28 December 2012 – Lao People Don’t Rush
Luang Prabang and Mr Tin
After three days in the heat and crowds of the Angkor temples I was looking forward to cool down. Laos sounded just like the perfect place; its official name is LPDR, which locals enjoyed translating into « Lao People Don’t Rush« . Indeed landing in Luang Prabang after dark was quite unreal as I could not see any lights on the ground and felt like we were about to land directly into the forest. I knew Laos to be mountainous with low density yet this apparent lack of habitations took me by surprise. The other shock was climatic with a 20-celsius-degree loss; from 34 in Siem Reap down to 14. I was freezing.
We were welcomed by the large smile of our new guide: M. Tin. Despite Laos being the less developed country out of the three I was visiting, M. Tin’s level of English was even better than the other guides’, which had already pleasantly surprised me. Particularly enthusiastic about his country and town, he knew how to convey his feelings by telling nice anecdotes and teaching a few words in Lao, while being very curious about our culture. I had been really touched by all the people who had been guiding us up until then but M. Tin stroke a particular cord. As I was about to discover, the personality of M. Tin reflectedthat of his country: simple, enthusiastic and with a lot to offer – more, in fact, than there were people to receive. I somehow felt a bit of sadness in the presence of such a surplus of human generosity.
Tiny Luang Prabang is a classified UNESCO world heritage for its French colonial architecture, but it was night time so we did not see much on the way to the hotel. The hotel however was a superb bourgeois house which gave me the sensation of sleeping in a museum. Amongst the grand decoration and sophisticated furniture, I was particularly seduced by its roof tiles, visible from the inside.
Luang Prabang’s night market, an enchanting experience
Soon realising that the hotel was located next to the night market, I started on a quest for food and souvenirs.
Lining the walls of an immense temple , colourful merchandises were spread out on the ground’s rugs, mainly weavings and woodwork produced in local villages. Despite being rather busy with tourists, the market was remarkably quiet. Sellers, mainly women, were pleasant and not pushy.
I got to taste a culinary specialty: ball-like pancakes made of rice soaked in coconut and sugar then cooked on a roundbarbecue. Served in a banana leaf, these sort of pancakes are soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, they taste sweet without being sickening and offer a delicate perfume.
Back in the royal bedroom, sleep was refreshing although the pretty tiled roof had the disadvantage of not being sound-proof. I was waken up before dawn by the smooth bustle of the market in the street next door; slightly frustrating given my state of fatigue although the sound of an awakening city holds something both joyful and peaceful.
Luang prabang being relatively tiny, I had expected two days of pure tranquillity however the surrounding natural beauty was so generous and staggering that it kept drawing me from one side of the area to another – a blissful surprise.
Luang Prabang by day
Ban Ann Elephant Camp
An elephant sanctuary aimed at rescuing these mighty creatures from poachers and heavy wood transportation. The female elephant taking me on a ride was named Ping Pong, 42. The mahout taught me how to direct her but I did not show much authority, nervous as always when an intermediary has the strange idea of placing itself between myself and the floor. I had this stupid thought that I was about to break her neck simply by sitting on it until I got a greater sense of the sheer size of her impressive framework: to her, I was like a louse in her absence of hair.
It’s when I started to feel comfortable with my new friend Ping Pong that we reached the river where elephants quenched their thirst, which naturally implies leaning their heads downwards.The louse felt she was about to fall into water therefore let out a brave baby-like scream. Ping Pong being obviously a well-mannered animal, felt like reassuring me by trumpeting, which impressed me even more given that her the sound resonated in her large frame. I bravely requested to go back to sitting in the chair, on her back. We rode
in front of a school’s playground full of children waving at us with big smiles.
Khuang Si waterfall
Even though I am usually a big waterfall fan, I had not felt particularly excited at the prospect of having to drive an hour or so to visit one. Big mistake: Khuang Si waterfall is like no other: its unique shade of turquoise blue, similar to a swimming pool, is as enchanting as it is natural. Water travels through mountains made up of a particular type of limestone which give it this colour.
We could have taken a dip but with 17 degrees I resisted the temptation – Laotians did not.
Next to the waterfall we visited a bear sanctuary; it was a bit sad to see them fenced in but M. Tin assured me that it is best for them as they are too heavily poached. I must admit they did not seem to miss the wilderness, all spread out in the hammocks as they were.
Ban Ouay H’mong village
A typical small lao village in which farming life was very much present. Simple and bare – apart from the main street that hadbeen turned into an open-air supermarket for souvenirs of all kinds. Tourism had become the main activity: children were wearing traditional clothes. M. Tin explained that these attires were slowing disappearing because the population wasbecoming more occidental. On one hand he felt a bit sad to witness each village’s own identity disappearing but at the same time modernization implied improving living conditions for the locals.
Ban Thane, a Khmu village specializing in weavings
They did everything themselves: from cultivating cotton to colouring it (mainly with tree roots), threading and sewing. I was invited to attempt cotton threading but it was laborious. We then went on to visit of a market full of curiosities.
Luang Prabang by twilight
French colonial architecture
I had not expected this little town to have so much to offer, and felt absolutely delighted. But that was only the beginning; the following day turned out to be even more unforgettable.
