No, I am still a heterosexual white male. Visiting temples requires men and women to cover their knees and shoulders, and wearing pants at 40C is a “non-starter,” so bring on the sarong. Entering Laos, the first thing you notice is the lack of humidity although it is still hot 40C (104F). The heat wouldn’t be so bad if it were not for the pollution. During March and April, the farmers burn the harvested rice fields to prepare for the next crop. This results in oppressive smog that blankets the city. During our stay, the Air Quality Index (AQI) regularly exceeded 220+, which is considered extremely unhealthy; even Beijing was generally lower. To put this into perspective, a typical spring day in Virginia or Novi Sad would be 25 ~ 45 AQI.
We have the worst luck crossing borders. For our frequent readers, you remember our Romania fiasco. Well, history almost repeated itself entering Laos. Unbeknownst to us and our travel agent, Laos requires 2 blank passport pages to enter the country; it doesn’t matter if your passport is still valid. Unfortunately, we discovered at the airport, that Eunjae’s passport was full. On one hand, I consider this a badge of honor, but at the time it created a lot of unnecessary stress. We, of course, discovered this issue at the ticket counter two hours prior to departure. We were told to step aside while they tried to sort it out. You know that “Oh Shit feeling” we had it! Thirty minutes later, after lots of questions and several tense discussion, the immigration officials permitted us to proceed to Laos. We are extremely grateful to Vietnam Airlines who worked diligently to resolve the issue and were very considerate during the entire process.
Scooters, Scooters Everywhere and not a Helmet in Sight
Like Vietnam and Cambodia, in Laos the Scooter is the primary transportation method. Everyone drives them and there doesn’t appear to be any age restriction. We witnessed kids as young as six driving, and frequently they carried anywhere from 1 to 3 passengers with them. It was very common for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, sometimes infants, riding one scooter. What is even more perplexing is the lack of helmets, unlike Vietnams and Cambodia where helmets are mandatory. Traffic moves slowly, around 45 KPH, and fortunately drivers are not aggressive so it all seems to work. I can kind of understand the lack of helmets due to the heat but still seems unnecessarily dangerous. In America this would automatically qualify for child abuse and get you sent to prison.
The Monks are Coming
Eunjae and I experienced the most unusual ritual to date; feeding monks sticky rice. Laos has thousands of Buddhist temples and monks. Every morning around 6:00AM, the monks leave their monasteries and start a pilgrimage into town to collect their daily donations. Locals and tourists alike line the streets to share sticky rice, candies and money. The monks walk by, open their collection bowls, you grab a lump of rice by hand and drop the rice into the bowl. Most monks do not make eye contact or say anything but some will greet you. The line moves quickly so you have to be speedy which is not easy because the rice is super sticky and hardens like glue once it cools. Personally, I find this ritual gross as who wants to eat rice that hundreds of people have touched with their bare hands? Talk about a “super spreader” event. Despite the personal misgivings, the process does have a solemnity to it, and we are glad we had a chance to participate.
The monk’s flamboyant orange robes are matched by the grandeur of the temples. The Laotian Buddhist temples are much more ornate than their counterparts in Vietnam and Cambodia. Statues of Buddha and temples are everywhere, and come in different sizes and shapes. I think that the Laotian subscribe to the theory that if one Buddha is good, hundreds of Buddhas are better. They will erect shrines everywhere, even in caves or on top of mountains.
Kuang Si Waterfall
The Kuang Si Waterfall was spectacular, and having an opportunity to swim in its water was really magical. The trip to the falls is a bumpy and dusty trek that takes about an hour from Luang Prabang. Emerald pools of fresh mountain water greet you, and all around the jungle is alive with birds, cicadas, black bears and shrieks of happy kids. Locals have picnics and the kids leap from rocky outcroppings into the water; how they avoid the rocks is beyond me. The actual falls is very dramatic as the water cascades down multiple rock layers. We even went for a swim, and all I can say is “Shrinkage” in regards to the water temperature.
City Tour
We were supposed to take a city tour in a vintage 1969 Mercedes Benz but due to mechanical issues we boarded an actual American Army Jeep leftover from the Vietnam War. The Jeep is not a comfortable ride, as the suspension is stiff as heck, but it can go anywhere. We followed mountain trails and cruised the town. Heads turned as we toured the town and I can confirm it was a really good time.
During the tour, we stopped at a village that has a long history of making paper used for ceremonial scrolls and lanterns. The paper is produced by hand and incorporates leaves and flowers to add color and texture. It is lovely and would have been a nice addition if we had any wall space left in our apartment.
Maison Dalabua
We stayed at another gorgeous resort that embraced natural and manmade elements to provide an oasis in the city; their lotus pond is even Unesco registered. Accessing the rooms, the restaurant, pool or spa requires meandering through flower lined paths and crossing multiple lili ponds that are filled with frogs, flowers, humming birds and Koi fish. At night the frogs make a unique croaking sound that sounded more like a person talking loudly (from a distance) than the usual frog croaking call.
Unsurprisingly, food at the hotel and restaurants is similar to Thai since Thailand and Laos share Cambodian roots. Everything we tried was delicious and our favorite snack was Fried River Weed. Yes, you read that right, they pull the weeds from the river’s edge, wash, cut into squares, decorate with onion rings and sesame seeds, and then flash fry. You are left with a crispy leaf that is dipped in a hot sauce containing small strips of water buffalo meat. It doesn’t sound appealing, but I assure you it is very tasty and is similar to seaweed but much less fishy.
While snacking on River Weed, we enjoyed an amazing Mojito made with Lemongrass and Kefir Lime called a Lohito, similar to a Mojito but without the mint. I convinced the bartender to share the recipe. Only problem is where to find “Lemon Grass” in Serbia? May have to grow my own or try a substitute. Here is the recipe so you can make it at home.
The Lohito courtesy the Maison Dalabua Bar Staff
- 4” stalk of Lemon Grass (2 of them)
- 4 or 5 Kefir Lime leaves
- 1 Tbs Finely Ground Brown Sugar
- 1 ounce Simple Syrup
- 1 ~ 1.5 ounces Lime Juice
- 3 ounces Vodka (not rum)
- Mint Sprig to garnish
- Soda water
In a highball glass add the following:
- Smash the lemon grass stalk until it fragments and separate into thinner pieces
- Add the Kefir lime leaves
- Add Brown Sugar, Simple Syrup, Lime Juice and Vodka
- Fill glass 1/3 with Soda Water
- Stir and taste; adjust as needed
- Add ice and top glass with soda water
- Pour remaining lime juice on-top
- Add mint sprig to garnish
- Notch one end of the second Lemon Grass stalk and rest horizontally across glass
- Add straw and enjoy
Final Thoughts
We had no expectations coming to Laos and found it to be a delight. The people are kind and work very hard to support their families. By our standards it is a hard life, and we saw entirely too many young children having to work. It wasn’t uncommon for girls and boys as young as 6 to be tending roadside fruit stands or working night market stalls. It really puts the entitlement of American kids into perspective when Laotian kids spend scratching out a living in scorching heat, instead of attending school.
Rather than finishing the blog on a sad note, here is a picture of some tourists pushing their pink snoopy scooter down the street. We assume it must have broken, but they were having such a good time we can’t really be sure.
P.S. We are departing Laos via the Mekong Delta, and will arrive in Thailand tomorrow, March 20th. Day 1 of the cruise and the weather was warm and sunny. Day 2 brought rain, winds and significantly colder weather. As the boat is completely open we are all bundled up in blankets.
