We ❤️ Laos

Laos you surprised us! Before we arrived we hadn’t really given you much thought. You were just the quiet, tiny, unassuming country we had added to our agenda since we would be in the area on our way to Thailand. We didn’t really have many expectations or preconceived ideas, but you have awed us with your soft beauty. More importantly, we fell in love with your laid back, caring and genuine people!

We learned so much in our short time in Laos. Buddhism is a fundamental and integral part of the Lao people’s character. There is a strong sense of courtesy and respect, and loyalty to family and friends is very important. The people are happy, relaxed and kind.

Laos has one of the lowest populations in Asia. There are an estimated 7 million people living in the country, which is about half the physical size of California. The smaller population was evident in the cities we visited as compared to Cambodia and Vietnam. It seemed much less hectic and busy and it felt as if we could relax a bit more; no more heightened senses. It was easier to cross the roads, and there was space to walk. Laos had been isolated from the outside world until the 1990’s, when the country opened it’s doors to tourists. This was also evident by the lack of western influences and franchises. It truly did feel as if we were in a different world, which was quite nice. There was that realization as we wandered the streets: this is weird, this is different. Nothing is familiar and it’s amazing!

We arrived in Luang Prabang relatively late, with the visa process to enter taking almost as long as the flight from Cambodia. Our guide, Ek, greeted us at the airport, took us to our hotel and even surprised Chase with a delicious birthday cake. (Have we mentioned we have an amazing travel agent?! Thank you, Amanda!)

The first morning started early (5am) for Dave. Unfortunately, Reece wasn’t feeling well, so the rest of us rested while Ek took Dave to a remote, less touristy part of the city to watch the monks take there morning walk from their neighbouring temples. Some monks will walk 45 min into town to collect alms each morning. Being so early none of the photos of the beginning of the experience turned out in the dim twilight, but as the sun rose, and Dave and Ek moved to more populous areas they caught the barefoot monks and novices carrying their pots to accept alms (food in the form of sticky rice given by local people each morning). More substantial food items are taken directly to the temples afterward.

During their walk the monks accept little morsels of food freely from hundreds of donors. They do so without eye contact or conversation, as such might affect a contribution. This surely is a custom to watch if ever in this area of Luang Prabang! 1700 monks live in the province and they form wonderfully picturesque rows of orange robes as they make their daily migration through the city. Their route varies from day to day, but some main streets are certain to catch a view of the custom as they reenter the city temples from which they started.

It was an interesting experience to learn all about Theravada Buddhism and the practices of the monks. The concept of karma, and the process of giving back is fundamental to the process and the community. Even the monks themselves give back some of the alms donations to a bucket near the end of their journey each day. This donation rice will eventually make it to the poor and needy.

That afternoon the rest of the party was on the mend so we were all able to continue the tour of Luang Prabang, an UNESCO Heritage city. Our first stop was the former Royal Palace which now serves as the National Museum and the Haw Pha Bang which sits on the Palace grounds. This was followed by a climb up the 328 stairs to the summit of Mt. Phousi for an amazing panoramic view of the city. The view was cut short in the distance as this time of year the rural farmers go through a burning process to make ash fertilizer for their fields, and it creates a hazy smoky environment much the same as when forest fires are nearby in BC and the wind is bringing the smoke our way. The smell of campfire is often in the air.

After an amazing lunch and a swim in the pool we headed out again for more… you guessed it… temples! This included Wat Xieng Thong one of Laos’ most beautiful and richly decorated temples. It’s often called the Golden Temple. Dignitaries from other countries will often visit this temple as part of their introduction to Laos.

Later we were able to participate in a Laos Baci ceremony. A Baci ceremony is unique to Laos, and it is usually performed on special occasions such as a marriage, a new baby, a goodbye or a death. The ritual of the Baci involves laying out special flowers and goods. This is followed by Buddhists mantras calling for good luck and good wishes to the participants. After the chanting, cotton bracelets are tied around everyone’s wrists with special, individual blessings offered. One must wear the bracelets for 3 days or more to have the blessings become part of you. This was a very special evening for us and one we will always remember.

That evening finished with a sunset drink and snacks overlooking the Mekong River

The following day started with a visit to the local market. The markets in Laos were amazing and we enjoyed a lot of time just strolling along and admiring all the new and exotic finds. The morning markets seemed to contain mainly foods – from fresh fruit and veggies, to noodles, coffee, fish, and meats. Whereas, the night markets had more goods and gadgets and “to go” type foods. There were also whole markers dedicated to just one type of product, for example fish. Fortunately we didn’t spend a lot of time at the fish market as the smell was awful.

Our next adventure was a fantastic boat trip up the Mekong River to the famous Pak Ou Caves which are filled with over 4000 Buddha statues of all different sizes. It is believed the caves were discovered by King Setthathirat in the 16th century. The collection of statues was added to each year over centuries as the royal family of Luang Prabang commissioned artists to create new statues for the caves – a practice that ended in 1975.

After our visit to the caves we headed back towards Luang Prabang, stopping at a local rice-wine and rice-whiskey making village on the way.

We also visited the beautiful Kuang Si Falls. Located 26kms from town, Kuang Si consists of a single large falls that feeds a series of smaller falls and pools below. The beautiful turquoise waters were a welcome sight in Laos, a landlocked nation.

At the end of the day our guide, Ek, took us to a temple to observe and listen to the monks singing their enchanting evening chants, a very beautiful and unique experience. We were even blessed by one of the monks with orange bracelets when the chanting ended.

After Luang Prabang we headed south to Vang Vieng, a small tow on the Nam Song River. The 5 hour drive was interesting on a very twisty road that was poorly paved or not paved at all. The roads in Laos are rather rough and you can’t make any significant speed due to having to dodge potholes, scooters and the occasional cow that wanders onto the street. At times we were even doing as little as 20km per hour due to the rough road conditions.

On the way we made a few stops to break up the drive. First stop was to a local elementary school where we were greeted by some very curious and adorable children. We were shown around the classrooms and learned a bit about the school and curriculum.

There are over 50 different minority people that make up the Laos population (Lao: 55 percent; Khmou: 11 percent; Hmong: 8 percent; other: 26% (various ethnic groups which are largely offshoots of the main 3): 26 percent). Many of the ethnic minorities live mostly in the remote mountains in Laos. One our way to Vang Vieng we had the opportunity to stop at a village to meet some of the people and learn a bit more about how they live and work.

We arrived in Vang Vieng and checked in our hotel for the night, dropped off our bags and headed out for a long tail boat ride on the Nam Song River. The river is one of the main features of Vang Vieng, with many restaurants adorning it’s shores. Tubing, kayaking, rafting and long tail boat rides are a must when in the area. Our ride took about 40 minutes and was so much fun, plus a great way to see the sites along the river.

The next morning it was back on the long and windy road to our final destination, Vientiane. That evening, after we arrived and settled in, Ek took us on a tour of the city, including a walk along the river front, a visit to another market and a nice dinner. The food in Laos was wonderful and very reasonable. We managed to feed the family, including drinks for under $20 many times. Ek was also very good at introducing us to local fruits and snacks, greeting us most mornings with a local treat (many times made by him). The smoothies were amazing! They contain no added sugar, no milk or yogurt; just fresh fruit that is intensely flavourful. Many days to beat the heat we’d have just a smoothie as a meal or a snack. Delish!

Our first day in Vientiane we took in a city tour with a local guide. We sadly said goodbye to Ek, as he made his journey back to Luang Prabang. (Thank you Ek for sharing your country with us. It was a truly memorable experience!) We visited Pha That Luang, the most important Buddhist monument in Laos and said to hold some of the Buddha’s remains. We also visited Wat Si Muang and Wat Si Saket.

Wat That Luang

The tour also took us to the Patuxai Arch, a war monument in the centre of Vientiane, built between 1957 and 1968. The Patuxai, which is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, was dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France.

Vientiane is definitely a quiet capital city and in hindsight we could have seen all we needed to see in a day or two. Regardless it was nice to have a few quiet days to get caught up on things and rest. Believe it or not this travel thing can wear you out!

We took the next few days to relax, leaving our hotel only for a walk and to take in a movie (many movies are in English with Laos subtitles). On our last day we hired a driver to take us to Buddha Park, a sculpture park located about 24 km from Vientiane and contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues.

We also visited COPE (Cooperative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise) the main source of artificial limbs, walking aids and wheelchairs in Laos. We were happy to see that Canada plays a part in this initiative. The Visitor Centre was interesting and had informative multimedia exhibits about prosthetics and the unexploded cluster bombs still found in Laos. In fact, we learned that Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world on a per capita basis. Between 1965 to 1973 the U.S. dropped over 260 million cluster bombs on Laos, nearly equal to the 2.1 million tonnes of bombs the U.S. dropped on Europe and Asia during all of World War II. Thousands of unexploded bombs still litter the countryside, killing or injuring over 100 people every year. 20,000 have been affected in post war times from unintended explosions. It is believed 80 million unexploded cluster bombs are still undiscovered in Laos. COPE was a great way for our family to learn about this very necessary initiative.

Next up is Thailand, country number 30. We are super excited to be seeing some familiar Canadian faces and spending some time with them all!

With Love,

The Travelling Babins

How far we travel in life matters far less than those we meet along the way – Mark Twain