Sardines!
Trip Start
Nov 16, 2007
1
26
40
Trip End
Aug 2008
Xam Nua,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Vientiane is a very calm and small place compared to the other south east asian. Checked into a guesthouse near the central Namphou Fountain I wander around the centre, defined by a few blocks of old French colonial buildings. With the exception of a few streets with restaurants and cafes, little in the city seems affected by the outside world. The two main streets run parallel to the life giving Mekong which acts as Laos' main cargo route and marks much of the border with Thailand
Namphou Fountain, Vientiane
. The following day, I explore further east where the Presidential Palace sits facing a grand monument, Patouxai. Similar to the Arc de Triomphe, this huge concrete structure is rumoured to be made from materials donated by the US to finish off the airport. Next to the palace lies the oldest wat in Vientiane, Sisaket. I explore the deserted central courtyard, with beautiful old sloping roofs and buddhas everywhere. A walk back through the bustling market and back to get ready to leave the next day.Up early and off to the bus station, I am soon on the first bus to Louang Phabang. Passing over the mountains we flash through many basic villages perched on the cliffs above vast forested valleys. Near Louang the air is thick with ash and smoke as the locals slash and burn the forest. Arriving around 4pm, the Sun is already a blood red with the acrid clouds. Louang Phabang is a much different prospect to Vientiane. A World Heritage site, is the preserved former capital of the Lane Xang kingdom and lies between the Mekong and Khan rivers.
Walking down the main street you pass a mix Wats, palaces and tourist services. At the heart lies the former royal palace which now serves as a museum. It also houses Laos' most sacred artifact, Pha Bang. A small statue of the buddha, it is supposed to safeguard the country with its magical powers
Presidential Palace, Vientiane
. Across the road is the Phou Si or 'Sacred Hill'. Climbing the steep hill, a great view of the city is given an interesting edge with the continuing shower of ash from the mountains. Further down the Mekong shore lies the Wat Xiang Thong, the most important buddhist monestary in the country. A series of ornate temples with gold decoration and one building housing the royal funeral barge with urns that would have contained the royal dead before cremation. On the way back to the guesthouse, I get introduced to the traditional Laos New Year (Phi Mi) habit of throwing water over passersby. First a monk's head pops up over a wall to say hello, closely followed by a glass of water. Then in the market, three girls get the 'farung' with pails of water. Most refreshing.The next morning, I am on a slow boat up the Mekong to visit a series of caves where buddha statues that have served their purpose are kept. An erie sight in among the limestone crags. Back down the river and onto a minibus to the local highlight of the Kuangsi waterfalls. A grand series of falls over the limestone cliffs, with vivid blue swimming pools at the bottom. Back in town, I explore the night market with its tented stretch lit by small bulbs like glowworms. After another day in town, I head up to the bus station for the night bus to Xam Neua.
Chatting to a German and three Poles, it becomes apparent pretty quickly that the bus would be full, regardless of tickets
Wat Sisaket, Vientiane
. The bus station manager explains this with New Year and people traveling home. He arranges a songthaew to take the gaggle of of people gathering off over the Ammanite mountains. The beaten up converted Hyundai pickup is loaded and we head off into the darkness. Picking up people as we go we soon reach 33 people on board. No time for personal space issues. On reaching the junction town of Pakmong, we gain and lose a few. Buses stand, all waiting to head north. We turn east and start climbing.Within half an hour, we pull over with a flat. The road is a mix of single lane tarmac and gravel; large holes in wait and large drops hidden in the dark. After the change of tyre, we make slow progress to the mountain village of Vieng Kam. Everyone seems to have a compressor out front and tyre irons, so the locals definitely make the most of the road's condition. After an hour or so we move off again, crunching further into the mountain range seperating Laos and Vietnam. With dawn comes the spectacular sight across the forested valleys of this remote area. The road if anything gets worse as we reach Vieng Thong and another call at a tyre stop allows a stretch of aching legs and bottoms. We press on further through the seemingly endless mountains, reaching the join with Route 6 at Nam Neun around lunchtime. After another 4 hours, we reach our destination of Xam Neua. 20 hours over some of the roughest roads. The reward for our driver is a thorough inquisition by the police at a checkpoint on the edge of town. Matthias (the German), Magda, Katja and Voisin (the Poles) and me, check into a guesthouse and grab some dinner.
Rising late the next morning, I have a wander round the concrete jungle of Xam Neua. Located in a large valley in the mountains, it is the only large town on this side of the Ammanites and has more connection to Vietnam in many ways. Connections to anywhere are pretty tenuous though with it taking so long to get in or out. After some more splashing for New Year, I head back and get some dinner with Matthias.
The next day, Matthias and I head up to Viang Xai, the base of the Pathet Lao government during the Vietnam war and the point where the Ho Chi Minh trail headed into Laos. Due to American bombing, the Pathet Lao were forced into an intricate system of caves, adapted to hold offices, factories and hospitals. We walk through the government caves which include a huge theatre complete with orchestra pit. Back to Xam Neua and ready for the ride to Vietnam tomorrow.
