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| Countryside by the road on the way to Muang Sing |
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| Local house in need of refurbishment |
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| Local boy outside a village shop |
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| Shop owner and son outside her shop |
I pulled over a couple of times, once for refreshment and a
chat with some local children and women, more like miming really. The second to
take a picture of a couple of young lads that seemed happy to see a stranger
and Jenga a local villager walked over and offered to show me round his village.
 |
| Excited children so I pulled over to take a photo |
 |
| Villager, 'Jenga' offered to show me his village |
 |
| 12m above the river on one of the hanging bridges |
 |
| Traditional hill-top village unchanged |
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| Village children standing outside their home |
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| Just visible the two hanging bridges |
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| Village children home from school for lunch |
Interestingly, the village is in two halves, separated by
the main river and an additional tributary. There’s the roadside group of
dwellings, then its climb down to a ‘hanging’ bridge that spans the gorge, 10
to 12m above the water and about 15m in length. Suspended between the two banks
and fashioned out of twisted wire cable and bamboo. A second bridge similar in
every way leads to a knoll and the other part of the village.
Water is piped in from a mountain spring and there’s
electric supplied, other than that life seemingly hasn’t changed much with the
passage of time.
Surrounding the village on the steep sloping hills are
trees that provide the raw ingredient for the making of rubber. Each cut in the
bark secretes 1kg of the sticky fluid.
After about 10km I stopped turned round and headed back,
Muang Sing was another 47km further on.
 |
| Golden Chedi overlooking the city of Luang Namtha |
Heading back to town there’s a gold Chedi visible on the
hillside overlooking the town that was worth further investigation.
Day three – Hiring a motorbike today I determined to make the 58km trip
to Muang Sing and back, 116km all told.
The route undulates along and around the mountains and
hillsides, winding sharply at times, relentlessly following the course of the
unknown river below, sometimes off to the right and sometimes to the left. At
one point the road climbs steeply to the elevated Nam Tha National Park, and
the 1st grade protected ‘monsoon’ rain forest, descending in the same
fashion to the valley some distance below.
Premonition
Its funny how sometimes you know what’s going to happen, in
fact you’ve already played it out in your mind, but there’s absolutely nothing
you can do to stop it occurring.
One such event, I was making my way in a fairly gingerly
fashion down the mountain road, negotiating a series of sharp hairpins, when I
drifted into some loose gravel by the side of the road. Next thing I remember
I’m sliding down the hillside the bike on top of me. Fortunately there wasn’t
any traffic moving in either direction at the time.
 |
| Damage to the moped - bent footrest and scratched fender |
 |
| Attempt by the hospital to bandage the wounds |
Inspecting the damage, the bike was okay apart from a
scratched fender; someone else had already been there before me so I just added
to the effect, and a bent footrest. My damage, however, was a little more
severe, caked in dirt and dust on my left side and back, torn left sleeve to my
jacket, several gashes and cuts to my left leg with fairly deep cuts to my arm
all the way down to the bone, only apparent after removing the jacket and
suddenly aware of bloody streaming down my arm.
After affecting repairs as best I could with some bottled
water and tissues I elected to head to Muang Sing 20km away and hoped that the
bike would be okay.
As it happened it was the right choice, I stumbled on a
village hospital, only apparent because I could see people lying on beds
through a large opening at the front of the building.
The nurse thoroughly
cleaned the wounds although the zinc plastered used wasn’t as effective.
Muang Sing, border
town with China
Muang Sing is within whispering distance of China (12km), a
mountainous border town with wilting shop fronts and the odd opium addict. It’s
said that there is a rich diversity of ethnic hill tribes including Hmong,
Akha, Thai, Lu, Lolo and Thai Deu as well as the nomadic specie known as ‘the
backpacker’.
 |
| Buddhist shrine in Muang Sin |
 |
| Time out for lunch at a local cafe Muang Sing |
 |
| What passes for local transport |
After a pleasant lunch although indifferent service from
the café owners I picked my way the 58km back to Zuela GH and prepared to face
the music.
 |
| Local countryside of Nam Tha National Park |
I’d envisaged all sorts of amounts for the cost of
repairing the bike in the end they charged me 50,000Kip about £7. They far more
concerned about the injuries I sustained.
Day three – A catch up day I guess. Injured and feeling it I decided
to stay close to home, find a chemist and buy supplies along with organizing
transport to Luang Prabang.
Mountainous road
300km to the south
Early start, if you can
call 8.00am an early start, by open mini-van to the out of town bus station and then a mini-bus, not what I booked,
the 300km to the Old Capital. Predicted time of travel 8 hours.
The roads on the whole have been good, which is just as
well as northern Laos is all hills and mountains with only the odd flat plain,
invariable home to a large town.
Meandering, rising and falling, left then right, up and
down almost relentlessly that seemed to be the theme of this trip. I’ve never
known anywhere else like it.
Sparsely lined with traditional Lao homes, so typical of
this area, mostly sandwiched between the road on one side and a precipice on
the other. Now and then you come across the odd cultivated area or perhaps a
rubber tree plantation. The area is veld
in green, although with a subtle tinge of brown, suggesting a dry spell.
After 65km we’re in one of those flat plain areas and the
town of Udomaxi, virtually bombed out of existence, for a short break, hoping
and praying the worst is over………how wrong could I be!
Sitting on the bus, for some reason, whilst enduring the
next phase of the journey periodically pulling over to replace a blown ignition
fuse after about the eighth time, the film ‘Romancing the Stone’ starring
Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, a 1984 American action-adventure romantic
comedy, kept passing through my mind. Specifically the scene where Kathleen
Turner, playing the character of a fictional writer, gets on the bus supposedly
to Cartagena and mistakenly heads into a
mountainous wilderness.
If you’ve watched that film that’s exactly how the next
part, 160km, of our journey unfolded. Steep incredibly steep roads passing from
asphalt, to broken asphalted roads strewn with potholes and then to sand, rock
and dust. Sharp hairpin bends, sheer drops 300m to the valley below.
 |
| The mountainous road to Luang Prabang |
As our mini-van picked its way along the road a cloud of
dust would trail some distance behind us, thickly caking everything in its
path, homes, people and the roadside foliage. You can see another car coming or
going by the plume of fine dust kicked into the air, some times blinding and often
choking.
At some point it started to rain and by then the driver had
resorted to using a piece of wire to bridge the gap on the fuse, cannibalizing
something under the bonnet.
We let a few people off at some obscure place, not sure why
and headed on. Bit by bit, little by little things improved at first a straight
road then a continuous stretch of tarmac and finally back to normality the
final 30km into the city and the bus station. Quick process of agreeing and
sharing an open mini-van the 2km, along with two New Zealanders and a German lady
I met on the bus, and we at our respective hotel of choice.
Ex-French Colonial
city of Luang Prabang
Set at the confluence of two rivers that almost surround
the town, and beneath a temple-topped hill, Luang Prabang is a wonderful
patchwork of traditional Lao wooden houses and hints of European architecture -
reminders of when Laos was part of the French colony of In-do-China.
Golden-roofed Vat (temple) decorated with mosaics and murals of the life of
Buddha, sit under the gaze of wrap-around teak balconies and 19th century
shuttered windows. All of this is set against a backdrop of verdant greenery
and rugged mountains.
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| Lovely French colonial buidings lining the river road |
 |
| Street cafes prevail in Luang Prabang |
History of the
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang rose to prominence as the capital of the
first Lao kingdom, Lan Xang or
land of the million elephants, from 1353 onwards. The city owes its present
name to the Pha Bang, a revered
Buddha image, now in the Royal Palace Museum, which was brought to the city by
King Visoun during the golden age of Lan
Xang in the early 1500s.
The fragmentation of the Lao kingdom at the end of the 16th
century saw Luang Prabang become a militarily weak independent city paying
tribute to the surrounding kingdoms.
 |
| View from Phou Si Stupa hill, Mekong River in the distance |
 |
| The temple is within the grounds of what was the Royal Palace |
Ultimately, the 1887 sacking of the city by the Chinese Haw
led the Luang Prabang monarchy to accept the protection of the French, whose
influence led to the construction of the many fine colonial villas that sit
harmoniously alongside the traditional Lao architecture.
The city fell into decline in the latter half of the 20th
century following the reluctant withdrawal of the French, and in 1975
revolution brought an end to the Luang Prabang monarchy.
The relative poverty of a newly independent Laos helped
save Luang city from the ravages of 20th century city planning.
 |
| Monks in training on the way to school |
 |
| Ferries criss-crossing the Mekong River |
 |
| Chinese figure guarding the entrance |
The reopening of Laos to tourism in 1989 resulted in a
remarkable turnaround in the city's fortunes, as crumbling timber houses and
colonial mansions were sensitively restored and transformed into immaculate
guesthouses and boutique hotels. In 1995 the city was listed as a UNESCO World
heritage site.
Day one – Luang Prabang is an easy city to get round certainly from
where I was staying, close to the Mekong River with the old part of the city
all around. There’s a certain Parisian feel to the place, street cafes abound,
there’s a lavish mixture of Lao and French architecture creating an almost
boutique feel to the city, twee, individual and at times extravagant.
Set between the wide River Mekong on one side and the fast
flowing River Nam Khang on the other in a sort of wedge shape. A single hill
dominates the area with a small ancient Chedi and modest temple on the narrow
peak.
Both of the river banks are lined with elevated decked
areas, some lavish some not so, cafes, restaurants and out door bars with
seating 20 or so meters above the flowing waters below.
 |
| Chedi in the grounds of 'That or Wat Makmo' |
 |
| Wat and golden Chedi in Laung Prabang |
 |
| Bamboo bridge built by the locals to cross Nam Khan River |
 |
| Nam Khan River joins the larger Mekong |
The place is relaxed, peaceful, serene almost with little
traffic movement and many tourists, hardy and otherwise.
From the Laos that I have seen thus the old city area is
completely out of place, a conundrum, a contradiction and perhaps an unexpected
diversion.
 |
| Posing against the backdrop of the Nam Khan River |
 |
| Elevated riverside cafe |
 |
| Utophia cafe, a cool place to chill |
 |
| Wat Xieng Thong another home to the Emerald Buddha |
I suspect many Lao people have been chased out of the area,
if they haven’t taken advantage, by escalating costs of everything, land,
property values and the cost of building to specific standard laid down by
UESCO.
There are many Vats (temples) nothing like those seen
elsewhere in Asia though this is a very poor country after all. Most of the
refurbishment is courtesy of the Americans I suspect by way of recompense for
the extraordinary destruction leveled on so much of the country.
An Enduring legacy
Between 1964 and 1973 the USA conducted one of the largest
sustained aerial bombardments in history, flying 580,344 missions over Laos and
dropping two million tons of bombs, costing US$2.2 million a day. Around 30% of
the bombs dropped failed to detonate, leaving the country littered with
unexploded ordnance or UXO.
 |
| Enduring legacy - shell case used as a BBQ |
Since the British Mines Advisory Group (MAG) began
clearance work in 1994 only a tiny percentage of the quarter million pieces
have been cleared from Xieng Khuang and Salavan. At the current rate it will
take more than a 100 years to make the country safe.
Recently a team of men out hunting for the night built a
fire unbeknown over a UXO it exploded killing six. This is not an isolated case
it’s a daily way of life in Laos.
Day two and three – Today, another hot sunny day, I’ll explore the rest of
the city on foot.
Sitting in
the courtyard of the New Daraphet Villa completing the 1st half of
the February journal I’ve realized that my travels are almost at end. There is
limited space in my somewhat overcrowded passport and renewing it in these
times of austerity is an issue. Hong Kong, the elected processing center for
Asia, sends all applications to the UKPA office. I’m still not clear what
happens in the meantime.
Luang Prabang continues to please its an idyllic oasis in
the travelling desert that is Laos. It’s all here artwork, ethnic jewellery,
bamboo pots of all shapes and sizes, silk, wood carvings, cooking classes, cuisine
from around the world, Bohemian riverside Hashish bars, roadside Parisian
cafes, Wat’s and Vat’s of all shapes and sizes, everything in fact to sustain any
and every type of traveller.
East to Phonsavan
”bomb alley”
Phonsavan, east of Luang Prabang and close to the
Vietnamese border, is the provincial capital of the Xieng Khounag with a population
of about 37,000. The countryside is dominated by green rolling hills and pine
forests. Villages consist of colourful wooden houses with cattle rearing as one
of the main agricultural activities.
The Americans built the unremarkable town in the late
1970’s, in a distinctive grid system, replacing Xieng Khoung destroyed during
the Second In-do-China War.
 |
| Stop for a toilet break along the way - our local bus |
 |
| The beautiful and rugged countryside on route |
The 310km local bus ride through the dramatic, rugged and
unforgiving mountain region from one city to the other, has become a familiar
process of travel, dusty, bumpy, slow and often with extraordinary views along
the way.
It’s easy to see why the northern region has been so
difficult to tame throughout the country’s history. High, steep sided hills,
almost relentless in number, thickly veld in greenery and with a single road
linking the main settlements.
The primary reason for the trip, a chance to connect with
the devastation leveled on the region during the ‘Vietnamese War’. Vile images are
still etched on my brain, courtesy of the brutal media coverage in the 60’s and
70’s, and I guess I wanted to make sense of what happened here. The other reason
to explore the unusual ‘Plain of Jars’ an area littered with 1m to 3m stone
vessels, most weighing several tonne.
As is often the case, you bump into fellow travellers along
the way. I’d met a German guy called Ottmar on the Luang Prabang to Phonsavan
bus. We elected to share a tuk-tuk with Ed and Kat an English couple from St.
Ives the 10 kilometers from bus station to Phonsavan town centre to find
accommodation for a couple of nights.
We would co-incidentally opt to go on the same trip the
following day, along with 4 other Germans, two Australian ladies and a French
guy, to the one of the many visible bombsites, “bomb village”, waterfall and
the “Plain of Jars”.
‘The Secret War’
Most people are very aware of the war in Vietnam and
America's involvement; few acknowledge, however, that a large part was fought
in Laos. Called 'The Secret War' by many due to US constant denial.
The Communist forces in Laos were building and their ties
with Vietnam threatened the US military position along with the Laos Royal
family. It enlisted the help of the Hmong people a hill tribe group that lived
high in the mountains near to Phonsavan to fight a guerilla war and track
movement of supplies.
It is now widely accepted that the CIA's 'Air America' was
used to transport the Hmong people's primary crop the poppy, its derivatives
opium and heroin, overseas and sold to raise funds to fight the war.
 |
| Bomb craters close to a farm, a clear area |
 |
| Live cluster bomb still to be defused |
From 1963 to 1973, the equivalent of one bomb was dropped
every eight minutes. Two million tones of ordinance, more than the combined
amount dropped by the Allies on Germany and Japan during World War II.
Why you may ask. It was part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail,
where troops, supplies and artillery were smuggled out of northern Vietnam,
through the mountains to the eastern edge of the country and into southern
Vietnam. Secondly, American aircraft flying out of Thai air bases unable to
launch the bombs at the 'primary target' due to bad weather would dump the load
on Laos rather than risk landing with a full payload.
The most common bombs at the time had a rocket shaped casing
filled with 600 small 'bombies'. The casing split open as it fell, launching
the smaller bomblets, each filled with hundreds of ball bearings.
Almost a third failed to explode on impact, leaving up to
30 million bombs lying on or beneath the ground to this day beneath houses,
under roads, playgrounds and rice fields.
The bombs were originally designed to kill; now the
causality is often an inquisitive young child that happened to find one lying
around. In 2001 there were more than 12,000 casualties.
Visiting a Hmong
‘bomb’ village
Hmong live in forested mountains between 800 to 1,500
meters of altitude and in Laos they are categorized as Lao Soung or ‘highland
people’.
 |
| Hmong village built in the traditional manner |
 |
| Still working hard, no rest for the elderly |
 |
| Grain store resting on bomb casings |
 |
| Local Hmong village children |
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| Grinding corn to flour using the casing to a cluster bomb |
 |
| Local Hmong village unchanged |
They live in villages ranging in size from 15 to over 60
houses. They are not fenced and organized by clan. The rectangular houses are
on beaten soil without windows with the walls made of vertical wood planks,
bamboo and a thatched roof over. Hmong are known for their knowledge of the
forest, herbal medicines and expertise in raising animals. Their agricultural
system is based on rain fed slope cultivation with slash and burn techniques.
They live on ordinary rice, corn, vegetables, swine, poultry, gathering, hunting,
embroidery and basketwork.
This particular village has gained the nickname of “bomb
village for its use of defused bombs both in construction and the making of
work implements.
Hike to a
waterfall
This impressive
waterfall is surrounded by spectacular limestone karst. The water runs down in
cascading steps alternating with steep areas for more than 100 meters and flows
all year round.
It’s a steep walk
down to the valley bottom and then a climb up and across the face of the falls
to the large pools.
 |
| Waterfall stretching to about a 100m |
 |
| Local children from the nearby Hmong village |
 |
| Crossing one of the many tiers to the waterfall |
 |
| Still following closely behind |
 |
| In the photo - L to R - Ponsai, Kat and Ottmar |
“Plain of Jars”
The enigmatic ‘Plain of Jars’ is considered as one of the
most important sites for studying the late prehistory of mainland Southeast
Asia, although little is known about the people that constructed the megalith
stone jars over 2.500 years ago.
 |
| Stone jars about a 1m high and weighing a tonne |
 |
| 4,000 jars scattered across 160 sites |
 |
| This is one of the largest at over 2m high |
 |
| Posing by one of the broken jars |
Covering a huge area in the centre of Xieng Khuang
province, the 'Plain of Jars' comprises 160 sites. At each site there are clusters
of large stone containers carved from a single piece of limestone, in total
4,000 jars.
It’s believed that they were funerary urns, bodily remains
have been found under the jars, while the vessels themselves are believed to
have contained treasures long since stolen. They come in a number of different
shapes and sizes, all in different positions - some tipped over as the looters
have tried to dislodge them for the bounty within.
Three of the largest jar clusters are designated tourist
sites and to a large extent cleared of UXO’s (unexploded bombs), however, the
process is ongoing.
All things must come to an end, Ottmar, three Americans
that came with us to Phonsavan a few days previous and I decided to move on
this time further south to Vang Vieng.
South to Vang
Vieng
The route to Vang Vieng was pretty much more of the same,
eight hours on a bus winding our way along the steep dusty trail, punctuated by
spectacular views and stunning countryside.
Ottmar had researched a place called Banana Resort, located
across a narrow footbridge spanning the Nam Song River, and after wandering
around aimlessly I ended up at the same place.
Comprising detached wood or bamboo elevated chalets with
terrace, outdoors hammock, bed and en-suite in a field set against a backdrop
of the mountains beyond.
 |
| Sunset over Nam Song River and the riverside lodges |
 |
| Hot Air Ballooning at sunset over Vang Vieng |
 |
| Limestone & Karst mountains surround the town |
 |
| Riverside lodges at the 'Valentine Resort' |
 |
| Nam Song River and the limestone mountains beyond |
 |
| Powering up the Nam Song River |
Situated halfway along the Luang Prabang to Vientiane road,
Vang Vieng has become, for better
or worse, the pit stop of Laos. Surrounded by splendid karst scenery and
overflowing with activities such as caving, tubing, biking, rock climbing and
ballooning to name but a few, many weary travellers extend their stay here far
longer than originally planned.
For many, it’s clearly the highlight of their trip to Laos. If your idea of an ideal night
involves scoffing pizza, quaffing buckets of lao-lao whisky and coke to a
background of infinite Friends episodes, then you're going to absolutely
love this place. Vang Vieng has become where backpackers shamelessly indulge in
Western food, alcohol, drugs and American sitcoms.
 |
| 11th to the 16th Feb. Rocket Festival |
 |
| Washing the gutted fish in the river |
 |
| Tourists messing about on the river |
 |
| Dry rice fields in the foreground |
 |
| Riding a motor bike over the narrow foot bridge |
The transformation, apparently in just 5 years, of this
once sleepy town into a backpacker circus is hard to overlook, and
some, myself included, see Vang Vieng as an example of tourism at its worst. While you'll probably still enjoy your stay
— the scenery is spectacular — others push on to more interesting spots in Laos
after only one night. I managed two nights, I guess the ½ dozen guys stumbling
around early morning after a cocktail of drugs and alcohol made my mind up for
me.
Vang Vieng is riddled with such an array of guesthouses, restaurant and shops that it's hard to
know what to do on arrival. Just about every shop front on the main streets of
this small but rapidly developing town caters to the tourist dollar. If you're
looking for some genuine Lao culture, Vang Vieng is the wrong place.
The reason this tourist mecca has sprung up is the gorgeous Nam Song River and the magnificent
karst mountains lining it. The imposing limestone structures rise up out
of the land and run for kilometers, framing the rice fields and lazy river.
Stunning at any hour, the mountains are particularly beautiful with the golden
pink glow of sunset behind them, the perfect time to sit and have a drink at
one of the plethora of riverside restaurants.
Every other property in town is undergoing some kind of
building work, and the development is now starting to take its toll on the
special environment, which created the tourism. Rocks are quarried from the
limestone mountain range and gravel extracted by the truckload from the Nam
Song river bed to feed the demand for building materials. Unscrupulous or ignorant take your
pick, clearly a poor country responding to a demand in the best way they can.
For action and adventure, there are caves to
explore, trekking, kayaking and rafting trips and, for the ultra-adventurous,
rock climbing.
To chill out and enjoy Vang Vieng's scenery, rent an inner
tube and float down the Nam Song basking in the beauty of the countryside and
stopping for beers along the way.
One day I walked the banks of the Nam Song in both
directions before walking 5 kilometers along the red dust track to a 500m high
limestone pinnacle. As you move away from the River and town the place is a
paradise for the outdoor types, there’s so much to do.
 |
| Looking back across the river at Vang Vieng |
 |
| Route to one of the many limestone caves |
 |
| Rice fields in the foreground with the mountains beyond |
 |
| Red dust road and 500m pinnacle |
 |
| Stop for local lunch before climbing the limestone hill |
 |
| View from atop the 500m high pinnacle |
 |
| Two local lads atop the 500m hill |
 |
| View from on top of the view point |
Two days of loutish behavior, more akin to Costa del Sol
than Laos, and it’s a bus 158 kilometers south to the capital city Vientiane
nestling by the Mekong River.
I’ve arrived at a decision the roads in Laos are awful, the
only section worthy of note Huay Xai to Nam Tha.
Arriving in
Vientiane
Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other Southeast Asian countries, Vientiane's deliciously relaxing
atmosphere makes it feel like the small town it is. Most Vientiane’s seem to
gather at sunset along the Mekong River bank, cold Beerlao - the Lao national
beer – in hand.
History of the
city
Settled since at least 1000 AD, Vientiane became an
important administrative city of the Kingdom of Lan Xang in 1545. Ransacked in
1828 by the Siamese, Vientiane fell into decline until it was named the capital
by the French protectorate of Laos; a position it kept after independence
(1953) and after the communists took over in 1975.
Today Vientiane is the largest city in Laos, with an
estimated population of 210,000 in the city itself and some 700,000 in
Vientiane Prefecture.
The city stretches along the northeastern bank of the
Mekong River.
Tour of the colonial
city
Wat Si Saket - Built in
1818 by Chao Anou in the Bangkok style, hence it wasn't ransacked when much of
Vientiane was razed to the ground in a Siamese raid in 1828.
Within the cloister walls are hundreds of niches housing
Buddha images large and small, made of wood, stone, silver and bronze. In the
centre of the courtyard is a five-tier-roofed sim (ordination hall) housing yet
more Buddha niches and beautiful but fading murals of the Buddha's past lives.
 |
| Military museum in Vientiane |
 |
| One of the exhibits at the Military museum |
 |
| Statue remembering those that fought and died |
 |
| 'World Peace Gong' celebrating the end of the war |
 |
| Posing in front of the Patuxai, Victory Gate |
 |
| Patuxai, Victory Gate in Vientiane |
 |
| The ceiling of the Patuxai, Victory Gate |
 |
| Gardens round the Patuxai, Victory Gate |
 |
| Looking out of one of the Patuxai windows |
 |
| Pha That Laung in Vientiane |
 |
| Pha That Laung and the golden Chedi |
 |
| The Royal Palace Vientiane |
 |
| Wat Si Saket, Vientiane |
Pha That Luang - The
national symbol and most important religious monument in the country, That
Luang is a three-layered gilded stupa. The current version dates from 1566,
although it has been ransacked and renovated numerous times since then.
Patuxai, the Victory Gate - A local rendition of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
Besides the elaborate Buddhist embellishment, it differs from the original in
having four gates instead of two and being just a bit higher (to spite the
French). The concrete in its construction was donated by the US, although it
was supposed to go towards a new airport, hence the nickname "the Vertical
Runway".
Sleeper bus south
to Pakse
After a couple a couple of days touring the capital city on
a motor bike, it was time to move on again this time by night ‘sleeper’ bus, a
new experience, 647km and a 11½ hours south to the city of Pakse.
The sleeper bus comprises two tiers of 10, 2 berth
platforms about 4’ wide and one wide section over the engine to the rear; it
accommodates about 45 people in total.
Checking out of the hotel in Vientiane it’s then a question
of ‘killing’ time until the mini-van picks you up at 7.00pm to take you to the
southern bus station located 10km outside the city. Your place on the bus is
determined as is the adjoining berth!
Town of Pakse
A small ‘trading’ town of about 80,000 people, considered
as the transport hub of the south, its situated along route 13 and at the confluence of two rivers: the Mekong to the south and
the Se Don to the north.
Not the most photogenic of towns it has an easy charm and
the people, a large number Vietnamese, are friendly.
 |
| Lunch at a local eatery, Pakse |
 |
| Bridge over Se Don River, next to the Grand Champassak Hotel |
 |
| Part of the huge New Market area, Pakse |
 |
| Covered dining area part of New Market in Pakse |
 |
| One of the many Wats in Pakse |
 |
| Huge watermelon on sale roadside |
A new market area dominates the town, the ‘heart and sole’,
surrounded by buildings Regency in appearance. Comprising accommodation over
and a confusion of shops under, ill defined and altered or extended in a
haphazard manner. Its frantic place, with goods arriving, presumably from
China, Vietnam and Thailand, and leaving just as quickly sold through the
retail outlets. There’s an abundance of jewellery shops displaying mainly gold
in that unnatural yellow that defines 100% gold content, wholesalers in food,
vehicle parts and cosmetics, building merchants and a huge covered market eatery
with thirty or more market stalls serving the massive dining area.
There’s a lot of building in hand in or around the town at
the moment mostly along the waterfront and comprising hotels, apartments and
shops.
Local mini-van to
Champassak
One of the primary reasons for visiting the region was to
see the ruined city, Palace and temple of Vat Phu, built supposedly in the 5th
century and situated 40 kilometers further south of Pakse in the village of
Champassak, the ancient capital.
The local open mini-vans run directly from the central
market to Champassak, it’s then just a question of filing all the places,
loading all of the various purchases on the roof, in the cab and under the
seats and we’re off.
As you move away from the regular tourist trail people are
much more receptive and friendly.
Co-incidentally, travelling on the same bus were two lone
fellow travellers, Thomas a 33-year-old guy from Finland and Chloe a
27-year-old lady from York, UK on a 2-year ‘trip of discovery’ something only
determined after she had her bag snatched (money, cards, passport and all) in
Chiang Mai, both hoping to visit the Vat Phu site.
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| Sunrise over the Mekong River |
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| Pictures taken from the Anuxa guesthouse |
The bus dropped us directly outside a guesthouse called
‘Anuxa’ in Champassak; the driver probably has a business arrangement with the
owner. It overlooks the Mekong River and at only 65,000Kip a night, fairly
cheap to.
Thomas and I hired a couple of bikes and we rode the 9
kilometers in sweltering heat to the Vat Phu ruins. Chloe had travelled the 11
hours by night bus from Vientiane so she decided to an afternoon nap instead.
Vat Phu, ancient
city, temple and spring
The religious complex that forms the site, built during the
5th and modified during the 6th century, is of a Khmer
architectural style and based on the Hindu belief.
The summit of Phu Kao
dominates the area because of its shape; in ancient times it was identified
with the Linga, the phallic symbol of
Shiva, and given the name of Lingapavata.
The artificial lakes in front are filled from a spring that
still flows today and probably formed the basis for the location and construction
of the settlement in the first place.
Adjoining the banks of the Mekong on the plain below is a
pre-Angkorian city the remains of which are barely visible with large earthen
walled enclosures and scattered brick monuments the only indicator.
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| Vat Phu, artificial lake and mount Phu Kao in the distance |
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| The cobbled path leading to Vat Phu |
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| Southern Palace built circa 9th century |
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| Looking down the hill at one of the Southern Palace's |
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| Originally a Hindu temple in the 9th century Vat Phu |
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| Buddhist shrine in a Hindu temple |
Covering an area 2km by 1.8km, there is a double enclosure
of banked earth that surrounds the city and commissioned by the king Devanika.
In the 6th century it continued to play an
important role being the capital city for king Mahendravarman, who later ruled
over the Sambor Prei Kuk area 240km
southwest in Cambodia. It was only abandoned when the city of Angkar was built
and the seat of power shifted there.
Vat Phu subsequently became an active Buddhist sanctuary
and remains as such today.
Approaching the hilltop site there are two large barays, artificial lakes of religious
significance and of practical use, representing the ocean surrounding the earth
and as a reservoir. Next there is a terrace built of sandstone blocks with a
causeway lined with sandstone posts leading to two large symmetrical buildings,
constructed from sandstone and laterite with marvelous carved frontons, the two
Southern Palaces.
A path and a series of steep steps lead to the penultimate
terrace, which originally supported six towers, now in ruins, and the main
sanctuary built in the Baphuon style.
The complexity of the channeling and supplying of the water
from the spring to the sanctuary is unknown in any other Khmer construction
giving Vat Phu its uniqueness and perhaps setting the trend in the construction
of the later Angkar.
Two boat trips and
a crazy bus ride to Ban Khong
I continue to enjoy Chloe’s company, a farmer’s daughter,
as we both travel on the same narrow boat, bus to Hat Xai Khun and then further
boat across the Mekong to Muang Khong, both staying at the ‘Done Khong’ Guest House,
co-incidentally. ‘Don’ means island and Khong is one of 4,000 in the wide delta that
is known as ‘Si Phan Don’.
Eighteen kilometers long and 8km wide the island is a
friendly easygoing place once you move away from the small cynical town of
Muang Khong. A succession of tourists ‘willing to pay the price’ has meant the
area is expensive for accommodation, food, trips and the river crossing.
Its always interesting listening to the diatribe as a local
boatmen struggle to justify the pricing; we all know its “bullshit” the boat
owner included.
Three night stay
on the island
Well I’ve elected to remain where I am and explore the
islands from here, subject to agreeing a reasonable price.
Since crossing the Mekong on the 7th February
I’ve been on the move constantly travelling the length and breadth of this
beautiful, dramatic and varied country. Laos, with a population of 7,000,000
people, is a place that is evolving, moving slowly into the 20th century, for better or
worse. Most Lao people seem to have simple aspirations and enjoy a modest life
style, once in the cities or on the ‘tourist trail’ however things change quite
noticeably.
Luang Prabang and Vientiane are clearly historic and beautiful
cities well worth seeing Vang Vieng is both crass and obscene but the setting,
the awesome scenery justify the ends.
Perhaps I have seen the country at its best, if so I count
myself fortunate. So many of the routes across Asia now aren’t what they used
to be as tourism takes hold. Myanmar, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi
in Indonesia are probably some of the few remaining bastions left for the hardy
adventurous type. In Myanmar they’re opening the borders in an endeavor to bring
prosperity to the country, so change is inevitable. The world is becoming a small place!
Cycle ride across
the island
The first day Chloe and I cycled the 8 kilometers to Muang
Saen a small town on other side of the island and back, although not a lot to
see. We had intended staying for sometime for a village celebration, however,
the ride back in the dark was of some concern potholed in places, on an
otherwise straight and fast road and with no lights.
Chloe moved on the following day further south to Don Khon
and Don Det, towns very much supposedly like Vang Vieng, whilst I explored more
of the area on foot.
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| Chloe and I on the way across the island |
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| Oxen being led back to the farm after a day in the field |
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| Smiling children roadside |
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| Irrigated rice fields on the island of Don Khong |
Day three I hired a motorbike 70,000Kip to explore the
whole of Don Khong. It’s pretty much the same all over with the people the only
thing that makes the trip worthwhile or interesting.
Don Khong is a peaceful relaxed place with little really to
see and do, surrounded by the wide Mekong River and that’s really it.
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| Three lads out for a days fishing or larking about? |
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| Two very different ferries crossing the Mekong |
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| One of half a dozen Wats on the island |
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| One way of crossing the Mekong River |
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| Tour round the island on the back of a motorbike |
Comparatively flat, mainly dry apart from the irrigated
land the roads round the island are okay. The two main towns are, on one side,
focused on tourism and the other trading in goods, the rest is made over to
mainly agriculture farming. The buildings are a mixture of modern brick built
and traditional with a seemingly affluent populace.
Mini-bus to Pakse
and plane to Bangkok
Today is pretty much as the title suggests. A mini-bus will
pick me up at the Guesthouse on Don Khong, drive to the roll-on roll-off ferry,
cross the Mekong and then travel the 120km back to Pakse, where I’ll stay the
night before flying to Bangkok the morning of the 29th February.
Things don’t
always run to plan
Up at 6.00am, packed, breakfasted and ready to catch the
8.00am mini-bus as agreed by the organizers of the trip and the guesthouse
where I was staying.
The transportation failed to materialize. 8.30am comes and
goes and still no bus. Eventually I’m asked to move round the corner to an area
outside a restaurant were the bus will supposedly stop.
8.45am still nothing I’m then joined by one of the
guesthouse staff only to discover there is no mini-van, as they couldn’t find
enough people to make the trip worthwhile, something that would have been
apparent the previous evening.
I promptly asked for my money back and caught the local bus
that arrived on schedule at 9.00am instead.
Apparently the owner pulled the same stunt the previous day
much to the annoyance of a German couple having paid a high price, effectively
double, and then put on a local bus and left to their own devices.
One good thing I sat next to a German guy called Alios,
he’s training to be a lawyer and currently part way through a 3-month
sabbatical. After bitching about our mutual experience at the hands of the
Guesthouse owner we recounted our individual travels thus far.
We stayed in the same Guesthouse in Pakse and enjoyed and
evening meal on the banks of the river together at the Grand Champassak Hotel
He’s flying to Bangkok on the 1st March and
we’ve agreed to share an overnight sleeper train to Chumphon and then to Koh
Tao.
There have been a few problems of theft on the train whilst
travellers so it’s probably better to select whom you share a berth with.
Monthly summary
All I can say its been another awesome month. Northern
Thailand, across the border to Laos then travelling pretty much the length and
breadth of this beautiful if impoverished small nation.
