Is Asia Burning? Yes!!

• Heatherchris's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Vientiane

Trip Start Jan 12, 2010 Previous
Entry Trip End Jun 30, 2010 Next
Entry

  Vientiane, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sabadii [Hello in Laotian]: As Heather said, we visited Luang Prabang in central Laos. It was a main city during the French Colonial period in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has retained some of its French character and in fact we have seen a lot of French tourists. It is a fairly small city at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Binh rivers. Our big group event on the first day is to visit a beautiful waterfall which is reminiscent of those oriental paintings you might see. We also got to swim in it as well. The next day I visit the 2 hospitals.

In the evening we visit the night market which has fabulous silk & cotton textiles for dirt cheap prices. The currency is the 'kip'. 8000 kips = 1.00CDN. A Laotian dinner is perhaps 30,000 or about $4.00 CDN. The complete opposite of Australia. The food is sort of Chinese/Thai for breakfast lunch and dinner. I must admit I am getting tired of Chinese food day in day out for breakfast lunch dinner. 
  Getting around here in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane is via Tuk Tuks. They are basically 3 wheeled motorbikes with a couple of seats behind the driver. Driving here is hilarious! The white line in the middle of the road is only a remote guide to where vehicles go. Passing anywhere is done without any thought to the rules of the road. Going the wrong way on a one way street? No problem. Parking anywhere? Go ahead. Yielding? Well actually they are very good at it. Nothing is against the rules and so everyone just seems to get along on  ther road- no traffic jams, no accidents, no stopping, just a constant, slow flow of thousands of vehicles. Traffic cops? What the hell is the point in that? I have seen quite a few large fancy cars and trucks. Ever wonder where your fancy stolen car or truck from Canada ends up? Well stop guessing. In fact I think I think I saw my friend Ken Gehmans truck drive by the other day with a hot Laotian babe behind the wheel! Sorry Ken, I couldn't read the license number. [Wrong alphabet] 
  The smoke in LP was pretty oppressive, but better in Vientiane. It seems the answer here to air pollution is not to stop polluting, but to wear a mask, which many do. People beatling along on a 75cc motorbike wearing a mask but no helmet - works for me. Mothers nestle their infant in front of them on the gas tank with 2 other older kids in behind on the bike. Unlike ourselves, it is very much a live and let live society. Dirt is our constant companion, but not our friend. Kaupjai. [Thanks in Laos] Chris & Heat
 
  
     

Share

Previous Entry Next Entry