Home » Laos » In Laos. In Love.

Hi guys - lack of updates: have been travelling through rural southern villages where electricity, water and telephones are a luxury, let alone internet. For now, feast on this:

"Sawadee". "Sawadee". We responded to the huge friendly smile characteristic of this region. It turns out that he is Laotian, and an epitomy of everything that is rumoured about Laotian people. Warm, friendly, highly-loveable and so laid back he'd almost fall over. Traversing and experiencing such beautiful people, one is a far cry from the familiarity of fear and unrest of the West, that it is difficult to believe the world is in certain parts, in turmoil. Ironically, the Democratic Republic of Laos is considered to be one of those countries. And for sure, it has its share of political instability, under-development and economic struggles, but, a certain flame of happiness dances in the eyes of the locals with whom I have interacted - a flame whose light is often missed in the West.

In Laos. In Love.

Asha Patel
2006-08-23 10:48:48

Displayed times (last time: )

that they are, they gave me a the few dollars that I needed to get me by.

The two day boat traversing the mighty Mekhong River along the northern provinces of Laos, heading west, toward the Huay Xai border.

-- Pakbeng -- ( a middle of nowhere stopover point )

End of day one on the boat. I am convinced beyond all reasonable doubt that the nomadic lifestyle is not for me. 'Beyond all reasonable doubt' - sounds like a criminal conviction. Feels like one too. I know I'm being dramatic but this is really shitty and my homesickness has hit an all time high. The smiles all around me as locals marvel and stare at my journal scribblings goes some way to comforting my solitude out here in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps in half an hour I'll be able to bore myself to sleep...

00:35 Monday 29th May. "...what a difference a day makes; 24 little hours...". Damn right. I feel dizzy and drunk with the lethal concoction of emotion that has been passed into, through and out of my body in the past day alone. Only to be swiftly replenished by whatever other cocktail of emotion the Mind conjures up and wishes to turmoil me with.

The boat ride was twelve hours of hot, humid, cramped, bum-numbing bliss. Twelve hours of being in the middle of nowhere, amidst astounding mountain ranges, on a creaking wooden long boat, doing nothing but reading, dozing, contemplating and gazing and the swirls of bubbling murky brown water below. I got a third of the way through 'Papillon' but unimpressed with the writing style, I slept much of the time on the wooden planks that were the chairs. Fortunately I did a bookswap and got happily engrossed in the literary talent of Gregory David Roberts in his novel 'Shantaram'. We arrived at the Huay Xai border three hours after border crossings were closed. Great. Another night in Laos fortunately for which I had sufficient hard funds. Just. And, one final day before visa expiry. The guesthouse was in fact, of exceptional quality, and cheap. Costs were further reduced by sharing a room with Kat, a Canadian traveller on the boat. Funny how strangers can become companions in an instant - holding trust, compassion and friendship without basis nor justification. That day was the birth of our friendship, and whilst we did not know it then, we would travel the next two weeks together.