Tourist Life in Laos?!
Rob writes
Luang Prabang, Laos
that’s our balcony on the right up there
The New York Times touts Luang Prabang as the ONE “must see” destination – period. What makes a destination suddenly become ‘chic’ and in vogue with the well-heeled tourist? Maybe it is the boutique atmosphere of the place with its palm-tree lined avenues, crafty little stores and ornate woodwork everywhere. Maybe it is the warm welcome westerners receive from the Lao people – who appear to have no concept of personal space so engrained in us westerners (Tgirl4 and ERgirl2 have been picked up, smooched, cuddled and prodded by more people than I can count in the past three days). Maybe it is the French influence? Croissants, baguettes, La Vache Qui Rit cheese and a plethora of European-style bakeries are the norm here – quite a striking contrast from Thailand. Indeed, you can find everything from pancakes, lasagne, steak and fish to green curry, noodles and fried rice on the menus here… oh, I forgot the barbequed bats! Those are very popular, and actually look more appealing than fried crickets.
However, yesterday we got a real taste of a typical afternoon for a Lao family. It all started with Rach deciding she just “had” to buy one of the bamboo sticky-rice baskets from a stall; the same type of basket we have seen countless Lao folk eating their lunch or dinner out of. Arriving back at our guest house after lunch, discussion with the neighbours quickly turned to food – and Rach produced her new purchase to the approval of everyone. After checking the details of where it had been purchased and the price (which they all agreed was a good one!), we were offered the family charcoal fire to whip up a round of rice for our family. “No problem, all one family,” was a frequent phrase given, indicating that we should feel free to use the cooking facilities! A quick lesson in Lao ensued, how do you ask for two kilos of rice to make sticky rice? (“khoa neo song kilo”) Now I bet that phrase isn’t in Lonely Planet! Rach walked the 30m back to the lane and successfully purchased the 2 kilos without using a word of English or international sign language…. and from there we all had an impromptu cooking lesson on how to prepare and cook sticky rice. In the meantime, the family were also cooking up their own soup for dinner. Bags of snacks appeared “for the children, we all one family..”, the grandfather picked some fruit and handed around some other fruit, both of which are only grown here in Luang Prabang apparently – we still don’t know what they were). “Eat all, one family!” was the instruction. Our gannet children had no problem complying, although it did fall to the adults to consume the greater portion of the sour hard fruit, which had to be dipped in salt to be made palatable. All the while we discussed (as language allowed) our families, who lives in which house around the area (this family owns about six houses next to each other down this alleyway), how many siblings each person has, and we just enjoyed being part of this small community. And I reflected yet again on the richness of travelling “on-the-cheap” and staying in guest houses and being able to share in local life.
When it came to 5:30pm, our sticky rice was getting its final turn, before being spread out on a wooden tray, stirred around and then deftly rolled into a steaming ball and plopped into our newly-acquired rice basket. Another three minute trip to the main road resulted in three large chicken kebabs, a round of barbequed Lao sausages and a couple of bags of spicy vegetables to complement our meal (the bats had all been sold 🙂 ) We were offered the communal outdoor table to eat our meal at, and our hosts appeared with a bowl of their own soup for us to dip our sticky rice into, along with a bowl of chilli. “Tomorrow I buy food and we eat, all one family”. Well, we may not in fact be whanau, but if this family is any indication of the wider Lao population, then I can start to see the New York Times’s point. If you get the chance, come and spend some time in this town – with the local people. You’ll love it. Maybe tomorrow we will eat lasagne? Maybe not on our budget…
PS We don’t actually have a Lonely Planet guide, but every other tourist we pass does carry at least one copy. We have been known to read over their shoulder though, and did consult a few before leaving home.
PPS Having last night been instructed to get up early and use the fire first this morning, I rose with the roosters, twice rinsed the bucketful of rice that had been soaking all night, poured it into a conical bamboo container and placed it over the pot of warming water on the fire, which our neighbour had started up for me. I sat waiting and learning a few more Lao words. In half an hour one of the men turned the rice for me (and then Grandma did it properly!!!!!), and another fifteen minutes later I was allowed to tip it out to the tray and stir it up. I’m guessing the stirring is for the steam to escape, coz when you roll it into a ball to put in your bamboo basket, it sure is HOT. Sticky rice and bananas – not a bad breakfast.
PPS Staying in that little community means no internet so we have to go and sit in a swanky flash hotel foyer and pay for a connection! We have got to watch the LonelyPlanet-carrying-crowd come in and ask for a room for about US$30 (we’re paying two thirds of that for ten of us!)…..I think they may be the sort we saw taking photos at the market this morning; taking photos, but not buying anything! While we were taking photos, we were also buying our food for the day and to cook Kiwi pumpkin soup for our neighbours), and we even almost became a local – well, Kboy11 did when he ate a wriggling very-much-alive white maggot, his facial expressions giving the other locals much enjoyment!!!! By the way, shopping at a “local market” where there are no signs is a fantastic way to practise your numbers and try out a few simple phrases! We’ve only been in the country two days, and still only have a very very very limited vocabulary, but already twice we’ve been asked if we speak Lao when we have started a conversation (prolem is, we use up our full repertoire very quickly!!)
Tags: food, intergenerationalism, learning, postcard: Laos, quote, tradition
rayres
what did Tgirl4 and ERgirl2 about all the touching
Yes i think its great travelling the way you are – getting to know the real people
Oh my goodness Kboy11 is brave!!! 🙂
Well done Kboy11!! This is what real learning is all about!! The contrast in experience of Laos between you and the hotel users will be a world apart. I love it!!!! This post well summarises why you do it ‘on the cheap’.
Just caught up on your adventures into Laos. 🙂 Two days on slow boats….wondering if you have to leave the same way.
Heather we’re heading south…could go four days by boat, but we’re taking the easy option – bus!!! Plus, we want to see the Plain of Jars and the river don’t go that way.
Jen, the girls are getting used to it – it is not something that has stopped! They are doing really well at greeting in Lao and pressing their hands together and bowing their heads which makes people happy, but also invites more touching! Not that we have explained that to them!!!!