To Laos: Luang Prabang
Our Laos journey begins in Luang Prabang, the spiritual center of the country and the nexus of tourism for the northern half of the country. Luang Prabang has charming French colonial architecture mixed with exotic Buddhist monastaries. It has a large expatriate population (mostly French since Laos was once a French colony, but also includes Australians, Americans, and other Europeans) who operate many of the city's restaurants and hotels. Luang Prabang's vibe is a quirky combination of Lao spiritualist and foreign backpacker tourist destination, and reminds of Ubud, Bali or Kandy, Sri Lanka.
One of the most unforgettable experiences in Luang Prabang is to wake up early and roam its streets at sunrise. Monks come out to collect alms (offerings of sticky rice and other foods) from local residents who wait on the city's sidewalks. The monks in turn will pass on some of those alms to poor children who wait nearby. Begging was completely absent in Laos and we later found out that the government strictly forbids such practice.
Becoming a monk is a variable commitment lasting from a few weeks to a few decades and is a high honor for the families from which they come. Monks must disown themselves from their families in order to become monks. This includes married men who must leave their wife to enter the monkhood, however, the separation is not considered a divorce even though the husband must remain celebate as a monk.
Buddhism has been blamed for the poor development of the Lao economy. Since greed is frowned upon by the Buddhist faith, entrepreneurship and education that provide opportunities for better careers have been marginalized in the past. However, these sentiments have been changing and more and more Lao are seeking college degrees as a means out of poverty. There are few universities in Laos, so the Lao government will sponsor high achieving students to study abroad. Most of those students study in Vietnam, Thailand, but also as far away as Japan or Australia.
Becoming a monk is a variable commitment lasting from a few weeks to a few decades and is a high honor for the families from which they come. Monks must disown themselves from their families in order to become monks. This includes married men who must leave their wife to enter the monkhood, however, the separation is not considered a divorce even though the husband must remain celebate as a monk.
Buddhism has been blamed for the poor development of the Lao economy. Since greed is frowned upon by the Buddhist faith, entrepreneurship and education that provide opportunities for better careers have been marginalized in the past. However, these sentiments have been changing and more and more Lao are seeking college degrees as a means out of poverty. There are few universities in Laos, so the Lao government will sponsor high achieving students to study abroad. Most of those students study in Vietnam, Thailand, but also as far away as Japan or Australia.
Lao cuisine includes elements of Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine, and ranges from street stall food seen here to fusion cuisine offered at restaurants typically run by foreigners. Among the dishes that are unique to Laos is laap which is a cold mix of meat, lemon juice, onions, chile, and other spices. It reminds me of ceviche in Latin America, but in Laos, it is a lot more versatile and open to interpretation. Laap can therefore unrecognizable from one restaurant to the next.
Other interesting Lao dishes included deep-fried lemon grass stuffed with meat and spices, fish steamed in banana leaves, and the various non-alcoholic drinks that include combinations of tamarind, lemon grass, rosella, and mango.
Other interesting Lao dishes included deep-fried lemon grass stuffed with meat and spices, fish steamed in banana leaves, and the various non-alcoholic drinks that include combinations of tamarind, lemon grass, rosella, and mango.
Exploring Laos' Mountain Villages
One of the attractions of visiting Laos is touring its various mountain communities. Its mountainous geography makes it ethnically diverse with dozens of different cultures with their own distinct languages. The unique culture of each of these villages has spawned a tourist industry that takes in tourists as guests, cooks for them, and shares their way of life with them. These experiences can be highly variable with some villages so frequently visited that they ended up feeling like a disneyesque autoanimotronic display. Tourists who travel without a guide have also ruined the pristine experience of the villages by giving out candies and school supplies (which unfortunately is recommended by several well known travel guidebooks). This has created an expectation that every tourist is going to give out cool stuff when they enter a village leading to angry, ungrateful villagers when they don't have anything to give away. Some villages have become notorious for stealing tourists' belongings. However, Livia and I had the perfect experience by hiring professional guides who took us to relatively pristine villages outside of Luang Prabang and Muang Sing. Upon reading the recommendation in the guidebook, we too brought items to give the villagers. However, instead of giving directly to the villagers, our guide recommended that we give the items to the village chief who in turn dispensed the items to the kids.
The first village we visited was a Hmong village north of Luang Prabang and only recently became part of the tourist circuit. Here is Livia showing photos from our lives in the U.S. and Europe. She showed photos from our wedding in Italy and photos from last Christmas. She described the tradition of the Christmas tree and opening presents. She also played music for them including Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The Hmong family was amazed and asked many questions, some of which we had a difficult time answering. Why do we have Christmas trees? Why do we give each other presents during Christmas?
It was like a live version of a National Geographic show that was going both ways. Just as we were intrigued by the lives we lived, they were amazed by the lives we lived. By explaining our life in the U.S. and answering their questions about that life, a new perspective on how we live our lives was gained. This to me is the greatest reward of foreign travel.
It was like a live version of a National Geographic show that was going both ways. Just as we were intrigued by the lives we lived, they were amazed by the lives we lived. By explaining our life in the U.S. and answering their questions about that life, a new perspective on how we live our lives was gained. This to me is the greatest reward of foreign travel.
Here they are cooking dinner for us over a wood fire. Life here is primitive - there is no running water, sewer, or electricity (except for a light powered by a solar panel hooked up to a battery). Meat is a luxury and is usually eaten once a month.
Another interesting topic of discussion was pets. Although dogs and cats are present in the village, they are used for guarding livestock, clearing rats and mice, and for food. One Lao guide used the term "pet" as a word synonymous with livestock. When we explained to him that dogs and cats are treated almost like children in the West including their own toys, food, and doctors (vets), they were surprised and amazed.
Another interesting topic of discussion was pets. Although dogs and cats are present in the village, they are used for guarding livestock, clearing rats and mice, and for food. One Lao guide used the term "pet" as a word synonymous with livestock. When we explained to him that dogs and cats are treated almost like children in the West including their own toys, food, and doctors (vets), they were surprised and amazed.
Most Lao villages are animistic believing in spirits which influence and direct the forces of nature. Seen here is the animistic gate at the village entrance which allow good spirits to enter, but keep bad spirits away. The carved representations of an RPG, spears, and guns in the bottom center-right of the photo are to keep evil spirits away. The two sticks at the bottom left of the photo are a representation of a man having sex with a woman, a effigy of good fertility.
Villages will leave animistic gates in the middle of the road indicating whether it's OK to enter the village. Unguided tourists who don't recognize such gates will find themselves in a heap of trouble and will often have to pay a hefty fine to leave safely.
Animistic villages will have a shaman who offers advice and administer animistic medicine for ailments and life issues. Among the superstitions that animists have include twins. This is considered a very evil omen and may result in the banishment of the parents and their children from the village.
Villages will leave animistic gates in the middle of the road indicating whether it's OK to enter the village. Unguided tourists who don't recognize such gates will find themselves in a heap of trouble and will often have to pay a hefty fine to leave safely.
Animistic villages will have a shaman who offers advice and administer animistic medicine for ailments and life issues. Among the superstitions that animists have include twins. This is considered a very evil omen and may result in the banishment of the parents and their children from the village.
Many of the villagers continue to wear the same traditional clothing they have worn for centuries. Here you can see a Yao woman outside of Muang Xing in northern Laos. Wearing traditional costumes, unfortunately, are becoming less common and generally, you only see older women wearing them every day. During festivals, the entire village will dress up making for a photogenic opportunity.
A Yao gril with her little brother. Photography in the villages is a tricky thing - a lot of villagers think that you're stealing a part of their soul when you photograph them. That's why it's a good idea to ask before shooting. In fact, just before I took this photo, we were denied permission to photograph another baby because it was sick and the mother feared that we would make it sicker still.