35 Days in Laos

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Laan Yaa Mo
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 21, 2014, 4:11 pm

I can't remember where I posted the thread about this year's occasional trip to Thailand. Since I ended up spending more of it in Laos than Thailand, I will open a new topic here. I had hoped to post every few days with observations, but the internet service in Laos is not very good, and often dies in the middle of topics. I only found reliable internet service at Luang Namtha, one internet cafe in Viang Chan (Vientiane), and the only internet cafe in the small town of Tha Khek.

Laos is a very friendly place, and the people, as in Thailand, are wonderful, cheerful and joyful.

There is double pricing in Laos. Thus to visit an interesting cave in Vang Vieng will cost 15,000 kip (1 baht=250 kip) for foreigners (westerners, Chinese, Arabs et al), and 10,000 kip for AESEAN neighbours such as Thais, Indonesians, Vietnamese and Cambodians. Lao people pay 5,000 kip.

There is no large town of consequence and some places, like Pakse in the south, are more Vietnamese than they are Lao.

There are still many Soviet Union flags fluttering in the pouring rain/tropical sun whether in towns or villages.

Within the exception of flying to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai and from Viang Chan to Luang Namtha, I rode the bus for 10-12 hours between places. The bus drivers are very good and they have to be alert because the roads in the north are potholed and wind their way through mountains with many hairpin turns. Rarily do vehicles stick to their side of the road as they are always trying to avoid potholes. In addition, the trips are made longer by the men who often yell at the driver to stop so they can pee, and by women who see vegetables and fruit by the side of the road they want to buy. This adds to the chaos and colour of the long trips.

By the way, everyone has to pay 2,000 kip to use washrooms at restaurants, which is why you see the bus passengers rushing off to the bushes to relieve themselves.

Yesterday, after I had boarded the bus to take me from Mukdahan to Khon Kaen, I was amazed that we left the terminal with only 6 passengers. In Laos, they wait until the bus is full before they take off, and they use as much space as possible, thus the aisles are used as well for the passengers by plonking down a plastic chair.

When I went from Viang Chan to Savannakhet the projected 7-hour drive on a paved and straight highway took over 11 hours. One reason is that a bus on the same route had broken down so its 30 passengers had to stand in the aisles for most of the ride. Anyway, it gives one the opportunity to speak with the other passengers.

There are a wide variety of tourists in Laos from older people like me, middle-aged couples, solo backpackers, group tourists and young Asians. I also met a group of students from the Philippines who are doing a research study on the success/failure of dams/irrigation throughout the country. They were studying the irrigation efforts around Luang Namtha.

I met people from many parts of the world, and for the most part, I was impressed by all of them. They included couples from Indonesia, groups from Thailand, South Korea, Japan and China, young backpackers from the Canary Islands, Sweden, Australia, the United States, a Chinese family from Vancouver, Canada, young ladies from Poland, and Morocco. The largest number of young tourists seem to be from Germany. And, after their World Cup victory, the most popular shirt worn by young male and female Lao is that of the Germans. Man United runs a distant second.

Outside of the capital, it was very unusual to see any old white men with young women. I suspect these guys were from Thailand renewing their visas. However, you do see old Chinese men with Lao/Vietnamese hookers in a number of places.

For the most part, I communicated by using a combination of Lao and Thai. I picked up quite a few Lao words, and can read most written words in Lao now. I was often thrown off this tactic in the towns as many residents can speak English much better than Thais.

Today in Khon Kaen I found it natural to say 'sabai dee' for hello, 'khop jai' for thank you and 'jaew' for yes. Both men and women in Laos use 'jaew'. In Thailand only the women in the north (Lanna) and Isaan use 'jaew'.

...to be continued.


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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 21, 2014, 4:14 pm

I should add that this voyage of discovery to Laos was the most fun and adventure I have had in about 40 years. It was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Next I will add some words about Luang Prabang.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Shado » August 21, 2014, 5:31 pm

Good stuff khun Laan Yaa Mo. Looking forward to more narratives. =D>

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35 Days in Laos

Post by Udonhoward » August 21, 2014, 6:00 pm

One interesting note about Laos, once you get off the only north-south highway (Hwy 3) and a couple other main cross roads, outside the cities there are NO paved roads. That's why touring on dirt bikes is popular, you can rent them in Vientiane.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by Udonhoward » August 21, 2014, 6:15 pm

OOps. I meant Hwy 13.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by GT93 » August 22, 2014, 2:07 am

I love Laos. I want to have a decent look through Laos. Last time I did that was 1998. More reports on Laos are welcome. Korpjai.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by FrazeeDK » August 22, 2014, 3:42 am

those "Soviet" flags are actually the Lao Communist Party flag..
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 22, 2014, 4:45 pm

Thanks, Khun Shado, and thank you Frazee DK for the information about the flag. I did not know that.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 22, 2014, 4:56 pm

Here are a few more general observations about Laos:-

Even though Thailand seems to be a much cleaner country than Laos, I rarely saw any vermin there. No rats, one cockroach in a very popular Viang Chan restaurant and one large snail in the washroom in Oudomxai. The 'x', by the way, is pronounced 'Ch'. This is French. I remember reading the Chronique de Xiengmai by Camille Notton many years ago. So the town of Xienghouang is actually pronounced, Chienghouang.

Getting back to vermin, last night in Khon Kaen there were many sewer roaches darting about, and yesterday morning at the children's park by the front entrance to Central, there was a large rat enjoying the playground.

I have heard that medical treatment is almost non-existent in Laos so if there is an emergency you better be close to the Thai border.

The military and the police keep a very low profile, and one rarely sees a person in uniform.

I only heard one ambulance, but no other sirens when I was in Laos.

I only saw one female, a bus ticket collector, smoke in Laos. The men smoke everywhere except on the bus, and in offices.

I did not see any Lao women with tattoos.

With the exception of offices, almost all Lao men and women wear sandals.

I must be exhausted from bus travel over the past week because it was actually a 38-day trip, not 35 days.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 22, 2014, 5:33 pm

For the most part, with the exception of Savannakhet, I booked hotel/guesthouse rooms in advance through Agoda, and once with Expedia. There were some great deals. The downside was it meant I had to move on to the next destination or lose the money I had spent on the booking.

I got the runs on the bus from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, which prompted me to take Lao Airlines to Luang Prabang instead of taking the bus for 12-16 hours. I stayed at the Luang Prabang Legend Hotel, which had discounted rooms on Expedia from $80 to $24/night. It worked out well. I stayed in Luang Prabang for 11 nights. The service was great, the staff was great, and breakfast was delicious and filling.

The first day I took a tuk-tuk to an advertised far-away wat, which turned out to be just a 30-minute walk. Thus, I realised I could get to most places in Luang Prabang by walking or 'boots on the ground' as the saying goes.

The historic and interesting wats kept coming. There was one after another. Sometimes, there was an entrance fee of around 5,000 kip (20 baht), and sometimes it was free. At the more important ones, you could get your photo taken by a professional for 20,000 to 30,000 kip (80 - whatever 30000 divided by 250 is).

At this point, I was at the entrance to Phousi, the famous hill in the centre of Luang Prabang. It was early afternoon and the hottest part of the day. I made many stops and went through 3 bottles of water before I got through the 393 winding steps to the top. Meanwhile young kids and old ladies were passing me by and leaving me in the dust. The view, once the top is reached, is breathtaking. You get a magnificent view of the town and the two major rivers - the Mekong and the Nam Ou. Phousi is a site not to be missed.

From 5 to 10 at night, there is a large market with many different items of interest for sale. For me that meant adding to my collection of Lao Lum and luk thung VCD's. But there is much else. T-shirts, silk, silver, footwear, tea, coffee, alcohol (some of the Lao ladies imbibe Beer Lao as the potential customers wade their way by), et al. And there are tons of tourists and locals at this night market. But, it is all to the good. The backpackers are curious and interested and full of youthful energy. Older couples and families all can enjoy this.

I ate at a restaurant called, The Coconut. The food was tasty and cost a whopping 20,000 kip (80 baht). Later, my server struck up a conversation with me and we exchanged phone numbers. She does not have a computer. This reminds me that internet service in Luang Prabang and tempermental. The computers might work for 15-30 minutes before they break down.

Over the next few nights, I discovered a small soi in which Lao ladies sold all kinds of delicious food. One can eat a filling meal (duck, pork, chicken, fish, beef, vegetables) here for 10,000 - 15,000 kip (40-60 kip). For lunch I often ate near a parkade at the far end of the main street from the night market where various sandwiches and crepes were on sale. I liked the avacado, cheese and bacon ones. In addition, mayonaisse, cucumbers, tomatoes and various other things are added unless you let them know, 'please don't add that.' I think these crepes and sandwiches cost around 15,000 kip.

Well, folks that is enough for now. I am a bit tired from helping a 21-year old university student with her English homework this afternoon. She is a friend of a lady who sells fruit on the street near the Roma Hotel. I was really impressed with her grasp of English. Her homework focused on the future perfect tense. For the most part, she did not need any assistance from me. Her spelling was almost perfect. She did have a problem with the term 'read', and was a bit confused until I explained that 'I read a book', and 'I will read a book' have different pronunciations. Tonight, after class, she will go to Tawan Daeng with her friends for some serious drinking. 555+
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Shado » August 22, 2014, 6:36 pm

Excellent update Khun Laan Yan Mo. Making the trip in the way you have really helps to connect to the true nature of the country. I suspect the locals were duly impressed with the fact that you could communicate with them. That always makes for more satisfying experiences.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by parrot » August 22, 2014, 7:18 pm

There are a lot of luxury cars from Laos plying the streets of Udon. Luxury cars=luxury phones, no doubt. Aren't the 3G networks in Laos capable of carrying a fair amount of internet traffic?
There's not much worse than an expensive smartphone that can only be used as a phone.

Thanks for your insight into all-things Laos. Very interesting.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by Udonhoward » August 22, 2014, 7:44 pm

I lived in Laos for five years, moved back to Udon Thani last year, and was very happy to do so, for many reasons. Laos is beautiful, and the people are warm and friendly, but it has a lot of problems. I don't have time to go into detail , but I'm glad to be here. If anyone has any specific questions, I'll be glad to try and answer them. Tourists just see the "unspoiled" beauty, but most people live in poverty. People in the countryside have little or no access to health care or education. The average Lao worker earns $180/month, if they're lucky enough to have a real job. This is the reality that is often overlooked.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by Zidane » August 23, 2014, 9:38 am

Very interesting trip reports,Uncle Tilo.....an excellent read.
I've only really been to Vientiane in Laos but,certainly,Luang Prabang is on the "to do" list !
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35 Days in Laos

Post by GT93 » August 23, 2014, 11:55 am

Udonhoward you're very welcome to make some posts, even if brief, about Laos. You must have some very interesting perspectives.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 23, 2014, 2:59 pm

Udonhoward is correct about the grinding poverty in Laos. The minority people are really hard hit, but the rural Lao farmers are also very poor. I was struck by the number of school-age children not in school.

I met a couple of university student on my bus rides and both of them stated that their goal after getting their degree was to do volunteer work in rural villages to try and upgrade the life of the people.

Furthermore, my observation is that the women marry at a fairly young age, 18-20, as I saw many young ladies with babies strapped to them both in the villages and the cities.

Laos, in many ways, reminds me of Chiang Mai and the surrounding area in the mid-to-late 1970s, and Burma in the 1980s and early 1990s.

However, as Khun Parrot mentions, there are some people driving heavy-duty expensive cars around the capital, and, also in Savannakhet. It was the Chinese Lao driving these cars in Savannakhet. I don't know about the capabilities of the computers and other electronic devices owned by Lao people. I do know that internet cafe service can be very slow and sporadic and, in some towns, like Xiang Khouang and Nong Khiaw, there were no internet cafes.

It should be added that Laos can be a dangerous place owing to unexploded bombs dropped by the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Even the guidebooks noted the effect of the U.S. bombing:-

'Luang Namtha...was razed to the ground.
...Salavan was...all but obliterated during the war by B-52 strikes.
Xiang Khuang (Phonsavan) has gradually emerged...since the total devastation of the region in the Second Indochina War.
...a monsoon of bombs taxed this town (Muang Khoun) so heavily....'

And, so on.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 23, 2014, 3:30 pm

I mentioned staying at the Luang Prabang Legend in this ancient capital (In the 15th century the Lan Chang individual also ruled the Lanna Kingdom centred at Chiang Mai). I forgot to mention that the owner of this hotel is a Sino-Thai from Khon Kaen. He and his family are very friendly and very nice.

The day after my tiring walk to Phou (mountain, hill) Si, I visited the Royal National Museum, which houses a number of royal treasures at the old palace. Also on the grounds is a vat (wat, temple) containing the important Buddhist image, the Pha Bang. I think it originally resided in Chiang Mai. You are not permitted to photograph the image.

In addition, you are not allowed to take a camera into the former palace, but must leave it, backpacks and anything else in lockers provided. The Palace is most impressive as is the sight of young ladies who work there lying asleep on the floor near the throne and an individual's bed. This was about an hour before morning closing so they probably figured the tour groups had gone and no-one else would be showing up. When one of the girls opened her eyes, I told her she would be more comfortable lying on the royal bed.

There are many things to do and see around Luang Prabang. Within the city it is possible to reach these places on your own. But to get to places outside the town, most people get to their destination through a tour agency. One place I visited through a tour agency was to Kouang Si Waterfalls.

To get there, the group took a mini-van. I learnt that sitting in a seat far from the exit doors meant that my body would be cramped. Besides I was sitting beside an overweight Australian who liked spreading his legs. I remained stuck in this unpleasant position for the 45 minutes or so it took to reach the waterfalls.

Upon arrival the driver said, 'return in three hours' and left us to go our own merry way. Again, it was a steep climb to the top. There are many levels to the waterfall, and the water is a beautiful blue. At various points on the way to the top, one can go for a swim. Although there were signs advising women that bikinis were verboten, the European gals were wearing exactly that. No complaints here. The Asian women (Lao, Thai, Chinese) went swimming in the traditional Asian way - fully clothed.

Many more tour groups had arrived by this time.

About half-way up to the top, the rains started and it turned into a downpour very quickly. Still the beauty of the place is remarkable and keeps one forging ahead not to mention the thought of gawking at German and French girls in their bikinis.

Be sure to visit the Kouang Si Waterfall if you ever visit Luang Prabang. There is another waterfall, Tad Se, that you can visit in combination with an elephant ride and visits to some tribal villages but there were only two other customers that day, and the tour agency wanted $60. I passed on the opportunity, and went my own way elsewhere.

So despite the rain, the number of tourists and the painful ride to the waterfall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.
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35 Days in Laos

Post by rufus » August 23, 2014, 3:41 pm

I have lived in Lao for 9 years and still do so. I would much rather live there than in Thailand. The people are friendlier and mor honest than the Thai.
Yes, people in rural areas are poor, however they are largely subsistence farmers. In the larger towns there are some very rich people. The cost of land in certain areas has literally quadrupled since I have been here. People sell land and buy a pickup; that is why there are so many on the roads.
There IS decent health care in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, though if I needed an major operation I would head for Udon of Khon Khaen.
No, Lao is not dangerous - only certain parts have uxos. These are primarily around Phonsavahn and the Plain of Jars - the site of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Despite the fact that the US bombed the hell out of these areas and lied about it to the world, there is no animosity to US citizens.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by macca46 » August 23, 2014, 4:50 pm

Very interesting stories about Laos the only two things that I had in my mind about the place was the Journo's that went missing there many years ago and the recent plane crash i have only lived in Udon for six months but plan to visit very soon.

Question Rufus you have lived there for 9 years what type of visa do you have and what is the compliance required as an ongoing visa, I know I could of googled but it is better from some one that lives there.

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35 Days in Laos

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » August 23, 2014, 5:18 pm

rufus wrote:I have lived in Lao for 9 years and still do so. I would much rather live there than in Thailand. The people are friendlier and mor honest than the Thai.
Yes, people in rural areas are poor, however they are largely subsistence farmers. In the larger towns there are some very rich people. The cost of land in certain areas has literally quadrupled since I have been here. People sell land and buy a pickup; that is why there are so many on the roads.
There IS decent health care in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, though if I needed an major operation I would head for Udon of Khon Khaen.
No, Lao is not dangerous - only certain parts have uxos. These are primarily around Phonsavahn and the Plain of Jars - the site of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Despite the fact that the US bombed the hell out of these areas and lied about it to the world, there is no animosity to US citizens.
Yes, in my short time in Laos, I found the people to be friendly and welcoming to everyone. There are no hard feelings that I could see or hear toward the U.S.

There were certain areas on the Plain of Jars (Xieng Luang [Phonsavan]) that have not been cleared of uxos. One restaurant owner with a sense of humour had three unexploded bombs outside labelled, the father, the son and the holy ghost. I heard that solo travellers should be wary of banditry if they travel alone near Muang Sing going toward the China border. But, I found the people of Laos to be the friendliest I have met in my travels. And, they have a great sense of humour. Yes, they are very honest, sincere and helpful.

Savannakhet and Pakse seem to have health care facilities, but I have no idea of the quality of the care there.
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