Vientiane: final destination.

Vientiane is laid-back, peaceful, culinary, inexpensive and one of the quietest capital cities so far.

Phra Thatluang.

Can you believe it? I can’t. Vientiane is the final stop before my trip comes to a close. It’s been a wonderful 8 and a bit months. I have had some great experiences in some wonderful places. Travelling the world this year is the best decision I could have made and I am so grateful I got to do it.  It’s a very relaxed capital with a few sights to see, some pampering and tasty food. It is not my favourite place in Laos, but it is a good place to spend a few days. I didn’t feel like I had to rush to do anything here.

The story of the Buddha at Phra Thatluang.

There are more lovely temples to see in Vientiane. It’s hard to believe that I am not sick of them yet, especially how quickly I fatigued on churches in Europe. Often, the beautiful art in temples is quite different from one place to the next. That was the case at the Vat Sisket temple. The temple has thousands of Buddhas that range from being mere millimetres tall, to large statues that are bigger than me. They even showcase images that had been looted and vandalised. There is a small space with hundreds of head-less Buddhas. They were quite a sight. Across town at Phra Thatluang, there is an amazing golden stupa, a giant reclining Buddha (although I have seen bigger, wink wink) and a temple with the story of the Buddha painted in amazing vivid colour on the roof. We explored these areas with very few people around; just some monks working and cleaning.

Vat Siskatek.

I also went to visit two very different museums. One, a national museum charted the history of the country of Laos. Being a communist country, the place is home to some serious pro-communism propaganda. But it charts the country’s history from pre-history until now. There’s Another museum, which is much more focused.  The ‘COPE’ centre is a place where local victims of UXOs (unexploded ordinances) can go for help in funding prosthetic limbs. In the 1950s and 60s the United States undertook an intense bombing campaign of Laos. Even today it stands as the most bombs dropped on any country per capita in the world. The bombs that were dropped contained smaller bombs called ‘bombies’. Many of these are still unexploded in the earth of Laos and many people accidentally detonate them, losing limbs or their lives in the process. The story is sad, but it is one with hope for a better future. Of course, when I watched the films about the little boy who lost his life accidentally picking up a bombie, saw the story about the man who lost his sight after unknowingly lighting a fire right over one, and read about the woman who lost her legs collecting scrap metal to survive, I was deeply affected. Like in many museums before it, I cried.  However the museum itself is a surprisingly sunny place. Here, they focus on the resilience of the people and the work that organisations do to clear the areas too and that is the story they want you to walk away with.

COPE.

I also took the chance to indulge while I was here with some of the remainder of my budget. I ate amazing food like laab, traditional Laotian mice and vegetables and even French food (which is popular here after Laos colonial past). I drank too many happy hour cocktails. I wandered around markets on the Mekong and people watched. But my favourite piece of indulgence was a 3 hour beauty session I did at a local spa. I got a steam, scrub, mud wrap, facial, massage and milk bath for about a quarter of what I would pay in Australia. It was great, except that the woman who did the session with me giggled a lot and considering how nude I was, that was a bit off-putting.

So as the sun sets on my time in Asia, my trip and the year I am reflecting on what I’ve seen and experienced. I’ve updated my ‘about me‘ to reflect this. Thanks for sharing my trip with me.

Vang Vieng: Backpackers’ paradise.

Vang Vieng is dirty, sleazy, fun, cheap and full of youngsters in elephant pants.

From the cave.

 

The jagged mountains, rushing river, vast caves, turquoise lagoons, the buzzing night-life, the opportunity to drown while getting totally wasted: Vang Vieng is a hedonist’s paradise. ‘Do what you want, when you want’ seems to be the motto for this town that is overflowing with young backpacker types, armed with dreadlocks, elephant pants and arms full of bracelets. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery here. I loved tubing but I couldn’t help thinking as I saw the backpackers go about their business, “Am I a bit too old for this?”.

The Nong Sam

As I mentioned, this place is beautiful to look at. Sitting in one of the riverside eateries and enjoying the view was awesome and cruising down the river next to the mountains on a tube (which I’ll tell you more about later) was super fun. The scenery was really special, but what I like about Vang Vieng is how weird it is. A huge number of the bars play ‘Friends’ episodes all day and night, there is an Australian bar, Pizzerias offer ‘Happy Pizza’ and there is push to give the tourists what they want. But at what cost? I didn’t learn about the Lao here, I learned about ‘the backpacker’. It remind me of a wannabe Kho San road. One thing I am told over and over in my life and I realise more as I get older is that being respectful is very important to me. I really struggle with people who take photos when they are told they shouldn’t, don’t respect local customs, touch things they shouldn’t and treat the world like they are the most important thing in it. On this trip I have seen some horrible behaviour that goes beyond just being ignorant. In this part of the world, dressing properly or respectfully is very important to the local people. There are signs everywhere asking people not to walk around in their bathers, yet I saw so many girls walking through town in itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie bikinis and guys flexing up a storm without shirts on. They didn’t offend me personally, but the fact that they ignored the requests of the locals does offend me. Very much.

The Blue Lagoon.

Just outside of town there is a ‘Golden Gate bridge’, which wobbles like crazy when anyone walks on it. Walk up a hundred steps and there is a cave called Tham Chang to explore and enjoy some amazing views from. Not far from there people take a dip in the turquoise waters of the blue lagoon. But the main attraction here is the very infamous, but awesomely fun ‘tubing’. I know a couple of people who have been, but the overarching narrative of the famous Vang Vieng past time of ‘tubing’ is that it is very dangerous and people die in the waters of the Nong Sam river. The water is a dangerous place, the river is unpredictable, but after cruising down the thing in a rubber tube of my own, I think the main issue is the booze and drugs. We set off from the tube shop where we signed our lives away and were given a number on permanent marker on our hands. “That’s so they can identify the body”, one of my travel buddies quipped, I laughed, but secretly I was quite nervous. We took a tuk tuk to the top of the river and were left to our own devices. It would take about 2 hours to float to the end. I only had one hairy moment. The rocks are jagged and make the water quite shallow in parts. One hit the nozzle on my tube and flipped me forward. The initial shock frightened me the most, but once i got to my tube and got my bearings it was smooth sailing from there. As we floated down the river I found it lovely and relaxing; others came to party. Many of the riverside bars have been shut down given the fatalities, but a few are still open. The music is pumping, people are drinking themselves stupid and partying in bikinis. It’s how I imagine spring break to be. Or at least how spring break is portrayed in film. I saw one girl who was actually passed out on her tube floating far from anyone she knew. We cruised down the river, having a laugh, a chat and looking out for rocks (and each other), so it was pretty safe.

Tubing. Pic via The Chad.

I had a good time in Vang Vieng, I just didn’t compromise my safety or my cultural sensitivity to do it. Please forgive this old fuddy-duddy post; I am 30 now, so maybe it’s a sign I am more set in my ways and that I like complaining about young ruffians.

Luang Prabang: A tale of two cities.

Luang Prabang is quiet, colonial, contrasting, peaceful and UNESCO heritage listed.

Misty morning.

The next stop is the gorgeous old city of Luang Prabang. Final stop on the slow boat trip and a relaxed and easy going place with a fun-filled atmosphere. Here there is a beautiful city that is heavily influenced by the French colonial style sitting side by side with many classic Asian elements. It is a mash-up of styles, but nothing seems out of place, the two coexist beautifully.

The old town.

I’m learning more about the people of Laos as I move through their country. They are more reserved than their neighbours, but they are still friendly. They are building up their tourism industry, but there is not the scams and harassment that often follow the tourist trade. The people are proud and fly their flags about their houses and shops. Here I can browse through the market with nothing but a ‘sabaidee’ (hello) from the owner. It is relaxing here; there is no traffic, at least not to the level there is in other cities I have been to on this journey. There is a nice slow pace that is easy to get caught up in. A couple of times I took a moment just to enjoy the fact that there was no noise.

The Mekong.

My favourite activity in Luang Prabang actually happened about 30ks out of the town centre. The adventure to Kung Si Falls was a difficult hike over some rough terrain. It was a challenge that was well worth it. The falls are simply stunning. We began about 3 hours from the falls in a little village. We stopped at a local’s house for a tour and saw their collection of puppies, chickens and even a small monkey tied to the house by a piece of string. A local guided us through the start of the track which included farm land, water buffalo grazing and an array of colourful flowers. From there we reached the source of the falls and the top of the falls, where a number of makeshift wooden planks have been placed for you to walk over the top of the falls. You walk partly on the logs, partly on the water. The view is impressive but you have to get pretty close to the edge, which a few people weren’t keen on. After that came the hard part, a steep climb down the side of the falls over rocks and mud. I slipped and slid all over the place, but luckily I kept my feet. When I got to the bottom I was dirty, hot and bothered. Luckily, by that time I was at the falls. The aqua-coloured water spills over several rocky faces, the sun shines through above the falls highlighting the mist and the thing is tall, 3 tiers and 60 meters high. I sat and looked at it for a while. It was a special place and well worth the trip.

Sunshine, mist and the falls.

After the hike I cooled off by swimming in the smaller falls below Kuang Si. The water was freezing and the fish liked biting my toes, so I got out and started to leave. On the grounds of the park where the waterfalls are there is a small bear rescue centre. They have Moon Bears on display that have been saved from Chinese medicine which believes that the bear’s bile is a cure-all. I haven’t seen a lot of wildlife in Laos so knowing that there are charities out there helping with conservation is a great thing. Often the people here do not have the resources to feed themselves, let alone sustain a conservation program, so it’s pretty great that people like these bear rescuers can have an impact.

Rescued Moon Bears.

There are plenty of sights to see in the town. The Mekong flows through and we sat and had breakfast on the water’s edge one morning. There are plenty of temples around town the keep you occupied. Even after 3 weeks here I am not yet sick of temples. The stand out was the Wat Xieng Thong. Mosaics, gold leaf and sweeping roof tops all create a different look. I watched a man who was repairing gold leaf working hard under the hot afternoon sun. The task was quite laborious as he could only open one 2 cm by 2cm packet of gold leaf at a time. There is also a really lovely French bakery over the road. But that is not the only French influence in town, the colonial-style buildings are one of the reasons UNESCO has placed the whole town on the world heritage list. The houses have high ceilings, timber shutters and a lovely colonial charm. This influence can be seen at the royal palace, which now houses a collection of art, furniture and gifts that used to belong to the king. The interior of the house had both Asian and European influences, but was not as grand as I after palace hopping across the world. There is also a look out at a Stupa called Phu Si in the middle of town. From here you can see across the whole city. I went up in the morning when it was quite foggy which created an eerie view.

Haw Kham.

After dark, Luang Prabang comes alive with lots of colour and atmosphere. The massive night market goes on for several kilometres and is filled with souvenirs, beautiful textiles, clothes and a vast array of elephant pants. There are also a number of bars that cater for the ‘falang’ (foreigner), we went to a couple, one was a set in a jungle, with large overhanging trees and 2 for 1 cocktails. The other, called Utopia, was like stepping back into Melbourne. There was not a local to speak of, but soft cushions on the floor to sit on, a volleyball court outside and a foosball table that I dominated. The drinks were cheap and the youngsters had passed out on the floor. In Australia these people wouldn’t be allowed in the club for long, as soon as security spotted them, they would be out. However, in Asia, the land that OH&S forgot, the bar staff just stepped over them to grab glasses.

Night markets.

Laos is proving to be the chilled out member of the Indochina family. Luang Prabang is no exception. Despite being one of the major tourist draw-cards of the country, there is no push and shove, no rush, only ‘Laos time’, which is one pace only: slow.

The Mekong: cruising on a slow boat.

One of the ways to cross Laos is on a ‘slow boat’ cruising down the Mekong. This was one of the most relaxing transits I have done. Rolling down the river with the beautiful scenery was gorgeous. Like I have said before, in Asia, the journeys are half the fun.

Cruisin’.

We jumped on the boat after crossing the border into Houay Xai. The border crossing was easy enough. An air-conditioned bus from Chang Mai to Chiang Rai, a public bus from Chiang Rai to the border, a tuk tuk to border control, from the Thai side to the Laos side and then a tuk tuk into town. Actually, now that I write it down it seems much more complex than that.  As I mentioned in my last entry, in Asia, it is about both the journey and the destination. Riding on the public bus was fun. it was not air conditioned, but the back door was left open for the breeze. which led to a lot of hilarious movement from my hair. Once in the town there was only time for dinner, some local honey whisky and bed. On night two we stopped in the town of Pak Beng overnight for a similar evening, although we were able to watch the sunset over the Mekong from the Wat on the hill while listening to the chants of the novice monks. A perfect Laos moment.

Sunset over The Mekong.

The boat was long and filled with old car seats, we were warned to balance out the boat and not move around too much as we could tip the whole thing over. The Captain was a young man in his early 20s but the real show-stopper was his wife. 7 months pregnant and still steering the boat into it’s moorings, cooking us amazing lunches all while being utterly beautiful. Her cooking was actually amazing. We got delicious stir-fries, curries, noodles, chicken wings, spring rolls, soups and grilled fish over two lunches. These were pretty close to being some of the best food I have had while I have been away.

Our trusty vessel.

The Mekong itself is wide and rapid. Small villages dot the lush jungle-covered mountains that soar on its banks. An occasional golden stupa will pop out from the greenery too. But the best part is how peaceful it all is. People cruise past on their boats every now and again, but no-one is in too much of a hurry. We were able to stop in on two of those villages on our way down the river. On both days we arrived to give the community members gifts of things they had requested from our tour company. I’m all for giving back, but people were hiding things you had already given them so they could get more and a woman who helped me down a sand dune to get back to the boat demanded money for helping me. I know I do not understand the poverty they face every day and this behaviour makes perfect sense; but it disappointed me and also made me feel a whole new level of guilt of being, as a man in my tour so aptly put it “A big colonial bastard”. At day one’s village the people were tentative about us. The kids stared in horror and it was only a game of throwing a ball around that loosened them up. On day two we went to a Hmong village. This ethnic group has suffered a lot of persecution and some Hmong even live a life on the run after the Vietnam (or American, or secret war). I think the Hmong were more used to visitors, as they said thank you and had a few local girls ready with handicrafts to sell to us. At the Hmong village we brought some school supplies and hygiene products for the children, then we taught the kids some classic western dances  (including the Chicken Dance and Macarena) and played a crazy free-for-all soccer game with them. It was actually fantastic. They have such a fun energy.

School kids in the Hmong village.

We also visited the Pak Ou caves which are limestone caves that sit on the edge of the Mekong. Here, local people have donated thousands of Buddha images that sit inside the two tiered cave. On the bottom level there are about 4000 Buddhas. You can light incense and sit quietly with the images in a very serene environment. After a climb up some very steep, high and slippery stairs, you hit a dark cave where you use a torch to see 3000 more. This was a nice detour, but not the most exciting
cave I’ve ever been to.

Some of the thousands.

After arriving in Laung Prabang, the final destination (and my next entry), I was actually quite sad to leave my car seat and say goodbye to the captain and his lovely wife. The boat was one of the best ways I could have imagined to see the untouched jungle beauty of Laos.