130. LAOS

Laos is not all it's cracked up to be. Perhaps the itinerary was too touristy and missed out on the 'real' Laos, I know I missed out on the early morning feeding of wandering monks so am pleased I saw that in Myanmar.

A touch of luxury - at this hotel which was a residence of a member of a royal family...

...the hotel had several buffaloes which took turns every morning to trim the lawn...brilliant!






Kouang Si Waterfall, Luang Prabang, was naturally spectacular...

Roadside manicure - women are the same everywhere...

 



Matchy matchy!
They take pains to dress up their tour buses...



This Hmong 'village' was a put-on for tourists - it was a single path that I walked through to view some of their homes where young ones such as these were dressed in their ethnic dress selling the usual colourful small items. The Lao tourism industry is not well developed nor professional but its people are still raw. 

My sense is, the people with the money behind the scenes are chiefly Chinese and Vietnamese. The Lao government is weak and corrupt, so money talks here to get business done... 

As a matter of fact, the Chinese are building several dams...I fear for the Lao people and others in neighbouring countries of Cambodia and Vietnam whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on this same river that flows through several countries...

 
Grilled bananas are a cheap snack and is available everywhere
















 















Made it!  Only 328 steps up Chomsy Hill.....Luang Prabang...

...at the top of which was this view - it's refreshing not to have to view highrises, bright lights of casinos and theme parks. Their casinos (yes, they've arrived) are located in other regions...

 

...and a simple shrine at the summit...not yet made huge and golden with donation boxes everywhere...

In Laos, foreigners who proselytise are escorted out of the country within 24 hours...locals who do likewise are incarcerated...

Phra Thatluang Museum, Vientiane, at dusk...

As with other South East Asian countries, the river is their lifeline. For such a large piece of land, the population is just around 7 million

This gateway in Patuxay Park in Vientiane is their version of Arc de Triomphe

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many parts are underdeveloped or not developed at all in the more remote areas along the Mekong.

The cruise on the Mekong was the highlight. The banks aren't as vibrant as Lake Inle, Burma. The Lao people are a lot poorer and have suffered much at the hands of their conquerors from neighbouring countries. Been under communist rule dosen't help. It's people are chiefly farmers. The large luxury cars in it's capital city of Vientiane would belong to Chinese and Vietnamese business people.

The boatman and his family live on board

It's interesting to note that their traditional man's dress has a dhoti, slung the same way as they do in India. The French had called their colonies in South East Asia 'Indo-China'
The Americans had bombed Laos so much, whatever there was left from this ancient Hindu kingdom was likely wiped out. There were few French colonial buildings.

The Lao traditional music, dance and costumes - are so Thai, so Cambodian...they are actually one people. The Thais were here for a long while, they and the Lao people trade with one another from across the river, Thai bhats are widely used and its people are conversant in Thai. 

Thai influence is strong in the architecture of their buildings - from government offices to temples and museums...