Mist, Monks and the Mighty Mekong

Luang Prabang

Drinking home-brew Lao-Lao

A peaceful town where the mist never clears. The Mekong meanders by, just ambling like the locals. Every dawn the Monks wander in their hundreds, collecting sticky rice in a procession of bright orange past statuesque mosques and quaint French streets.

The tourists drink Lao beer ($1 Aust for 750 ml bottles - about the best beer I have ever tried too), and the locals drink Lao Lao (homemade whisky). The Lao really know how to party. New years celebrations seemed to last five days at least and the drinking

starts well before lunch.

Anyway, we stayed in Luang Prabang for a couple of days and then went on a two day trek staying the night in the village chiefs hut. The village (Khmu) was also very fond of their whisky and forced copious amounts down our throats via a clay pot complete with straws and river water top ups (all the more concerning considering the lack of toilet - 'everywhere is Lao toilet' - hopefully we don't get sick...). We were quite the spectacle at the village and the local children seemed happy to have visitors. We were also treated to a traditional bacci ceremony (more Lao-lao together with a hard boiled egg!) where they tied cloth to our wrists to protect us from the spirits. The trek was through a variety of environments - forests, rice fields, mountains and Khmu and Hmong villages. It also included a visit to a 300m high waterfall and giant cave where locals hid from the US bombs during the Vietnam war.

Fantastic Laos beer - Vang Vieng

We also went and saw some traditional theatre, ate French bread and cakes, drank great Lao coffee and tried fishing (the boat broke down and I will save you the rest of the misery).

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is a small dusty town surrounded by giant karsts and numerous caves. Kate was not feeling well (the whisky maybe...) so I went riding (about 20kms worth) visiting caves and paying the locals bridge tolls. The people in Laos are incredibly poor and any

opportunity to make money (from tourists particularly), is not to be missed. The other thing is in Laos the children seem to start work at about three years of age, often carrying their brother or sister on their back, and they don't stop til they have had ten children. Then they get to enjoy a lot more Lao-Lao! After a day here there is not much left to see and it is really time to get to Ventianne - the capital)...

Kate in hospital with free t-shirt!

Over the Friendship Bridge in the back of an Ambulance

Don't worry - all is ok....

Kate's perspective

The reality of the poorness of Laos and the lack of facilities hit home when I found myself suffering from acute stomach cramps and frequent trips to the toilet in the picturesque town of Vang Vieng. After enduring a cramped mini bus ride, dodging pot holes as we went, we got dropped off at the Australian Embassy's Doctor's Clinic in the capital Vientiane. By this stage I was ready to curl up and die on the side of the road!

The lack of adequate medical services in Laos could be seen as a blessing in disguise as it meant that the Australian Embassy had a doctor's clinic for Commonwealth citizens to access. Due to the severity of my pain I had to be put in the back of an Laos ambulance (mini van minus seats) and transported across the Friendship Bridge (built with assistance from Australia) into Thailand and to hospital. Lying in the ambulance I thought about how amazing it was that 2 hours away there were international standard hospitals yet in Laos, not only were there no adequate hospitals but villages of 300+ people had no sanitation system. But then I thought about how in a country as great as Australia (feeling very patriotic at the time after receiving Aust medical treatment), a huge landmass with one government system and huge economic power we allow the same situation to arise only a few hours from our major towns. How could I expect different countries sharing borders to have some equality if my own can't provide it?

Khmu boy with brother

So, enough social commentary, I'm sure I preach to the converted. The hospital is great and I am getting better, particularly as my room comes with pay tv! I even got a free t-shirt! Michael is secretly hoping I am sicker for longer I think :-)

Michael's perspective

The hospital is almost like a five star hotel, satellite tv ( I haven't watched tv in about 2 months), room service, private bathroom and hot water! - all at our travel insurance expense (glad we got our moneys worth. I almost wish we could stay longer!

Khmu children playing 'simon says'

Mist over the Mekong - view from Phousy Hill, LP

Monks in the morning, Laung Prabang