Lost in Laos

The morning's fog had lifted from the Mekong Valley. Gretchen and I were an hour into the second day of our boat journey that had begun in the town of Houei Xai, a town on the Thai border. The boat pulled into the steep, sandy bank of the small village of Thaxoang. Gretchen, myself, and one old Laotian lady were the only passengers of a boat containing over 100 westerners and a dozen Laotians to get off at this remote village. After scrambling to the top of the eroding bank, we came across a dust covered sawngtaew parked alongside three grass-roofed vendor shops. Judging from the looks we received from the vendors, it was clear we were on a path seldom traveled by foreigners. Through a series of broken English and finger counting, we negotiated a price for the taxi ride to Hongsa, the next village on our path. After finally agreeing on a price of 60,000 Kip (about 8 US dollars), we climbed into the back of the weathered vehicle with five seasoned Laotian men and we were off. The dusty road to Hongsa brought us out of the deep Mekong Valley and into the vast mountainous region of Xayaboury Provence.

Upon our arrival to Hongsa, we were brought to the "bus station" which was no more then a sign on a old wooden fence along side a dirt road which functioned as the town's main street. After explaining that we wanted to get to Xayaboury (the provincial capital) we climbed into the back of a Toyota pickup. Making ourselves as comfortable as possible amongst the sugar cane, bags of rice, spare tire, luggage, and three other passengers, we embarked on the six hour trip though the mountains. As we weaved our way up the twisting road, the worn tires of the battered truck conjured up a immense serpent of dust. Anticipating the arrival of the great beast the three locals in the back with us were equipped with cloth armored face masks and over-sized sunglasses. We had no such protection... After multiple mountain passes, bridge-less river crossings, isolated villages, blazing sun, and the endless cloud of dust, it became abundantly clear; We were in Laos.

Traveling in Laos was a learning experience for both Gretchen and I. Much like Cambodia, Laos is filled with dichotomies. The landscape is breath-taking but so is the smog. The people are friendly and yet so poor. The soil is fertile but filled with bombs. The food is delicious but it won't stay down... Our travels brought us from quiet Mekong villages to the crowded and chaotic elephant festival. From laid-back Luang Prabang to shattered Phonsavan. From trendy Vang Vieng to relaxed Vientiane, and finally to the seemingly comatose southern provinces. All in all we had a wonderful time experiencing the fascinating culture, the friendly hospitality, and learning about their troubled past.

In an effort to end the Pathet Lao Communist Movement, and disrupt the transport of supplies into Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, The US dropped over two million tons of ordinance on Laos during a nine year period from 1964 to 1974 in what is now referred to as America's Secret War. This amounts to about 12 metric tons per square kilometer in areas that were bombed or about half a ton for every person in the country at the time. This makes Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. It is estimated that about one bomb was dropped every eight minutes for nine years. In fact, the US dropped more bombs on Laos during this time than it dropped on Japan and Germany combined during WWII.Since the end of the war UXOs (unexploded ordinance)continue the pose a serious threat to the people of Laos. Around thirty percent of all the bombs dropped didn't explode on impact. If disturbed, UXOs can explode and they continue to kill and injure people to this day. The presence of UXOs in Laos has resulted in some thirteen thousand casualties since the end of the war, half of which are children. The presence of UXOs also amplifies the country's poverty by preventing the people from using the land. For more information checkout www.mag.org.uk and see the documentaries "Bombies" and "Bomb Harvest."