Sam Burris concludes his Mekong
cruise from Thailand to a very special part of Laos. A story adapted from
an original by Jay D. Kaufman.
With few exceptions, I cannot recall a place which has impressed
me more with its warm, wonderful, people and the magnificence of the land.
I miss it so much I am already eager to return.
My 3 week visit permitted only snapshot glimpses of a small portion
of this tiny nation of 5 million people. Composed of 68 separate ethnic
groups, enclosed in a land area slightly smaller than UK (but with only
8% of the UK's population), Laos has been, traditionally, the least developed
and most enigmatic of the 3 former French Indochina states. Up to 1946,
there were never more than 600 French in the whole country but, the influence
they left was tremendous.
Surrounded by China, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Laos has
been isolated both figuratively and literally from the rest of the world
since its formation. The Communist takeover in 1965 did a wonderful job
of further isolating this land and its people. Fortunately, the recent
easing of travel restrictions has done marvels at increasing accessibility.
Most visitors are border-crossing Thais looking for shopping bargains and
the government's need for western currency has played a key role in the
current 'gold rush' of foreign tourists. The official currency is the Kip,
(US$100 equals 800,000 Kip...the largest note is 5,000 Kip - you need a
knapsack just to carry your cash) but you can normally use US dollars or
Thai baht.
TRANSLATION: THAI-ENGLISH / ENGLISH-THAI
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Just e-mail us at gmorning@loxinfo.co.th
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Following 2 days of travel with a mixed bag of backpackers on a noisy,
comfortless cargo barge, the sight of the sunset glittering off the golden
dome of Luang Prabang's famous Wat Xieng Thong sent a surge of awe and
excitement through us all.
Sitting high above the river, the scene was backstopped by the golden
glow of several of the city's 32 temples, with snaking lines of saffron-robed
monks. The hustle and bustle of busy canoes and traditional Mekong cargo
boats sitting in the brown water contrasted with the dominating summit
of Phu Si with its glowing, golden stupa piercing the heart of heaven itself.
Wide, steep stone staircases stretched from temple doors to the water's
edge. Each invited us to explore this fairy tale city with its charming
French colonial architecture and the variety of rich ornate wats.
But there were more plebian matters to attend to - like finding a place
to stay. I had quickly found fellow visitors of similar interests and temperament.
By travelling in pairs or groups, one has more negotiating power when hiring
tuk-tuks, songtows, or boats. The larger the group, the less it costs per
person. Of course there is greater safety in numbers as well, but, never
in Laos did I feel any sense of danger or need for extra caution.
For the true budget traveller, a guest house room with shared, communal
bathing facilities may go for as little as 6,000 Kip (75 cents) a day.
More commonly one pays 10,000 to 30,000 Kip. My friend and I decided to
upgrade, and rented rooms in a newly completed guest house with toilet
and hot shower for 30,000 Kip ($3.75 a night). There were nicer places
for much more money, but most guest houses were adequate and in much better
locations than the more expensive hotels. Guest houses multiply, but the
newly arrived farang may find himself scrambling for a vacancy in the high
season.
One could walk around and see most of the sites within 3 to 6 hours,
depending on one's pace. The original French administrators nicknamed it
"the refuge of the last dreamers." I agree, finding myself totally
incapable of describing the special charm and mood of this place. The population
of the town is about 20,000 while the surrounding capital district numbers
up to about 70,000 souls consisting of ethnic and hill tribe minorities.
Isolated by both road and river from the rest of Laos (the Mekong is
not navigable down stream for much of the year) the city has developed
a self-sufficient lifestyle. Resting atop a long elevated peninsula at
the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, an altitude of 700 meters
keeps Luang Prabang cool and pleasant. This is a city for walking!
After dark, the streets are mostly empty. There are no 'clubs', no bars,
no karoake dens. In the evening, all that is open is the night market -
one small block where fresh meat and vegetables are sold - and which closes
by 7.00 or 8.00pm. There are also a dozen restaurants of all types, interspersed
by shops selling local crafts. Rush hour occurs when schools close and
the streets briefly fill with a few more vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles.
The student monks, of course, don't ride, but stroll everywhere - sheltered
from the sun by their black or saffron coloured umbrellas. This adds to
the riot of visual delight when blended with the colorful hill peoples
in their traditional outfits.
In 1995 UNESCO selected Luang Prabang as a World Heritage Site because
32 of the 66 pre-colonial temples still remain in this small town. Nearly
700 buildings have been classified as 'historic' in the city's cultural
core, which measures only 1 kilometer long by 250 meters wide.
Unlike Thailand, where traditional garb has gravitated to western tee-shirts
and jeans, here most of the people go about in their traditional clothing.
Nearly all the women still wear the full length, richly-decorated, silk
or cotton half sarong. The rich, gleaming coloured silks seem to blend
so naturally with the bright flashing reds and golds of the temples and
chedis. Now stir into this mix a bustling multitude of hill people wearing
native costumes and headgear, some festooned with silver motifs, and laden
down with twin baskets of goods supported by bouncing shoulder poles. If
this is not enough, season the dish with strings of bicycles, pedicabs,
tuk-tuks, and motorcycles - often with 3 or 4 persons per pair of wheels,
carrying cheerful, beautiful, young girls with their long hair trailing
in the breeze. Perhaps this will help explain why it is so easy to fall
in love with the charm of Luang Prabang.
At about 6.00am daily, the monks begin a single-filed barefoot, procession
by order of age, through the town, the eldest monk at the head of the line
and the youngest in the rear. Each carries a large bowl, usually gold or
silver. Rushing out from shops and homes, Laotian women kneel in single
rows, dishing out food individually as each monk passes by. No words are
spoken. No sign of thanks or appreciation is ever communicated. After leaving
one group of women, the silent column proceeds to the next group and so
on. Only after the monks have departed will the women return home. Occasionally,
after receiving their offering, the monks form a single line and chant
a prayer to the ladies. A great experience for all but the photographers
- since it is still too dark for good pictures!
Traveling and living Laos is like going backward into a magicial
time past. Such places are rare indeed!
Two Thai soothsayers predicted massive death tolls involving
travellers at Songkran (..) likely to have "catastrophe level"
casualties "as serious as the Biblical Armageddon Day" (...).
Sam
Burris
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