Laos, a journey back in time

At the end of December I set course for Laos. I didn't know beforehand what awaited me there and maybe that's why this fascinating country pleasantly surprised me.

The border crossing is a kind of time machine. Once you're through, all forms of luxury melt like snow in the sun. In my opinion, it is very similar to life in Thailand, but then decades ago.

In Laos I generally cycled on route 13 that connects the southern city of Paksé with the capital Vientiane in northwestern Laos. In retrospect, riding that route turned out to be a true voyage of discovery through the local Laotian culture and resulted in special encounters.

I almost drive head-on into a cow

Driving on the right is the first lesson in traffic and more will soon follow. I almost drive head-on into a cow that, like goats and pigs, are not really the gentlemen in traffic here. They happily waddle across the street and even if you have such a big car, or like in my case a noisy horn on your bike, it doesn't bother them!

What also quickly strikes me is that compared to Thailand, there are many more locals cycling on the street. The two-wheeler is especially popular among children, they commute with it from home to school and vice versa. The little ones play outside everywhere and invariably provide a warm welcome. Waving enthusiastically, they run after me and shout: 'Sabai diiii, goo mo-ing!!' This is how I cycle through the villages waving while I remember that it must feel something like this: being Sinterklaas.

Villages are often no more than a collection of wooden houses along the road. I also see large piles of firewood or coal everywhere. Life is therefore concentrated around small fires in front of the house. First of all for cooking, but also more practical in the evening, to keep the family nice and warm. However, the major disadvantage of all that burning is immense smoke development. Add to that the jet-black clouds emitted by local traffic.

It is therefore understandable that most locals participate in traffic with a face mask. It's the small villages with few facilities that I had to get used to in Laos. In Thailand I rarely had to search hard for accommodations and there was always someone with an English chat to be found. In Laos this often turned out to be a challenge outside the cities and when it came to sleeping and eating it was a matter of accepting what was available.

Dusty shops at home with families

The profusion of modern '7-Elevens' in Laos has made way for dusty shops in families' homes. Menus are written on the wall in indecipherable curly writing and the internet is far from being self-evident everywhere.

But admittedly, a few weeks after I passed the time machine, I'm learning to enjoy the life that locals here live happily without too much luxury. A very practical example: I have not seen so few smartphones since the 90s as in recent times.

Compared to Thailand, you hardly see children in Laos who spend the whole day staring at their Ipad, but on the other hand, they enjoy playing in the open air. In an hour's cycling you will encounter everything: badminton, volleyball and improvised games.

A certain form of luxury that I have encountered everywhere in Laos, no matter how small the village was, is the karaoke. One stereo is even bigger than the other and so are the egos behind the microphone. Whether you can sing or not, genes don't seem to exist! Pretty fun, for a while. If you want to have a nice rest and go to bed on time, the loud singing still gets an aftertaste. I soon learn that the distance to the nearest karaoke is a decisive factor in the choice of a guesthouse.

Then there's the roadside food. On that front, time seems to have really stood still here, with the exception of the cities. Noodle soup, rice dishes with fresh raw vegetables and large pieces of meat and countless primitive barbecues with whole chickens along the road. But pure simplicity can also taste great!

My personal favorite is the dish sleep, a spicy mix of marinated meat with mint served with sticky rice and fresh vegetables. I had barely expressed my love for this dish to a local when I was invited for a look behind the scenes. As is the case in Laos, I got to see the whole process, from live duck to the dish on the plate!

In addition to all the special experiences with locals along the way, I also got to share the tandem with some inspiring people in Laos. Because not everyone has the opportunity to get started as a volunteer themselves, but might like to contribute to local charities, I also shared two inspiring stories that offer perspective for a shorter stay.

Leftover bombs from the Vietnam War

At the permanent exhibition at the COPE Visitor Center in Vientiane, you get an impressive look at the problems arising from the bombs left in Laos from the Vietnam War. In particular, the victim stories and examples of found bombs leave nothing to the imagination.

In a short bicycle ride with manager Soksai, I discover that COPE mainly takes care of the victims by means of aids and prostheses. Given the relatively low costs of this, you can make a big difference for the victims with a small donation.

You can also support the good cause with a dinner. In Restaurant Makphet in Vientiane, former street youth get the unique opportunity to learn the trade of restaurateur. Manager Thavone proudly tells me that the restaurant has already received several awards including one from the Miele Guide. Because there are only Laotian dishes on the menu, a dinner in this contemporary restaurant is a perfect starting point for a culinary journey through Laos.

But the most poignant story I've heard on the tandem is that of Thouni (pictured bottom right). She is originally from Laos but grew up in the United States. Last year she decided to help victims of human trafficking in her home country for an indefinite period at Village Focus International. Her unique story mainly testifies to her enormous motivation for helping the weak, which she translates into challenging ambitions for the future.

The tandem has opened doors

My cycling trip through Laos has touched and inspired me in many ways. The tandem has opened doors that remain closed to many. But the most important lesson that Laos teaches you in relation to Thailand is the lesson of prosperity and time. Because although it is still wonderful to travel through Thailand, Laos shows you how much more wonderful it must have been.

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Blog post 3 'Thomas Elshout and the cycling monk' appeared on December 29, 2013.

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