Loas. What a country. Another rushed post. I hit loas after a 23 hour bus ride from Vietnam. I will admit fully that the Loas people are much nicer than the people from Vietnam but that is neither here nor there and I am not in any position to judge a entire nation after only 30 days. The Loas people are clam, they believe in getting by each day and act according to this philosophy. They have not taken to their neighbors fast-pace economic growth but do have the potential.
I waited at the border of Loas from 4 hours. It was 3:30 a.m. when I got there. The border does not open until 7:00. They turned off the bus, hence the A.C. and there we sat. 46 people in a bus without a.c. in 35 degree heat. I laid on the dirty bus floor to try to get some shut eye while many others simply walked outside and slept on the grass or surrounding pavement.
Vitentiene was the first city, and the nation's capital, that I explored. Some of the pictures I posted a few days ago were from there. I am actually back here/there now. Only in transit after another night bus. This one is one you must hear about. Now I admire a people who are relaxed and do not stress too much about upcoming days and financial stresses. They have enough, they are happy, truly they are, in my eyes but in order to get from Luwang Prabang to Vientiene, a whopping 353 km, it took us 9 hours, I had heard other stories of 11 hours, even 18 hours. Let me point out here that waiting and the ability to entertain oneself was acquired on this trip to Asia.
Okay so I am here not but only from a few hours. I arrived last night in the middle of the night and spent 2 hours looking for a guest house for me to rest my weary bones for 12 hours before getting onto another night bus to Pakse. Pakse is in the south of Loas just above it's world famous 4000 islands, where I am headed after Pakse.
I feel like my bog has taken a small turn I am am telling you more about what I have been up to where as at the beginning I was telling you what I saw and not what I did. I liked the old way better but the time today will not allow me to go into too much detail. Remember though that Loas and the Loas people are, in my books', an amazing people and I would come back here in a second though I have not yet left.
A bit frantic, I am awaiting a sandwich before having to eat it, run back to my room, check out, get to the north bus station, check in, have them drive me to the south bus station, and then get on a bus until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow where I will be entering yet another new city and new experience. Pakse is located on what is known as the 'Bolivian plateau' a beautiful part of Loas filled with massive waterfalls and hiking trails. A pedal bike will be in order to cover the terrain properly.
Now is the fun part..... After Vientiene I headed to Vang Vien which is probably the biggest party and party town I have ever been to. I will only attempt to paint a picture for I know having it described to me before arriving did not do it justice. Did that make sense? No time for editing this one. So, imagine a river, a beautiful river that flows through a lovely town of rural bamboo houses, surrounded by high sharp peaked mountains. Now add bars along this river. Bamboo bars built with platforms that allow you and encourage you to swing yourself off ropes, not before buying a bucket of Loa Loa vodka and redbull chased with a big beerloa, into the river below. The point is to rent a tube and make it down the river back to the town. So you swing and you swim and you drink and you drink and you dance and you meet all kinds of people, and you get into your tube and you go to the next bar. I made it to #3. Most people don't make it to 4. At least not the ones who drink and swing and swim and laugh.
From there I headed north to Luang Prabang which is a UNESCO world heritage site whatever that means ..Kidding It means http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site , that's right, wiki that shit. Anyway, it was crazy. Loas New year was a sight I would live through over and over. It is an event that showed me what it means to truly be a part of a community. For three days you have everyone in the city, as well as the entire country but specifically this city, out in the streets with huge water guns and buckets of water. Thousands of people take to the street to wish people happy new year by pouring a bucket of water down their back, into their face, or wherever they happen to get you if they are one of the hundreds that are driving around in trucks throwing bucket at people. There are young kids both boys and girls hosing down older men and women. The best was seeing this little boy of about 5 whipping a bucket at a passing motor bike carrying town older men. I heard the slap of water on their faces. All the older men did was laugh and smile. I was not dry for three days. The celebration is for the end of the dry season which in Loas is quite intense. I did just say that I was not dry for three days but I would go to sleep with everything I wearing was soaked, shoes included and when i woke at 8:00 a.m. everything was more dry than the Thar. The Thar is the dessert in the north west in Rajasthan, India. What I am trying to say is that other than the water being poured down your back it is dry and hot, everywhere in Loas right now.
People would be riding around, 25 in the box of a pick up, with garbage cans filled with water throwing on everyone. You had to prepare yourself. The second I walked out of my guesthouse, kids from neighboring houses would begin to hose me down, to spray me with water guns and to chase me with buckets. I didn't really run to hard or to fast. Not only was it inevitable to be soaked, it was fun too. I will never experience something like this again unless I come back to Loas for New Year. The Loas people are some I will never forget.
I waited at the border of Loas from 4 hours. It was 3:30 a.m. when I got there. The border does not open until 7:00. They turned off the bus, hence the A.C. and there we sat. 46 people in a bus without a.c. in 35 degree heat. I laid on the dirty bus floor to try to get some shut eye while many others simply walked outside and slept on the grass or surrounding pavement.
Vitentiene was the first city, and the nation's capital, that I explored. Some of the pictures I posted a few days ago were from there. I am actually back here/there now. Only in transit after another night bus. This one is one you must hear about. Now I admire a people who are relaxed and do not stress too much about upcoming days and financial stresses. They have enough, they are happy, truly they are, in my eyes but in order to get from Luwang Prabang to Vientiene, a whopping 353 km, it took us 9 hours, I had heard other stories of 11 hours, even 18 hours. Let me point out here that waiting and the ability to entertain oneself was acquired on this trip to Asia.
Okay so I am here not but only from a few hours. I arrived last night in the middle of the night and spent 2 hours looking for a guest house for me to rest my weary bones for 12 hours before getting onto another night bus to Pakse. Pakse is in the south of Loas just above it's world famous 4000 islands, where I am headed after Pakse.
I feel like my bog has taken a small turn I am am telling you more about what I have been up to where as at the beginning I was telling you what I saw and not what I did. I liked the old way better but the time today will not allow me to go into too much detail. Remember though that Loas and the Loas people are, in my books', an amazing people and I would come back here in a second though I have not yet left.
A bit frantic, I am awaiting a sandwich before having to eat it, run back to my room, check out, get to the north bus station, check in, have them drive me to the south bus station, and then get on a bus until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow where I will be entering yet another new city and new experience. Pakse is located on what is known as the 'Bolivian plateau' a beautiful part of Loas filled with massive waterfalls and hiking trails. A pedal bike will be in order to cover the terrain properly.
Now is the fun part..... After Vientiene I headed to Vang Vien which is probably the biggest party and party town I have ever been to. I will only attempt to paint a picture for I know having it described to me before arriving did not do it justice. Did that make sense? No time for editing this one. So, imagine a river, a beautiful river that flows through a lovely town of rural bamboo houses, surrounded by high sharp peaked mountains. Now add bars along this river. Bamboo bars built with platforms that allow you and encourage you to swing yourself off ropes, not before buying a bucket of Loa Loa vodka and redbull chased with a big beerloa, into the river below. The point is to rent a tube and make it down the river back to the town. So you swing and you swim and you drink and you drink and you dance and you meet all kinds of people, and you get into your tube and you go to the next bar. I made it to #3. Most people don't make it to 4. At least not the ones who drink and swing and swim and laugh.
From there I headed north to Luang Prabang which is a UNESCO world heritage site whatever that means ..Kidding It means http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site , that's right, wiki that shit. Anyway, it was crazy. Loas New year was a sight I would live through over and over. It is an event that showed me what it means to truly be a part of a community. For three days you have everyone in the city, as well as the entire country but specifically this city, out in the streets with huge water guns and buckets of water. Thousands of people take to the street to wish people happy new year by pouring a bucket of water down their back, into their face, or wherever they happen to get you if they are one of the hundreds that are driving around in trucks throwing bucket at people. There are young kids both boys and girls hosing down older men and women. The best was seeing this little boy of about 5 whipping a bucket at a passing motor bike carrying town older men. I heard the slap of water on their faces. All the older men did was laugh and smile. I was not dry for three days. The celebration is for the end of the dry season which in Loas is quite intense. I did just say that I was not dry for three days but I would go to sleep with everything I wearing was soaked, shoes included and when i woke at 8:00 a.m. everything was more dry than the Thar. The Thar is the dessert in the north west in Rajasthan, India. What I am trying to say is that other than the water being poured down your back it is dry and hot, everywhere in Loas right now.
People would be riding around, 25 in the box of a pick up, with garbage cans filled with water throwing on everyone. You had to prepare yourself. The second I walked out of my guesthouse, kids from neighboring houses would begin to hose me down, to spray me with water guns and to chase me with buckets. I didn't really run to hard or to fast. Not only was it inevitable to be soaked, it was fun too. I will never experience something like this again unless I come back to Loas for New Year. The Loas people are some I will never forget.
I feel like if we poured buckets of water on people in Canada at New Years it would not be received as warmly.
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