Sabaidee!

Laos is just absolutely fantasic! I cannot say enough good things about this place. I feel like I've finally found the SE asia that I was looking for. Laotians are unbelievably nice, even at major tourist destinations like Ventiane and Luang Prabang. While tourism is rapidly growing into a mainstream industry here, it has yet to affect Laos the way it has taken over Cambodia or Vietnam. Vietnam is perhaps not a fair comparison since it has a growing economy, especially as a manufacturing outsource destination. I think the closest comparison is Cambodia, and the contrast I see is that while both countries are equally destitute, Laotians are generally much happier and nicer, and if I may, optimistic about their future. Granted, I did not have time to venture off the well-beaten track of PP and Siem Reap, but in general the Cambodians struck me as weary and jaded from the tourism. Understandably, there is so much hardship that one cannot blame them from trying earn a buck or two off a falang like me. But there is no joy in their eyes when I step into a shop, museum, or street - only money. It's sad. I've heard that things are much better out in the provinces like Battambang, but it's quite difficult to get out there without actually knowing people, due to the lack of infrastrucutre.

Conversely, it was such a welcome relief to not be mobbed by drivers, kids, and vendors peddling everything from rides to marajuana the minute I step off the bus in Laos. People here are genuinely happy to see tourists, amazingly enough. The locals would smile and say hello ("Sabaidee") as I walk through the streets and shops, answer my questions genuinely, and no one has yet tried to hard sell me anything. It's been really wonderful. I can't help but be saddened by the inevitable loss of innocence, that in 3-5 yrs Laos will grow into a well-oiled tourism machine, rolling in tourists by the conveyor belt and presenting a polished but fabricated experience. Am I too pessimistic? "Responsible" and "sustainable" tourism is suddenly no longer a catch phrase but a very real problem faced by these countries and us, the traveler community. As we travel the world in pursuit of that last undiscovered beach, lost ruin, or hidden village, are we helping these people and places or expediting their extinction? Will people a hundred years from now lament our imprudence, much as how we shake our heads at the brute who clubbed the last Dodo bird to death? I don't know, I have no good answers. Thus far I've tried as much as possible to respect the local customs, support the local artisans, and in general avoid being an ugly tourist. I'd like to think that everytime I step out to a new country, I'm in a small part being an ambassador for Taiwan, for Chinese people. It brings me as much joy to point Taiwan out someone on the map as it does to see a magnificient temple, to tell them about our customs as it does to learn about theirs. But yet, I cannot avoid this nagging feeling that what I give is pitifully little compared to what I've received in their magnanimous generosity and hospitality. Sigh.

I just got back from a two day trek through the Laos jungles in Luang Prabang, which involved a 50km bike ride the first day, and 15km kayaking trip the 2nd. I am sore as all hell, but it was absolutely fantastic. We biked to a remote village to watch a provincial dragon boat race on the Mekong. We were extremely fortunate, as the boat race is an annual event that brings villages from all over the province together in celebration, so we really got to see a slice of the local life. Afterwards, we biked for another hour and stayed overnight w/ a local family, then kayaked back via the Nam Ou and Mekong river.





My Tour de Lao team, sponsored by Lonely Planet


Giving new meaning to the term "Garage Band"


Disco, anyone?


Row, row, row your boat