Chuck Bao
4/21/2007, 07:38 PM
This is my vacation travelogue for Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos.
I highly recommend Laos for anyone over in this area. The people are so incredibly friendly. Yes, they’re technically communists, but in practice not so much.
Our trip started out really bad. My Thai friend’s passport expires in five months and 20 something days. At first, Laos immigration wouldn’t let him enter the country despite the fact that he is Thai and doesn’t even need a visa and we had our confirmed tickets leaving in four days.
After mind-numbing negotiations involving polite but subtle “I don’t care” tactics, the fine was reduced to US$100. That’s the key in this part of the world – show no emotion, but a very subtle “so what” is okay.
PSA: NEVER TRAVEL ABROAD IF YOUR PASSPORT WILL EXPIRE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO SIX MONTHS.
Because of the snafu, we missed our airport pickup. That turned out to be a very good thing because the driver of the van that we hired to take us to the resort was our most excellent tour guide for next three days.
Luang Prabang is a very interesting place with the French colonial architecture, ancient temples and fascinating history. And, I can read the Lonely Planet guide for Laos as if it were a novel.
Since the “revolution” the country has been open to foreign tourists only since 1989. I don’t know why this little factoid shocked me. I’ve been living in Thailand since 1988. I have many times thought about and planned such a trip, but for some reason my plans have always fallen through. This time made up for all of those missed opportunities.
There are some great hotels in Luang Prabang, as they’ve converted some old French villas and royal palaces into hotels. It’s not cheap, though, despite the fact that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world (137th out of 179 according to the IMF).
Our hotel as one of the new ones, but it was still pretty serviceable in the event that I just wanted to laze about and stay dry amid the new year festivities.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotel1resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotel2resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotelviewresized.jpg
This is our tour guide (left) and my traveling companion (right) on a Maekong river tour:
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaew26khunnoperesized.jpg
We did do the normal sightseeing tour thing.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/caveresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/washingbuddhasresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kanunushotresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/nopeinfrontofbuddharesized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/oldtempleresized.jpg
Basically, our tour guide decided that we should celebrate the holidays with his family and friends. And, my traveling companion was like he had found his long-lost cousins. My traveling companion is Thai, but he is ethnically Lao.
When the western countries starting colonizing Southeast Asia about 200-300 years ago, the Thai empire was at its height of power. That’s why Thailand is the only Asian country never really colonized. Thailand successfully countered the French in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the British in Malay and Burma. Anyway, when the border was arbitrarily drawn between Thailand and Lao, two-thirds of the Lao people were ended up on the Thai side.
On a side, side note, I was debating Thai politics with my big boss this last week and he was commenting that maybe it wasn’t such a good thing that Thailand was never colonized and never got that dose of western law / ethics. I’m appalled at that. Arrogance can surely go, but I’m appalled by any insinuations that Thailand isn’t ready for democracy. My big boss is a big media personae and I hate that some smart people think like that.
Anyway back to my travel story, my traveling companion felt like he was returning home. The border was much more porous during the Indochinese war and his father disappeared in Lao when he was a small boy. I wouldn’t dare ask what side his father fought on.
Okay, there are things you ask and you don’t ask. I’m learning that the hard way. I did ask some of my hosts about the Lao royal family and they simply told me in very polite terms that I shouldn’t bother asking. They do own their own land and can enjoy all of the benefits from their land. So, that’s not really communist.
For me, I like to think that culture is best seen around the dinner table. It helps that I can pretty much understand Lao and the Lao people can pretty much understand my Thai.
We did celebrate Songkran in the traditional way, as well.
There was this really cool thing about celebrating Songkran in Luang Prabang. For one day, the local people celebrate the new year on an islet (actually just a very large sand bar) on the Maekong river. They can be rowdy as they like there and it doesn’t bother anyone and, of course, there is plenty of water.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran4resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran5resized.jpg
They build these sand (read mud) chedis on the banks of the Maekong. They have home-made like bamboo rockets they shoot off. They have big tents set up with all different types of music so the revelers can dance.
We celebrated across with the river with the tour guide’s inlaws.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaewfamily2resized.jpg
Then we celebrated with his parents on the Luang Prabang side until there was a blackout. Okay, with ready supply of candles, that didn't seem to bother anyone.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kaewparentshomeresized.jpg
The next day was the parade and we celebrated that.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran3resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran2resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran1resized.jpg
And, then we went to the bar of the tour guide’s friend, Khun Kambo, and had fortifications.
My traveling companion was particularly impressed that they had all sorts of healthy wine/whiskey. He hadn’t been imbibing in the beer and such because he was wearing his Buddha amulet. But, this is different. IT’S HEALTHY.
Here is a shot of my friend with the bear claw wine.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kambosbar.jpg
The day previously we had a boat ride up the Maekong and stopped in a village that made its own wine with cobra, other snake, scorpion and lizard.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/tonicdrinksresized.jpg
Yeah, uggh!
So, my friend loves this stuff and had to sample every weird “healthy” concoction.
Oh, they were trying to hook me up with supposedly a very attractive trannie. Never made that, though.
The next and our last day, our travel guide took us to have breakfast with his family. Again, the beer was flowing. They all gave us lots and lots of gifts, including children’s penmanship books so we could practice the differences in writing Thai and Lao. Oh, Khun Kambo had little jars of about 10 tonic drinks for my friend.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaewfamily1resized.jpg
My friend was so happy with the whole trip.
He’s planning on driving there (10 hour trip from his home near the Thai-Lao border) in the next couple of months and taking his mother. I’m not sure about the driving part and he'd better get a new passport before then.
He’d also need to get used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road. Strange that Lao like the rest of French Indochina drives on the right side of the road, like France. Thailand, like the British in Burma and Malay drive on the left side of the road.
But, it’s pretty cool to see how excited he was about the whole trip. Pretty cool for me too! I’ve traveled around a bit, but this was my best overseas holiday ever.
I highly recommend Laos for anyone over in this area. The people are so incredibly friendly. Yes, they’re technically communists, but in practice not so much.
Our trip started out really bad. My Thai friend’s passport expires in five months and 20 something days. At first, Laos immigration wouldn’t let him enter the country despite the fact that he is Thai and doesn’t even need a visa and we had our confirmed tickets leaving in four days.
After mind-numbing negotiations involving polite but subtle “I don’t care” tactics, the fine was reduced to US$100. That’s the key in this part of the world – show no emotion, but a very subtle “so what” is okay.
PSA: NEVER TRAVEL ABROAD IF YOUR PASSPORT WILL EXPIRE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO SIX MONTHS.
Because of the snafu, we missed our airport pickup. That turned out to be a very good thing because the driver of the van that we hired to take us to the resort was our most excellent tour guide for next three days.
Luang Prabang is a very interesting place with the French colonial architecture, ancient temples and fascinating history. And, I can read the Lonely Planet guide for Laos as if it were a novel.
Since the “revolution” the country has been open to foreign tourists only since 1989. I don’t know why this little factoid shocked me. I’ve been living in Thailand since 1988. I have many times thought about and planned such a trip, but for some reason my plans have always fallen through. This time made up for all of those missed opportunities.
There are some great hotels in Luang Prabang, as they’ve converted some old French villas and royal palaces into hotels. It’s not cheap, though, despite the fact that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world (137th out of 179 according to the IMF).
Our hotel as one of the new ones, but it was still pretty serviceable in the event that I just wanted to laze about and stay dry amid the new year festivities.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotel1resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotel2resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/hotelviewresized.jpg
This is our tour guide (left) and my traveling companion (right) on a Maekong river tour:
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaew26khunnoperesized.jpg
We did do the normal sightseeing tour thing.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/caveresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/washingbuddhasresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kanunushotresized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/nopeinfrontofbuddharesized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/oldtempleresized.jpg
Basically, our tour guide decided that we should celebrate the holidays with his family and friends. And, my traveling companion was like he had found his long-lost cousins. My traveling companion is Thai, but he is ethnically Lao.
When the western countries starting colonizing Southeast Asia about 200-300 years ago, the Thai empire was at its height of power. That’s why Thailand is the only Asian country never really colonized. Thailand successfully countered the French in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the British in Malay and Burma. Anyway, when the border was arbitrarily drawn between Thailand and Lao, two-thirds of the Lao people were ended up on the Thai side.
On a side, side note, I was debating Thai politics with my big boss this last week and he was commenting that maybe it wasn’t such a good thing that Thailand was never colonized and never got that dose of western law / ethics. I’m appalled at that. Arrogance can surely go, but I’m appalled by any insinuations that Thailand isn’t ready for democracy. My big boss is a big media personae and I hate that some smart people think like that.
Anyway back to my travel story, my traveling companion felt like he was returning home. The border was much more porous during the Indochinese war and his father disappeared in Lao when he was a small boy. I wouldn’t dare ask what side his father fought on.
Okay, there are things you ask and you don’t ask. I’m learning that the hard way. I did ask some of my hosts about the Lao royal family and they simply told me in very polite terms that I shouldn’t bother asking. They do own their own land and can enjoy all of the benefits from their land. So, that’s not really communist.
For me, I like to think that culture is best seen around the dinner table. It helps that I can pretty much understand Lao and the Lao people can pretty much understand my Thai.
We did celebrate Songkran in the traditional way, as well.
There was this really cool thing about celebrating Songkran in Luang Prabang. For one day, the local people celebrate the new year on an islet (actually just a very large sand bar) on the Maekong river. They can be rowdy as they like there and it doesn’t bother anyone and, of course, there is plenty of water.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran4resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran5resized.jpg
They build these sand (read mud) chedis on the banks of the Maekong. They have home-made like bamboo rockets they shoot off. They have big tents set up with all different types of music so the revelers can dance.
We celebrated across with the river with the tour guide’s inlaws.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaewfamily2resized.jpg
Then we celebrated with his parents on the Luang Prabang side until there was a blackout. Okay, with ready supply of candles, that didn't seem to bother anyone.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kaewparentshomeresized.jpg
The next day was the parade and we celebrated that.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran3resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran2resized.jpg
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/lensongkran1resized.jpg
And, then we went to the bar of the tour guide’s friend, Khun Kambo, and had fortifications.
My traveling companion was particularly impressed that they had all sorts of healthy wine/whiskey. He hadn’t been imbibing in the beer and such because he was wearing his Buddha amulet. But, this is different. IT’S HEALTHY.
Here is a shot of my friend with the bear claw wine.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/kambosbar.jpg
The day previously we had a boat ride up the Maekong and stopped in a village that made its own wine with cobra, other snake, scorpion and lizard.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/tonicdrinksresized.jpg
Yeah, uggh!
So, my friend loves this stuff and had to sample every weird “healthy” concoction.
Oh, they were trying to hook me up with supposedly a very attractive trannie. Never made that, though.
The next and our last day, our travel guide took us to have breakfast with his family. Again, the beer was flowing. They all gave us lots and lots of gifts, including children’s penmanship books so we could practice the differences in writing Thai and Lao. Oh, Khun Kambo had little jars of about 10 tonic drinks for my friend.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/khunkaewfamily1resized.jpg
My friend was so happy with the whole trip.
He’s planning on driving there (10 hour trip from his home near the Thai-Lao border) in the next couple of months and taking his mother. I’m not sure about the driving part and he'd better get a new passport before then.
He’d also need to get used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road. Strange that Lao like the rest of French Indochina drives on the right side of the road, like France. Thailand, like the British in Burma and Malay drive on the left side of the road.
But, it’s pretty cool to see how excited he was about the whole trip. Pretty cool for me too! I’ve traveled around a bit, but this was my best overseas holiday ever.