabuli and pak lai, which i plan to take tomorrow. there i meet my good friend and then we will travel north..
more details about the awesome slow boat journey to follow soon..
Saturday, May 10, 2008
both sides now
"emotions in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness", "joy", or "regret".
maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I'd like to have my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster" Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy". I'd like to show how "intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members" contacts with "the hatred of mirrors that begins in middle age". I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar". I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever. I can't just sit back and watch from a distance anymore. From here on in, everything I'll tell u is colored by the subjective experience of being part of events."
from "Middlesex"
words just are never enough to describe where i have been, what i have seen or felt this past week. but i will try, anyway.
a cute little 7-year old, manni, asks me my name and where i am from-- i am reminded of bangladesh except this is aboard an overnight train to lampang from bangkok on may 7th. an hour or so later, she gets her english book and we read together, just like tahsin!
it also turns out that noom, her father exports wooden stuff(spice racks etc.) to walmart and target! he also kindly offers to drop me at my guesthouse from the train station, which, given the heat was such a blessing. the guesthouse is amazing, i even have a terrace (for less than $10) although mosquitoes wouldn't let me relax outside for more than a minute.
the next day i go to the elephant conservation center 30 km outside lampang. i can go and HUG an elephant. I even hug a baby elephant, who sniffs my toes and then sneakily tries to trample my foot- it must smell bad!! my own reaction to the ensuing elephant show surprises me- elephants demonstrate their log lifting skills, curtsy, even paint and play the xylophone. it is too artificial for me, especially coming from an animal as majestic as an elephant. the audience is allowed to feed the elephants after the show, and i buy bananas for my favorite female.. a 7 year old who is the cutest, the most playful and occasionally grumbles!
the rest of the day is consumed in flagging buses off on a highway and making it to chiang rai. it is my stop to get some good books from orns bookshop.
the next morning, on my way to board the bus to mae sai, the border town with myanmar, i change my mind and decide to go to the golden triangle directly.
chiang saen is a beautiful, sleepy village on the river mekong, with about three guesthouses, one very loud bar and a wonderful night market which serves the best tom yum ghai. i visit old temples during the day and have an interesting conversation with jim, who stayed with one of the village tribes the night before, to smoke opium with them.. yes, it was a "legitimate" organized tour!
early next morning, i take a songtaew to the "golden triangle", the confluence of thailand, laos and myanmar. the opium museum provides a lot of information about the opium trade and the tools required for trading and using it. and then i am off to laos..
there is no direct bus to chiang khong, where the border crossing is. there are songtaews to haat bai and then to chiang khong, which go if there are enough passengers (you wait for them to show up for an hour or more, of course). if there aren't, you end up paying a lot more but the scenic drive is worth the extra money, anytime. finally i get to see northern thailand, just as i had imagined it to be.
i crossed over to the other side of mekong this afternoon-- i am in huay xai-- i arrived here, had a sumptuous chicken tikka masala with mint naan, and then signed up for the slow boat to luang prabang tomorrow morning, it will take two days before i reach that popular "french town" in the middle of laos.
every single night of last week was spent in a different city and now, i am ready to settle down and relax for a week in some town, some village in laos- the one i will find or the one that will find me in the next two days.
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