BACK IN CHIANG MAI

Today is the 25th July and I have just returned from a month travelling Laos and Vietnam. Met loads of great people, saw lots of amazing things and had a few adventures. It is good to be back in Chiang Mai and I’m staying at the same hotel before I left and in the same room. It was an exhausting trip but worthwhile and now it’s down to a bit of rest and recuperation before setting off again.

THOUGHTS ON LAOS

Laos is probably as Thailand was some 20 or so years ago. It is building up for an assault by the tourists. Currently the infrastructure is poor but that is changing. There are no railways anywhere, the roads are all 2 lanes and as a lot of the country is very mountainous are quite slow and difficult to negotiate. The people are wonderful, very friendly, helpful and welcoming, very much like Thai people. Laos people, however although being very beautiful (I must admit I was only checking the women, but, I’m sure the men are just as beautiful) are even smaller than Thai’s. To find a Laos person under 5 feet tall is not uncommon, I don’t know what the average height is but I had to check my passport to see that my name had not changed overnight to Gulliver hehehe. This is also why Laos people call western traveller’s Falang’s. A falang is tall with long noses – well I’ve been called worse particularly on the footie field after a well timed and forceful tackle. There is a lot of building and development going on in the places I visited including airports so now is a good time to visit Laos before it is fully handed over to tourism. Away from the tourist areas it is obvious that the people are very poor and have to eke out a living as best they can from the land, making handicrafts, fishing etc. so a lot are jumping onto the tourist bandwagon. Their English generally is pretty good. Most start out learning French at school but soon switch to English, as that is more useful to them.



2 day river cruise

I entered Laos from Chiang Chong in Northern Thailand. Successfully negotiated getting a visa for 36 dollars – it is normally only 35 dollars but as it was Sunday the 29th June, the cost went up from 35 dollars. The seats on the slow boat were very uncomfortable being hard and cramped. The owners of the boat cram as many people as possible on even to the point where some of the passengers sat in the engine room. The temperature was around 40 degrees anyway but added to the heat from the engine I’m sure it was very uncomfortable. I was lucky and played the senior card saying I need a decent seat because of my arthritis. For those of you who read this who were on that trip, sorry for misleading you but one has to use whatever advantage one can – I do not have arthritis. Our destination the first day was a riverside village called Pak Ben around 6 hours along the Mekong River. The boat was slow and often overtaken by speedboat’s. These speedboat's have a reputation for killing someone every week - they are deathtraps. The Mekong River has dodgy looking currents and loads of hidden rocks, so, I can fully understand how there are so many accidents on the speedboats. The slow boat at least gave us all an opportunity to appreciate the wonderful and stunning scenery along the Mekong – scenic mountain terrain dipping and diving all over the landscape – loads of green green forest littering the riverbank. Occasionally there is a village dotted along the way – very poor communities living in simple shacks with no utilities at all. Although they looked poor, the kids would be playing and waving to us as we went past – they looked happy.

Pak Ben

Simple village but very friendly and welcoming, just a few shops, a few more bars and a market. I went looking for a guesthouse and one guy took me to one as they had a vacancy. Before they could show me the room and not having a key, they had to take a crowbar and jemmy it open as the lock was still on. I enquired if I would have to do that every time I wanted to get in - hehehe. Needless to say I avoided that place. This village has no electricity feed or running water/sewage, so the generators came on at 6.30pm and went off again at 10.30pm meaning you had to be in your room by that time or have a pretty powerful headtorch. Although the night we were there was the time that Spain played Germany in the Euro final and several bars put on their own generators at around 1.30 in the morning so as us footie fans and indeed Laos footie fans as well could watch. I was having a meal with Grant and Neil from Scotland – 2 very nice guys and we were having a very civilised chat. Grant had been to storytelling evenings in Edinburgh to see Jess Smith and Sheila Stewart (2 very well known storytellers from Scottish travelling families). Anyway in comes a guy called Paul with his Laos girlfriend Porn (not sure of the spelling but this is how her name was pronounced) plus an American Scotty – nice guy. It turns out that Paul is from York currently has a house in Halifax and lived in Hebden Bridge in the 90’s. He knew some of the same people I did and went out with a lady (who will remain nameless on this blog) who I also knew. So, here we are some 10,000 miles away and bump into somebody who I could have bumped into in a pub in Hebden Bridge – amazing.

2nd day

Boat left the next day at 9.30am and was even smaller than yesterday’s boat, nicer but smaller and somehow the Laos crammed even more people on making it very uncomfortable. I managed to get a plastic seat with a padded life vest to ward off a sore bum. This journey took 9 hours and this time I had my camcorder so took loads of good film, which I hope to put up on here. The Mekong itself was very brown explained by it being the rainy season and the earth and sediment slipping into the river. Laos people use the Mekong for everything and when it gets to about 5.00pm they all have a community bath and the kids have a brilliant time splashing around and breaking up into fits of giggles. They do not seem to bother about the colour. Arrived in Luang Prabang around 5.30pm and now it’s off to find a guesthouse.

Luang Prabang

This is a very quaint, interesting and beautiful place on the Mekong River, tree lined streets full of arts and craft shops, nice restaurants and bars and buzzing with people. Its sort of like the St Ives of Laos. There is a real energy about this place with its hillside temple and interesting museum. If you visit Laos this is one of the highlights. The guesthouse was clean and quiet and pleasant for 50,000 kip (16000 kip to the pound - yes overnight I have become a kip millionaire). The night market (see photographs) is an absolute joy. A street is closed off around 5.00pm and the traders put up their gazebo’s and plastic sheets – lay out their wares and with the setting of the sun and the lighting that goes up it makes a real picture. On my first night in the town all the people who had met on the boat gathered in the Lao Lao Garden for drinks and celebrations – it was a wild night. Luang Prabang has a curfew at midnight so all the bars etc close at 11.30pm so as the staff can get home – interesting idea.

Aley

Met this Scottish lass on the boat who is the double of a very good friend of mine, Jo Cooper in Manchester, who is a very lovely lady. When I first saw Aley I had to do a double take she looks so much like Jo in features, colouring, body shape, height - I could not believe it wasn’t Jo. I talked to Aley about this and there does not seem to be any family connection but the likeness is uncanny. Also, in personality Aley and Jo are very similar – the twilight zone comes to Laos.

Kuang Phe Waterfall

Went to this waterfall with Grant and Neil and had a great day. Waterfall is beautiful. Although I’ve been to Niagara Falls so not quite on a par with that. Managed a swim and on the way back to the village beneath the falls they had some rescued crescent moon bears. Lovely looking animals and I have to ask the question, how can people mistreat these creatures. Back in Luang Prabang Grant and Neil said goodbye as they caught the overnight bus to Vientiane. These two have been great company and we talked about all sorts of subjects, serious to frivolous. They liked listening to my stories so that is OK with me. I hope you two read this, if so, thanks for your company.

Laos Village

Its now the 3rd July 2008 and myself, Scotty (the American from Pak Ben), Chris (another American), Paul (the drunk from Pak Ben) and his girlfriend Porn were invited to Porn’s village in the mountains and we all met in the morning to get the bus. Unfortunately Scotty had a tummy pain, which turned out to be serious as he was hospitalized that day.

Kop Chiatt

Porn’s family village was some 66 km from Luang Prabang had no electricity, running water or road, just tracks. The village shower is just a large vat of mountain water and a saucepan thingy which is filled with this water and then thrown over the body, cold but bracing and refreshing. The village is very simple but the people were very welcoming and gracious and showed us the ultimate hospitality. Have a look at the photos for an idea of the lodgings they live in. The economy is mainly fishing and weaving handicrafts. Guy (again not sure of the spelling but this is how her name is pronounced), Porn’s sister is 17 and weaves 50 scarves a month. For this she gets paid 1,000,000 kip (around £60). The rest of the family contributes to the family purse by working in the rice fields and growing crops and some fishing. Chickens run around everywhere, which helps the family larder. The people seem happy. The kids were fascinated with my ipod and took turns to have a go with the headphones. Around 6.30pm the electric generator comes on and loads of the villagers gather in a large room which probably doubles as the town hall, to watch the only TV in the area. Others play pool under a very dim lamp. Now this village had no facilities or utilities but it had a school and a full size football pitch - football again proving it permeates every society. Chris and myself bought footballs and we had great fun doing some simple drills with the kids for a good couple of hot, humid, very sweaty hours. Part of the fun was to avoid the water buffalo droppings on the pitch. One of the village leaders asked if I would stay on to teach the kids football and English. For this they would build me a house, supply me with food and a wife. A tempting offer as the scenery is stunning and they have the river nearby but I felt that I would not be able to negotiate the squat toilet every morning. But I did think about it. The only spoiler to the great time we spent in Kop Chiatt was Paul who proceeded to get absolutely plastered on beer and Pastis (some sort of pernod type spirit that contains absinthe). Myself and Chris had to sleep in the same room as him and I commit the happenings of that night to history that only myself and Chris will recall, but let me say it involved Paul peeing in the room. Now it is an individual’s choice whether to be constantly drunk but when it affects so many people’s enjoyment of an occasion it is time to speak up. Paul was embarrassing on a number of fronts with his drinking. First I hope that Porn explained to the villagers that he is not representative of the behaviour and lifestyle of westerners. Second he committed a number of social faux pas with the villagers, not least kissing Porn’s mum on the cheek to say goodnight – kissing Laos people in this manner is a complete no no and especially not in an advanced state of inebriation. That’s enough words about one person and I will finish by saying that Paul did not totally ruin the experience for Chris and myself.

Trip to Vientiane

Caught bus at around 8.00pm from Luang Prabang and sat next to a woman with her 8/9-year-old daughter on her lap. Bus was full and pulled out of the station but then it stopped to let another dozen or so very tiny Laos people on. These people sat on plastic stools in the aisles. This trip lasted 10 hours and was an absolute nightmare. The road wound its way around mountains and valleys whilst playing loud Laos pop music. Its no wonder this form of pop has never traversed the nations – it is rubbish, particularly when trying to sleep and the women plus child next to me wriggled and squirmed to try and get comfortable as well. Added to this mix, the child vomited into a number of sick bags during the journey.The sick bag being deposited out the window when full. The average speed must have been around 30mph due to the curves and bends. A long long trip. Nightmare.

Vientiane

Nothing to report except bumped into American Chris again and had some interesting chats. He intends becoming a military lawyer and my belief is he will do it. Chris if you get to read this, good luck and thanks for the company.

Trip to Pakse

This was a better journey which started around 8.30pm and I travelled on what is called a bed bus. This means there are no seats just beds. I was put on a row of 4 at the back with 2 Irish guys and a Canadian called Candice. Nice lady. The only downfall was that the coach TV was playing Rambo 4 in Laos. Well I figured that I’ve never understood Sylvester Stallone when he talks English anyway so it made no difference him being dubbed in Laos. The speakers were just above our heads and the sound was loud and unpleasant.

Pakse

Nothing to say about Pakse – see photo. The highlight was bumping into Candice again and having dinner with her by the river and having to point at the food available so as the waitress knew what we wanted. The waitress’s did not understand English. We talked about being compulsive/obsessive and anal-retentive as we both are affected by these conditions – interesting swapping of observations.

Kingfisher Lodge

This is an amazing place some 60 km from Pakse on the Bolaven Plateau. It is an ecolodge that runs on natural energy and uses wood from sustainable forests. Probably it is easier for you, the reader, to check it out on the web – just put in Kingfisher Lodge, Champasak, Laos. I spent 4 very happy days there looking out from my bungalow room onto wetlands, watching locals fishing and dodging leeches. Every morning at 6.30am I was woken to the sound of water buffalo being herded past my bungalow. Now I’ve been woken up in the mornings to many things, road drills, load music, drunks fighting, a drunk rambling, cocks crowing, a car changing gear etc. but this is the first time it was water buffalo. One of the staff is a Laos lad called Mr. Thin – sounds like a character from James Bond.

Trekking

Went out on a 1 day trek through the forest with an English speaking guide and a local guide. Came upon a volcano on top of which was a temple that is now derelict. This temple was active up to 100 years ago and apparently they trained monks in hand to hand combat so as they could defend the area against invaders. The volcano itself was last active 300 years ago so it is due. From there we went into the thick, thick forest, very, very hot and humid and occasionally a difficult walk but enjoyable. The walk took around 8 hours and covered some 22km. On the way we saw rattan, leaves used in basket weaving, a cardamom plant (that was very bitter but the local guide managed to eat it uuurrrggh). There was a large hole in a Yang tree from which the locals collected resin, which is used for torches and being waterproof is put between the gaps in baskets to make that basket waterproof. The locals use as much natural produce as they can from the forest. We came across a vine that was used for making clothes by stripping the outer bark and weaving it together. Nowadays, its jeans and T-shirts. Next was a Wattaka tree that is very hard and good for construction and used to make coffins. I was shown another plant that the locals used to eliminate pain, which we in the west know as paracetomol. The walk was accompanied by the shriek from a little cricket type thing called a chickada (not sure I have spelt this right).

Almond Seeds

At one point the local guide gave me an almond seed, which I ate. A little further on he indicated some more seed pods (or so I thought) and he started striking them open with his knife. I asked the English speaking guide where are the almond trees and his reply, “There are no almond trees here, these pods have passed through cow.” Needless to say I came over all western when offered another seed and refused it. The one I did eat tasted fine and I would never have realized its journey unless being told. Still, thinking about it, it’s how nature intended seeds to spread.

Mushrooms

I was interested in the great variety of mushrooms growing in the forest and asked whether the locals ate them. The answer was an affirmative and the way they decided if the mushroom was safe or poisonous was to boil them with sticky rice and if the rice went red the mushroom was poisonous. If someone ate a poisonous mushroom the cure was to bury them in the ground up to their necks and the poison goes away – yeah right. However, why would the guide tell me this? I have no way of knowing if this is true or not. Nobody I have spoken to have ever heard this type of cure before, but maybe it is true. What do you think, as for me I reserve judgement. Is it that all guides have little tales that they fool their visitors with as I remember on asking a guide in the Blue John mines in Derbyshire, UK. "What is the daftest question you have ever been asked." The reply came "How many undiscovered caves are there still here." Again this could be true or not.

Ants

The guides had brought lunch with them and after eating some fish and bananas I threw the skins away. Immediately, I noticed these huge ants descend, carry off and devour every last morsel of what to an ant must be the equivalent of dining out at the Ritz. I would guess their normal diet consists of dodgy grubs and insects plus bits of fruit and nuts that drop from the trees, so to have fish and bananas would be a real treat. I have always respected the Great Northern Hairy Wood Ant (or similar such name), that frequents Hardcastle Crags in West Yorkshire and the damage that they can inflict upon any visitor that happens to sit on their hill. But, these ants in Laos are the SAS of the ant world and are far superior to those in Hardcastle Crags. I bow to thee Laos ants.

Tigers

This forest became protected in 1997 with the incentive of getting tigers moving there from Northern Cambodia. Tigers and other animals used to live in this forest but the locals and poachers killed them all. Apparently a few weeks earlier, a guide was out on a trek with westerners and saw a tiger. The first that has been spotted since 1997 so, a reason for celebration I think. There is a lot of work being done with the locals to persuade them not to kill tigers as foreigners will come and spend money in the village just to see tigers. Lets hope this works.

4000 Islands

My next stop in Laos was an area called the 4000 Islands in the south of the country very near Cambodia. I stopped on Don Khone, which was a very quiet, friendly and beautiful island. On the day of arrival there was a wedding in full swing. The bride wore traditional costume and the groom was in a shirt and tie – didn’t really fit somehow. Anyhow, it was very reminiscent of a British wedding, loads of guests sitting around on tables drinking and eating everything in sight. Occasionally they would venture onto the dance floor to do some sort of bad version of 1970’s idiot disco dancing particularly the Laos version of my Uncle Mervyn. The only thing that was missing that happens in an English wedding was an alcohol fuelled fight between 2 members of the opposing families.

Very relaxing couple of days was spent here. I met a nice couple Ed and Steff from the UK who were travelling for several months after being at university and before getting stuck into the rat race and hamsters wheel of jobs and responsibilities. Good luck you 2 if you ever read this. Cycled over to Don Det which is where all the ravers were supposed to be but it was quieter than Don Khone – don’t know where all the ravers have gone.

BackPackers

At this point can I make a comment about young backpackers. A lot of them just seem to travel from one place that is in the Lonely Planet guide to another, without taking time out to see the country and meet the people. Its just a new place, where are the bars, meet other young backpackers, leave tomorrow and find some more bars. Maybe that is what they want to do and I’m sure that time and budget may be a constriction but it just seems a hurly burly of cheap bus journeys, even cheaper guest house, keep moving on, grabbing sleep and meals when they can. Surely after time everything becomes the same, another bar, another mountain, another forest, another guesthouse all fleetingly observed. Still I suppose I’m lucky not having any time or budget restrictions and can take time to see and appreciate a country.

Pakse to Hoi-an

My last bus journey on this trip was from Pakse to Hoi-an in Vietnam via Savannakhet and the Vietnam border, Dong Ha, Da Nang and after some 27hours arriving in Hoi-an. The journey was instantly forgettable except for meeting Brady (Canadian) and Molly (Aussie via Chichester). Had loads of nice chats with these 2. On arriving at the Vietnam border they realized they did not have any visas and despite pleading and begging the border guards would not let them in. So, they had to make another 5 hour bus journey back to Savannakhet. I’ve had an email from them and they got on fine. Also, at the Vietnamese border I was ripped off 3 times so my opinion of Vietnam and the people was at a low and I was visibly angry with people. On the bus journey from Dong Ha to Do Nang met a Vietnamese guy who worked for the government and he bought me breakfast on the river at Do Nang – faith restored in humanity and Vietnamese people.

Hoi-an

Hoi-an again is a lovely little quaint arty town on the coast of the Indo China Sea. It has been there for many centuries and is full of small streets with nice craft shops, bars and restaurants. It’s the St Ives of Vietnam. There is a lot of building work going on and apparently some large hotel chains, including Novotel, will be building there soon so now is the time to visit before the place is spoiled. It’s a joy to walk around the streets at night, the place is buzzing and some of the bars and restaurants are superb. One of the specialties of this town are the tailors and I could not resist having some trousers and shirts made. Now, being a perfectionist (a symptom of compulsive/obsessive disorder), I was nervous of how these clothes would turn out but I was pleasantly surprised when the finished articles arrived – they were well made and they had followed every single instruction. The shirts cost around £5 and the trousers £10. Well worth it and a great addition to my backpacking wardrobe. It was extremely hot in Hoi-an the temperature during the day being around 40 degrees plus. That is why all the tourists were out in the day and the wiser, more experienced locals out in the cool of the evening. The nearby beach is beautifully tropical with its white sand, palm trees and clear seas. Stopped in a nice hotel in the city centre, £8 including breakfast, a fan, TV and air conditioning. Believe me I deserved to stay in somewhere half way decent after some of the highly dodgy places I had stayed in over the last few weeks.

Scuba Diving

Had a great day scuba diving off Cham Island, around an hour from Hoi-an. First dive was brilliant went out with a group headed by Kate, an attractive lass from Gloucestershire, who is an exceptionally good leader. She made the 6 in the group gather for a pre-dive talk and when in the water she was very calm, professional and made sure everyone was OK. It was a pleasure diving with her. The second dive was a disaster for me. It was led by an aggressive, impatient french guy. There were 4 in the group and it was a drift dive around a pinnacle (drift diving is where there is a strong current) but one of the group had an ear problem and the dive was abandoned after 16 minutes. Gildas, the frenchie, showed his anger, frustration and impatience back on the boat – I just walked off, silly fool – that is no way to lead people in a scuba dive, it will only lead to panic. Cham Island is beautiful and well worth the trip. Nice vegetarian lunch followed by a rest in a hammock in the shade. Met a couple of Aussie guys, Chris and Nick from Byrom Bay – nice guys, funny and well traveled. Chris had spent 3 months in a Thai prison some years ago and it was interesting hearing his experiences of that time. Let me say that a Thai prison is not a place to end up. People do not survive very long. Chris had to pay 76000 Aussie dollars to get bailed and then he skipped the country, so living to tell the tale. He did say that there were a couple of Americans and a German guy in jail who were all doing life and were not in a very good condition. They were malnourished, covered in sores, emaciated and he guessed that by now they will be dead unless they found a way out. Often the king will grant pardons to foreign prisoners and that was probably their only hope.

Last Meal

Met Chris and Nick at a nice restaurant in Hoi-an overlooking the river and sea for my last meal before returning to Chiang Mai. Good evening. Back to Chiang Mai.

Rubbish

It seems to me that most tourists are concerned not to leave rubbish everywhere. Foreigners are looking for bins or will put their rubbish in a bag and take it home. Every country I’ve been to in South East Asia the local people do not seem to have the same concerns. They are very happy to throw rubbish in the street or on the land, out of vehicles, out of windows so as there are piles of rubbish and rotting items scattered everywhere. Is it just that modern packaging is a new phenomena to these people or they do not mind the smell and the unsightliness of seeing rubbish everywhere. Also, are they aware of the inherent dangers of these actions. I’ve seen kids standing on a bridge lobbing plastic bottles into the river, guys opening up packaged items and tossing the packaging into the street. Sick bags thrown out of the windows of cars and buses after they have been used etc.