Laos 2013. Luang Prubang and Vientiane

Laos, Luang Prubang and Vientiane.

 

Arrived in Luang Prubang on time after a very uneventful flight. The airport is brand new and minimally staffed! We got through quickly enough to discover that everyone else has a car to pick them up but mine doesn't arrive! Plenty of taxis and I am delivered to my hotel 15 minutes later. What a lovely place. Originally the home of one of the members of the royal family before the communist military overthrow. Very welcoming staff, nicely furnished, pretty pool and outdoor restaurant next to it. Room clean, elegant, nicely furnished and the balcony had a nice view over the garden and pool. I ate at the restaurant for ease and wasn't disappointed.

 

Early night ready for my 9 am pick up. All organized thanks to the hotel staff who located the travel agent and sorted things out.

9a.m. and the tour guide is full of apologies and we head off for the Mekong river trip to the Pak Ou Caves. A complex discovered discovered many years ago when a group of boat people fleeing problems higher up the Mekong used them for shelter. They became religious in context and are now crammed full of Buddhas in all shapes and sizes. The oldest and most precious are now housed elsewhere for safety due to their value.

The caves are at the junction of the Mekong and the Nam (river) Ou which is a narrow river surrounded by cliffs and only traversable by boat when the river is at its highest. My guide says it is the most beautiful river.

On the way to the caves we stopped at a little village called Ban Xanghai which is all part of a temple and the villagers are the rice wine and whiskey makers in the area. The white rice wine was drinkable but didn't much fancy the red ( made from red rice) nor the whiskey which almost blew my head off. I succumbed to a bottle in a wovejacket just to support the community. The village was quiet as it is only the beginning of the high season and I was the only falang ( white person but actually means of French origin) in the village. It was peaceful and even though there was product to buy nobody hassled me, all very laid back! The village and river were very clean with no rubbish lying around and walkways clear and swept. The government is apparently pretty strong on aesthetics and pollution. Checked out the foods for sale some of which looked quote appetizing, the charcoal BBQ is a favorite but passed on the skewered chickens feet!!!!

The river is beginning to recede from the high it reached during the wet season and the locals make the most of this fertile bank by fencing off and cultivating land where they grow their vegetables until the following wet season. Every man woman and child in the family is involved and the soil is turned over and the fencing goes up rapidly.

After the caves we headed across river to a little village of restaurants. The guide had previously booked here including my food but I wasn't impressed. I ate Lao food in the form of stir fry veg, acceptable, deep fried Mekong fish which was more like fish bones and after one getting lodged I ate no more. I slept most of the way back which was a quicker trip due to moving with the current. ( didn't sleep so well the night before due to feeling so unwell).

After the boat trip we headed off for a walk through the town. Wow what a pretty place, beautiful colonial architecture influenced with Laotian features, clean clean streets, clear walkways, quiet traffic which moved at a steady pace and no screaming rush. UNESCO have done a great job here. The cages looks inviting and the people very gracious.

We arrived at the Royal Palace museum which was formerly the Royal Palace! Very discreet for a palace and charming, once agin lovely colonial architecture, lovely frescoes and the rooms maintained as they were when royalty was there. Also a room of the religious artifacts. Simple but interesting.

This was followed this by a visit to the very elaborate and very old Wat Xienthong, then a trip to a local market. I called it a day and reneged on the hilltop sunset climb. Didn't want anyone having to resuscitate me!! Back to the hotel for a pleasant swim in the 20 meter pool.

In the evening I walked from the hotel through the night market which sadly to say is the same as every other night market I have experienced, to a recommended restaurant called coconut garden. You would think by now i would have learnt to ignore the recommendations of a guide!! It was OK without being startling and I am feeling cheated in the food stakes particularly when I know the produce and herbs are all so good here. Another early night. This eating on my own is becoming very boring!

Day 2 and feeling a little better but very happy that in discussion with the guide we changed the days activities to avoid the 3 hour trek to the waterfalls. I had read about the elephants and so off we headed. A 30 minute drive through the outlying villages of Luang Prubang, a short walk down a dirt road to the river bank where the guide called over and within a few minutes the park manager whizzed over in a traditional long boat with a small outboard motor. A slippery few meters down the river bank and I am plonked in the middle of the boat, getting up and off the other side was a challenge as I am not as agile as the south East Asians!

The sanctuary is serene, green and delightful, it is possible to stay here in the nice looking raised suites built in a traditional style, for 2 to 5 days and train to be a mahout. That is how to ride and care for an elephant. The elephants can be ridden in the mornings which brings in funds for their care and rescue and in the afternoons are set free in the surrounding jungle to do what elephants do best - EAT!!!

We trotted over to where I was to be loaded onto the elephant whilst trying to avoid enormous elephant droppings and big elephant foot holes. A raised and covered platform has been built where we removed our shoes , avoided standing on an elephants trunk and loaded onto the seat strapped onto the elephants back. Let me tell you, it is a long way down to the ground! Then off we set, swaying along. Well everyone else was, Thom just wanted to meander in his own direction and at his own speed. The mahout slid down and instructed me to slide off the seat and perch on the elephants neck with my legs behind the ears, achieved Oh so gracefully!!!! Elephants have very prickly hair on their heads and its like pine needles sticking into your hands. Nothing to hold onto to, just need a strong core, and reasonable balance and hang on with your knees. Though I must use say the elephant kept its ears back and practically locked my legs to its head!

We plodded through a lightly treed area for about 20 minutes then into the shade except Thom didn't want to be in the shade, he wanted to walk down the bank and across the garden stomping the new magnolia trees and pulling out the newly planted shrubs! Mahout Singh had disappeared by this stage and I am left on the back of his elephant who had a will of his own. Eventually we joined,the rest of,the group who were now walking through the shallows of the river. Thom took a lot of encouragement and we arrived back tot the platform a very slow last but ai had a wonderful time.

After re-crossing the river we got back into the van and I was taken to a local,weaving coop which was lovely and it was authentic. The product was made by the women selling it and the money went to them instead a large factory. We headed back to. Town for another lunch picked by the guide and once again I wasn't impressed. I wanted one of the delicious baguettes I had seen in a local baker but no, we have to support businesses owned by locals.

Next stop was a drive instead of the trek to the Kuang Si waterfalls. I got a big surprise when we entered this park area because in the grounds was a bear rescue centre which was started up some years so by an Australian woman. The bears are rescued from illegal ownership and trade and sent to this centre for rehab, these bears looked like the best kept and happiest bears you would ever see! On to the waterfalls with a gentle up hill walk. The falls are natural and flow into smaller falls which allow for 3 separate pools or swimming areas, magnificent. Changing sheds are provided and by the time I was ready to take the plunge everyone had left and I had the upper pool all to myself, a wonderful if not freezing experience! A quick dip was enough, I was turning blue!

The end to a lovely day, back to the hotel for my pre- planned ( in fact offered) late check out so,that I could shower before I left. My flight was due to leave for Vientiane at 6.15 so a day well planned.

 

The plane took off on time and just as we gained altitude we started to nose dive down to land, it was that quick! Picked up b my charming guide Mon and taken to my hotel. He had been told that I had been unwell and he suggested a quick dinner at the hotel and an early night as we had a full day of sightseeing ahead starting at 9 am. I ate an expensive but mediocre meal at the hotel and crashed. The Setta Palace hotel was converted in the late 1990s after having been the residence of the high up military personnel following the Indo china war and the overthrow. What a gorgeous place, enormous pool, very tastefully furnished in a French/ Asian tradition with beautiful reception rooms. Pity about the lack of love with the cooking. Once again I felt uncomfortable with an over abundance of staff observing every mouthful I took.

Slept relatively well, feeling a little bit better every day and rose early intending a swim but it was bucketing down with rain so went back to bed!

Mon was there at reception to meet me at 9 as organized and we set off for some time at the Thongkhankham produce market. He had an excellent knowledge of all the herbs and spices and informed me he did most of the shopping and cooking for his little family. The food looked wonderfully fresh and this market was not a tourist market and I was the only westerner there. This was followed by a city tour taking in the magnificent Wat Sisaket which houses thousands of miniature Buddhas followed by Wat Prakeo which was the former royal temple. Last stop for the morning was a visit to the Lao Arc de Triopmphe! The Patuxay monument was built using concrete that the USA had donated for a new runway at the airport ( which by the way is a very modest affair). The monument is quite nice though as it is surrounded by park and the former Roal Palace can be seen down the boulevard and though the trees. I decided not to visit the COPE centre as it is a museum showing the issues caused by land mines and I have seen this on several occasions before in different countries.

Returned to the hotel for a couple of hours est and lunch of MY choice! I wondered down to the fountain park where Mon told me I would have a choose of bakeries serving nice sandwiches and good coffee. He was correct!

In the afternoon we jumped on the minibus to Buddha Park which is an area along the river where one man had a dream of celebrating the Gods of Hinduism and Buddhism. Personally I found the place a ridiculous folly and of no spiritual meaning. I felt like a heathen as I found a lot of the statues quote comical and I am sure that is not the response they are meant to invoke!

The day ended up along the river bank in the old quarters. Here the road running parallel to the riverside walk me closed off every night at 5 pm to allow the population to walk, ride, roller blade, whatever you want to do for exercise. There are aerobic classes, dance classes, kite flying, a night market and food stalls. The place was buzzing.,we were there to see the sunset over the Mekong but it was too cloudy.

I returned to the hotel, had a lovely long swim and headed out for dinner to a restaurant Mon recommended, I trust him after lunch! He was right again and I had a very local meal of 2 Mojitos, a Thai red chicken curry followed by a magnum icecream on my walk home!

My short time in Vientiane has come to an end as I am due to leave for Pakse on the 11am flight.

 

 

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Siem Reap Week 2 Sept 2013

Siem Reap, week 2 Sept 2013

 

Week 2 has passed very quickly and I am at last becoming a little more acclimatized to the heat and the humidity which is more than I can say for my hair. I have given up and wonder why I bothered to bring my dryer and straightners with me. We have had a lot of rain particularly in the latter part of the week and over the weekend and have been caught in a heavy downpour twice now whilst out on the bike. Not a pleasant experience but it is humorous watching some of the locals.

I have enough trouble keeping balance on my bike with 2 hands but to see a young woman riding headlong into the rain holding an umbrella over her head had me shaking my head in disbelief. This is as good as seeing the woman as a passenger on the motorbike holding the umbrella over the drivers head, probably to help him keep his cigarette in his mouth dry whilst talking on the mobile. Multi talented!

I am increasing my knowledge on geography and natural hazards as I research for the students topic lessons and am probably more interested than them in the subject. Hopefully something is being absorbed.

I continue to be on the look out for food and have included a few photos of the fast and take away foods Cambodian style. There are many road side carts that sell a variety of foods. Some traditional and some from the days of the French influence. Every evening on her way home, Hayley, the volunteer coordinator buys a steamed corn on the cob, she is addicted. The addiction that she is trying to wean herself off that costs a grand total of 600 riel (about 15 cents) is a banana dipped in a type of batter that looks like it has black sesame seeds in it then deep fried. I haven't tried this as I am scared that I too may become an addict and am trying to avoid fried food and of course steering away from wheat. My addiction is the baby water melon that are a massive 50 cents each and lasts me 4 days. I bought a bunch of lady finger bananas today , probably 20 in the hand and you can only buy them in the whole hand from the market - 75 cents!

There aren't any dairy cows in Cambodia therefore dairy food is imported and not the best quality. If I am lucky I may find a small piece of NZ cheddar at the supermarket but I have got used to not having it. But I have discovered an amazing yogurt that is made in Phnom Penh, from dried milk powder. Sounds awful but it is natural with no additives, flavours or sugar and has the texture of whipped mascarpone. Delicious.

The vegetables of course are also great quality, cheap and abundant. Lots of garlic, fresh ginger and birds eye chillies that almost burn your throat just as they are cut open to remove the seeds, intoxicating! These 3 ingredients are a staple in the local cuisine along with fish sauce and oyster sauce. I made a great stir fry this week with local prawns and the above ingredients as you will see in the photos. It is amazing what one can cook in a wok on a single gas burner stove! The little gas bottles are only 1500 riels which is less than 50 cents, to replace. When the little tin is empty, I just pop over the road to the little stall and hand it in for a replacement. Praying it won't explode on me of course! These little burners throw out an incredible heat and take up very little room!

I also now buy my fresh water from this man. The 20 liters in a bottle with a tap costs initially $6 but when emptied is replaced for $1. I managed to carry it across the road to the Hotel acting with bravado but collapsed on the floor when I entered reception and paid a $1 tip for the boy on the desk to carry it up the 3 flights for me. I know when I am beaten!

My next Cambodian style creation was a stir fried rice with pork and vegetables, once again strongly laced with garlic, ginger and chilli and the beautiful shallots that are found here. They call the pork bacon but it isn't smoked and is really just thinly sliced belly pork but very good for the stir frying. The rice is of course abundant here and there are so many different types to cook with. For my rice I bought brown jasmine and cooked it in the rice cooker which I'm not familiar with, it was Ok, but I now know the secret and next attempt should be better. Fortunately didn't spoil my creation!

The kitchen staff at Grace house usually cook pork for lunch as it is cheap and plentiful, I find it a bit dry usually and eat only a little. What they do cook that is delicious is chicken. It has the usual seasonings but the outside is very caramelized and this is achieved with obviously some sugar in the wok but also a little oyster sauce. Yesterday I marinated a chicken breast in the garlic, ginger and chilli along with some ground coriander seeds and ground star anise, with a little oil and some oyster sauce. This evening I pan fried this, let it rest, sliced it and ate it as a warm chicken salad and it was so tender and delicious and the salad so crisp and a little sweetened with some pineapple chopped through it, mouth watering now thinking about it!

At the end of town is a beautiful colonial style 5 star hotel called the Victoria. On a Friday evening they promote themselves by offering some live lay back music and a little buffet. This costs a whole $6 and includes 2 glasses of whatever you want to drink. The food included the most divine little fresh spring rolls with a fish type sauce and chopped nuts, chicken wings, sauté potatoes, tortilla chips with salsa and a wonderful sour salad with shrimp. What a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in a sophisticated venue where we could get a little dressed up and not dissolve in the heat. On a Sunday they offer use of their gorgeous pool from 10 until 3 along with a buffet brunch , $20! For us very inexpensive but that can go a long way in Siem Reap.

On the other end of the scale Grace House continue with the meals on wheels service to several of the very elderly women in the village to ensure they get a decent daily feed and of course the lunch program feeding about 20 of the children whose families suffer extreme poverty.

It sounds like all I do is eat, probably true but it is mostly very healthy and along with my swimming and cycling I have worked myself into a good routine but have to admit that the stairs are taking a bit of a toll on my knee.

I splurged out on Saturday afternoon, an indulgence but also something to do that wasn't researching for class or writing up lesson plans. I had another massage, body scrub and a facial. 3 hours of total pampering for $58. It was lovely but my guilt is taking hold of me for these indulgences especially when I see the little people in the pouring rain, little boy holding the hand of a toddler, both very skinny and dressed very poorly and both unsupervised crossing busy roads. Makes my heart sink at the poverty that is still here along with the corruption.

Politically life is on tender hooks. We had a discussion today about what we should do in the event of seeing a political rally. The Cambodian People's Rescue Party, which is lead by Sam Rainsey and who were beaten in the recent elections, have their head office close to and on the main route to Grace House. There was a rally at the local Wat, it may have been facilitated by the monks and many people turned out. The monks are apparently quite political and in full support of the people. This was peaceful but today in Phnom Penh a demonstrator was shot and killed by government troops and several more were injured. They are still protesting about the corrupt election results and this could well spill over here. We are to avoid these situations, turn back home or seek an alternative route to work. Our local commune chief is a supporter of Hun Sen's party - The Cambodian People's Party. He has apparently in the past rounded up the locals and organized a march in response, Grace House policy is to stay well out of these things even if they aren't agreed with because the concern is for the villagers and interference will not assist them at all.

The main supporters for Sam Rainsey are the more educated young people, people in business and those who lost land in the Pol Pot era. They are not influenced by the wealth of Hun Sen and want to see the corruption and injustices corrected. All very interesting but best observed from the side lines! Never a dull moment here!!!

Week 3 begins with my new evening class which is to teach a little more English to the girls who work in the Grace House shop and market stall and try to teach them some selling skills and instill some confidence. A 4 week trial and will report back in the next epistle!

Lei son hi ( good bye until next time) no idea how to spell it!!!!!

 

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Siem Reap 2013 week 1.

 

So here I am back in Siem Reap after an uneventful flight and lucky enough to have 2 seats which allowed me to stretch my leg out minimizing the discomfort in my knee.

I spent the first night and most of the next day at The Frangipani Hotel where I usually head to. I am so pleased that this time I made the decision and found a small apartment to stay in for the remainder of time here. The hotel has deteriorated, it needs a good paint, the outdoor furniture and the foyer furniture are in bad shape and the pool was poorly maintained. So disappointing as I have loved my stays here in the past. They are installing a lift which is a plus except that the drilling and hammering went on all day Sunday.

Nak picked me up Sunday and we whizzed around on his motor bike, I checked out the apartment, Nak sorted out a couple of minor issues, we bought a cheap bike for me to use here and after lunch he dropped me at the market whilst he went and picked up the bike and took it to the apartment. He had a tour group arriving at 5 and after he settled them into their hotel, ferried me and my bags to the apartment.

My daily triathlon begins! I get up at 6, head down to the pool for a swim, usually around 500 meters. I then struggle the 61 stairs back to my apartment on the 3rd floor, shower, eat and then set off on my bicycle to Grace House, about a 25 minute ride. I must say that I don't speed as it has been extraordinarily hot and I arrive in a lather of perspiration. I work from 8.30 to 4pm then do a reverse triathlon!! Cycle home, up the stairs, swim and then back up the stairs. Bit of a bugger if I forget something and have to struggle back up again!

There have been a few changes at the project with the employment of a volunteer coordinator/ senior student English teacher, a couple of new buildings, the expansion of the social work department and some staff changes. Bridget is still in the UK (returning next week) and Alan is very busy overseeing things and keeping the electrical training going. It is great feeling comfortable and getting such a warm welcome on my return, straight back into it!!!

This visit I am working with Leung who teaches middle school so the focus is different and probably more challenging. Today's question ( my topic this month is the earth so we are looking at geology) was,"why is the middle of earth hot". I have no idea and need to do some googling!!! I have to admit that geology is new to me but also fascinating and I am enjoying the research and reading. The students seem to be interested which is a plus!!!!

The apartment is somewhat different to my home in Melbourne but I accept that it is many times more comfortable and much bigger than the majority of the teachers and students homes. Most of them live in a 1 room with a whole family with often a share bathroom. This costs around $50 a month which is a fair whack of their wage. In contrast I live in luxury here. I have a little kitchen with a 1 gas burner stove (but I am managing) I have a lounge with a small dining table and a separate bedroom with ensuite. The building is a small hotel with 2 apartments on the top floor. Currently there is myself, somebody in the other apartment and another room taken but I haven't seen anyone! I feel like I am the only person here, certainly the only person using the pool which is kept crystal clean. It Is low season and the town is relatively quiet with very few tourists.

It may be low season but the Khmers are still nut cases on the roads and the traffic has increased. Bike riders have to keep their wits about them because we are the lowest in the pecking order!!! The ride along the Tonle Sap road (which leads to the Tonle Sap lake) has changed. The banks have been cleared of many of the old shacks with the residents having been moved 40 kilometers out of town. This is a sad situation but the river certainly looks healthier and much cleaner. This clearing out of what I was told were squatters for want of a better word, was happening when I was last here. It is an ongoing situation and will eventually affect some of the Grace House families when the clearing out gets further on towards the lake.

Have a look at the safety clothing, the up to date machinery and the parking facilities that the union has negotiated for these workers!!!!!

The market prices appear to be similar to last year and this side of the river houses many more inexpensive restaurants. This side historically was where the back packers were but there is a lot of development of little boutique villa style hotels happening. I ate out with Hayley ( the volunteer coordinator) last night and my meal was $2.50!!!!!! It was acceptable without being great and I didn't get sick!

I am happy enough to eat at home I must say as I am exhausted from the day and the heat and after I have showered all I want to do is collapse. PLUS the food choice at the market is fantastic!! The fruit and the vegetables are amazing and so cheap and I know I can buy it cheaper if I wanted to get it at the market near school and ride home with it! I have discovered a beautiful yogurt made in Phnom Penh , natural, unsweetened etc etc and is a delicious breakfast with the lovely fresh fruit I bought. Lunch is at the project, a stir fry with veg and I do allow myself a bit of rice as I know I need a bit of carbs! Usually followed by some fruit and a 50c iced coffee at the local cafe. It is actually a strong long black over ice with a side serve of a thin condensed milk, sounds awful but you develop a taste for it.

I am looking forward to the weekend and a ride to the market to restock and buy some incredibly cheap prawns.

Politically here not a lot has changed. There has recently been elections and the official result is to be announced in this weekend. Everyone knows the outcome even though they are all convinced it has been rigged. There is to be a massive peoples rally in PP on Saturday and we are asking if something may be happening here also but nobody knows. We just pray it remains peaceful and the government who we know will be returned, doesn't turn on the people. Hun Sen (who was a member of the Khmer Rouge) has been in power for many years and his main rival, Sam Rainsey has just returned from France where he fled to some years ago. A local told me that even though the government would like to dispose of him, the USA have threatened to withdraw aid and support if any harm comes to him.

We have been a bit waterlogged at Grace House due to a big storm early Monday morning that left the grounds looking like a rice paddy, the humidity has been very high and I have been attacked by Mosquitos! 15 bites that I can count and they are from my face to my toes. I spray the apartment a lot and wear the tropical strength roll on around my arms and legs and don't even feel myself getting bitten or hear the damned things but they know where I am. Trying not to scratch.

 

The heat remained with us for most of the week interspersed with some rain. The cooler weather appeared this weekend with even more rain but no floods.

The rallies never eventuates in Siem reap and it continued to be quiet and I haven't even heard anything about Phnom Pehn. Heard more on the BBC about the Australian elections, they gave it big coverage.

Saturday morning I paid a visit to the Old Market known as Chas Psar. It was bustling with locals and the country merchants are still setting up their fish stalls in the shoe shop aisles. I bought a variety of fruits and prawns but was disappointed to learn that much of the fruit is imported from the USA, China and Vietnam. The produce I bought as lovely but disappointed in the spice mix so am going to find out this week where to buy the basic spices. I am sure the ladies in the kitchen at Grace House will point me in the right direction.

In the afternoon I splurged on a wonderful massage and body scrub at a little spa in my street. Couldn't bear to wash off all the lovely lotions and potions so missed out on my afternoon swim!

Was planning to do some bike exploration today but the rain was too heavy so had a quick ride to the supermarket, spent a few hours reading about mudslides(!) and a swim with Hayley when the rain settled. A nice way to spend a Sunday.

Next week more volunteers are arriving at the project and Bridget returns from the UK so things will be different again. Looking forward to it.

Until next week......

 

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