The Road Lest Travelled

It all started on a train from Bangkok, the first of several legs of travel that would eventually lead us to Laos. We had planned this trip months in advance. This is what foreigner teachers in Thailand do. We teach for 3 and a half months and travel modestly when a good opportunity presents itself, a long weekend perhaps. We get paid an ample salary, in my estimation. It would not stretch too far in the U.S., but the affordability and convenience of Thailand enabled me to put aside a healthy sum of money for holiday travels. I am particularly fortunate because my break in between semesters has lasted over 6 weeks. I start back next Monday, November 2nd.

We arrived at Hualampong Train Station in Bangkok on the evening of October 4 with my old friend Clair McCalla and her friend Sally Wilson, both of whom have also been teaching in the land of smiles. The trip began with a delay. When we arrived we found out that a train en route to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, the same rails we would be following, had suffered an electrical malfunction and would be delayed several hours. We later found out that this accident resulted in multiple deaths, all Thai's in 3rd class. This set back sort of established a tone for our entire vacation, a trip that would involve many legs of hectic travel and unpredictable "twists and turns". We finally boarded the train, and 13 hours later, after a poor night's sleep, arrived in Chiang Mai in northwest Thailand. Laos has two main regions: Northern Laos, the area directly north of Thailand; and East/South Laos, the area that runs vertically east of Thailand. Our destination was N. Laos. Our train train departed from central Thailand(BKK), and, as I have said, arrived in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. From this point we took a 5 hour bus ride to Chiang Kong, the last town in Thailand before the great Mekong River that divides Thailand and Laos(and also runs through Cambodia). In fact( I think, at least), the region comprised of N. Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia is also referred to as The Greater Mekong area. We spent the night in Chiang Kong and woke up early to get a jump on to our slow boat trip up the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos. When we crossed the river and entered Laos, we met a nice Laotian who advised us that the slow boat venture was not only exhausting(1.5 days), but also somewhat dangerous, as the hostels are notorious for a lack of security and a variety of tourists scams. We were persuaded to hire a minibus to drive us to Luang Prabang, and here is where our misadventures on the road really began. The man advised us that while it would be faster to take the minibus to Luang Prabang, it was still going to be a bumpy ride because 90% of the roads had been completed. This, according to our advisor, would leave an insignificant portion of the path pitted. Boy were we deceived. The ride, which took almost 14 hours and only covered a distance of ~100 kilometers, was turbulent, uncomfortable, and strange. The only route available is through the mountains, and the road is maybe 75% completed, at best. This leaves at least a quarter of the road tantamount to mere jagged terrain. There was hardly room for the van to maneuver. I was glad that I decided to not drink a considerable amount of fluids before departing. I don't think I would have been able to suffer gladly had my kidneys been busy during this snailing along of a road trip. Mai ben rai, no worries. We made it into Luang Prabang around midnight and checked into the nearest available guest house. I was expecting Laos to be a mirror image of Thailand, but this was not the case. Laos was colonized by the French(after Thailand relinquished the territory that is now current day Laos to avoid colonial occupation itself), and the French influence is well pronounced. Luang Prabang is the best place to see and experience this peculiar western impact on Asia. There are coffee shops at ever corner and other western-style foods that are difficult, if not impossible, to come by in Thailand. We were able to enjoy these western conveniences as we pleased and were also able to explore the mountain and village life of this extremely rural and primitive country. Though I may be focusing on the negative aspects of our excursion through Laos, I must say that its physical geography is stunning.

We spent a few days in Luang Prabang and then headed south to Vang Vieng a small back packers' haven famous for its drunken tubing and secluded caves. OUR NEXT LEG OF TRAVEL was then, of course, underway.

We took a "VIP" bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. This, as advertised, was supposed to be an air con bus that would have us in Vang Vieng in 5.5 hours. Before we boarded the bus, we were immediately alarmed. It was packed to the brim, there were stools in the aisle for passengers that we would pick up along the way, and one of the conductors was trying his damnedest to figure out a way to load a motorcycle onto the top of the bus. There were sick little kids spread throughout the bus, coughing and crying. Some of the adults, one in particular who chose to sit by us in the back, were coughing up flem(spelling?) of the most unsavory variety. And they handed each passenger a plastic bag before we departed. We didn't know until after the trip what these bags' purpose were, but they are used for the collection of urine and other fluids that I'll avoid mentioning as not to taint the decency and innocence of this blog. Clair and I both got sick within 2 days of this bus trip. It was disgusting, and, to boot, the ride took approximately 8 hours. Whatever, never mind, forget about it. We try at all times to maintain a Thai disposition. Mai ben rai, I guess. These could be my last words one day.

Vang Vieng was very nice. We stayed for 5 days, which I guess is proof of its appeal. Honestly, there is not a whole lot to do, minus the tubing and random outdoor excursions. We rented motorcycles and explored the countryside. A couple of those days were spent doing nothing, just relaxing and enjoying the fact that we had nothing to do. I'm still not sure why we spent 5 days there.

We kayaked down a tributary of the Mekong River to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This may have been the smoothest leg of travel for the entire trip, and it was via waterway. We arrived in Vientiane, had some dinner, and then hopped on a bus to Bangkok. I think this was the 11th or 12th day since our original departure from Bangkok. It was quite a journey.

I have a new found appreciation for Thailand. I remember seeing the first 7/11 as we entered Thailand and feeling overwhelmingly glad to be home. We stopped at a cheap VIP convenient store/ restaurant for a quick bite. Oh how I was delighted to taste the spice of Thai food again. I don't know how I will ever eat any other food again. Bottom line, I was happy to be back. Laos was great. It really is a beautiful country with some very friendly people, and I was with two lovely young ladies with whom I had the privilege of spending almost 2 weeks with. Laos is a very different place than Thailand with a distinct identity.It has an independent set of values, a complex history, and a different outlook as a result. I look forward to traveling to other SE Asian countries so that I may discover what it is that makes each one of these places unique.