Phonsavan

Our last destination in Laos was Phonsavan - it is a less touristy place which proved to be intersting for a couple of reasons. In order to get to Phonsavan we had to take our usual share of pain - a long bus ride through the mountains. We got however upset right at the beginning of the trip. We had the pleasure to be on the bus station together with some locals taking a small pig for a bus ride. This as such is ok with me but not that the little big was put into a sack without any opening for air whatsoever - it was squeeking like hell - definitely suffering. See the picture of the sack in our gallery. This is not the first time we have seen bad treatment of animals in this country. The most shocking sight was a truck full of dogs in cages on the top of each other. The truck was the size of huge European truck and had hundreds of dogs in cages frying in the sun - we were so shocked we even did not take any pictures...Barking was overwhelming...

Anyway we got to Phonsavan - a relatively grim town with a couple of small restaurants and one that catered to expats that live there (as we learned later). There was however a decent choice of hotels. The town itself is around 1500 meters above the sea so it was really chilly in the evening - probably around 20 degrees celcius but we felt cold when dinning outside :)

The reason while we came to Phonsovan were mysterious fields of huge jars in the surrounding area. At first we thought that we will rent a motorbike and look around ourselves (even found a Hungarian speaking owner of a rental shop!) but we ended up in a small organized tour...

The most interesting part of our visit however was the "enlightment" to which we were subjected. First of all during Vietnam war between 1964 and 1973 US dropped over two million tons of bombs over Laos and most of them are still laying around - the so called unexploded ordnance (UXO). Basically it is dangerous to walk anywhere outside an offbeaten track. Moreover, people in villages do not dare to use more fields for their crops because they find more and more bombs which explode and injur or kill them. The most shocking fact is however, that more or less nobody is doing anything about it. There is a British organization called Mines Advisory Group which is doing a great job clearing UXO since 1994 (why only since then?) which is sponsored by European Union and a couple of other governmental organizations from around the world. However, its operations seem pretty limited. We watched a movie about their work in Laos and learned lots about the current situation with UXO in Laos in their office in Phonsovan. Why is UN, US or anybody else who has serious resources or is able to mobilize such is doing close to nothing about UXO in Laos remains a mystery to us. Or perhaps it is incredible that Lao government is doing so little about it - in the end it is their business...

Anyway, three sites which contain dozens of huge jars have been cleared by MAG and are now open to tourism. UN is working with the local authorities on making the sites certified as UNESCO World Heritage and progress is visible. In the whole area there are around 20 sites with jars and they all need to be cleared of UXO and then can be put on UNESCO World Heritage list making them a magnet for tourists and uplifing the local economy which is in dire straits. It was very uplifiting to see such initiatives and talk to people directly involved in working on the project.

The jars themselves are huge - up to a couple of tons and nobody really knows what was their purpose. They lay scattered in the fields - a couple with huge lids. Among them huge craters from exploded bombs and around beatiful greenery of Lao fields.

Luang Prabang

After yet another long and windy bus ride we arrived to Luang Prabang, the former royal capital. This is where the Mekong meets the Nam Khan river forming a nice, long peninsula, the home of the so called temple district and the center of tourist attractions. I could also say the old town is like an open museum full of ancient Buddhist temples, French colonial villas, local handicraft market and street food stalls, a complete mix of what you can wish to see together. After our first day stroll across the tiny streets of the old town zig-zagging from one beautiful temple to the other what stroke us most was the silence; despite of many tourists, typical laid-back Lao everyday life and hundreds of monks and novices in the temples, the place is sooo charmingly peaceful as none of our previous destinations alike - if anything like such is possible at all. It took us by hand and slowly, comfortably let us sink ourselves in to its live and stay one day longer than intended.

We missed the Royal Palace Museum unfortunately - Tuesday is the only day of the week when its is closed, guess when did we want to pay our visit? - but it definitely looks something you should see if you are around. Phu Si is a landmark in Luang Prabang, the stupa and small temple on top of a 100 m high hill in the middle of the old town, which I think is mostly beautiful due to the view you gain over the city if you make the walk, and the walk itself through a foresty park full of strange colorful bugs and smelly frangipany flowers (we saw also Buddha's footprint there). But the most unique theme in is observing the life of monks and novices - as it is an integrated part of the daily city life starting at 5.30 am with the silent walk of monks collecting alms every day till sitting through the chanting ceremonies in one of the numerous temples around.

The third day we took a deep breath and hired a tuk-tuk to visit the Pak Ou Caves 25 km out of town, with some suspicion after witnessing other tourists attempts to make their way through the lengthy bargaining process from irrationally high prices just to learn on the way that the driver took it as a one way price... Though we were prepared for the unexpected, I have to admit our driver exceeded my imagination: first he took 50% of the price for petrol, then we found ourselves in a village where we did not intend to go and shortly being stopped on the roadside for a lengthy conversation in Lao with another driver. It cleared only quite some time later what really was cooking, but the immediate outcome was an attempt to take us to a different cave pretending that there was a misunderstanding about the destination. When we stopped the third time and our driver sat next to a checkpoint looking hut without saying anything I learned that our vehicle is not allowed to drive outside the city limits. It might have all been possible to sort out if our driver would have not considered that the half price we already paid for a trip which never got even close to its destination is not to be returned. Now I am not going to describe in such detail what happenings followed, only the conclusion: never loose your coolness, forget about time do not panic and it will all sort itself out. After an hour or so we were riding to our destination - I guess it was a calculated risk or rip off attempt we did not buy and there was no other choice on either side. Anyway, I do not recommend this ride on a tuk-tuk, there is a reason why these hardly vehicle-like creatures must not ride on dirt roads... I think instead of 1,5 hours which was the original quote it was around 4 hours excursion including a river crossing to enter the caves and getting acquainted with the local kids, who were selling small birds for your improved karma and luck. Maybe we have seen enough caves to be too fascinated by these ones in particular, but it is a nice trip, especially if one can avoid the tuk-tuk drivers. Before I forget to mention, when we returned to the city he did not miss the opportunity to ask us to pay more than the agreed price. I wonder and wonder what is on their minds, but about this some time later. By the way Tomek developed a general allergy to tuk-tuk's since we always end up in some trouble and the guys notoriously lie.

Vang Vieng

Our following destination on our way to the north of Laos was Vang Vieng. As usual we took a bus (just 4 hours ride) since there is no other way unless you hire a car or rent a motorbike and return it in the same place you took it - kind of nonsense if you want to proceed in certain direction.


The good thing about our journey to Vang Vieng was that we went through the "BACI" ritual on our last day in Tham Kong Lo homestay. Lao people believe that everyone has 32 spirits. Sometimes one or couple of our souls may wonder away and that is pretty bad. Therefore the ceremony makes sure that all of them come back to you. So we are back to our state of 32 spirits and ready for more travelling...

Anyway the atmoshpere Vang Vieng can be best described by the picture of Rita in the hammock with the cat - very easy going. For some reason cats nowadays adore Rita and this one took special pleasure in letting himself be petted.

Vang Vieng is sort of an intersting phenomena of the ubiquitos globalization in sort of wierd way. It is located amid greenery of the surrounding beatiful hills and right by the Nam Song river. Beautiful setting for relaxation one could say - some years ago though the town has been discovered by tourists - mostly backpackers. By now the town is a neverending stretch of restaurants, bars, interent cafes, tourist agents, late night discos etc. A very artifical creature in itself feeding itself on neverending stream of tourists. Whether it has anything to do with Laos is questionable. It has been created entirely for the tourists who would like to get similiar experience as at home while eating pizza and drinking beer - just cheaper. It has indeed helped the local economy but it is wierd - imagine that there are about 80 guesthouses in what really used to be a small village...Now everyone sells banana pancakes.

Nevertheless, the scenery is great and as usual it is up to you what you make of it. We rented bicycles and went to a blue lagoon near a big cave where we had lunch. The way to the cave was an ordeal because the sun was frying us, but during lunch a short lived storm arrived and our way back was very pleasant. We missed the tubing on the river due to our late morning wake up. We usually make it before 9am to breakfast but that day we did not.

In Vang Vieng Rita found us another great accomodation in a little bungalow right next to the river. Though again we had the pleasure to get scared to death during yet another powerful night storm - a bit freaky especially considering the typhoon in Myanmar...Hope it gets better there since we have already got both the visas and the plane tickets.

In the evening we decided to enjoy a little cake and watch one of the blockbusters on a big screen in one of the cafes - Vantage Point. I got more hooked up since it was all action and I do not go to the cinema too often nowadays but somehow got dissapointed in the end. Rita was really bored - to the point that she sipped my beer (and she hates beer).


All in all we spend two days in this civilization made especially for tourists and boarded yet another bus to Luang Prabang.

Tham Kong Lo

While waiting for our Myanmar visa we endeavoured on a little trip South from Vientiane, to visit the cave in Tham Kong Lo. To be more precise it is a river disappearing in a monolithic limestone mountain creating a 7 km pitch dark cave, which you can cross on a boat. Honestly, when Tomek came up with this idea I was not full of enthusiasm, as a black hole is not a most attractive thing I can imagine, especially if you ought to spend a couple of hours in it. But since this is supposed to be one of the natural wonders of Laos I gave in hoping if nothing else but for personal development...

We took an early morning bus from Vientiane to Ban Khoun Kham, a good 6 hours shaker on a local bus accompanied by live stock chicken, a couple of sacks of rice and a bus driver, who thought himself to be also a DJ entertaining the full bus with Thai pop music on maximum volume. At Ban Khoun Kham we figured that we do not have to test our fresh motorbiking skills across rice fields, because the road has been built to Tham Kong Lo. So we took another local bus, which was apparently a pickup and we were seated on its back with gallons of petrol in plastic barrels, 50 kg rice sacks and some Laotians. Within 3-4 hours we arrived to our destination where we headed to look for accommodation before the sun would disappear. It was not long before we understood that the only option we have is to stay at one of the local homes, which institution is called Home Stay, including a mattress to sleep in their home, breakfast and dinner. Luckily we found one where we had our own room and enjoyed the hospitality of a 3 generation Lao family without a single person in the nearby speaking even a word of English nor anyother tourists.

Next morning we walked to the riverside, where the Boat Committee had its' headquarters, a dozen of boatmen sleeping on benches, but in a strong cartel with regards to the price - which seems to be the case all over Laos; that is all about communism so far :) So we got our two men with headlights and a wooden arch and a long tail engine entering the mouth of the cave. Soon I realized that my personal development has begun, because within 1 minute we were totally cut from daylight in a 20 something meter high, 10 meter wide cave, in a shaky arch. But actually not long after my eyes got accustomed to the new light, or rather dark conditions and could start relaxing and enjoying the view provided by the torchlight of our boatmen. Not yet being in the wet season the water level inside the cave dropped so much that 4-5 times we had to get out and walk in the water while our boatmen earned their hefty fee, which in light of the harsh working conditions did not seem so much expensive. After a good hour we saw the sunlight again at the other end of the cave for a half an hour break when we understood that we shall make our way back through the cave. It turned out to be a good half day program including a walk inside the cave to a "gallery" of stunning stalactites, which meant that the only bus back to Ban Khoun Kham was gone for that day and we are to spend another night with our hosts. Well, it is not only hearsay, you really have to take it easy in Laos; time is very cheap over here and there is plenty of it. So we decided to enjoy the rest of the day getting acquainted with the local restaurant-grocery-petrol station-garage-in-one and its customers and returned to Vientiane with a similarly bumpy and lengthy multiple bus and pick-up ride. Good that these guys are so practical that they build their houses on stork legs a good 2 meters above the ground, otherwise we would have been seriously terrified, not only scared out of our whits that the night storm will wash us out from our bed.

By the evening we were fully set for glass of red wine and fettuchini with pesto, blue cheese and walnuts to celebrate the Labor Day, which is actually only a cover story for humankind to commemorate my birthday.

Vientiane

Our last stretch from Sukhothai to Laos went suprisingly smoothly. We were prepared for yet another nightmare the sort we had when crossing from India to Nepal. Nothing like that materialized. Though we had to take a night bus and change twice, everything went smoothly and by early afternoon we arrived to the capital of Laos - Vientiane. We read that it is a very laid back place and indeed it is. It does not feel even like a capital - there are not too many cars on the streets and generally there is no rush whatsoever. The best thing though about the place is the French legacy - with it the possibility to eat baguettes and all sorts of nice cakes - I might not be a person that especially needs bread or sweets but after 4 months of basically not eating anything except rice and occassionally bad toasts, real bread tasted awesome. You do not even need to go to a fancy restaurant to buy it - it is sold everywhere on the streets. For me it is definitely the highlight of the place :)

Otherwise, the center of Vientiane can be criss-crossed within one hour by foot. It is really cosy in that sense. It is clean and with very few cars it has this unique communist feel - empty streets and from outside everything looking good. Anyway it is a very light version of communism as private enterprises are everywhere and doing well.

We have rented bicycles and went outside the center to look for additional adventures but honestly we have not found them. Somehow everything seems to work - we could even get information about buses in English at a remote bus station...

One other very nice thing about the Vientiane is the stretch of "restaurants" that are being set up every evening along Mekong. We had some local specialties there but failed to order (to Rita's despair) a soup which you cook on your own table in a little clay pot. We will still try though.

As to the phenomena of white guys having local girlfriends - it seems that it is as big as in Thailand. Honestly, it is amazing as it seems that half of the guys coming here end up with local girls. Somehow it does not work the other way round...

Our next stop is in a middle of nowhere - no road leads there and you need to take a 3 hour local boat to get there :)