So, we crossed the Friendship bridge back into Thailand on 09Jul04. The bridge connects Vientiane with Nong Khai, a dusty little boarder city that suprisingly enough is supposed to have some nice touristy sites-you know wats and sculpture and artsy-fartsie stuff like that. I say supposedly 'cause our first stop through Nong Khai Amy stayed at the bus station while I went to the ATM and the train station to arrange our travel back to Bangkok. Then we hopped the next bus to Beung Kan about 2.5 hours East of Nong Khai.
Beung Kan is a nothing-to-do little city on the Mekong River but is the gateway city to one of Tyler's 5 must see places. The plan was simple: catch the bus to Beung Kan and spend the night. Early the next day, catch buses and Tuk-Tuk's to Wat Phu Thawk and explore it for a few hours before going on to Nong Khai-via Beung Kan where we could leave our backpacks. Well, the best laid plans...The ride to Beung Kan was pleasant enough but a bit windy. Once we got to town we found a nice enough guesthouse. There was a large party of Australians-literally a party as one of them was getting married the next day to a local lady. After I joked with the Ausies about G-Dub and Tejas, we got invited to the wedding. Of course, we already had train tickets to Bangkok paid for, so we reluctantly declined (we both REALLY wanted to go). The next morning Mo wakes up under the weather, and the weather outside is not good- it is pissing. Mo says for me to go at it alone and eventually I decide to.
The trip to the Wat was without incident, it just took longer than expected. Wat Phu Thawk is a great lesson in expectations. I had it all built up in my mind as this amazing wat worthy of pilgrimage-I might add here, that this side-trip is still definitely worth it, just don't expect too much or you will be disappointed. The Wat is built into the cliffs of a sandstone outcropping on this solitary mountain just south of the Mekong River. Phu Thawk means 'single mountain'. Anyway, the wat is layed out like this: it has seven levels, each level represents a step on the eightfold path to enlightenment as described by Siddartha Guatama (Buddha). The 5th and 6th levels are carved into the mountainside and provide amazing views of the surrounding countryside. Also on the 5th level is a large hall with Buddhist alters for prayer and meditation. Climbing to the 7th level-enlightenment if you will-is no easy task (serendipitous, I think not). The wooden walkway is slippery and rickety-at best-and winds around the mountain eventually leading you to a maze to climb through. Your reward is-well you must go there yourself sometime to find out, oh, and watch out for snakes, enlightenment does not come easy. Anyway, the wat was really fantastic but not aesthetically pleasing like most lavishly decorated wats of Thailand or extraordinary like Angkor or Bagan. Needless to say it was a journey well worth the time if you are motivated.
Getting back to Beung Kan was a challenge as I missed the bus from Ban Simili and had to wait 2 hours for the next bus. When I got back Mo was not feeling better and I began to become very concerned. You see, when you get sick traveling you start thinking: 'is it Dengue fever? Is it malaria? Is it Japanese Encephilitus? What is it?' Mo was strong enough to make the trip back to Nong Khai so we got on the next bus out of Beung Kan. By the time we reached Nong Khai, Mo was feverish and just wanted to sleep. We managed to get a room quickly and discussed postponing our train back to Bangkok. Long story short, the next day early, Mo felt good enough to make a go of it-I think inspired by the medical facilities in Bangkok as opposed to Nong Khai-so we headed to the train station. Just as luck would have it, there was a problem with the main line-we would have to ride a bus for the first 50K to Udon Thani, 'oh swell' I thought and I'm pretty sure Mo was worried. We were able to get to the train without incident and spent about 11 hours getting back to Bangkok. Mo was feeling "all-right" but I could tell she was feverish, especially to my touch.
Back in Bangkok our lives got a little easier when we discovered the underground (the metro or subway) had opened early. This provided us an easy-and cheap-alternative in public travel to get to our hostel out in the Sukumvit. It was kind of funny 'cause all these Thais are taking their pictures on the subway and stuff, it is a big deal and has vastly improved the public transportation network of the city. Until 12Aug04 it is 10 Baht to ride anywhere on the line, that is $0.25 US! Anyway despite the crowds (it was Sunday and also the first day of the international AIDS conference) we made it to the Suk 11 and got a room.
It has been a good visit to Bangkok. We have arranged travel for the rest of the year, bought and sold books, and been able to shop and enjoy the city-aside from the new metro system we discovered the canal system which is this completely crazy boat ride (balls out down narrow canals!!!) for 7 Baht that takes you to the Kho San and other spots in the city. The city of Bangkok is growing on me. Last night I saw one of the funniest scenes of my travels in SEAsia. We were walking down Soi 11 to find some food and there is this white bloke (English by his accent) trying to climb into a Tuk Tuk. He is holding a drink and a purse-he is dressed in full drag with short mini-skirt and high heels-and shimmying into the Tuk Tuk, where another drag queen-of african blood-is waiting for him. Anyway, the Tuk Tuk driver has a sense of humor at this drag queen trying to shimmy into his Tuk Tuk and he keeps accelerating a little bit to knock the queen off just as he is about to get in. The queen is screaming at him, 'not yet! not yet!' and the Tuk Tuk driver is paying him no mind. It was hilarious.
Quick note: I know I have been a little harsh on the Thai people but I would like to comment that our experiences in the North with the Thais were great. The people were genuine and helpful and it was very special. My experiences in Bangkok have been, well disappointing. It is that lesson of expectations again. I was figuring that-with 95% of the population being Buddhist-everything would be easy and peachy. Of course, it has not turned out that way, people still try to rip you off or do you harm. At first I thought it was a reflection of the Thais themselves but I have come to realize that isn't true or fair. It is probably that I have been in the touristy parts of Bangkok (and Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) that I have found people who seem so capitalistic-so Western-in their approach to helping us. It is again a reflection of the West and not the East and again it is not pretty. These Buddhists are not necessarily living the 8-fold path: no right speach (they will lie to you in a heartbeat if they think they can get more money off you for it); no right thought; hardly right living and mindfullness but all of this is because I am here, we are here, the West. But I digress. Tomorrow we are off to the South and Ko Pha Ngan. 2 weeks of sun and beach. Cheers!
If you are looking to become an expatriot in SEAsia, save up all your bread and fly Trans World Airways direct to Vientiane, Laos. "Old cop, young cop, feels all right on a warm Vientiane night"-but I digress with Eric Burden and the Animals references. Sure, Thailand is beautiful-and has everything a sexual deviant or raver could possibly want-Vietnam and Cambodia are swell places with excellent opportunities-but the West has already come to these places and spoilt a once helpful and kind people.
Don't get me wrong, the Thai, Vietnamese, and Khmere people are helpful, nice, and kind-to a degree-but they have become aggressive and interested in your wallet, not your friendship. They understand exploitation and the West.
Despite moderate tourism in the People's Democratic Republic (PDR = communist) of Laos (the 's' is silent, thank you very much) the people remain friendly and laid back, I mean, almost horizontal-keep your mind out of the gutter! The West has come but it has been unable to exploit the Laos culture and way of life, perhaps 'cause the French were unwilling (unable) to penetrate the country and used a laissez faire approach to colonialism (Laos was a buffer between French IndoChina and the British on the sub-continent). Just saying hello in the native language requires a certain amount of laziness-sabaidee pronounced drawn out: ssssaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhbuydeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. On top of that the country has breathtaking beauty-thick jungle mountains with waterfalls and caves to explore, major waterways (the Mekong is one of many rivers) and many temples. Finally, everything is cheap and the exchange rate is favorable-you're an instant millionaire in Laos, no stupid questions about pop culture from Regis Philbin-so bring a big suitcase to carry your money (no poop, $1 = 10600 Kip, largest Kip note = 20000). Beer Laos (24 oz) costs from 6000 Kip to 10000 Kip). The food is good, the trekking amazing, even massage is decent. Go to Laos NOW!
We crossed the boarder at Chiang Khong Thailand catching a ferry across the Mekong to Huay Xai. From there we sailed the slow boat (2 days with a night stop in the opium capital of Laos a village called PakBeng) down the Mekong to Luang Prabang (L.P.). Along the way we saw elephants in the wild, villages full of Laoation people living out their lives, and spectacular countryside. It rained the whole way but it was warm, the beers were cold, and what else would you expect, it is the rainy season (more on that later).
Luang Prabang (L.P. from here on out) is a beautiful French colonial city along the Mekong and Nan Khan (?) rivers (the confluence of the rivers creates a penensula where the 'old city' is found) all set in the jungle mountains of Northern Laos. There are caves, villages, and waterfalls to explore. Two out of the 4 days we spent in LP we went to Kuang Si waterfalls. We rented a motor scooter, yeah Ma, we wore helmuts, see the pictures forthcoming-both times- and it was grand! You can waste entire days hiking, swiming in pools and jumping into falls. Tyler even had the opportunity to play with Phet. Phet is a rescued (from poachers) Indochinese tiger. Full grown at 5 years she is 250 pounds of killer cat but when you pet her paws or behind her ears she is a pussy cat. The rest of the time in LP we wondered the small streets and markets-the infrastructure in LP is the best in Laos, it is a world heritage site-catching scenes of everyday life in Laos. It was awesome! We also stayed up late (early?) to watch EuroCup football with other Westerners and Tyler enjoyed 2 sunrises at PhuSi temple above LP with amazing views of both rivers, the countryside and the city of LP-you know it is time to go to bed when you here the drum calling the monks to morning prayer. When you see the saphron snake of monks coming up the street, beat it.
From LP we went on to Vang Vieng on the 4th of July. We traveled with some other Americans and we almost sang happy birthday-but thought better of it. The first thing you notice as you arrive in Vang Vieng (VV from here on out) is that it is a dirty dusty little city compared to LP-indeed it lacks the infrastructure and charm of LP. The second thing you notice, or at least I did-probably 'cause I'm traveling and my number 1 priority upon arrival is accomodation-is that the city has too many guest houses, they are almost every 20M (which turned out to be good for us-cheap room-cha-ching!). Once we found our room for the night we went for a walk and discovered the third thing you notice about VV, the thing that got stuck in my head. Looking for a bite to eat we found the main drag in town (about 500 M) and there were about 20 restaurant/cafes, all of the same type (down to the menu which apparently they all shared). The seating arrangement is Nippon-Beat: there is a raised platform with cushions and pillows set up around a 'mini' table (short legs so you can't put yours underneath it). You take off your shoes and get comfortable. The idea is, once they get you in you can't leave. You might ask, is the food that good, is that why people waste their entire afternoon there, indeed some people appeared to be wasting their entire lives there. Well, the food is not bad just beware the "happy" pizzas and/or shakes that will put you in perma-TV mode, but they have a very Western thing going on. Every restaurant has a stupid box (or two) hooked up to a sound system, a dish, and a DVD player. It seems the restaurants don't just share the menu, the pirated DVDs are all the same-shoot'em up blow'em Holleywood crap-note, there are some good titles, I thoroughly enjoyed Big Fish-but here is the worst part: the TV sitcom Friends is numero uno, it is the bees knees, the 'e" ticket, the shizzle if you will. No Simpsons (you know I asked Martin), no Seinfeld, not even the Soppranos or even...hell I don't know...a collection of Bob Ross sessions from PBS. Nope, just Friends. Which is fine, I can deal except that they watch these DVDs over and over, ad-nauseum. Of course for me the nausea starts as soon as I hear the opening notes of the theme song to Friends but that is just me.
That night we stayed up to watch the EuroCup finals with the 'Mericans, a Swede, and a bloke from Chile (all from the bus, among other places-Tyler met the Chile cat in Chiang Mai and the 'Mericans in LP). The game was boring as the Greeks tend to turn every football match into tedium and of course, my team lost. Greece 1 nil?!?!? Are you kidding me. The only silver lining was that Mo won 90000Kip in our pool-she did the smart thing and bet against Wenck on a sports match-brilliant!
VV does have some redeeming qualities that can be attributed to its ideal location nestled in the limestone mountains along the Nam Song river. The mountains provide a magnificant backdrop to the countryside. During the rainy season the mountains are misty with clouds and have the appearance of Chinese art, you know the mountain landscapes you see in restaurants in the states. The mountains also have many caves available for exploration. The caves come in all sizes and may contain pools or statues of the Buddha and often both. I'm no sperlunker-caves generally hold my attention about as long as the opera holds a 3-year-old's attention-but our first full day in VV we decided to hike out to a cave that also has a lagoon for swimming. It was a great hike (14 K round trip) through the rice paddies where we found everday Laoation farmers going about their business (see pix). The cave was nice enough with a little shrine to Buddha and we spent most of our time swimming and swinging on rope swings or jumping from trees into the lagoon. It was quite nice. The next day we made plans to 'tube'-just like on the Sacraghetto river near Chico-down the Nam Song, this is the other main activity to do in VV. There are cliffs to jump off of, rope swings, etc.
That evening, it started to rain-nothing unexpected there-and the rain continued through the next day. We were in no hurry and decided to postpone our trip to the next day-so we went to town to play cards, drink beer, read, and of course, watch DVDs. 5 hours later we went home. I was numb with TV as we walked through the light rain-it was letting up-some hope perhaps? We went to bed and that night I had a small travel epiphony.
You see, I finally had an experience where I recognized that my behavior might negatively impact the local people. I know, I know, you are thinking-damn Tyler, you have been traveling for nearly 3 months and you just now had that realization?!? Well, in my defense, Thailand may be the only country in SEAsia never to have been occupied by foreign (western) invaders but lets face it, Bangkok has been sacked by Western culture, the ugly American has already been there. Same, same, not different for Cambodia and Vietnam. But Laos, this place is really out there, the people are so kind and seem immune to the Western 'crap'-sure they have their mobile phones and motor scooters, shoot even tractors-and yes this has changed the culture somewhat...but Friends!? Holleywood!?! I thought, 'please no!' Beyond that, the image the Laoation people from VV have of Westerners is that we sit around drink beer, eat, and watch TV all day long. And that was when it hit me: like looking in the mirror and not liking what you see, I realized that this behavior was indeed an accurate portrayal of Western behavior. I hope they never get Tivo in Laos, the dammage would be irrepairable.
So, the next morning when we awoke to rain, I couldn't take it any longer. We never got to tube the river, instead we arranged travel to Vientiane and left ASAP. Vientiane is a nice enough city with great French Colonial architecture and some interesting touristy spots and a cool market. We spent two nights and a day and a half exploring the city before we crossed the friendship bridge back to Thailand. Laos was a wonderful visit and we enjoyed our time there thoroughly.