| There’s a saying in Southeast Asia: the Vietnamese plant the rice, the Thais tend to it and the people of Laos watch it grow. Indeed, visitors to Laos are often surprised by the slow pace of life that greets them throughout this calm country. Laos, population six million, sits surrounded by Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. Thousands of tourists flock to it each year for its stunning geography of mountains, islands and the mighty Mekong River. Its physical beauty is rivalled only by its unique culture. Laos is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before.
It’s laid-back in Laos. The pace of life is leisurely and the dominating mood is upbeat. Laotians love to talk, love to meet tourists and love to show off their rich culture. Most travellers can’t help but find themselves instantly charmed with Vientiane, Laos’s sleepy capital city. Its quiet character, lovely people and relaxed attitude stand in contrast to the capital cities of its neighbours. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, where tourists are hassled continuously by tuk-tuk drivers wanting business, Laos is the type of place where you spend 15 minutes convincing a driver of one of these Southeast Asian taxis why he should sacrifice his planned nap or be a few minutes late for dinner to bring you to your destination. As the price is set before the ride, don’t be surprised if your driver stops en route to buy some fresh fruit to share with you and to have a good chat with any of his friends that you pass along the way.
The people are happy in Laos – in fact, they are the happiest people I’ve ever encountered. The content nature that pervades this tiny country stands in sharp contrast to the statistics on it. The People’s Republic of Lao suffers from severe poverty and has been consistently ranked among the 20 least developed countries in the world. It also has the distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in the history of the world, with over two billion tons of bombs dropped on it by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. But as the hollowed-out bombshells that are now used as bells for monasteries would suggest, Laotians have put that violent history in their past. Belying the bleak statistics, the Laotians are a people who never fail to feed you if you get within five metres of them, love to invite tourists into their homes for a home-cooked meal and greet every passerby with smiles and cries of "sabadee," meaning "hello."
Their happiness is contagious – and thought-provoking. The underdevelopment that affects most of Laos brings into question everything that Westerners equate with happiness. Most Laotians live without electricity or running water, depend on subsistence farming for their daily food intake and think nothing of making do without basic necessities. What makes them so happy? Each of the locals I asked attributed their attitude to religion. Most of the country follows Buddhist teachings that prioritize compassion for others and taking care of their family and friends. On any given night in Laos, local parties can be found and tourists are often invited to these occasions that celebrate friends and family. Beer Lao (which has a production capacity of 90 million litres per year and has captured an amazing 99 per cent of the domestic market) and lao lao (homemade rice whisky) also flow freely across the country, making these happy people even happier on occasions such as weddings and weekends.
The relaxed attitude tends to mask the serious issues that affect Laos, from the desperate poverty of much of the population, to the atrocities committed on the people by their communist government, to the high cultural standards dictated by thousands of years of tradition. When pressed, locals speak of their struggles to feed their families, of being incapable of saving the large amount of money necessary for a traditional wedding and of the inaction that continually meets the population’s demands for freedom, democracy and human rights.
Tourism is also taking its toll on Laos. In the last few years there has been a deluge of tourists into the country, all looking to attain that same special smile that crosses the lips of previous travellers to the country. As a result, some villages, such as Vang Vieng, have turned into tourist havens, featuring more tourists than locals and a spate of restaurants, guesthouses and tour companies that cater to the traveller’s every possible whim. There is a saying in Laos, "no pharangs (foreigners), no money," which reflects the belief of some Laotians that their culture is being eroded as this poverty-stricken country takes advantage of the rush of tourists. A country that frowns upon local women baring their shoulders and knees has begun willingly opening its beaches to bikini-clad tourists. And Laotian women are being approached by Western men so often that the government has enacted a law forbidding Laotians from sexual contact with foreigners, unless married.
Happily, there are places where Laos has refused to compromise its unique culture. In the northern town of Luang Prabang, most guesthouses have a strict curfew of midnight, ensuring that the town retains its quiet character despite the many tourists it hosts each year. This is more the exception than the norm, and it is often remarked with sadness by locals and tourists that Laos is reminiscent of Thailand 20 years ago, before millions of tourists began to arrive and leave an indelible Western mark on Thai culture.
Luckily, though, travelling through Laos remains more challenging than travel in Thailand, which works to keep the mass amounts of tourists next door. Journeying across this beautiful country is a special treat, but you have to be ready to weather some rough experiences due to the relaxed attitude. Rarely are roads paved, making movement up and down the Mekong River the preferred means of travel. After our slow ferry going up the Mekong broke down, I spent a night sleeping on the deck (which, unfortunately, also happened to be the night that Laos got its first rainy-season storm, making for an incredibly cold and wet experience). On another occasion, I endured a seven-hour bus ride sitting next to a motorcycle, with live chickens squirming under my seat while a baby was being passed around to every passenger in an effort to quiet him. Nothing in Laos ever happens on time, travel always takes days longer than you expect and often it really seems as though watching the rice grow is the national pastime – but it’s hard to be frustrated when you are being comforted by the sweet locals, who will go to any length to ensure you join them in their state of über-happiness. |
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