New Years in Laos

Vang Viang is located between Vientiane and Luang Prabang

Spencer and I traveled up through Thailand in the 3rd class overnight train to Laos. We were one of the fortunate few who had the luxury of sitting on a hard bench for 12 hours instead of standing or squatting on someone else’s feet. Crammed in like cattle!

Our ride from the train station to the boarder crossing at Friendship Bridge

We took a bus through Vientiane and up the winding hills to Vang Viang. This little town is a tourist hub ripe with banana pancakes and little restaurants playing Friends reruns. We were really taken back by the surrounding countryside, though, and stayed around the area for most of our trip. We found a lovely little guest house for $5/night and ate banana milo smoothies and pho (noodle soup) for breakfast each morning before heading out of town.

Need a haircut?

Tubing the Nam Xong River
The Nam Xong River was much like the Jordan River with large mountains in the background and a handful of bars set up along the bank. Quite a popular thing to do while visiting Vang Viang. We floated from one bar to the next, stopping for a BeerLao or a bucket of mix at each one. There were also many rope swings set up along the river – some like zip lines and some huge arcing trapeze swings that took my breath away. We met a nice couple from Sweden, Malin and Frederick, and another couple from Australia, Lisa and Marty. We spent the afternoon drinking and swinging and swimming.

Nearing the first jumping platform

bombs away!

Pha Tao Cave

We hired bikes and headed out to the Hmong village of Pha Thao. We explored the Pha Thao cave north of the village – wormed our way deep into the cave with our headlights before worrying about getting lost. Back out in daylight, we struck up a conversation with a local Hmong, Vang Ger, who said the cave, in fact, had a second entrance, and he could lead us through the whole thing. Spencer and I followed the friendly man into the cave…it wasn’t until we were deep inside that Vang Ger cheerfully admitted he had never actually gone though the cave himself, but if we all looked together, we could find our way out! He encouraged us by saying he knew of two “professionals” who once made it through and suggested that we look for their footprints. Spencer: “Should I start panicking now?”

Deep in the belly of Pha Tao Cave

We made it though.

And on the other side, Vang Ger showed us the house he lives in while he is watching his fishpond. (They have to sleep watching their fishponds so the "Lao people" don't come and steal their fish).

Vang Ger's hut and fishpond

We spent the rest of the afternoon with Vang Ger and he told us a lot about the history of his village. The Hmong people who live Pha Tao worked for the CIA during the 20-year “Secret War” against the Vietmanese which officially lasted into the late 1970's. When the US pulled out of Laos, they left these Hmong behind, and the Lao government has persecuted them ever since while the US refuses responsibility for their plight.
An excellent report by Thomas Fuller, one of the only foreign journalists allowed in Laos in 40 years: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/asia/17laos.html?hp


Hmong veterans of the Secret War - photo by Thomas Fuller

Vang Ger showed us the village school - the true meaning of "lack of resources" - and a skeleton of the second school which was unable to be completed due to lack of funds. The school now is overcrowded and the "Lao" teachers are, supposedly, unreliable; they come to school an hour late, make fishnets instead of teach, and leave an hour early. He says that the Lao government, who should be funding the school, says the parents of the children must come up with the money, but they cannot. How much is too much for the whole village? $5,000 USD.

Vang Ger shows Spencer his son's class room

Pha Tao school

"a classroom without walls" - isn't this what we aim for in the States?

Students...without walls

Hmong villager who showed us how to use his hand-made gun for shooting an important food source - rats.

Spencer gave it a try in exchange for a ride on Spencer's mountian bike - he had to put the seat down to the frame.

Growing rice is the main occupation of the Hmong.

The hidden waterfall

The following day we met up with Vang Ger again with Lisa, Marty, and their British buddy Rick. He took us to a waterfall. This involved a trip through a cave...

The passage was lit by bamboo tourch

...and out the other side to a valley surrounded by mountains. In the middle of the valley was a pasture for cows - how did they get there?

Pasture on our way to the hidden waterfall

We hiked up the far hill to a waterfall and did some good jumping and swimming.

Rick mid-leap

Luang Prabang by motorycle

Spencer and I rented a 250cc Honda (which was very hard to come by - most vehicles were 100cc scooters) and drove from Vang Viang, over the mountains, to Luang Prabang. The day-long ride had many spectacular vistas and we passed through over a dozen Hill Tribe villages nestled on the side of the mountain.

We started wearing only thin long-sleeve cotton t-shirts, but the temperature dropped quite quickly and we had to stop at one village to buy some $3 sweaters.

Spencer with his high-tech helmet

The villagers in the lowlands cultivated wet rice. Up higher, villagers did try cultivation of rice, growing their crops precariously on the mountainsides.

Many Hill Tribes were harvesting some sort of grass which they spent a lot of time beating against the side of the road. Here they are jumping on their grass.

People hung out on the road or on the very edge of the road - probably because it seemed to be the only flat space in their village, with their thatch houses hanging on stilts over the cliff.

We made it to Luang Prabang. This is the ancient capital of Laos and has a heavy French influence - French breads, good pastries, French-style architecture. We spent the night here and explored the markets.

Spencer eating a French-bread sandwich for breakfast. They served his smootie in a plastic bag with a straw.

Lunch (more french bread) on our motorcycle trip back to Vang Viang.