Return to Adventures Into Laos Home Page More Fall Photos
Laos Revealed: A Secret No Longer
The following essay I wrote to accompany a display of my photographs at the Butte County Office of Education Instructional Resource Center. I think when you read it you will see what an impact Laos had on me. While in Laos the tour leader, Bob Phillips and I talked about organizing a tour to Laos for teachers during the summer of 1999. We decided to go ahead and plan the tour with Bob returning to Laos in the spring to make arrangements with the National University of Laos and Teacher Training Colleges in Luang Prabang, Phonsovanh and Savannakhet to provide lectures for trip participants. We put a lot of work into providing an in depth look at Laos from an educator's perspective, but although there was quite a bit of interest in the trip there were not enough registrations to make the trip go. I still went to Laos for six weeks and had an incredible time. Bob and I are still planning a trip for next summer and staff at the Teacher Training Colleges look forward to our returning. A link to photos from this summers trip is provided on the home page.
I went to Laos during the month of November, 1998. I participated in a tour led by Mekong Tours that has been leading tours to Thailand and Laos for six years. As a teacher at Poplar Avenue School in the Thermalito Union School District, over the last six years I have become close friends with both Hmong and Mienh families. In our conversations and in my readings, Laos was always central to their stories and understanding why they were here in the United States as refugees. After spending my entire last summer studying Hmong at SEASSI (SouthEast Asian Summer Studies Institute) at the University of Oregon in Eugene my desire to visit Laos grew stronger. I explored the possibility of visiting Laos with one of our Hmong aides but we were unable to work out the logistics, so after learning about this tour I made arrangements with my Superintendent to take the time off. It was the best decision I've ever made.
We flew out of Sacramento the night of November 4, and after stopping in Seoul, Korea we continued on to Bangkok where we spent the night. Bangkok has a population of ten million, more than twice the population of the entire country of Laos! What I do remember is buying some sliced pineapple from a vendor on the streets for a few baht (the currency in Thailand) and savoring the incredible sweetness, our pineapple here in the states doesn't even come close to tasting as sweet and luscious.
The next morning we flew to Udon Thani, where we drove to Nong Khai and paid for our visas before crossing over the Friendship Bridge to Laos. 1999 is the "Year of Laos" and Lao P.D.R. (People's Democratic Republic), which is the official name of Laos, is making tourism a priority and the process of getting visas and passing through checkpoints has been made a lot easier. The Friendship Bridge was built with the support of the Australian government and was the first bridge across the Mekong between Laos and Thailand. Right now Japan is funding a bridge below Paxse and another one is on the drawing boards close to Savannakhet.
If you look at a map you will see that Laos is a "landlocked" country, having no direct access to the sea. This has led in its history to being a buffer country between Thailand (known as Siam before 1949) and Vietnam, constantly being invaded and ruled over. At this point in its history Laos prefers to think of itself as being a "landlink" country and hopes that by building bridges and developing paved roads into Vietnam and China it will see its economy become "linked" to these more prosperous countries. The Lao government wants Laos to become the 'keystone' or 'crossroads' of Southeast Asian, finally utilizing its landlocked position to its benefit.
Once we crossed Friendship Bridge on tuk tuks, 
three wheeled
motorized saamlors, we headed into Vientiane, the capitol of Laos,
a quiet city of about 450,000, 10% of the population of Laos.
The architecture is a mixture of East and West, with French colonial
villas and traditional wooden Lao buildings intermingled with
Chinese shop-houses and more contemporary buildings. It is an
easy city to get around and that night we enjoyed a meal and BeerLao
along the Mekong River.
What I found this first day, and through my entire trip is
that the Lao people are incredibly friendly. 
Considering
America's history with Laos you might think there would be some
resentment, but I saw none and at all times felt very welcomed.
In this era of 'new thinking' the Lao government is beginning
to embrace a market economy and has made learning English as a
second language a priority in their schools. Many of the older
Lao speak French as a result of French colonial rule, but that
is changing and all Lao seem to know some English and tourists
can get by without speaking Lao. 
When you do
go to markets and shops and want to know what the price is of
an item, calculators are always right at hand, and bargaining
is often done by handing the calculator back and forth and punching
in the numbers either of you think is the right selling price.
It grows on you after a while!
Unfortunately for the Lao, they are in an era of inflation and the kip, their unit of currency, has been on a downward spiral. Currently it's over 7000 kip ( When I was in Laos the exchange rate was 4100 kip for one dollar). And considering the 5000 Kip note is their biggest denomination, when you change currency it's easy to get quite a wad of bills. At least there aren't any coins...
The weather in November is close to ideal. The rainy season
is over and the temperature is usually in the high eighties and
not too humid. At least in Vientiane. When we went north to Luang
Prabang and Phonsovanh,
it was a few degrees cooler
and in Phonsovanh we actually needed long sleeve shirts at night!
Towards the end of the trip when we flew to Paxse in southern
Laos it then got hot (low 90's) and humid.
We spent a couple of days in Vientiane, visiting some of the
sites; That Luang, Wat Sisaket, the Monument Anousavari (known
by many as the 'vertical runway' because when it was being built
before the communist takeover to honor those who had died in war,
the cement ran out and they resorted to diverting tons of cement
that were part of a US aid package to help with the construction
of runways at Vientiane's new Wattay Airport to finish off the
monument in 1969), Revolutionary Museum and the morning market
(Talat Sao). This market is huge and has an enormous choice of
Lao textiles. One of my pictures on display is of a Hmong women
selling paj ntaub in the market 
It was in Vientiane
that you begin to get used to seeing Monks in their flowing orange
robes and often with umbrellas to shield their bald heads from
the sun. I didn't realize that many were as young as eight years
old. Almost all the Lao are Theravada Buddhists, and while the
hill tribes (including Hmong and Mienh) are primarily animists,
the Buddhism practiced in Laos is often interwoven with the superstitions
and rituals of animist beliefs.
After several days we flew to Luang Prabang, the old royalist
capitol. We flew on Lao Aviation and had no problems, 
although they had an accident
a year or so ago and NGOs won't let their workers fly Lao Aviation
and instead of an hour flight they will have to drive sometimes
over two days on very rough dirt roads, almost impassable in the
rainy season to get to Vientiane. Luang Prabang was designated
a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1996 and is really a gem in
all of Southeast Asia. It's rich history, incomparable architecture,
relaxed atmosphere, good food, friendly population 
and stunning
position mark Luang Prabang as an exceptional place to visit.
It has magnificent temples, particularly the former royal Wat
Xieng Thong and is dominated by Phousi - the 'marvelous mountain'
- which sits in the middle of the town. 
When you climb
to the top you are treated with a beautiful view. 
The
Royal Palace is a must see, and is now called the National Museum
This is the former home of the King of Laos, and it was on December
2, 1975 that the six-hundred-old Laotian monarchy was abolished
and replaced by the "Lao People's Democratic Republic."
It's construction is fairly recent though, financed by the French
to tie the monarchy to colonial rule so it's transformation is
not as tragic as it might seem! I have a picture on display of
the Palace taken from Phousi Hill that shows the Mekong in the
background. It was here in Luang Prabang that I saw my only Mienh
family and when I approached them I found out that a young woman
was visiting from Merced and hadn't seen her mother in over twenty
years. It was quite a poignant scene.
One day we took a boat up the Mekong to visit the Pak Ou Caves
which hold thousands of Buddha images 
There's something magical about the Mekong and I was mesmerized
by the endless gardens on the banks
that you could
see were being continually planted as the river dropped in height.
The Mekong is the lifeblood of Laos and the variety of boats and
life that emanates from the river is awe-inspiring. 
On the way back
from the caves we stopped at several villages, one that specializes
in weavings and one in lao-lao. The lao-lao which is a rice whiskey
was pretty tasty and our group managed to do a little tasting
and enjoyed a bottle on our boat ride back!
On another day we took several vans out to the Kwang Xi waterfalls.
Absolutely gorgeous, the teal opaqueness of the water was a photographer's
dream 
On the way we stopped at a Hmong village and I got a great photo
of a young Hmong woman and her child 
We were also
able to walk inside her home and is typical of what most of our
Hmong families lived in prior to fleeing Laos as refugees. It
gives you something to think about..
In Luang Prabang I would get up around 5:30 a.m. to get out
on the streets to photograph the monks as they would walk in groups
collecting rice/food from men and woman who would, by giving them
food 'earn merit.' 
There were
more monks in Luang Prabang 
than any 
other city we
visited.
One night we went to a wat and heard them chanting which was so
ethereal, I sat enraptured and between the monks and the great
gold-colored Buddha sitting so peacefully in front of us all,
my soul was captured.
From Luang Prabang we flew to Ponsovanh, about a 45 minute
flight heading northeast. Ponsovanh is the capitol of the province
of Xieng Khoang, replacing
the city of Xieng Khoang, which was bombed out of existence during
the secret war in Laos which coincided with, and was really apart
of the Vietnam War and the reason the Hmong, Mien and Lao are
here in America as refugees. The
US dropped more bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War than
were dropped in all of World War II. There
is still a major problem with UXO (unexploded ordinance) and
we were given a lecture by MAG
(Mines Advisory Group) personnel about what is being done in the
province. 
We could see from the air all the bomb craters that dotted the
landscape 
and
when we visited the Plain of Jars we had to stay on marked trails
for fear of stepping on UXO which had not yet been discovered
and removed. We saw graphic photos of what happens to children
and adults who accidentally detonate UXO and 70-80
people still die a year from UXO incidents. It makes one feel
a little queasy and wishing there was more we could do to help.
In Ponsovanh we did visit the Plain of Jars which are fields
with large stone jars about 3 8 feet tall, around 3 feet in diameter
and weight about the same as a large car. 
The jars have
long presented an archaeological conundrum - resulting in lots
of good stories about how they got there. Some believe they were
used for brewing large quantities of Lao-lao and most think they
were for funeral purposes. But it's all speculation and their
origins and function remain a mystery. The Plain is also important
because it became one of the most strategic battlegrounds of the
war and where most of the fighting the Hmong were involved in
was done. All you need to do is ask any Hmong man and they will
have plenty of stories to tell.
After spending a couple of days in Ponsovanh (I had a great
lunch there of spicy eel and fried morning glory, and I especially
loved the buffalo laap) we flew back to Vientiane. One thing about
Lao Aviation, you have to be patient and as we were waiting for
our flight, an older Hmong couple sat down beside me. I had learned
some Hmong last summer so I attempted to start up a conversation.
Thankfully, Koua, Bob's friend who speaks Lao was sitting on the
other side and started talking to them too. 
As it turns
out they said they were waiting for their son who was flying in
from Minneapolis to see them and they hadn't seen him in over
20 years. I was pretty excited to witness this homecoming and
when the plane landed I was ready with my camera and they were
out by the fence standing quietly by themselves. Well, the people
kept walking by and none was their son. 
We quickly reached the conclusion
that he wasn't on the flight and then one of our group remarked
that they thought they had seen the couple when we arrived several
days ago. So, how many days have they been coming to see their
son who had never shown up? They walked through the small terminal
back out on to the dirt road that led back to Ponsovanh. I took
their picture as they came to a Y in the road that 
I thought captured maybe a
little of what going on in their minds. I know many of the Hmong,
Mienh and Lao here in Butte County still have relatives back in
Laos they haven't seen in many years and their sorrow was crystallized
for me with what I witnessed that afternoon...
Our morning flight finally didn't leave until early afternoon
and by the time we checked in the hotel it was late afternoon.
My roommate and I walked fast to the Monument Anousavari where
there were several tourist shops and I was on the lookout for
a wooden carving of a Lao woman in the 'nop' position (a gracious,
prayer-like gesture in which both hands are lightly clasped together
at chest height, and which the greeting "Sabaidee" or
goodbye "Lah-gohn" would be said). We got there right
at dusk and I found two which made my day, and which I later scanned
into the computer and integrated with some of my photos which
you see on my home page. Wherever we were we took the opportunity
to check out schools and met many students, all with smiles and
eager to try out their English. In the two pictures here you see
the dramatic difference between urban and rural students.
The next day we flew to Paxse and explored the town which had
a whole different feel to it. In the afternoon we hired some vans
to drive us up into the Bolovens Plateau. Coffee plantations are
beginning to make a comeback and I got a nice shot of a couple
of boys playing in some coffee beans drying on tarps laid on the
ground. 
In Laos when
you order coffee with cream, they pour in condensed milk to form
a layer on the bottom and the pour the coffee on top. It's sweeter
than I'm used to but it grows on you. A legacy of the French are
the loaves of French Bread which are sold everywhere. You can
eat very cheaply in Laos. In the south there is a greater Vietnamese
influence and it seems a little more business-like. The next day
we took a boat down the Mekong to Champassak where we took tuk
tuks to Wat Phu, 
an
ancient religious complex of Khmer architecture and Hindu religion.
It
was here that a little Lao girl befriended me, selling me incense
and marigolds to leave as an offering to Buddha and acting as
an informal guide following me around and pointing out carvings
and hidden statues. 
She was special
and I can clearly remember her very soft voice and beautiful smile.
I hope I can go back and meet here again.
That night we stayed at a small hotel in Champassak and it was the night that the meteor display was at its best and the Lao/French owner's son (in late 20's) was staying up and invited us to come out from on the grass in the early morning. I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and stumbled out and there were several others from our group already out there. It was cloudy and we only saw the brightest stars. After an hour the rest of the group went inside and I continued to lay on my back gazing at the sky, just because it was so comfortable and warm and the fragrance of the Champa flowers was intoxicating. Well, magically the clouds cleared over the next half hour and the meteor display was absolutely spectacular. Two or three a minute and some with long tails. And what I remember most were the "oohs" and "ahs" of the two Lao women who were also out there. I couldn't see them, but I will always remember their exclamations and laughter. I stayed up until the sky began to get light and ended up only getting an hour or two of sleep, but it didn't matter, as these wonderful multisensory memories invigorated me and still remain fresh in my mind to this day.
One other memorable memory I have is when I sat at the top
of the stair of the boat ramp overlooking the Mekong waiting for
the sunset the previous day. To my right and below about thirty
feet was a man taking care of his little garden on the banks of
the Mekong. His daughter was with him and she was walking around,
playing with this and that, and the whole time talking a blue
streak. 
It was pure music with the lapping of the river along its banks
and her father's occasional replies as harmony. I have a photo
of them here in the display which really doesn't do justice to
my memories, and I regret not walking down the path and asking
if I could get a more formal portrait. There was such a strong
essence of Laos in that scene and that little girl's voice still
comes and goes in my mind. How can I be so lucky?
The next morning we left Champassak taking the boat back up
the river to Paxse. I again sat out in the bow of the boat, and
the sun was so deliciously hot, my skin was burning up and I was
drenched in sweat but I kept thinking what the weather was going
to be like when I came back to Oroville and endured! The next
day we hired two vans and drove from Paxse to Savannakhet which
was the most time we had traveled on Lao roads. 
Most of the
150 miles was dirt and quite bumpy, but we stopped at several
villages and snacked on bananas. We got into Savannakhet late
in the afternoon and had a nice meal on the river. We could see
Mukdahon, the Thai city we were going to cross the river to tomorrow.
As there is only the one bridge between Nong Khai and Vientiane,
one has to rely on boats and ferries to cross over into Thailand.
The Mekong is the border between Laos and Thailand except for
a section in the northern part of Laos with Sayaburi being the
only province on the east side of the river.
I think the next time I go to Laos I won't buy as many souvenirs
as my bags were really heavy and it gets to be a hassle getting
in and out of boats and checking in and out of hotels! I was really
sad to be leaving Laos that next morning. I had so many wonderful
memories and felt I was leaving a part of myself in Laos. The
good thing is that I will be going back in June and as I'm learning
Lao I'm looking forward to learning so much more about this marvelous
and elusive country.
