This Christmas break we caught a plane via Brunei to Bangkok. Then another to Chang Rei and then to the Laos Border Houy Axi where the Mekong River flows took a slow boat 2 days to Luang Prabang Laos. From here up river on the Nam Ou River on another slow boat to Nong Khiaw and then bus and truck to Xam Neua where the Pathet Lao guerrillas had their headquarters on the Viet border housed in humongous caves in the 60s and 70s. The area is remote and home to the Hmong people rich in cultural traditions and crafts. We spent 5 days in them thar hills. Pam was a bit frightened by the remoteness of it all, (we have been in the Simpson Desert and spent time miles out in the Queensland outback far more remote and isolated than Laos but Qld has not got 41 channel TV like the Hmong villages). They did not shoot us or rob us. They made us welcome with dancing and conversation. They speak a little English and are so proud. No-one else understands the Hmong Language so I guess from necessity they have to speak either Chinese or English.
Left on the local bus to Phonsovan (the Plain of Jars) 2000 year old archaeology site. The bus journey took us near 14 hours on the way the steering rod and the steering box came to grief in the mountains. The bus was dreadfully overloaded. (always are) and it is testament to the driving skill that we actually stopped before the drop to the valley floor. Amazing people they took the box off and the rod, flagged down a truck and left. 2 hours later back hooked it all up after welding in a local village. And away we went merrily down the road. Chickens, Rice, Fish, 31 People and Kids in a mini bus built for 18. Travel in these places is always the same. We had hoped to get a plane out of Xam Neu but as usual it was cancelled the fog comes down for most of the day and the mountains tend to stick up unexpectedly. (The yanks designed the F1-11 to fly these places blind).
Phonsovan had more bombs dropped on it than any other terrain in history. The bombs rained from 1960 to 1973. It was called the secret war. Most of Laos is contaminated with UXO (unexploded ordinance devices) world aid agencies are on the job, the Kiwis and the Germans at the forefront. Aussie aid? We build water tanks and wells fresh water for villagers. Beats getting your head blown off by a thousand pound bomb. (The Kiwis are good at that).
Spent value time at the plain of jars and on a bus again to Vientiane the old French City and the capitol of Laos. Good place. Great restaurants. Good food.
Then onto Cambodia and Siam Reap and the Angkor Temples. (Fantastic if you like old temples if it is not your thing give it a miss). Angkor Wat is the biggest religious structure in the world. The Angkor Temples cover a large area as palaces and the religious centre of the Cham empire in the 9th to the 14th century so they had lots of time to build mammoth structures. Some of the smaller temples are so beautiful, covered in exquisite artwork.
So there it is friends bought a plane ticket and look where it took us?
How was your break?
Malcolm
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