Heather and I have just made a firm commitment to update this space on a more regular basis. We're disgusted with ourselves, and are self loathing for letting things slip for a month. I thought this year was going to be different, and was so confident I even asked for a diary for Christmas. It's collecting dust next to my chemistry set. To complete my mental mugging, I turned off the computer this morning with the Red Sox losing 6-3 to the Yankees, and they came to back to win it 7-6 while I was grinding my teeth at the tailor. Enough!! On with the update.
Who knew the Chinese loved their Christian holiday's? Not us. But it turns out they do, to the tune of three days off. Piggyback that with a weekend, throw in a couple paid leave days, and your talking about seeing a new country, maybe two. Heather always takes the lead when it comes to travel planning, and she got WAY out of the box on this one. I was thinking maybe some R&R on the beaches of Ko Samui. Heather was thinking about taking up arms against the oppressive dictatorship of the Khmer Rouge; we met somewhere in the middle: Laos.
When I first told my Chinese co-workers that I was going to Laos, they literally had never heard of the country. I hope their ignorance persists because it will continue to be their loss, and the gain of those willing to take a chance on a small little forgotten place located in the backwater of the mighty Mekong River between China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Laos has historically been the whipping child of any country (France, China, Thailand) wanting to take advantage of its abundant natural resources and diminutive population. More recently shielded from the outside world through the curtain of communism (see Heather's blog for her fiery commentary on this subject - suffice to say the CIA is probably watching me this very second), the country did manage to reap the benefit of foreign occupation as seen in its appreciation for urban planning and good food, compliments of the French.
Heather and I started the trip in the capital of Vientiane which has been to some degree influenced by the French capital of ol' Paris. Specifically they have their own version of the Arc de Triumph, and the Champs Elysee. It also has many grand mansions - now serving as guest houses, and wonderful brick sidewalks. Before you go digging out your passport, beret, and one way to ticket to Laos, keep in mind this is a third world country. As such, one needs to have that "3rd world" filter through which to view this place in order to appreciate its more subtle charms. You will see an occasional open sewer, some people living in "shacks", but look more closely and you'll see street vendors selling baguette and pate sandwiches, shaded cafes selling the peerless Laotian ice coffee, and everywhere smiling faces ready with an easy "Sabadee."
Heather and I stayed at the former residence of the Prince of Laos which has now been converted to a 27 room hotel. His loss, our gain. Though I was disappointed with the orange juice at the inclusive breakfast buffet which was inexcusably orange Tang, the pool and friendly staff made up for it. We especially like the security guard who saluted us when we walked out of the hotel in the morning. We hired a "tuk tuk" driver for about $10 a day who drove us around to the various sites in, and around town. With temps consistently in the upper 90's driving in the rear of this motorcycle powered go-cart, one felt as if staring into a 20 MPH hair dryer. We sweat the whole day through, and sill managed to stay charged up about being there. Highlights included the wood burning stove powered sauna at a local monastery (you read that correctly), and the multitude of temples, which unlike Thailand, are virtually tourist free. You got the sense that you were discovering a hidden gem, yet it was discovered enough such that basic tourist amenities (nice accommodations, good food, ATM's, etc. ) were in place. The tourist contingency generally was the backpacker set, or older adventurer's from France, Australia, and Germany. I don't think we saw one American which, for whatever reason, always makes you feel like you're doing something right. Apparently there is a lot of Chinese and Thai money looking to invest in the area, and one can only hope Laos is smart about retaining what makes it special, but based upon their history, don't' count on it.
Our second stop was in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang. We liked Vientiane, but we really hit our stride when we arrived in LP. Located a 45 minutes turbo prop (read: white knuckle) flight due north. Like Vientiane, LP is located on the Mekong, but unlike the larger capital to the South, the temps in the LP were usually in the 80's which was a very welcome relief. The town is a rare example of one that has retained all its old world charm while adapting to present day need. This is not Colonial Williamsburg as much as it is Annapolis, MD., a feat virtually unheard of in Southeast Asia where anything historical is torn down. There is a very strong Buddhist presence in this town of 26,000 which has more than 30 temples each accompanied by a monastery and 20 or so monks. The monks presence made the experience more authentic for me. This wasn't just a historic place preserved for tourists, it is being protected as an important part of Laotian culture that is actively practiced as the 6:00 AM bells every morning reminded us. While there you enjoy the mixture of this element of Asia with the finer points of European culture as seen in the fine French food. Its free money when your having a 3 course tasting menu with a bottle of wine for $40 total.
This was one of those vacations where we definitely divided the vacation between relaxation and activity. I think we were happy about this decision most of the time. Heather signed us up for a three day bike excursion which entailed about 60 miles in and around LP, and was a great way to see the countryside from a non-tourist perspective. We also kayaked down a tributary of the Mekong which again offered a behind the scenes view of farming, brick making, and fishing. Finally, the elephant ride in the rain which although we cut short due to the raw weather, was a real thrill. We were glad we came, and sad we couldn't stay longer.
Wat Po That Luang - The National Symbol
The Patuxay - Laos' version of the Arch de Triomphe,
Their description of the Patuxay - evidence of a country in need of a tourism board
Settha Palace Hotel, Vientiane
'Tuk'ing a snooze
Our bike group in Luang Prabang.
Beautiful waterfall/Swimming hole providing much needed relief after several hours of biking
More trouble on the dirt roads where Will's muscle's come in handy and I man the camera
Fragipani trees in front of a temple, Luang Prabang
The mighty Mekong
A ride on Nelly during the first day of rain in six months...fun or not fun
