SABAIDEE LAO

SABAIDEE LAO


Lao has only recently opened its gates to tourism. Sabaidee means hello and can be used at any time of day. If it is used with a smile it breaks the ice. The ice is created by the lack of knowledge of English by Lao people, even those in the tourism industry. So communicating is not easy but exploring the country is more than worthwhile.

Vientiane is the capital of Lao while Luang Prabang is its spiritual capital. Many Buddhist Temples are scattered throughout Luang Prabang.

Pak Ou Cave or Buddha Cave is one of the spiritual sights and can be reached by local boat along Mekong and Ou rivers. The boat trip is scenic, the views from the cave upon the Ou River magic and the shrines are decorated by pilgrims.

The slash and burn land cultivation creates a hazy picture of the landscape. Even the sunsets on Mekong River are seen through a soft focus lens. A stroll after the sunset through the main street, closed to traffic, is a must. The street becomes a market and a colorful collection of jewelry, woodcarvings, textiles, silks and nicks knacks.

Swimming in Mekong River is not recommended. However, Luang Prabang is home to Kuang Si waterfalls. It is a number of waterfalls; bigger and smaller, separated by terraces of pools of water like Pamukale in Turkey. The water is refreshing, clean and pleasant to swim in. 

Luang Prabang is also home to many Buddhist monks. The locals and some visitors gather on sunrise to give alms and pay respect to the monks.

Luang Prabang represents well preserved architecture, restored temples, history dating back to the 14th century like Pha Bang statue of Buddha which gave its name to the town and is located in the former King’s Palace, now a National Museum.) Traditional villages, some across a bamboo bridge that can be an adventure to walk on, also surround the town.

While Luang Prabang is a relaxing, spiritual place Vientiane is a busy, commercial center. Still Vientiane has its share of temples, stupas, history and colonial and Chinese architecture. Talat Sao, the Morning Market, is in the center of Vientiane and a short walk from Mekong River waterfront, Wat Ho Phra Keo – a temple built in the 16th century and That Dam – a stupa where a seven headed naga (snake) lives and protects Vientiane from invasions. Buddha Park is a conglomerate of many sculptures set in green surrounds, called Xieng Khuan, or Spirit City it contains both Hindu and Buddha statues.  The Mekong River waterfront is enchanting and lights up at night with colorful Night Market, fountain and statues. The Mekong is barely a trickle awaiting the monsoon but the promenade is the coolest place in town to take a walk.

Vientiane’s Arc de Triumph, Patuxay, is impressive. In fact, Patuxay, Victory Gate, is more majestic than Arc de Triumph in Paris is. Both honor those that died for the country only while Arc de Triumph honors those who died for France, Patuxay honors those who fought French in the struggle for independence from France.

Vientiane is a charming city and a perfect starting or ending point to a visit to Lao. Vientiane leaves one with a feeling of spiritual peace and calmness. 

LAO People’s Democratic Republic

LAO
People’s Democratic Republic

Soviet Union has been dead for a while but it is alive in Lao and proudly waving its flag. Lao is grateful for a donation of Russian tanks, which shot in the Secret War, are now scattered throughout The Plain of Jars. The relationship with the non-existent Soviet Union goes further and it is affecting the people, their mentality and their behavior.

Lao is classified as one of the poorest countries in the world. The poverty is well visible. Thus the people of Lao try to earn money where they can. However, they are not well equipped to earn money in the tourism industry. They do not speak English or French. Sometimes one can hear a sentence and hope to have a conversation but the knowledge of foreign languages is limited to phrases alone and comprehension is absent. The method of picking up a business card from a hotel for a tuk tuk driver works everywhere in the world except Lao. Tuk tuk drivers cannot read Latin alphabet and cards are written in Latin alphabet for the foreigners’ benefit.

The visitors do their best to learn “sabaidee“ meaning hello, which is a friendly beginning. The Watty International Airport has been built by Japanese so arriving in Vientiane and not speaking Japanese one needs to learn a phrase “Talat Sao” – Morning Market. That is if one wants to get to the center of Vientiane and cannot read a map in Japanese. Talat Sao is in the center of Vientiane and a short walk from Mekong River waterfront, Wat Ho Phra Keo – a temple built in the 16th century and That Dam – a stupa where a seven headed naga (snake) lives and protects Vientiane from invasions. So Vientiane is well protected. Not so is the Xien Khuang Province, which has, been heavily bombed between 1963 and 1974 in the Secret War. That area is a home to some 2000 years old Thong Hai Hin – jars, which survived well until 1963. Most of the historic jars in the Plain of Jars has been destroyed in the Secret War and are continually a hazard to visit since UXO Unexploded Ordinance are still being found in the area. Exploding bombs have injured many. The sight is an amazing historical journey through theories of the origin and purpose of the jars. Mystery, spirituality and grandness surround it. The Plain of Jars is not a mere burial sight. The town of Phonsavan is a stepping point to see the jars. A visit to the Plain of Jars, a heritage area, is rewarding. The problem is the town of Phonsavan and the local people that do not speak a word of English. 

The roads in Lao are non existent so it is wise to pay extra for a mini van transfer to Vientiane to limit the trip of 400 kilometers to 10 hours rather than 12 – 14 hours on a bus. That is if the mini van driver does not receive a phone call 5 hours into the journey. 

The trip Phonsavan – Vientiane to catch a flight became a scary experience the moment the driver picked up his mobile. Driving on a dirt, alpine road frequented by trucks, motorbikes and buses, surrounded by a constant cloud of dust with visibility seriously limited and the driver excitedly talking on his mobile is already scary. But the driver stopping, turning around and traveling back without an explanation is a worry. Not understanding the phone conversation one can only guess it is a matter of a few minutes trip back to a village Kasy to pick up some late passenger. After a half hour trip back towards Phosavan and yet another call the driver turns back towards Vientiane, which becomes a good reason for a sigh of relief – back on track and only an hour lost. Now comes another call and the driver turns back towards Phonsavan. The turns are dangerous with the heavy traffic on a narrow, alpine, dusty road. The easiest thing would be to stop the mini van, forget the extra cost of the ticket to cover the journey in 10 hours and try to hitch a ride to Vientiane. However, curiosity as to what was going on prevailed. The reward came soon since the van stopped next to another van passed already twice. Third time lucky!

This time the guesswork was made easy since there was a string ready to be attached as a towrope. A quick calculation that towing another van would extend the journey probably to a couple of days from 10 hours and not mentioning the danger helped to make a quick decision. Anything would be safer than staying with the van and its driver, without a name since it was impossible to communicate a phrase known around the world “What is you name?” 

A lift to Kasy, passed already 2 hours earlier and a ride on a local bus to Vientiane was yet another experience. At least the bus driver was not concerned about suspension and powered on through potholes and ditches.  The arrival in Vientiane some four hours later than planned and in the dark was a happy moment.

The poverty that made a van driver forget loyalty to his passengers, obligation to do a job of driving to Vientiane in 10 hours, endangering his and others lives turned to be a rich experience of a lifetime. That experience would have been totally missed if the van driver without a name could communicate in English. 

The scenario would be as follows:

“Look guys, I can make $5 by towing a broken van stuck a few kilometers back” – says the van driver. 

“Don’t worry about $5 mate, we will give you extra $10 if you carry on to Vientiane” – say not yet distressed passengers. 

Lao is a beautiful country, even seen through the haze of dust. The people are extremely poor. The temptation to make a dollar can be understood. But all they need to do is learn a little bit of English and the possibilities to make an extra buck will open up. Lao needs to catch up with the rest of the world to make tourism a profitable enterprise for them and enjoyable country to visit for visitors.