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This log is current to January 21, 2004 We set off more than four years ago in search of the world’s most interesting nooks and crannies. The ones we found in Laos contained gems!
Compared with Bangkok, Vientiane is a slow paced capitol city, but it’s temples and historic sites are interesting and, for Americans, somewhat unnerving. There is a French flavor to Vientiane, owing to the decades of French domination of Laos. France decided that Laos was an excellent strategic location for commerce, and so unilaterally swept into the area believing that the Mekong could be used to develop trade with China. They should have invested in a depth sounder, because much of the year great sections of the river are not navigable by vessels of any significant size. The French finally departed, leaving behind remnants of their culture in the style of some buildings -- but fortunately, little French “attitude.”
We found that Laos has something of an identification crisis. The Siamese (Thailand) raided Laos a number of times in history, making off with culturally important artifacts and other things. North Vietnam and Burma both waged conflict in Laos, not to mention the Khmer. And then there were the Japanese. Putting historic conflicts out of mind, we spent New Year’s Eve gazing at each other, marveling that we were now in our fifth year of world exploration, and taking in a nearly full moon hanging magically in the mist over the Mekong. The U.S. State Department had warned us against traveling overland between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, 130 miles on the map (about 220 highway miles) to the north. A few months back bandits robbed and then killed everyone on a bus, and not long afterward two Swiss bicyclists were killed. There is also a military conflict in some areas between the Lao Army and Hmong minorities, and it’s good not to get caught in that crossfire. That’s all the news we needed to fly rather than take the bus. The 37 minute flight (compared with 10 bus hours) on a Lao Aviation 72-seat ATR turboprop was a fine alternative and afforded terrific views of Laotian mountains and valleys. Still, we would much preferred to have viewed this beautiful area from ground level, and some day we will. For now it was a good choice. We met one man who took the bus. He said two men with rifles tried to stop the bus, but the driver just roared past them. Good choice. Luang Prabang should be on every serious traveler’s destination list. This former Laotian Capitol overlooking the Mekong is physically beautiful and historically significant. And it’s inexpensive. We paid $8/day at a fine guesthouse on the river, where, in perfect weather, we spent much of our time watching a great variety of unique boats ply the famous river. Be careful when finding a place to stay there. Some rooms that seem identical can cost two or three times as much. It’s possible to get a room there for $4 per night. Beautiful Wats are everywhere, and motorcycle rides outside the town put us among villagers in tiny, remote bamboo hut villages. Everything an adventure traveler could ask for, except reliable Internet access, is found in Luang Prabang and vicinity. But the best was yet to come: a two day “slow boat” trip up the Mekong to Huai Sai, across the river from Chiang Khong, Thailand -- with an overnight stop at the isolated tiny village named Pakbeng. The first day took nearly 9 hours up the winding river and covered 102 river miles, 64 straight line miles. The trip the second day took eight hours and and covered 84 miles. There are two major types of passenger boats working this section of the river: slow and quiet; fast and earsplitting. Slow boats are about 110 feet long -- narrow vessels into which as many as 100 passengers (and occasionally a few Water Buffalo or other livestock) are crammed. Fare for the two day journey is USD 14 (at today’s 10,400 Kip/Dollar exchange rate).
This is where our experience traveling for years may have paid dividends. We rooted around in search of options, and were offered passage on a “special” slow boat heading upriver from Luang Prabang. It contained only 20 reclining seats, a small fraction of other boats, and was being repositioned, without passengers, upriver. We worked things out through the owner of our guesthouse, a friend of the boat’s Captain. This terrific opportunity not only made the trip luxuriously comfortable, but even less expensive ($10). Aboard the 110 foot boat were the Captain, two crew, us, and couples from New Zealand, England and Germany who joined at the last minute. It was pure luxury.
We arose from our $2 (yes, two dollar) guesthouse room the next morning, reboarded the boat and watched working elephants and remote villages on the ride up to Huai Sai. Along the banks were small villages and, occasionally, elephants working on the banks. There are few trips in the world more fascinating -- or inexpensive. CLICK HERE for our Laos photo galleries. After a night in a great $5 room in Huai Sai, we took the ferry across the Mekong to Chiang Khong in Thailand. We’d have loved to stay longer in Laos, and vow to return as soon a possible, but illness in the family back home requires us to stay in telephone or e-mail contact -- and where we were at the time, and where we were headed further north in Laos near the Chinese border, neither existed.
A most unusual 50 hours of travel by tuk tuk, bus and train deposited us back in Kanchanaburi, via Bangkok, where we had left our passports and Cambodian visa applications. We’ll head to Angkor Wat next. We regret to say that we have received new reports of human rights abuses in Burma (Myanmar). We’re off to Cambodia. Temp end |
The night train sleeper car we boarded in Bangkok deposited us the morning of December 29 in Nong Khai in NE Thailand, across the river from Laos. A quick crossing of the Friendship Bridge found us in another world -- that of fascinating Laos, the “land of a million elephants.” It is country number 71 on our combined “countries visited” list, and it’s near the top of our “return to” list.
A history museum depicts scores of Vietnam-era photos, describing destruction by the “American Imperialists and their Puppets.” Little reason it’s not easy for them to forget that era: the U.S. dumped more bombs on Laos than on Vietnam during the war. Some of them failed to explode at the time, and now kill many people every year when they are stumbled across. 
Although the French could not use the Mekong successfully for trade development, it is still the commercial life’s blood, for not only of Laos but much of Indochina. Beginning as rivulets of melting ice and snow on the Tibetan plateau, it touches Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. More than half the entire length of the river is within, or touches, Laos.
The fast boat costs much more, possibly including your hearing -- or your life. Many people who take them end up wishing they hadn’t. Up to six people cram aboard and hang on tightly as they roar (the motors have no mufflers and the boats can be heard miles away) up and down the river at up to 50 miles per hour. Because so many people have been killed when the boats hit rocks, sandbars, rapids or other boats, passengers are now required to wear crash helmets. For some people wanting a carnival ride, it’s fine. For most sane people it’s God-awful.
An overnight stay in remote Pakbeng is something one never forgets. The boat pulls up against the current between huge rocks in the river, and ties up on the bank -- whereupon passengers scramble up a steep cliff, into which a few stairs have been cut. This is a particular challenge in the dry season, when the water level is as much as 30 feet below the high water mark. The town has one street lined with guest houses and small businesses. That’s all there is for a long distance in any direction. Don’t get sick here.
Before leaving the Mekong area rented a motorcycle and drove into the country, coming across a remote Kamo Hill Tribe village. The residents invited us to join their celebration of a new house under construction. Being so readily accepted into the cultures of others is one of the great joys of full time travel. There are some wonderful photos in the Laos gallery (link above).