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Lao People's Democratic Republic/Don Không Round the world trip 2008
2-28-08
Ho Hum - another breakfast at JoMa. The weather is cool with rain drops this morning. Today we have odds and ends to tend to readying ourselves to get back on the road in two days. This past months of forced rest mostly off the bike has been good: lots of time to read by the pool and watch the building construction next door blossom upward before our eyes. Laos PDR: “Please Don’t Rush” is truly our mantra!
We rented a motorbike for three days to explore the outer regions from the city including a visit to the Buddha Park south; the reservoir for the city north; and the dirt roads along the Mekong. The moto is a love-hate relationship. It is fun exploring the outback where we really would not take Bici, but at the same time it is really not comfortable for longer excursions.
The Buddha Park is one man’s creative effort to memorialize his visions in concrete. Set on the bank of the Mekong these enchanting creations come to life amidst the shrub and tree lined paths with only birds and butterflies to distract the eye. The sculptor fled Laos for Thailand where he created another grand garden to honor Buddha. Only recently was his work recognized locally once again. We had lunch in the park restaurant looking out over the Mekong into Thailand.
Our trip north took us over unpaved dirt roads which lead to dirt tracks, over hill and dale we bumped, bounced and coughed through the dust, turning a light shade of red to match the iron rich earth around us. On these trips we tend to just head out and get lost. Our map has little detail so we just wander until we feel we need to find our way again. Scary, exciting and fun all at the same time! We usually only carry a small bottle of water and now no compass, so we really are at the mercy of the locals to get us home. Asking for directions is always a giggle as they look at our map turning it over in their hands. Map reading is not a local skill and they speak little or no English but we have made it home each time!
As we have spent more time in Lao we have gotten to understand better a little of their history. The most disturbing facts deal with the Americans’ illegal bombing of Laos during the post-Geneva Convention, from 1964-1973. The US sent planes with bombs loaded with bomblets (as many as 620 p/bomb casing) that were dropped on average one every 8 minutes, 24 hours per day for the entire 9 year period. When a plane could not find a target, they dropped their load randomly so as not the take the risk of landing armed. Many of these bombs are still live and buried in the land the Lao people till and where they build their homes and villages. During these illegal bombings the innocent were killed and mutilated along with military targets. Today, there are at least five groups we have been told of who are working full time de-mining Laos. A Swiss gentleman living in our building is a UN technical advisor for these projects. He told us that at the current rate of clean-up, Lao would be cleared of bomblets in a little over 3,000 years!
Today bomb explosions still maim or kill hundreds each year. There is an exemplary project in Vientiane, the National Rehabilitation Center that provides medial care and orthotics for victims. Their scope is larger: also caring for birth defects; training Lao medical staff to carry on this work independently; developing orthotics that can be made locally by Laos with local and reasonably priced materials, and more. The project coordinator of COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise), Jo Pereira assembled a very educational museum providing a heart-rending look at the bomb problem. How can we help now? www.copelaos.org The web site has directions for donations via pay pal! How can we prevent future debacles? I feel ashamed of our country and its misdirected military might.
Tomorrow we leave Vientiane and head north toward Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. And the mountains!!!
March 08 Lao People's Democratic Republic >
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February 17 Lao People's Democratic
Ho Hum - another breakfast at JoMa. The weather is cool with rain drops this morning. Today we have odds and ends to tend to readying ourselves to get back on the road in two days. This past months of forced rest mostly off the bike has been good: lots of time to read by the pool and watch the building construction next door blossom upward before our eyes. Laos PDR: “Please Don’t Rush” is truly our mantra!
We rented a motorbike for three days to explore the outer regions from the city including a visit to the Buddha Park south; the reservoir for the city north; and the dirt roads along the Mekong. The moto is a love-hate relationship. It is fun exploring the outback where we really would not take Bici, but at the same time it is really not comfortable for longer excursions.
The Buddha Park is one man’s creative effort to memorialize his visions in concrete. Set on the bank of the Mekong these enchanting creations come to life amidst the shrub and tree lined paths with only birds and butterflies to distract the eye. The sculptor fled Laos for Thailand where he created another grand garden to honor Buddha. Only recently was his work recognized locally once again. We had lunch in the park restaurant looking out over the Mekong into Thailand.
Our trip north took us over unpaved dirt roads which lead to dirt tracks, over hill and dale we bumped, bounced and coughed through the dust, turning a light shade of red to match the iron rich earth around us. On these trips we tend to just head out and get lost. Our map has little detail so we just wander until we feel we need to find our way again. Scary, exciting and fun all at the same time! We usually only carry a small bottle of water and now no compass, so we really are at the mercy of the locals to get us home. Asking for directions is always a giggle as they look at our map turning it over in their hands. Map reading is not a local skill and they speak little or no English but we have made it home each time!
As we have spent more time in Lao we have gotten to understand better a little of their history. The most disturbing facts deal with the Americans’ illegal bombing of Laos during the post-Geneva Convention, from 1964-1973. The US sent planes with bombs loaded with bomblets (as many as 620 p/bomb casing) that were dropped on average one every 8 minutes, 24 hours per day for the entire 9 year period. When a plane could not find a target, they dropped their load randomly so as not the take the risk of landing armed. Many of these bombs are still live and buried in the land the Lao people till and where they build their homes and villages. During these illegal bombings the innocent were killed and mutilated along with military targets. Today, there are at least five groups we have been told of who are working full time de-mining Laos. A Swiss gentleman living in our building is a UN technical advisor for these projects. He told us that at the current rate of clean-up, Lao would be cleared of bomblets in a little over 3,000 years!
Today bomb explosions still maim or kill hundreds each year. There is an exemplary project in Vientiane, the National Rehabilitation Center that provides medial care and orthotics for victims. Their scope is larger: also caring for birth defects; training Lao medical staff to carry on this work independently; developing orthotics that can be made locally by Laos with local and reasonably priced materials, and more. The project coordinator of COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise), Jo Pereira assembled a very educational museum providing a heart-rending look at the bomb problem. How can we help now? www.copelaos.org The web site has directions for donations via pay pal! How can we prevent future debacles? I feel ashamed of our country and its misdirected military might.
Tomorrow we leave Vientiane and head north toward Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. And the mountains!!!
