I enjoyed the rest of my time in the capital, escaping the blazing sun in cafes and wandering. I even splurged and got a nice $4 western lunch--a panini with mozzarella, pesto, and roasted peppers. Amazing. I don't know how ill ever go back to paying US prices for things!! I walked to the top of an arc de triumph (Terry, thought of you!) and, shockingly, saw some temples. I got my 60 day thai visa as well, which is exciting!
I also visited the COPE center, and left very moved and with a heavy heart. The COPE center is an organization that primary works to fund medical care for Lao folks who have lost limbs, mainly due to unexploded ordinances (UXOs). Did you know that Laos is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world? Most people don't know the history of this country, I sure didn't, but it's really heartbreaking. Laos was heavily caught in the crossfire of the Vietnam war. Not only did the famed Ho Chi Minh Trail run through Laos as well, but if bomb targets were missed, the bombs were often just dropped in designated areas in Laos. Awful. And worse, approximately 30% of these bombs didn't detonate properly---and they are quite literally ticking time bombs, still as dangerous as they were the day they were dropped. Today, and since the 70s, people have been regularly killed when coming across these UXOs. They are mainly in rural areas, and Lao people are heavily reliant on the land for their survival. So in one of the poorest countries in the world, the poorest of the poor must decide every day--work in the fields and risk an explosion--or starve? For most, the choice is easy, but can be fatal.
So anyway. The COPE center has really informative displays about prosthetic limbs and care being provided to victims, and really great documentaries about the country and its history in the war that "never really happened," since technically Laos wasn't involved. I heard stories of families affected by UXOs, as well as other services being provided--education to children and communities about what the bombs look like (so they don't pick them up/play with them), and most critically, teams that go out and safely find and detonate UXOs. It's mind boggling to me that small organizations are relying on donations to fund these removal efforts. There are millions of bombs left to be cleared. How the US government hasn't paid to safely rid the country of these bombs is literally beyond my comprehension. There is so much to be done here--education, bomb removal and training, medical and mental health care--remember when I said I could do social work in Phnom Penh? Add Laos to the list.
I could go on for ages, I find this (untold in the western world) history fascinating and heartbreaking and horrible and inspiring...I hope I'm explaining it clearly! It gave me a lot to think about. Also at one point, we chatted for a bit with a woman who worked there. My favorite bit of the conversation: "So, what do you do here?" "Oh, I'm the CEO." Oh, ok. Gotcha.
After 3 nights in Vientiane I kept making my way north, still with my British friend Catherine (we met our first day in the capital). We went to vang vieng, set among gorgeous mountains. The town has become completely set up for tourism, it's one of the very few places in laos with a party atmosphere, a bit trashy--but it's really pretty, activities abound, and food/accommodation are really cheap. I spent a day doing river tubing, the most popular activity with the backpacker crowd. It's a bit stupid but fun, and it was actually one of the first things I read about SEA months ago, and before I even knew for sure I was coming here, I said, "I'm going to go there and do that." And I did! You rent a tube for the day and are driven 4k up the river, and you make your way back slowly. There are bars along the water and you pull over and stop for a drink--good fun. And it was over 100 degrees the day I did it, so anything on the water is a nice respite.
The next day Catherine and I rented bikes and rode to an organic farm, where we enjoyed mulberry pancakes, bread, and goat cheese. Heaven! We then saw that the farm is involved with lots of nonprofit work, so we asked if we could volunteer or help out at all. We ended up cleaning bottles, to be used for the mulberry wine they sell, and we helped pick some mulberries. As a thank you, we got to sample the mulberry juice and wine--yum! So a very random but fun day.
Now I'm in Luang Prabang, a really charming city with a European feel. The old quarter is UNESCO protected, so it's clean and beautiful and restored. It's a few days here for colonial buildings, French cafes galore, a huge night market, a nearby waterfall, and--you guessed it--lots of temples. It really doesn't feel like Laos, it's a world away. But it's lovely, and I'm really enjoying my time here!
Update: I have officially eaten my body weight in pastries. I regret nothing.
(Although, a 3 day trek up north, my next stop, isn't such a bad idea...)
I also visited the COPE center, and left very moved and with a heavy heart. The COPE center is an organization that primary works to fund medical care for Lao folks who have lost limbs, mainly due to unexploded ordinances (UXOs). Did you know that Laos is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world? Most people don't know the history of this country, I sure didn't, but it's really heartbreaking. Laos was heavily caught in the crossfire of the Vietnam war. Not only did the famed Ho Chi Minh Trail run through Laos as well, but if bomb targets were missed, the bombs were often just dropped in designated areas in Laos. Awful. And worse, approximately 30% of these bombs didn't detonate properly---and they are quite literally ticking time bombs, still as dangerous as they were the day they were dropped. Today, and since the 70s, people have been regularly killed when coming across these UXOs. They are mainly in rural areas, and Lao people are heavily reliant on the land for their survival. So in one of the poorest countries in the world, the poorest of the poor must decide every day--work in the fields and risk an explosion--or starve? For most, the choice is easy, but can be fatal.
So anyway. The COPE center has really informative displays about prosthetic limbs and care being provided to victims, and really great documentaries about the country and its history in the war that "never really happened," since technically Laos wasn't involved. I heard stories of families affected by UXOs, as well as other services being provided--education to children and communities about what the bombs look like (so they don't pick them up/play with them), and most critically, teams that go out and safely find and detonate UXOs. It's mind boggling to me that small organizations are relying on donations to fund these removal efforts. There are millions of bombs left to be cleared. How the US government hasn't paid to safely rid the country of these bombs is literally beyond my comprehension. There is so much to be done here--education, bomb removal and training, medical and mental health care--remember when I said I could do social work in Phnom Penh? Add Laos to the list.
I could go on for ages, I find this (untold in the western world) history fascinating and heartbreaking and horrible and inspiring...I hope I'm explaining it clearly! It gave me a lot to think about. Also at one point, we chatted for a bit with a woman who worked there. My favorite bit of the conversation: "So, what do you do here?" "Oh, I'm the CEO." Oh, ok. Gotcha.
After 3 nights in Vientiane I kept making my way north, still with my British friend Catherine (we met our first day in the capital). We went to vang vieng, set among gorgeous mountains. The town has become completely set up for tourism, it's one of the very few places in laos with a party atmosphere, a bit trashy--but it's really pretty, activities abound, and food/accommodation are really cheap. I spent a day doing river tubing, the most popular activity with the backpacker crowd. It's a bit stupid but fun, and it was actually one of the first things I read about SEA months ago, and before I even knew for sure I was coming here, I said, "I'm going to go there and do that." And I did! You rent a tube for the day and are driven 4k up the river, and you make your way back slowly. There are bars along the water and you pull over and stop for a drink--good fun. And it was over 100 degrees the day I did it, so anything on the water is a nice respite.
The next day Catherine and I rented bikes and rode to an organic farm, where we enjoyed mulberry pancakes, bread, and goat cheese. Heaven! We then saw that the farm is involved with lots of nonprofit work, so we asked if we could volunteer or help out at all. We ended up cleaning bottles, to be used for the mulberry wine they sell, and we helped pick some mulberries. As a thank you, we got to sample the mulberry juice and wine--yum! So a very random but fun day.
Now I'm in Luang Prabang, a really charming city with a European feel. The old quarter is UNESCO protected, so it's clean and beautiful and restored. It's a few days here for colonial buildings, French cafes galore, a huge night market, a nearby waterfall, and--you guessed it--lots of temples. It really doesn't feel like Laos, it's a world away. But it's lovely, and I'm really enjoying my time here!
Update: I have officially eaten my body weight in pastries. I regret nothing.
(Although, a 3 day trek up north, my next stop, isn't such a bad idea...)
Update 2: I found a bagel with cream cheese in Laos. My little Jewish heart is so happy. If only they had lox...
I recognize that I'm talking about food a lot. Whatever. I do love Asian food, thank god, but after a few months its nice to have some western treats. Ill be back to noodles and rice in no time.
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