Do you really care what type of coffee I like?I don’t like iced or flavored coffee. Hot and black is perfect. Despite my many visits to Starbucks in several continents, I had never tried their iced or flavored beverages. If I’m feeling adventurous, I go…Read More

Do you really care what type of coffee I like?

I don’t like iced or flavored coffee. Hot and black is perfect. Despite my many visits to Starbucks in several continents, I had never tried their iced or flavored beverages. If I’m feeling adventurous, I go for a cappuccino.

Lost in the Jungle

I arrived for the first time at Pakse after having crossed the border from Cambodia. In those days the border was not officially open; less than twenty travelers per year crossed it. Deep within the rainforest, I witnessed there the most beautiful sunrise in my life, the first sunrays slowly diffusing through the trees and softly illuminating the lazy river.

After having spent the night in the Cambodian part of Voem Kham, I crossed to the Laotian part planning to catch a truck – any passing vehicle in fact – to Nakasong.

On my way out of the tiny village – next to the only curve the unpaved road had – I smelled the unmistakable aroma of Laotian coffee and all my plans were forgotten at once. Looking around, I spotted a suspicious hut: smoke was rising from its roof. Following the heavenly signal, I entered the hut – it had no door – and met the usual Laotian coffee machine. I asked for coffee in rudimentary Lao and sat next to the only table, sharing it with the only other customer. Both – the owner and the customer – looked at me with undisguised curiosity.

Laotian Coffee

By the end of the 19th century, French settlers planted coffee in the volcanic ground of the Bolaven Plateau in south Laos, a place originally inhabited by the Laven people. Despite the extremely high quality of the local product, both Arabica and Robusta varieties, it is mainly ignored by the world, maybe a result of the low yields; for example in the year 2000 it was just 13900 metric tons, most of them used in the local market. The small quantities exported, always get record prices without any dependence in the international coffee market situation, a modest recognition of its high quality. In blind taste tests, the Laos coffee get almost always the first place, a result of optimal geographical conditions with a slow paced organic growth, a subtle reminder of the charming local culture. They still place quality before quantity.

A Laotian Coffee Machine

A coals oven, made from a conical bucket filled with concrete and with an aeration open in it bottom, is placed over a few layers of bricks, ordered perpendicularly to each other, is the basis to a big evaporation vessel. This vessel is cylindrical, with the diameter of the bucket and in his upper side there are two circular openings the size of a kettle, partially obstructed by two kettles. Inside the kettles there are filters made from a circular metallic frame, to which a conical cloth filter is attached. The diameter if the filter is about 13 centimeters and the length of the cotton cone is 15 centimeters when new and about twice this size after it is used for a while. The preparation starts by putting around fifty grams of very coarse grounded coffee to the cloth filter. Almost boiling water from the vessel is poured over the filter into the kettle and the filter is left inside the kettle that is continuously heated by the vapors from the vessel. As the filter with the coffee is immersed inside the filtered coffee, it experiences a prolonged process of cooking. The length of this stage is not constant and it depends on the number of customers, time of the day and other similar variables. Since from time to time more grounded coffee is added to the filter, any practical evaluation of this time is impossible. Long cooking time can cause the appearance of a mild acidity to the taste; therefore, it is preferable to approach the stalls early in the morning to enjoy the best quality product.

The result of this process is an extremely condensed coffee, used as a base to the preparation of several coffee drinks, the most popular being the coffee with milk To prepare it, around 15% of the volume of a small glass is filled with condensed milk, the cloth filter is placed over the glass and the condensed coffee is poured again over the filter and flows down to the glass. Only around half of the remaining volume is filled with coffee and the rest is filled with hot water from the vessel that has the double effect of diluting the strong coffee and gives a final heating to the mixture. As in Vietnam, the result is a black and white dichotomy, transformed after mixing into an opaque dark brown. The coffee, both because of the preparation method and the addition of condensed milk is very dense, with an extremely heavy body, reminding very much of a chocolate drink, leading to the most popular impression of first time drinkers: coffee-tasted chocolate. Another colorful characteristic is the, luckily temporal, effect of blackening the drinker teeth and tongue.

Extremely Rudimentary Lao

I do not pronounce correctly the tones of the Thai and Lao languages. Sometimes I get them right, others I mix up everything. A word I am unable to pronounce correctly means "hot." In areas where tourists are a common sight, that’s not a problem; the locals would make sure they understood me by repeating it in the proper tones. Here, apparently they didn’t want me to feel I "lost face" by making such a horrible mistake. Instead, the coffee shop owner prepared what she thought I wanted.

With dismay I saw how she poured a cup of the most perfect coffee in the world over a cup full of ice cubes. My Lao wasn’t good enough for explaining the mistake, asking for another cup could be offensive. Resigned to my fate, I picked up the cup and took a sip.

Needless to say, it was one of the best coffees in my life.

Out of Voem Kham

Minutes later, I was standing at the village entrance, beyond the Laotian immigrations booth. There was no traffic. The guards told me a bus was scheduled to pass around noon, but I didn’t want to wait; noon was four hours in the future.

Suddenly, I saw a cloud of dust and heard a heavy truck approaching. I signaled it to stop and repeated "Nakasong" several times. The man sitting next to the driver moved his head up and down and pointed at the back of the truck. I climbed and seated over a thick canvas. Below it was the merchandise: ice blocks.
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Traveling in modern South East Asia can be confusing without having at least a basic understanding of the parties and forces that shaped the area in the last century. Laos was home to one of the most complex realities.ColonyThe Lao kingdom was divided into three…Read More

Traveling in modern South East Asia can be confusing without having at least a basic understanding of the parties and forces that shaped the area in the last century. Laos was home to one of the most complex realities.

Colony

The Lao kingdom was divided into three principalities in the eighteenth century; in 1828, Vientiane - the central one - was ransacked by the Thais, who took away the Emerald Buddha. By the end of that century, the French colonized Laos by stages, since they considered it crucial in the protection of their Indochina colony from Siam. The Japanese conquered Indochina during WWII; after the war, independence was inevitable.

Independence

The Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953 gave Laos independence, and a unified kingdom was established for the first time in two centuries. Soon, struggle between the neutralist Prince Souvanna Phouma, the right wing Prince Boun Oum of Champosak, and the left-wing, Lao Patriotic Front under Prince Souphanouvong and future Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane appeared and led to a creation of a "tri-coalition" government was in Vientiane.

In those years, Vientiane was the administrative capital, while Luang Prabang was the Royal one. Champosak served as a center for right-wing princes. Thus, despite the formal re-unification of the kingdom, Laos maintained a political structure that was very similar to the three principalities that characterized it during the eighteen and nineteen centuries.

Civil War

After the French withdrew from Indochina, they handled this hot potato to the Americans; an international conference in which all the interested sides participated was called. The Geneva Conference established Laos as a neutral territory, but all the sides to the agreement violated the decision and used Laos for their own interests.

The country deteriorated into a civil war between 1962 and 1975, a war that was heavily influenced by the events across the Annamite Mountains - the US-Vietnam War. The Communist Pathet Lao was supported by North Vietnam, while the Americans and South Vietnam supported the Royal Lao Government. The North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao emerged victorious in 1975.

Shhh... Secrets

In what became known as the "Secret War," Laos became a clandestine theater of the Second Indochina War (another name for the US-Vietnam War). North Vietnam established the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which passed partly on eastern Laos and allowed contact with the National Liberation Front in Southern Vietnam. Moreover, they helped the Pathet Lao; the last had a stronghold near Xam Nua in the Viang Xai Caves, which was beyond the reach of their enemies and provided easy access to Vietnam.

In parallel, the CIA trained thirty thousand Hmong tribesmen led by Royal Lao Army General Vang Pao, a Hmong military leader. This army was supported by the CIA controlled Air America, which transported the Hmong's poppy seeds crops to finance the operation.

In 1968, North Vietnam launched a massive attack on the Royal Lao Army and took it out of the equation until the end of the war. Meanwhile, the USA carried massive bombings – mainly over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many of the bombs scattered Agent Orange – a defoliant – over the forests causing them a damage that can be seen even nowadays. Laos became the worst bombarded country in the history of the world – more bombs were dropped there than over the combined Germany and Japan during WWII. The Secret War was the largest American clandestine operation prior to the Afghan-Soviet War.

Epilogue

As predetermined by the Paris Peace Accord, the US withdrew from Laos in 1973. Pathet Lao – with the support of North Vietnam forces supporting it in Laos – got a place in the Laotian government side by side with the Royalists. In 1975 North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces began attacking government strongholds until a deal was achieved conceding the power to the Pathet Lao.

Once in power, the Pathet Lao cut its economical ties with all its neighbors with the exception of the now united Vietnam and signed a friendship treaty with that country. The Vietnamese kept troops and advisors within Laos. Only in the 1980s, Laos began opening to the outer world, tourism was re-established in the late 1990s.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC

On May 15, 1997, the US inaugurated a memorial in honor of the Hmong contributions to the Vietnam War on the grounds of the Arlington Cemetery between the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Isaan, Thailand

Many Hmong fled Laos to Thailand; many of them are concentrated in several locations within Isaan, where Lao is the main language. A few were granted refuge in the US.
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I arrived at Savannakhet after having crossed the border from Cambodia and having travelled on an ice truck for a day or so. The thick layer of dust covering me protected me from the merciless Mekong sun.It was neither my first nor my last trip…Read More

I arrived at Savannakhet after having crossed the border from Cambodia and having travelled on an ice truck for a day or so. The thick layer of dust covering me protected me from the merciless Mekong sun.

It was neither my first nor my last trip in Laos and I felt confident enough to travel around with minimal amounts of local money. However, having entered the country the day before, I had almost no kips – the Laotian money. Exchanging money was imperative in order to reach Vientiane.

While walking along the main street a bank appeared in front of me. It looked like a temple; it was the only building above the street level with impressive steps leading to the heightened entrance. An armed guard kept the door.

Dusty and happy, I passed through the guard and feeling like Rotschild put fifteen dollars in small bills in front of a smiling clerk. I added no words; I have learned than in such remote locations the less a traveller speaks in a foreign language the better. My intentions – to exchange fifteen dollars into kips - were obvious.

Still smiling, the clerk showed me the current exchange rate on a big sign hanging on the wall. That day it was 10475 kip for one dollar. That meant I was to receive 157125 kip; however, any amount of money below 500 kip is insignificant. The general practice is to round the sum downwards. I would have been happy receiving 157000 kip.

Accordingly, she began laboriously counting small denomination notes. After a while I had 157000 kip in a solid brick of money. My hands were attempting to pick up the package, when she suddenly said in an imperative tone unfit of such a delicate creature:

"Sit!"

She didn’t explain. I was sure she couldn’t explain in English. I had all the money I expected to get, but she spoke in an imperative tone and an armed guard kept the door. I sat down at the nearest coach. Still behind the counter, she entered a side room.

Minutes passed by, and nothing happened. The guard was by the door, the clerk was missing.

Suddenly I remembered the notes I gave were very old. One of them had black spots on it and it was difficult to see it was worth a whole dollar. Maybe – like in Myanmar - they accept here only new, crispy notes? Was I regarded now as a regime enemy due to my attempt to corrupt their spotless monetary system?

It didn’t make sense – I already got the local money – but otherwise, where did she go? Wasn’t she making an urgent call to the police, explaining them my dollar note was dirty? The guard was looking at me.

There was no escape. I resigned myself to my dark destiny and waited patiently.

Minutes passed. Why did I come to Laos at all?

Suddenly she returned from the side door. Smiling, she called me. She had something in her right hand.

With shaking knees I approached the counter. There, she gave me three notes: one worth a hundred kip, another of twenty and the third one showing the infinitesimal sum of five kip; for thirty minutes I had been trapped in the mythological Laotian kindness.
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Travelling in Laos is a tiring experience. Long distances, narrow roads, old vehicles and the most rustic accommodations assure the moment will arrive when a traveller will exclaim: "Enough!"Luckily, Vientiane is never more than a couple of days away. The town allows restoring energy with…Read More

Travelling in Laos is a tiring experience. Long distances, narrow roads, old vehicles and the most rustic accommodations assure the moment will arrive when a traveller will exclaim: "Enough!"

Luckily, Vientiane is never more than a couple of days away. The town allows restoring energy with excellent French meals and Laotian coffee, meeting other travellers and locals capable and willing to speak with foreigners.

During my stays there I found several of those, but two of them had exceptional stories and a friendly attitude. I won't name them, but the descriptions would make recognizing them an easy task. Each one of them illuminated a different angle of this complex country.

The first is the owner of a chain selling foreign second-hand books. A chain of shops in a Communist country? The story was intriguing enough for a hot-pursue. Strangely, the mogul's story began during royal times. Back then, he was a military policeman which enjoyed a scholarship in Washington for studying English. He returned to Laos just to find a new regime who wasn't hiring people belonging to the old one.

He became a tuk-tuk driver but his English skills helped him getting a strange job from the local English-books store: he gave the English newspapers to the embassies. Soon - in a move that was never fully explained to me - the bookstore owner left Laos and gave the shop to his tuk-tuk driver. Since then, two other shops were added in the capital and one in Vang Vieng; all the branches' staff is family members of him.

This awesome flip of the coin may be explained by his over-friendliness with tourists. During my many visits to his main shop - where he can be easily spotted - I watched with awe how he addressed every tourist entering the shop and obtained skilfully and non-violently all the information regarding their trips until they reached Vientiane and their future plans.

As always in such cases, my recommendation is never give accurate information and if possible change topic; the local baguettes and coffee provide suitable excuses for that.

The second may be described as belonging to the actual oligarchy. He is the son of Communist Party members and a party member by himself. During the Vietnamese-American war, they were in Xam Nua - in the far northeast - living in caves with most of the future leaders of the country. From there, they were part of the network providing communications between Laos and Hanoi.

Once the war was over, he was sent to Moscow, where he finished secondary school, and then to Cuba, where he studied architecture. He found himself back in Laos when the country was opening its doors to tourism, and was awarded with the first dormitory guesthouse in the Laotian Capital.

He used his education for restoring the old colonial building and manages it since then. Even now, the place is occasionally visited by Russians and Cubans adding thus an intriguing angle to such a visit. He speaks Spanish and enjoys practicing it with the guests.

These - and other - people enriched my visits and added a human angle to them which would have been impossible to get unless actively seeking contacts with those rare and often unobserved denizens catering for tourists.
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Landlocked Laos offers the visitor a colourful and intriguing mosaic of facts, myths, fears and hopes which reflects its unique reality.Until the recent Communist Revolution, it is not possible to talk about a Laotian country, nation or even people. For most of their recorded history,…Read More

Landlocked Laos offers the visitor a colourful and intriguing mosaic of facts, myths, fears and hopes which reflects its unique reality.

Until the recent Communist Revolution, it is not possible to talk about a Laotian country, nation or even people. For most of their recorded history, the modern Laotian territory was divided among three principalities , to some degree vassals of the various Thai kingdoms . The people's culture was basically Thai and similar to the one of Isaan, in Thailand's northeast. The Lao dialect is indistinguishable from the Thai dialect spoken there, despite the slightly different letters used. Even Laotian clothes are identical to the Thai, except for the colours since Laotian people like black coloured fabrics. Both cultures prefer settlements nearby rivers and both accepted the Buddhism brought from Sri Lanka.

Other principalities existed within the Thai small empire - Chiang Rai and Nan are well known examples of those - but they never broke apart the way the Laotian ones did; that was the result of events in the late nineteenth century. In one of the twists of colonial times, mountainous Laos became a natural barrier between French Indochina (Vietnam) and British Burma (Myanmar). In a complex move, the French forced the Thai to cede Laos in exchange for other territories and favours.

Nevertheless, Laos was never considered important by the French; it was just a barrier, an expendable security line. Yet, despite holding there nothing more than a symbolic presence there, the French changed the local culture just enough to create a tangible separation from the Thai one. Having coffee and baguettes for breakfast is the most obvious and superficial testimony of that.

Years later, the Laotians found themselves again involved in international intrigues and conflicts. The French violated a popular referendum in Vietnam, a war broke there, and the Americans got involved into an unwanted and unnecessary war. Ho Chi Minh's Trail - a military supply line connecting Northern Vietnam with the South, crossed parts of Laos and resulted in the last being bombed by the Americans. Calculating the tonnes of bombes dropped per Laotian head, Laos became the worst bombed country in the history of the world, despite the fact it never threatened the USA. The heavy marks of the deforestation caused by Agent Orange can be clearly seen more than thirty years after the war's end.

Once the war was over, a Communist Revolution took place and defined the local regime since then. A Laotian regime - which was never put to the test of free elections - found itself ruling an independent country for the first time and discovered new and worrying threats.

The first was on the north: China. The Laotian culture (as the Thai one) has its roots in Yunnan, Southern China. The Chinese could use the same logic and rhetoric applied with Tibet and claim that Laos was historically a part of China and its culture. The same fears plagued another country: Mongolia. The result was the tightening of the links between these two countries. Both countries hoped that open and extensive relations would nullify any Chinese claim that they weren't independent countries, but vassal Chinese states. The approach seems to have worked, at least as of late 2007. There is no better testimony of that than the surprisingly huge complex of the Mongolian embassy in Vientiane.

Another danger was on the west. Thailand could claim Laos was an indivisible part of its culture and territory; once the French left it should be reincorporated into the modern Thai state. The Laotian response in this front was to increase the cultural differences between the two. Ironically, that was achieved by emphasizing the colonial past. Nowhere is that more evident than in Vientiane's French architecture. A subtler tactic was applied by keeping the French transliteration of Laotian names into Roman letters. Vientiane would be better transliterated as Viang Chan - I gave other examples in other articles about specific monuments in Vientiane - but Laotian authorities stick to those versions despite their political implications. Thai names are usually written using a quasi-English phonetic system.

The third danger was on the East. Vietnam influenced twice Laotian history and has the potential of doing that again, especially due to geopolitical considerations. Part of the Laotian territory is across the Annamite Mountains and thus geographically closer to Vietnam than to central Laos. Moreover, the very important overland commerce route between Thailand and Vietnam passes through Laos creating thus a vital interest of Vietnam to keep the stability of the Laotian Communist regime. The heavy (official and unofficial) Vietnamese presence in Vietnam is a subtle reminder of this reality. Again, Laos found itself in the role of a barrier between foreign countries and a victim of international geopolitics. The stability of the regime - at least while Vietnam stays Communist - is the best assurance of peace on this front.

Discovering and witnessing this fascinating kaleidoscope is one of the additional and unexpected benefits of visiting Vientiane. Nowhere else the complexity of south East Asian politics is so palpable and evident; even in an innocent French filtered coffee at Vientiane's Morning Market.Close

Due to my childhood’s negative experiences at a communist community (a kibbutz in Israel which resulted in my conversion to Christianity) I have always been intrigued by other such societies. Not many communist regimes are left nowadays; nonetheless I managed to visit three of them…Read More

Due to my childhood’s negative experiences at a communist community (a kibbutz in Israel which resulted in my conversion to Christianity) I have always been intrigued by other such societies. Not many communist regimes are left nowadays; nonetheless I managed to visit three of them in Asia. Laos was one of them; China and Vietnam were the others. All of them quickly convinced me of being oppressive societies where human rights are violated on a daily basis.

The situation is so bad that even innocent websites (like the CNN’s one that hardly can be considered to be a deep or serious source of information) are often censured and inaccessible. Recently, the Chinese even began using an automated web-police program which actively interacts with Chinese surfers through an electronic cartoon of a policeman. In all these three countries I experienced censorship at different levels.

Yet, visiting them is an important experience. Beyond the obvious glimpse into these fascinating cultures and the direct meeting with the extraordinarily good and kind people living there, the visits provide a golden opportunity to learn the importance of human rights and freedom of speech.

Another fascinating angle of such a visit is the opportunity the study the place of Buddhism within those societies. The interaction between this godless ideology and Buddhism is complex; for many years, Buddhism was heavily oppressed but in the last decade it is flourishing in Laos with the obvious blessing of the Marxist regime. The situation with other religions is different; I actually visited an underground church which was not allowed to operate openly.

Since Laotians do not enjoy political freedom, I could not openly ask these questions. Yet, over time I held several conversations – at least one with a Laotian Communist Party member – and an interesting picture emerged.

Once the Soviet Union collapsed, the local regime was left without convincing history and myths able to unify the people. A visible testimony of that are the several gaps in the National Museum; uncomfortable events are ignored there. Fearing the future, the Laotian government decided encouraging Buddhism as a way of reinforcing the national identity and unity, and not because it suddenly ceased being atheist.

Jesus message of peace and love is not essentially different from Buddha’s preaching; Heaven and Nirvana are compatible, despite the essential differences on the perceptions of God and soul. Why exists a different attitude toward them by an openly atheist regime? Buddhism is not completely parallel to Christianity; the Christian ideal of justice is almost non-existent there. The Buddhist quasi-parallel would be the "puja" ("merit" in Sanskrit), which is a much weaker principle. The result is more attractive and less threatening for regimes that regularly violate human rights.

I witnessed the Big Stupa Festival in Vientiane; the traditional Buddhist event was being sponsored by the communist regime. In an attempt to diminish the awkwardness of the event, a big market was improvised around the stupa and disguised the religious core of the event. At first sight, the endless rows of stalls featuring unusual and colourful attractions seemed to be the principal event. Ignoring the crowds, I entered the big stupa inner complex and studied the event. Before my arrival I had studied about the event and witnessed many Buddhist ceremonies across Asia, thus I knew what to expect.

Yet, I found the event highly touching. It was so not due to the symbols behind the celebration but because of the people. The hesitating crowds were unsure of the details; many were asking how to proceed or just followed their neighbours. It was a crowd attempting a renewal of an old tradition which was banned for years; a crowd holding candles which symbolized a hesitant re-birth. They were tentative and unsure, but they had a clear will to improve and learn. Their fervour was the best testimony of true feelings muted by a prohibiting regime and held the promise of a better future; a future in which Nirvana, Peace, Love and Justice would be the natural reality.
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Laotian kindness is legendary; it was obvious almost from first sight, but two specific events I experienced showed it to run deeper than suspected.While visiting Vientiane for the first time, I discovered the excellent Laotian coffee at the Morning Market (see my "Vientiane: Love from…Read More

Laotian kindness is legendary; it was obvious almost from first sight, but two specific events I experienced showed it to run deeper than suspected.

While visiting Vientiane for the first time, I discovered the excellent Laotian coffee at the Morning Market (see my "Vientiane: Love from First Sip" journal). Not speaking Laotian, I used my usual tactic in such a case. I pointed at a cup of coffee to the stall’s owner and sat next to a customer who was about to finish his. While sipping my coffee, I noted he paid 1500 kip for it (around 15 cents). I finished mine while wondering about the best coffee in the world being one of the cheapest, picked up the same amount of kips and handed them to the owner with a smile. She looked at the money and I could sense something was wrong, but before I managed to react she smiled and put it away.

The ritual continued the following mornings. Then, I casually visited a different stall in another part of the market and was requested to pay 2000 kip for the same coffee. Wandering about that, next day I returned to my usual stall and watched the other customers; all of them paid 2000 kip.

Apparently, on my first day I had watched an old patron of the place who enjoyed an old price or a discount. This time I paid 2000 kip and signalled I wasn’t expecting any change; I got a big smile. Attempting to fix the damage without causing her to "loose face," the following days I increased my coffee consumption (an extra benefit) while making clear I expected to get the complimentary green tea only with the last one. I had gained a friend.

Another event was even more surprising.

I like to write while sitting at hotel lobbies; the ever changing surroundings provide the right kind of stimulation needed for creative work. On certain occasion, I was trying to write in my favourite hangout while a troubled tourist kept bothering me.

"I lost my baseball cap," he said apparently to no one for the third time that day.

By then I already knew all the details. The cap was a gift from his ex-girlfriend. She abandoned him and he decided to visit the East in an attempt to forget her. The day before we met, he had arrived to Vientiane from Thailand through the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River and took a tuk-tuk (motorized tricycle) to the capital. His cap was apparently lost in the terminal or in the way to the hotel.

In a spark of creativity, I found a solution to my most immediate problem.

"Why don’t you go back to the terminal and search for it?" I said.

Soon he was gone and I returned happily to my writing. Ten minutes later he returned. A cheap baseball cap was on his head.

"The driver kept it for me!" he told me with a huge smile.


Laotian kindness was as reliable as the scorching sun over the Mekong River.
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Vang Vieng is the perfect countryside resort: it is near the capital, it offers spectacular views, it is along the way to other main attractions and it is tourists’ friendly.The WayThe resort is about 160km north of Vientiane and can be reached with any means…Read More

Vang Vieng is the perfect countryside resort: it is near the capital, it offers spectacular views, it is along the way to other main attractions and it is tourists’ friendly.

The Way

The resort is about 160km north of Vientiane and can be reached with any means of transport heading for Luang Prabang – a town recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage place. Buses leave from Vientiane’s bus terminal next to the Morning Market and from the northern terminal as well. Moreover, all the travel agencies in Vientiane offer private cars for the four hours trip.

The Rationale of Stopping Here

Vang Vieng practically sits where the road leading to the northern parts of Laos from Vientiane – called Highway 13 - splits. Luang Prabang – the old capital of the northern Laotian kingdom – is to the north and Phonsavan – the main town along the Ho Chi Minh Trail – is to the northeast. Both trips are long, thus Vang Vieng offers the perfect stop for a break – regardless the direction to be followed.

The Resort

Vang Vieng is a small village located amidst a limestone karst valley and next to the Nam Xong River. The shallow river is spanned by rustic bridges – some of them are slightly below the water surface – and is surrounded by colorful caves.

The Sunsets

The town being on the eastern riverside assures clear views of the sunset. The broken karst landscape creates unforgettable sunsets amidst incredibly green hills of irregular shape. The air humidity and the clouds guarantee the sun light would be scattered into a myriad of reddish hues on a daily base.

The Town

Roughly following the riverside, the curved main street is short and hosts most of the guesthouses and restaurants in town. The Morning Market is nearby the single curve along it, nearby the street’s center.

The Runway

Nearby Highway 13 and the bus terminal is a now abandoned – but clearly shaped and paved – runway. It was used during the Vietnam War and provides some historical angle to the visit.

The Hotels

Vang Vieng offers only rustic accommodations. Most guesthouses are rather basic and are arranged in a kind of cartel, thus recommending a specific one would be useless. Basic, spacious rooms with a fan, an attached bathroom and a rustic water heater can be rented for around $2.5 per day. South of town is a bungalow place which often changes ownership and is sporadically closed – it is worth checking it before signing into another place since it offers huts attractive and is far from the other establishments and tourists.

The Restaurants

Many establishments offer slightly overpriced hybrids between Laotian and Western meals. However, if arriving from Vientiane, the Xayoh restaurant branch would immediately caught the attention. This one is less sophisticated than the one in the capital and specializes in grilled meats and pizzas. The other place worth mentioning is the Shore Sunset - I have no other name for this improvised restaurant - which is located just south of the market, after the road elbow. From the main street there is a long staircase leading to the river and the restaurant. Some grass was planted by the shore, a few benches were placed there and a very basic kitchen was constructed in two simple huts. At this spot, the river is shallow and shaky wood bridges at water level can be seen just to the south; they do not follow the shortest trajectory, but make zigzags, connecting in such a fashion some tiny islands and creating a colorful point where the local denizens can be watched. One of the segments is slightly sunken into the water and people crossing it look as if they were walking on water. The shore across the river is shaded by impressive vertical cliffs covered with greenery. It is the best place for watching the wonderful local sunsets.

The Activities

The main activity offered to visitors is floating along the river. Huge tractor inner tubes can be rented (less than a dollar per day) and used for the task from Pakpok (4km north of Vang Viang) through rapids and tiny islands, back to Vang Vieng. The adventurous can choose a longer trip from Ban Pha Thao which is off Route 13, this route longs ten kilometers. Bicycles can be rented for less than a dollar a day and complete the basic transport methods at the service of visitors. Motorcycles are available for seven dollars a day, but the wet nature of the local attractions renders them almost useless. Cave tours can be combined with tube trips; the combined option requests a local guide and is organized by all the local travel agencies.
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Vientiane’s denizens seem to survive on snacks. The Morning and Night Market take care of the first and last meals, but an overwhelming number of stalls scattered all around – but especially on the Mekong River Promenade - offer tasty snacks between the extremes. In…Read More

Vientiane’s denizens seem to survive on snacks. The Morning and Night Market take care of the first and last meals, but an overwhelming number of stalls scattered all around – but especially on the Mekong River Promenade - offer tasty snacks between the extremes. In this entry are described some of the most popular ones.

Kalapao

Similar to steamed Chinese dumplings, the Kalapao is substantially bigger than them and usually filled with pork meat or a cooked egg. It is served very fresh, straight out of the steaming bowls.

Som Tam

The best known – and maybe most popular – salad in South East Asia, som tam is a spicy salad made of green papaya’s long slices with peanuts, chili peppers, lime juice and fish sauce. It is fiercely hot and thus should be consumed with care.

Laap

Laap is an exceptionally refreshing salad prepared of cooked minced meat (duck, chicken, water buffalo or pork), mint leaves, lime juice, garlic, and sliced chili peppers.

The Main Condiment

Naam plaa (literally water-fish) is a ubiquitous sauce prepared from fermented fish; it may contain parasites so it is better to avoid it (that’s even before mentioning its smell, which is not very appetizing).

The Main Staple

Khao niaw is the local name for sticky rice. It accompanies most Laotian meals; it is rolled into a ball with the hand, covered up with sauces and small bits of meat or insects and then eaten.

Grilled Chicken

Ping kai are half chickens skewed on sticks and grilled; they are a popular dinner and can be found all along the Night Market and the Promenade. Being grown in organic conditions, the chickens in Laos are rather small; they should be compared with a quarter chicken served in Western countries.

Meat and Curries

Khao laat kaeng is the generic name for meat curries served on khao jao (long rice); it is usually accompanied by boiled vegetables and is a meal by itself.

Vietnamese Snacks

Vietnamese noodle soup (pho) and Vietnamese deep-fried spring rolls (yaw jeun) can be easily found and enjoyed in the markets.

Bamboo Sticks

One of the strangest snacks is the ubiquitous burned bamboo sticks. They are filled with sticky rice and coconut cream and cooked on coals. The burned bamboo is peeled off and the sweet interior can then be eaten. A variant prepared with beans is also available.

Flattened Squids

Grilled and press flattened squids are a popular – and salty - snack. The squids – as the crabs and all fish served in the area – are of the fresh water type.

Fried Insects

Fried insects are a popular snack consumed alone or with sticky rice; they are especially grown in dedicated farms and thus they are clean and safe to consume. See the Eating Insects entry in my journal Vientiane: The First Bite.

Pork Skin

Curled, fried bits of pork skin are as crispy as the freshest French fries and are a popular snack while contemplating the colorful sunset over the Mekong River.

Baguette Sandwiches

A reminder that Laos was a French colony, baguette sandwiches are available at all hours; they are served with ham, pate and vegetables, or with fried eggs. The tasty bread appears in several sizes and is called here khao jii. It is a life-saver every time the nostalgia for Western bread becomes insupportable.

Coffee and fried-dough

The early morning is the best time for a coffee and pah thawng ko (deep-fried Chinese dough sticks) served in the Morning Market; for more details see the entry A Coffee in the Morning Market in my journal Vientiane: Love from First Sip. Healthy Chinese green-tea is given free at the end of an extra strong cup of Laotian coffee.

Cooled Fruits

Many stalls sell little bags of ice cooled fruits, accompanied by a mix of chili and sugar for spicing them up. The variety is amazing and depends on the season. The most characteristic fruits are rarmood, mangosteen, custard apple, rose apple (green and red), rambutan, longan, durian and Jack fruit. However, more standard choices – like papayas, mangos (several varieties), pineapples, watermelons, bananas, guavas and coconuts - are also available. Sugar cane juice with fresh lime is a surprisingly tasty and refreshing option.
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A Common PracticeMost people from Western countries would not consider eating insects, and would consider the practice almost a taboo. However, honey is a popular sweetener in those cultures, despite obviously having been execrated by a flying insect.The RationaleInsects are a rich source of proteins…Read More

A Common Practice

Most people from Western countries would not consider eating insects, and would consider the practice almost a taboo. However, honey is a popular sweetener in those cultures, despite obviously having been execrated by a flying insect.

The Rationale

Insects are a rich source of proteins and are grown quicker and more efficiently than mammals. Thus, many cultures suffering from a difficult access to animal protein have chosen insects as a complimentary source of protein.

Legitimized by Invisibility

Apparently the problem appears once the insects’ body parts are visible to the eater; at that moment the appetizer becomes an unthinkable aberration. "If I don’t see them, then it’s OK," we apparently think. Nonetheless, in some instances it is hard to avoid – or detect – the insects being used to prepare the food. For example, in Laos and Thailand ground insects are used in some of the meat-balls added to the ubiquitous noodle soup. In such a form, the protein source is undetectable and the product is quite tasty and agreeable to Western taste buds.

The Real Thing

In the Vientiane’s Morning and Night Markets there are many stalls selling fried and living insects for consumption. They can be consumed as a snack – while exploring the merchandise in the nearby market, for example – or as a meal. Many Laotians take with them little plastic bags filled with fried insects while traveling; whenever the bus stops for a meal they just buy some sticky rice which is then eaten coated with the flying proteins brought from home.

A Rich Variety

The most popular products include crickets, ant eggs, cockroaches (especially those carrying eggs), grasshoppers, scorpions (which are eaten with their tails), water beetles and, bamboo worms. South of Vientiane, in the Cambodian town of Snuol, spiders (which aren’t exactly an insect, but are close enough to be included in this entry) became a popular snack due to the lack of food which resulted from the Khmer Rouge regime.

Hygiene

Despite the popular belief on the issue, no one in Laos hunts for insects in the Mekong River Plateau; most insects are professionally grown in special farms and thus do not contain pesticides or undesired filth.

Spicing Up Insects

As almost every single dish served in Laos, insects are spiced up with chili. Since they were first fried, they are covered by oil which helps to spread around the hot spice evenly. The outer shell gets thus very crunchy and spicy, while the interior reminds a kind of tasteless gray puree.

Once in Our Lifetime

Having spent so much in a travel aimed to see exotic places and cultures, shouldn’t a Western traveler try – at least once in his or her lifetime – a fried insect, especially when they are such a popular part of the local diet?
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