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Hello Lao! |
Having clambered all the way up to Thailand’s North Eastern corner, into the fabled Golden Triangle, (the wedge of land between Lao, Thailand and Myanmar, famous for opium production) we enjoy a pleasant border crossing by long tail boat over the Mekong River. This, our first encounter, with the important waterway is a little disappointing (as with the Irrawaddy in Myanmar), despite having already flowed through China all the way from the Tibetan Plateau, her watery resources are depleted to a few feet of drizzle by the onset of the hot, dry season. A thick grey mist hangs in the air. These dreary clouds of smoke have followed us across Northern Thailand and the haze will continue to choke our views of the most dramatic scenery of Lao, the by product of the annual slash and burn farming methods. At night streaks of fire and burning embers drip across the hills, like volcanoes with dangerous orange rivers of lava.
Hello Laotian Monks! |
The Touring Circus of Backpackers from Thailand follows a defined route down the Mekong. We escape the enforced tour group stickering and phlitter further North, shadowing the Lao China border to the village of Muang Sing. 10 km away China’s presence looms, a long shadow which can be felt the whole spindly length of Lao and into the Mekong Delta.
Spirit Gate |
In this area of the Golden Triange, hill tribes drift between the four countries, people from the Hmong and Akha tribes, armed guerrillas also roam the hills, in the battle for controlling opium. The tourist agency mafia have also migrated over the border from Thailand. We submit to a last guided trip, a cycling tour, which promises to take in “ETHNIC” & “REMOTE” villages. On arrival at these villages we are surrounded by women and children selling their wares, beautiful textiles, insisting we buy things so they can eat, we feel guilty, men squat and gaze at the falangs (foreigners), we gaze back. It’s like an uncomfortable visit to a zoo. Visiting a village school to distribute some books and pens the experience is also uncomfortable. Usually we give such supplies to the teacher but our guide explains that the teacher will probably then sell them to the children so suggests I give them direct to the kids which I don’t like to do as it encourages them to beg from tourists.
Vietnam, often mixing with Buddhism. Everything is controlled by
spirits or demons; spirits inhabit rivers, forests, mountains, rocks – these objects are treated with great respect and we often see offerings given to the spirits. Village shamans are able to commune with spirits, they are called upon to heal people’s spirits and to chase away bad spirits.
Caves where villagers lived |
After a few more temples, monasteries and waterfalls, same, same, we cross the rugged mountains to Vang Vieng and rejoin the Circus for the tubing phenomenon. I take out 1 million KIP (£80) from the bank and apprehensively partake in the activity I’ve heard tales of for the last few weeks. From 11 am every day travellers flock to the riverside bars and drink “buckets”, $1 a pop, a third of a bottle of petroleum strength whisky, drink “happy” shakes, dance on podiums, swing off rickety rope swings into the shallow river and float on tubes until another barman fishes them in. Many kids stay for weeks and if they’re very lucky can get a job as a tout giving free shots and annoying people.
In the town zombies stumble around, daubed in pink paint and graffiti black indelible felt tip marker pens…slurring….battered and bruised from inevitable accidents which occur with unmeasured quantities of alcohol, drugs, youth and water. Some are dazed, some raucous, some bruised and others supported by crutches… People have been blinded by dodgy alcohol and every year people die here – including 2 Australian boys in January. Along the shores there are plain clothes policemen in bushes with binoculars avidly spying for a falang smoking a joint so they can swoop in and supplement their income with a whopping $500 fine.
A working elephant |
After recovering from the tubing drama we take our “VIP Sleeper “ bus down South to spend a few days at Si Phan Don, the 4000 Islands on the Mekong, many islets appear in the dry season. Now I can finally label the Mekong mighty as it opens up into a series of beautiful rivulets and waterfalls around the islands where we have some serious chillaotian time.
beautiful pictures ")
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good stuff phil.
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