By Jean-François Démoré
Sabaidee Nickel City armchair travellers! At the time of my
last correspondence, I had been joined by a childhood friend of
mine, André Lavallée, who would be accompanying me for my
journey into the small country of Laos. With a population of
less than seven million, very few people are familiar with this
isolated part of the world.
As recently as the 1980's, no paved roads connected land-locked
Laos to its neighbours, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Cambodia,
as it relied solely on trade via its major artery, the Mekong
river. Outside of the major urban areas, it remains extremely
poor, but some progress is being made thanks to the dollars
from tourists coming to explore the beautiful, undeveloped
landscapes and the friendly people of Laos.
The journey from Chiang Mai, Thailand into Laos was an eventful
one. Feeling the pressure of my numbering days, we opted for an
eight hour overnight mini-bus ride to the border. After a short
nap in a hotel that can at best be described as rustic, we took
a ferry to Laos immigration across the Mekong river, leaving
Thailand behind us. From this small border town, there were two
ways to reach Luang Prubang, our chosen destination.
The first was a two-day journey aboard the slow-boat that would
have us camp out in a small port town along the way. The second
was the infamous speed boat option that would cannonball us
down the river in six hours flat. We had been warned that the
speed boats carried an element of danger, including a warning
from a sincere Thai who explained that "the people of Laos
believe in reincarnation, and so safety is not a foremost
concern." Nonetheless, with stamped passports in hand, we
headed towards the speedboat pier.
Upon arriving, we learned that, in order for a boat to depart,
exactly six people must be on it. Andre and I had to hope that
a group of exactly four would show up in search of a pair to
accompany them downriver. Following two hours of watching
organized groups being motored away, the gods of fortune smiled
on us and a grouping of four came knocking. After squeezing
into an area the size of two shopping carts, we were off. Or
were we? Apparently the six of us, all of considerable stature,
were too heavy for the tiny speed boat that failed to keep its
propeller moving with us onboard. After another failed attempt
aboard a different boat, we were informed that we would need to
pay for a second barge if we wanted to reach Luang Prubang that
day. After much negotiating, we reached a deal and set off,
three on each boat, for our noisy ride down the mighty Mekong.
Andre and I both found the ride to be exhilarating, not
frightening. With the beautiful sights of the river on either
side and considerably more leg room with just three on board,
the ride was a pleasant one. In desperate need of sleep, it
wasn't long before we had checked into a hostel and were fast
asleep in our six-bed dorm. The following day, we set off to
visit this beautiful French-colonial riverside town. By noon,
the intense heat was starting to get to us northern boys, and
so we decided to join our hostel on an afternoon swim at a
local waterfall. Cascading over one kilometre, safer areas of
the falls had been designated for swimming. With the help of
our guide, we jumped from waterfalls and swam in some exciting
rapids, always triple-checking the waters before jumping. I
couldn't have pictured a more pleasant way to cool down.
Much to the dismay of my newly arrived countryman, I caught a
stomach bug from drinking the local water and was in no shape
to join him for an evening of the world touted Beer Lao.
Flanked by other backpackers from our hostel, André set out to
party it up Luang Prubang style. Restaurant, discotheque and
late-night bowling was definitely not what we expected a
typical night to be, but a fun one nonetheless. The following
day, we browsed the markets, bought souvenirs and climbed up to
the Buddhist Wat in the center of town. Though it is a
beautiful and charming little town, it is the friendly smiles
of the locals that has made this a popular stop on the tourist
trail.
The following day, we took on a second journey down the mighty
Mekong, this time equipped only with an inflatable tube and
some kip for beers. Allowing for a few stops along the way at
the makeshift bars, we spent the afternoon carelessly drifting
down the river, carried by its gentle current.
From Vang Vieng, we hopped on the back of a pick-up truck that
hauled us to the midway point between this sleepy town and the
nation's capital, Vientiane. This time equipped with kayaks we
headed downriver towards the big city enjoying more of Loas'
picturesque landscapes. Although the river was relatively calm,
there were some challenging rapids, one of which flipped our
kayak and kept us honest for the rest of the journey. This mix
of road travel and kayaking made the seven hour journey a
pleasant one, despite the extremely rough Laotian roads.
Upon arriving in Vientiane, we found accommodation and enjoyed
the wonderful French cuisine this town has to offer. Over the
next few days, André will try to secure a travel visa for China
as he heads to the Great Wall, while I ready myself for 37
hours of transit back to Sudbury. I will be back on Canadian
soil by week's end and look forward to sharing one last
contribution from the Nickel City.
About the Author
Greater Sudbury's Jean-François Démoré has travelled Canada
extensively with his parents Michel and Diane, spending one
summer driving to British Columbia and another to P.E.I. Once
the travel bug was under his skin, he was quick to jump on the
opportunity to head to France when the opportunity presented
itself during his second year of university. Between his third
and fourth year, he ventured back to Europe for a three-month
trek that saw him visit more than 50 cities in 15 countries,
accompanied solely by his backpack. This is his first visit to
Asia.
