Riding on a motorbike surrounded by endless green landscape in the Bolaven Plateau, I’m living in the moment. Feeling free to explore, I take in the rustic environment inhabited by modest one and two story wooden homes, idle oxen and lush coffee plantations. It's an overcast day though at times the sun and blue sky tease their way through the clouds and a constant wind howls in my face. After a while the lull of the ride causes my mind to drift for an indeterminable amount of time.
“What have I accomplished in my Fulbright experience?”
“What am I going to do after I finish my Fulbright?”
“What I am going to do next in Laos?”
Suddenly I snap back to focus on the task at hand: looking for a nearby waterfall. Eventually I find it, take a few pictures and then leave again to head off to the next destination.
Reflections on Laos
In reflecting on my two weeks in Laos (August 9-23) , a few words come to mind: lush, serene, and laid back. I began my trip on a 24 hour night bus from Kunming, China to Luang Prabang, a northern Lao city. From Luang Prabang I made my way to the south. First going to Vang Vieng, then taking two coach buses and a minivan far south to an area on the Mekong Delta called Si Phan Don (“four thousand islands”). From there I eventually went up to Pakse and then the capitol Vientiane where I flew back to Kunming. The whole time I was constantly in motion doing some kind of activity or traveling to a new area of Laos so I didn’t really have much time to write my thoughts down in my journal which I usually like to do. I think the fact that I only two weeks there pushed me to not have any “lazy days” where I could take time to write. Unfortunately also because it was rainy season, there was never any truly clear blue days. In Vang Vieng it was solidly gray, and at times, rainy while further south the sun came out more often.
Overall, there was nothing overwhelming spectacular about Laos. The sites I saw, like the numerous Buddhist temples (called “wats”), waterfalls and caves, were nice but nothing mind-blowing. I also did a number of fun activities throughout Laos like tubing and caving in Vang Vieng, motorbiking in Luang Prabang and the Bolaven Plateau (near Pakse), kayaking down the Mekong and cycling around islands in Si Phan Don. But it was more about the little things in the country that made it special: mainly the constant, to the point of almost repetitive, green, idyllic, lazy country landscape filled with rice paddies, livestock, rolling hills and dense woods. Taking pictures of the scenery in different areas of Laos was almost redundant as the photos often looked identical. During my excursions, often appreciating the rustic surroundings along the way was more memorable than the final destination.
I cannot overstate the serenity of Laos. Coming from urban China where noise pollution is everywhere like blaring music from street front stores, people shouting into their cell phones, and incessant and unrestrained car honking, Laos was an oasis. Walking around areas like Luang Prabang and islands in Si Phan Don, there were long stretches of utter peace and quiet interrupted only by passing motorbikes. Getting away from the Chinese noise pollution had a sort of calming effect that’s hard to explain.
The local people I encountered, for the most part, were quite laid back and friendly. A national slogan, published on t-shirts, is “Please Don’t Rush” which is based on the country’s official name People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) of Laos. Unfortunately many did not speak enough English for me to engage them that deeply but more times than not when you greeted them you would get a smile. Even when bargaining, many would maintain a light hearted disposition. The one Laotian guy I met who spoke decent enough English to have a conversation with was constantly smiling and laughing. In China, though local people often express kindness in their own way, you rarely get a smile especially from older people. More often when you smile towards locals in China, you just get blank stares. Chinese people are usually a bit more uptight and worrisome. Worrying is embedded in their language: there are at least 4-5 words that mean “worry” in Mandarin. I’m not trying to rank Laotian people over Chinese people as a whole but rather acknowledge the differences I noticed when I was in Laos.
I also witnessed harsh poverty and destitution in Laos. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world and depends a lot of foreign aid and investment and NGOs to help to provide basic things like schools and hospitals. There were signs throughout the country in front of various buildings and alongside roads indicating that such infrastructure was provided from aid from certain countries like Japan, France, Thailand, and Singapore. It was just sad to see a country be an international “charity case” whose government could not provide such basic things on its own. The government is notoriously corrupt as well which I’m sure does not help.
Backpacker culture
This was the first time I had done backpack traveling since I was in the Philippines in 2013. There’s something romantic and idealistic about being a backpacker: exploring foreign countries and cultures and making new friends along the way. I’ve met people in Laos and other countries who have these open-ended, long term (a year or longer) plan to travel. Usually they’re from somewhere in Europe and have recently quit their job or something. Others cycle in and out of work and travel; traveling for long stints of time in Asia then getting service or farming jobs in places like Australia to earn money to start traveling again .
In my own experience, I’ve found the spontaneity and the sense of freedom and openness to be the most appealing part of backpack travelling. Often I set out with a broad itinerary and notion of what I want to do and where I want to travel in a particular country. The particulars in terms of what I actually end up doing are influenced by what I see there and the people I encounter. In the backpacker friendly hostels and guesthouses I usually stay in, it’s easy to meet new people of various nationalities chatting about travel experiences who in turn become travel companions. This process can lead to unexpected and memorable experiences. Like when I first arrived in Luang Prabang, that evening I met a bunch of people staying at my guesthouse hanging out on the front patio. Eventually I went with them to have dinner at the local night market, later that night some of them took me to a bar called Utopia and, after the 11:30 pm city-wide curfew, we went bowling with a bunch of other backpackers.
At the same time, though usually nice and fun to swap stories with and have companions to do various activities, the relationship with other backpackers is usually pretty superficial. They are more like “single serving” friends who fit in that time as travel companions. The longer you are with certain backpackers, talking about travel becomes worn out and I find that I have few other sources of conversation with them. Also conversations with backpackers can get redundant. The same way that it’s easy to start up conversation with traveler chit chat (“where have been traveling?” “where are you going in the future?”) can also become boring. At times it feels like I’m having the same conversation over and over again. Especially when you are constantly moving around parting ways with other travel companions, having to start up the same getting to know you chit chat can be tiresome.
“What have I accomplished in my Fulbright experience?”
“What am I going to do after I finish my Fulbright?”
“What I am going to do next in Laos?”
Suddenly I snap back to focus on the task at hand: looking for a nearby waterfall. Eventually I find it, take a few pictures and then leave again to head off to the next destination.
Reflections on Laos
In reflecting on my two weeks in Laos (August 9-23) , a few words come to mind: lush, serene, and laid back. I began my trip on a 24 hour night bus from Kunming, China to Luang Prabang, a northern Lao city. From Luang Prabang I made my way to the south. First going to Vang Vieng, then taking two coach buses and a minivan far south to an area on the Mekong Delta called Si Phan Don (“four thousand islands”). From there I eventually went up to Pakse and then the capitol Vientiane where I flew back to Kunming. The whole time I was constantly in motion doing some kind of activity or traveling to a new area of Laos so I didn’t really have much time to write my thoughts down in my journal which I usually like to do. I think the fact that I only two weeks there pushed me to not have any “lazy days” where I could take time to write. Unfortunately also because it was rainy season, there was never any truly clear blue days. In Vang Vieng it was solidly gray, and at times, rainy while further south the sun came out more often.
Overall, there was nothing overwhelming spectacular about Laos. The sites I saw, like the numerous Buddhist temples (called “wats”), waterfalls and caves, were nice but nothing mind-blowing. I also did a number of fun activities throughout Laos like tubing and caving in Vang Vieng, motorbiking in Luang Prabang and the Bolaven Plateau (near Pakse), kayaking down the Mekong and cycling around islands in Si Phan Don. But it was more about the little things in the country that made it special: mainly the constant, to the point of almost repetitive, green, idyllic, lazy country landscape filled with rice paddies, livestock, rolling hills and dense woods. Taking pictures of the scenery in different areas of Laos was almost redundant as the photos often looked identical. During my excursions, often appreciating the rustic surroundings along the way was more memorable than the final destination.
I cannot overstate the serenity of Laos. Coming from urban China where noise pollution is everywhere like blaring music from street front stores, people shouting into their cell phones, and incessant and unrestrained car honking, Laos was an oasis. Walking around areas like Luang Prabang and islands in Si Phan Don, there were long stretches of utter peace and quiet interrupted only by passing motorbikes. Getting away from the Chinese noise pollution had a sort of calming effect that’s hard to explain.
The local people I encountered, for the most part, were quite laid back and friendly. A national slogan, published on t-shirts, is “Please Don’t Rush” which is based on the country’s official name People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) of Laos. Unfortunately many did not speak enough English for me to engage them that deeply but more times than not when you greeted them you would get a smile. Even when bargaining, many would maintain a light hearted disposition. The one Laotian guy I met who spoke decent enough English to have a conversation with was constantly smiling and laughing. In China, though local people often express kindness in their own way, you rarely get a smile especially from older people. More often when you smile towards locals in China, you just get blank stares. Chinese people are usually a bit more uptight and worrisome. Worrying is embedded in their language: there are at least 4-5 words that mean “worry” in Mandarin. I’m not trying to rank Laotian people over Chinese people as a whole but rather acknowledge the differences I noticed when I was in Laos.
I also witnessed harsh poverty and destitution in Laos. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world and depends a lot of foreign aid and investment and NGOs to help to provide basic things like schools and hospitals. There were signs throughout the country in front of various buildings and alongside roads indicating that such infrastructure was provided from aid from certain countries like Japan, France, Thailand, and Singapore. It was just sad to see a country be an international “charity case” whose government could not provide such basic things on its own. The government is notoriously corrupt as well which I’m sure does not help.
Backpacker culture
This was the first time I had done backpack traveling since I was in the Philippines in 2013. There’s something romantic and idealistic about being a backpacker: exploring foreign countries and cultures and making new friends along the way. I’ve met people in Laos and other countries who have these open-ended, long term (a year or longer) plan to travel. Usually they’re from somewhere in Europe and have recently quit their job or something. Others cycle in and out of work and travel; traveling for long stints of time in Asia then getting service or farming jobs in places like Australia to earn money to start traveling again .
In my own experience, I’ve found the spontaneity and the sense of freedom and openness to be the most appealing part of backpack travelling. Often I set out with a broad itinerary and notion of what I want to do and where I want to travel in a particular country. The particulars in terms of what I actually end up doing are influenced by what I see there and the people I encounter. In the backpacker friendly hostels and guesthouses I usually stay in, it’s easy to meet new people of various nationalities chatting about travel experiences who in turn become travel companions. This process can lead to unexpected and memorable experiences. Like when I first arrived in Luang Prabang, that evening I met a bunch of people staying at my guesthouse hanging out on the front patio. Eventually I went with them to have dinner at the local night market, later that night some of them took me to a bar called Utopia and, after the 11:30 pm city-wide curfew, we went bowling with a bunch of other backpackers.
At the same time, though usually nice and fun to swap stories with and have companions to do various activities, the relationship with other backpackers is usually pretty superficial. They are more like “single serving” friends who fit in that time as travel companions. The longer you are with certain backpackers, talking about travel becomes worn out and I find that I have few other sources of conversation with them. Also conversations with backpackers can get redundant. The same way that it’s easy to start up conversation with traveler chit chat (“where have been traveling?” “where are you going in the future?”) can also become boring. At times it feels like I’m having the same conversation over and over again. Especially when you are constantly moving around parting ways with other travel companions, having to start up the same getting to know you chit chat can be tiresome.