We spent several relaxing days in Vang Vieng, once infamous for its dangerous ziplines and waterslides, “happy” pizzas (topped with marijuana), hallucinogenic mushroom shakes, and, unsurprisingly, slew of injuries and deaths among backpackers. Tubing down the river has been a popular activity in this central Laotian town for the past few decades, but many of the bars lining the river have shut down, as have the makeshift water parks encouraging drunk westerners to dive into the shallow, rocky river. Tubing is a tamer, relaxing experience now. Vang Vieng has also become increasingly popular with Korean tourists. They are mostly family groups, and favor upscale guesthouses to party hostels. We said anyong (hello in Korean) to many kayakers who passed us as we tubed past massive limestone karsts. In Vientiane, Laos’s capital, we stopped by a local food festival and viewed our last sunset on the Mekong. We had some Beerlao and sticky rice, essentials on every Lao table. The next day, we visited the COPE Visitor Centre, an educational exhibit on the American bombing campaign in Laos during the Vietnam War. From 1964-1973, B-52’s dropped 2 million tons of ordnance in 580,000 bombing missions, the equivalent of one planeload every 8 minutes for 9 years. Of the 260 million cluster bombs, the smaller munitions inside the larger bombs, an estimated 80 million did not explode, and continue to injure and kill Lao people. People are injured searching for scrap metal to sell or fashion into household items – some homemade prosthetics are even made with the metal from the bombs. The museum was heartbreaking, and we were disappointed to learn that the United States has not joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a ban on cluster bombs signed by 108 countries. The COPE (Cooperative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise) organization and others are doing the dangerous and critical work of unexploded ordnance (UXO) removal in villages throughout Laos, as well as equipping victims with prosthetics and rehabilitation. With the $90 million that the United States pledged in 2016, we hope that such efforts will grow and succeed. The documentary “Bomb Harvest” provides an excellent overview of UXO removal. Laos is a rapidly growing and changing, and we wonder what it will look like in 20 years. Everywhere we went, people could not have been friendlier or kinder. We are eager to return for another visit. We left Vientiane on Saturday night for Hanoi, and will share our first impressions of Vietnam in the coming days.
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The slow boat docked outside of Luang Prabang around 5pm. We did not know much about this city beforehand, but it quickly became one of our favorites. We took a tuk-tuk to the center of town, where we explored the night market and had pizza and wine for dinner. Laos was colonized by the French, who occupied it as a Protectorate from 1893-1945 and as part of French Indochina from 1946-1953. The French influence is apparent in the teakwood riverside villas, abundance of good bread and pastries, and availability of wine (which we haven’t found elsewhere in Southeast Asia). After two days of eating instant curry noodles on the boat, the decent pizza we ordered tasted amazing. The next day, we visited Wat Xieng Thong, a gold and black wooden Lao monastery built in the 1500s. We then took a short boat ride across the Mekong to Ban Xieng Maen, a small village almost completely devoid of tourists. We walked down the road and were greeted by many children, chickens, and dogs. Much of the town was gathered for a party in celebration of the Anniversary of the Lao Army, founded on January 20, 1949. In the late afternoon, we went to Utopia, an outdoor bar lounge, and read while the sun set and the clear, starry night sky emerged. We had a traditional Lao dinner of fish cooked in a banana leaf with sticky rice and green papaya salad at Tamarind, a Lao cooking school and restaurant. On our final day, we walked a few miles to the Living Land Farm, which supports sustainable farming in the face of pesticide use and slash and burn agriculture in much of the country. The farm’s programs were fully booked, so we took a tuk-tuk to Kuang Si Waterfall, a series of bright turquoise pools in a wooded area. Kuang Si is also home to the Free the Bears Rescue Center, a refuge for bears threatened by logging, sponsored by international organizations including the U.S. Embassy. In the evening, we climbed Mt. Phu Si for sunset views of one of our new favorite cities. Luang Prabang is a charming city that seems to harmoniously blend contradictions: red, communist flags hang above storefronts and hotel developments, while Buddhist offerings such as cups of rice sit below. French verandas adorned with teak furniture abut gold pagodas with sharp spires. The lack of visible corporate consumerism makes this country unique among those that Robert and I have visited – there are almost no mass market logos anywhere, and there is not a single McDonalds or Burger King in the country. Walking through the market in Luang Prabang and seeing monks clad in orange robes feels like stepping back in time, until you notice that they are looking down at their smart phones. Luang Prabang is an exceptionally worthwhile stop in Southeast Asia, which is largely built up and commercialized in many other touristed cities. The city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, which increased tourism, but also imposed some restrictions (like no big tour buses) that helped it retain some of its untouched beauty.
After a wonderful time in Chiang Mai, we took an early morning bus to Chiang Rai, a laidback town in the mountains of Northern Thailand. We checked in to our guesthouse, then rode the local minibus to the White Temple, an innovative project by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Its estimated completion date is 2070, reminiscent in style and building pace of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which has been under construction for over 120 years. The design was impressive, and we also enjoyed a gallery of Kosipipat’s artwork, which included both beautiful and bizarre creations. The next day, we visited the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar converge on the Mekong River. Infamous for the opium trade, the Golden Triangle region was the world’s largest opium supplier until the 21st century, when Afghanistan surpassed it. We visited the Golden Triangle Park Hall of Opium, a fascinating museum with an extensive history of the opium trade in Asia, driven by colonial demand. The museum also featured movies on the CIA’s efforts to arm and fund opium-growing villagers during the Vietnam War, as well as exhibits on the dangers of addiction and policy solutions to combat substance abuse. We returned home early ahead of our 6am departure for a 2-day slow boat on the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Laos. Half asleep, we rode to the border between Thailand and Laos. A thick fog shrouded the rice paddies, broken up only by the occasional dark silhouette of a tree or farmhouse as the sun rose over the mountains. We arrived at Huay Xai, the Lao border crossing, at 8:30am. We filled out three lengthy immigration forms, which were almost certainly thrown out five minutes later. Our boat set sail at 11am, and we cruised past small villages, grazing herds, and fishermen in long, shallow boats on our way to Pakbeng, a small town where we spent the night. The breathtaking scenery and a few Beerlaos helped pass the time. The next day, we left in the morning fog, which turned into a blazing afternoon sun; the river breeze kept us cool until we docked in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city lined with palm trees, golden temples, and teakwood houses. Laos is among the least developed countries in the world, and it feels much different than the comparatively wealthy Thailand. Like Vietnam, Laos is a one-party socialist state. Although hammer and sickle flags are ubiquitous, there are many small businesspeople selling food, managing guesthouses, and catering to the growing tourism industry. There is also private land for sale and a large number of development projects, mostly funded by China. China is investing billions in Laos to build rail lines, mining facilities, and, most controversially, massive hydropower dams in the Mekong River. While Laos is free of McDonald’s and oversized shopping malls, one wonders what the country will look like in 20 years, especially as China expands its influence. Fortunately, the United States and Laos laid the groundwork for greater partnership last year. At the end of the secret anticommunist bombing campaign in Laos in the 1970s, about 80 million unexploded bombs remained, continually maiming and killing Laotians to this day. President Obama visited in 2016 to announce $90 million to remove unexploded ordnance, double the previous budget, as well as an expansion of programs to improve education, nutrition, and economic development. He said (full speech here): Over nine years -- from 1964 to 1973 -- the United States dropped more than two million tons of bombs here in Laos -- more than we dropped on Germany and Japan combined during all of World War II. It made Laos, per person, the most heavily bombed country in history…And that conflict was another reminder that, whatever the cause, whatever our intentions, war inflicts a terrible toll, especially on innocent men, women and children. Today, I stand with you in acknowledging the suffering and sacrifices on all sides of that conflict…Given our history here, I believe that the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal. Email subscribers: to see all photos and videos, click the title of the post above in each email. Your browser will better display media. Yesterday, we had one of the best experiences of our lives: spending a day up close with elephants in a sanctuary south of Chiang Mai, part of a Karen tribe community. We took a full-day elephant trekking and river bathing tour – joined by 2 people from France, 3 from Switzerland, and 2 from the UK. At the beginning of the drive from Chiang Mai, we watched an educational video about the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand for tourism, logging, and entertainment. Though logging was banned in 1989, it is still practiced illegally, and many elephants are exploited. They are often captured at a young age, separated from their families, and physically and emotionally abused to submission. Travelers should take extra care to visit ethical eco-tourism operators, and should never ride elephants or pay money to see them perform. Elephant Nature Park was founded in the 1990s to give sanctuary and a new life to abused and broken elephants trafficked in the entertainment industry. When they arrive at the sanctuary, they rehabilitate and form new families with strong, protective bonds. The sanctuary has also rescued hundreds of dogs, especially after severe floods in 2011 that inundated 65 of Thailand’s 76 provinces. Fortunately, similar parks have opened and there is an increasing focus on ethical tourism. According to our guide, the Thai elephant population is now steadily increasing. We strongly recommend taking an elephant trekking tour (we took this one) instead of visiting the actual park because is it highly interactive and you will closely bond with the elephants – our guide told us that you cannot get nearly as close at the actual park. We spent the day with three female elephants. The youngest, Aree, was four years old, and the other two were 30 and 39. Elephants’ life spans closely mirror our own; they can live up to 80 to 100 years old. FeedingWhen we first arrived, we spent about half an hour feeding the elephants sugar cane and bananas. They collect food in a stack in their trunk and then stuff their mouths and chew with thunderous crunching and slurping. Elephants spend 18-20 hours per day eating, as they can only digest 50% of their food, and only need four hours of sleep per day. Hiking (and more feeding)We all received a large tote bag filled with bananas to take with us on the hike so we could continue feeding the elephants. They approached us and eagerly held out their trunks for more food. If we didn’t immediately respond, they attempted to reach into the bags themselves to get it. We returned to the Karen community for lunch sans elephants (they were taken to another location for more food). The khao soi, stir-fried noodles, and fresh fruit were all delicious and vegetarian. After lunch, we changed into our swimsuits and were given traditional Karen shirts to wear. We then walked to a shallow, mud-filled pool to reunite with the elephants. It was a chilly day for northern Thailand, so the elephants were initially reluctant to get in the water, but they eventually had a good time. We splashed around with them for a bit, then walked with them to the river to bathe them. BathingRobert fully submerged himself in the cold water with the elephants while I took photos and stuck to wading on the sideline. Once the elephants were cleaned, they picked up dirt in their trunks, and deposited it on their backs. Elephants’ skin is an inch thick, and they don’t sweat, so they can overheat in the sun. By covering themselves in a layer of dirt, they protect themselves from sunburn. We made and fed the elephants one last afternoon snack – rice balls with mashed up bananas and grains (their favorite), and then began our journey back to Chiang Mai. We learned a lot about the elephants, and were sad to leave them at the end of the day. The Thai word for elephant is Chang (also the name of our favorite Thai beer). Elephants are extremely intelligent – they can recognize people and language and follow spoken directions. We were able to appreciate this by spending time with them and helping to care for them; riding, circus tricks, and forced entertainment are harmful to the elephants, so it is very important that tourists do not go to places where they are practiced.
Robert and I enjoyed our time with the elephants so much, and we strongly recommend this experience to family and friends. For more stories about the sanctuary’s herd, please visit this link: https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/category/elephant-herd/. You can support the park by donating to Save Elephant Foundation: http://www.saveelephant.org/donate/
After a 5 ½-hour bus ride from Sukhothai, we ate dinner at The Whole Earth in Chiang Mai, a restaurant Alexa visited with her family when they traveled to Thailand a few years ago, and that her parents found during their trip to Thailand in 1990. We enjoyed delicious Indian and Thai dishes, including Masaman curry, garlic naan, lemongrass garlic chicken, and spicy stewed lentils, in a string-lit garden, a calming break from traffic and travel.
The next day, we wandered through Chiang Mai, popping in temples and flowery courtyards. We booked a cooking class for our second day and an elephant sanctuary trekking tour for our third. At Wat Phra Singh and another temple, old monks sat perfectly still as they meditated in the Buddhist shrines. They were so motionless that we wondered if they were actually wax figures; it was impossible to see them move their eyes or breathe, which was especially impressive given the many curious visitors wandering in and out. We spent a good 20 minutes pondering how they reached such an intense meditative state. After zooming in closely on one of the photos while writing this post, the sign confirms that they are indeed wax statues, albeit eerily lifelike – quite the illusion.
Muay Thai
That evening, we met a guy in our hostel, David, who is the brother of Alexa’s classmate – a true small world experience. He joined us as we walked to a heavily advertised Muay Thai (boxing) match that we discovered was called off, as evidenced by the empty stadium. We met a Brazilian man, Igor, who also wanted to see Muay Thai, so he joined our group as we headed to the Thapae Stadium. We negotiated entry tickets from 500 baht (about $15.75) to 400 baht ($12.60), a great deal considering the included free drink of cheap Thai whiskey mixed with Pepsi. The first few acts were clumsily staged, but the final faceoff between an expat Australian and a Thai home favorite was an exciting match that lasted until the final punch in the 5th round. The physically smaller, but more durable and determined Thai boxer was victorious.
We enjoyed a late night meal at Midnight Sticky Rice, a local favorite, which had some of the best fried chicken (and sticky rice) we'd ever had. Cooking Class
The cooking class at Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School answered many of our questions about the flavors and ingredients so different from those we are used to in the United States. Our guide, Tik, showed us through the herb garden at the school and took us to a local market to explore noodles, spices, rices, and vegetables that infuse Thai food with such complex flavors. At the suggestion of an Australian man in our group, we all bought several Chang and Leo beers from 7-Eleven before starting the actual cooking.
Alexa and I together made tom yam soup, tom kha soup, khao soi (a favorite!), pad thai, hot basil chicken, Masaman curry, and spring rolls – all excellent with Tik’s instruction and supervision. Most of the dishes shared a base of shrimp oil, garlic, chili, a spoonful of sugar, tamarind sauce, and sometimes oyster sauce, and many included egg, tofu, or chicken for protein. Armed with our new recipe books, we will try to replicate the meal as well as we can at home. With a 4:30am wakeup, a 7:00am AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Phitsanulok, and a one-hour van ride to our destination, Sukhothai, we began our trip through Northern Thailand. Sukhothai, an ancient city of advanced arts, architecture, and education, was the Thai capital during the 13th century. The impressive ruins are largely intact, as opposed to the more weathered city of Ayutthaya, a popular day-trip from Bangkok, which is why we made the effort to visit Sukhothai. Our guesthouse in New Sukhothai was a few miles from the ancient city, so we had to take the only means of transportation available: songthaew and tuk-tuk. A songthaew is a modified pickup truck with seating in the truck bed, while the comparatively luxurious tuk-tuks are private seat beds rigged onto a motorcycle. Having rested for much of the day of our early flight, we took a songthaew to visit Sukhothai at 4:00pm, about 2 hours before sunset. The songthaew also served as a school bus, so we were joined by many uniformed Thai teenagers. At the ruins, we spent most of our time in the central zone, home to the spectacular Wat Mahathat. The sunset and lack of crowds at the end of the day made the serene setting magical. On our first full day in Bangkok, we took a 30-minute Uber (about $5 USD) to the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, a bustling array of vendors along the Lat Ta Niao canal. We had bananas fried in coconut honey batter and sticky rice with coconut milk and the best mango I’ve ever had. We took a boat tour around the market and surrounding canal neighborhood, and visited a traditional Thai wooden house built as a gift for the owner’s two daughters. We then took another 45-minute Uber (also about $5 USD) to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the largest market in Thailand. We spent hours strolling down the countless aisles with vendors selling everything imaginable, including fake designer handbags, homemade perfume, pets, antiques, art, etc. in more than 8,000 stalls. After a lunch of tom kha kai soup (made with chicken broth, coconut milk, chili, and lime), barbecued chicken, and noodles, we took refuge from the heat in Siam Square, Bangkok’s massive complex of shopping malls. We spent the evening walking around Khaosan Road near where we were staying. Khaosan is infamous for its hordes of backpackers, bars, and cheap hostels. We got foot massages ($4.50 for 30 minutes) and had yellow curry and papaya salad at Madame Musur on Soi Ram Butri, a quieter street a block from Khaosan. Travelers from all over the world sat on the floor or on multicolored loungers – both the waiters and patrons had to leave their shoes at the door. We spent our second day exploring two of Bangkok’s most famous temples: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The Grand Palace featured an interested exhibition on the life and work of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned in Thailand for 70 years, 126 days, the world’s longest reigning monarch at the time of his death in 2016. Wat Pho, home to the 49-foot-high and 151-foot-long reclining Buddha built by King Rama III in 1832, was particularly fascinating and architecturally stunning. On our final day in Bangkok, we woke up early for a city walking tour. The guides shepherded us on the public ferry to another neighborhood, which cost 9 Thai Baht (28 cents USD). We climbed up the 344 steps to Wat Saket/Golden Mount, a Buddhist Temple that dates back to the Ayutthaya era (1351-1767), but was renovated in the 1700s by King Rama I. We also walked through Baan Bat, the last remaining neighborhood in Bangkok where craftspeople make alms bowls, which monks use to collect food donations from nearby residents. Many people sat outside their homes making crafts or watching TV, while dogs and cats (including some very cute kittens) roamed around eating scraps from the street. One welder proudly shared a 2007 AP article about his work published in The Chicago Tribune (linked copy in The Seattle Times). Robert tried his hand at cutting sheet metal (and succeeded!). We took a sunset ferry ride to Wat Arun, a porcelain studded group of stupas, to enjoy the site without the crowds. For dinner, we enjoyed shrimp pad thai and vegetarian pad thai at Thipsamai Pad Thai, which our tour guides recommended as the best in the city. We arrived in Bangkok on Saturday afternoon, and Robert told me he made reservations for us to go to a bar in Bangkok’s upscale Pathum Wan District. As we walked down the block that the bar was supposedly on, we passed Gaggan, the number one ranked restaurant in Asia. We had watched a fascinating episode of Chef’s Table about the chef and the creative things he was doing in his 2 Michelin star restaurant. I was confused when Robert stopped in front of the restaurant, until he told me we were actually going to eat dinner there and the bar was just a ruse for the surprise to celebrate my graduation from Penn. Our three hour, 25 course meal was one of the best of my life. We were seated at the 12-person counter, where everyone has a front-row view to an amazing show. Chef Gaggan Anand vividly told us stories from his life and about his native India as he served us intricate bite-sized morsels bursting with flavor. Here are some of my favorites: For an inside look at the restaurant and the chef, check out Chef’s Table Season 2 Episode 6 on Netflix. And if you want to try it, go soon because the restaurant’s days are numbered.
After 10 fascinating days in Taiwan, Alexa and I came away with a strong appreciation for the country’s friendly people, efficiency, and progressiveness. Here are some of our observations: 1) Disability rightsEvery subway car, waiting area, bathroom, and other public space has ample priority seating and mobility assistance. The urban landscape is designed to include people of all ages and abilities. There are some inventive approaches to finding roles for the physically disabled, such as blind massage spas in the underground malls between subway stations. 2) Courtesy and kindnessEverywhere we went, the Taiwanese people were eager to help us find our way. Cab drivers left their cars to direct us at train to bus transfer stations, servers patiently communicated through Google Translate, and strangers on the street would approach us to help if we appeared lost. Taiwan has a courteous culture. For example, people queue up neatly in lines while waiting for the subway, and stand patiently as the car doors open to let other passengers through, speeding up boarding for everyone. Litter is virtually non-existent. We once opened a bottle of water on a train, and a woman next to us warned us of a potential fine. There is a clear social contract to keep public spaces clean and usable for all. 3) Quick and delicious food cultureWhile Taipei does not lack high-end, chic restaurants, the city is dominated by casual joints where $5 USD easily feeds two. Servers buzz about the restaurant, sometimes eating from their own plates when they have a spare moment. We usually walked by the kitchen and ate in the back because food is sold for directly to patrons on the street for take-out. 4) Progressive valuesBased on information from our walking tour guides, diverse titles in bookstores, and visible protests, Taiwan has a strong right to freedom of speech. Taiwan ranks 1st in Asia for press freedom, and its score from press freedom monitor Freedom House is on par with the U.K., France, and the United States. The country’s sensitive political status makes for heated debates over the relationship with mainland China, and there is a clear push and pull among Taiwan’s citizens, who welcome open debate. Taiwan also has an efficient transportation system, universal healthcare, and family-oriented public spaces, making it an appealing place to live. There are breastfeeding and baby changing rooms in every subway station, high standards for hygiene and food safety, and beautifully preserved national parks. 5) Convenience is king7-Eleven, Family Mart, and other convenience stores are never separated by more than 2 blocks, and often less than that. Need to file your taxes, drop off dry cleaning, buy transportation tickets, use an ATM, or choose from a few hundred snacks and beverages? These conveniences are on your block in Taiwan, which has 5,000 7-Elevens as of July 2014.
Taroko GorgeWe woke up after a late New Year’s Eve for a day trip to the Taroko Gorge, a dramatic landscape in one of Taiwan’s most famous national parks. The gorge is inhabited by the Truku aboriginal people, who are ethnically distinct from the Han Chinese majority in Taiwan. We took a windy bus ride to Tianxiang village, where we saw a magnificent Buddhist temple perched atop a rocky outcrop. We then hiked on a ledge carved into the gorge towards Lushui, another small village. Dinner in TaipeiWe returned to Taipei the next day, and Robert visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial dedicated to Taiwan’s first president while I took a nap in the hostel. Based on the imposing size and magnificence of the memorial, Chiang’s legacy looms large in Taiwan. We had dinner at Sukiya, a Japanese chain restaurant specializing in gyudon (beef bowls) and curry. Since we wanted something light, we ordered a la carte selections of miso soup, rice, vegetables, and an egg. We walked to Ximending, Taipei’s shopping district, for shaved ice, a popular Taiwanese dessert. AlishanThe next morning, we departed for Alishan. After traveling for much of the day, we arrived at our hotel as it was getting dark and a thick layer of clouds was settling on the town – it was difficult to see even a short distance ahead. With limited dining options available and reluctant to venture out into the fog, we decided to have a cozy night in. Our hotel’s restaurant did not have English menus, and none of the servers spoke any English, so we used Google Translate to decipher the menu and communicate with our waitress. Apparently, this was very amusing to the other patrons who gathered around our table and took pictures of us. We were finally able to get some food – pan-fried fish in a spicy, Sichuan broth. We went to bed early in anticipation of the 5am wakeup call the next morning. Ever since the Alishan Forest Railway was completed in the early 1900s, Alishan has been among the most popular weekend getaways in Taiwan. At about 2,500 meters high (8,200 feet), Alishan is best known for its resplendent sunrises among the mystical clouds and surrounding mountains. Fortunately, the weather had cleared when we walked to the train early the next morning. The full moon shone brightly, and we saw twinkling stars as the train ascended to the viewing spot. When we arrived, soft pink and luminous orange slivers broke over the mountains, and we huddled amongst dozens of Taiwanese and Chinese tourists waiting for the sun to rise fully above the clouds. We briefly escaped the crowd by walking uphill to the helicopter pad to get some better pictures (walking uphill or upstairs for more than three minutes is a guaranteed strategy to avoid crowds). After breakfast, we walked through the winding scenic forest areas home to sacred giant Cypress trees over 2,000 years old. We ate fried rice and hot pot vegetables for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Today, we splurged on the 186mph high-speed train back to Taipei, where we are spending our final night in Taiwan. We are about to leave for a last meal of soup dumplings and beer at Din Tai Fung before tomorrow’s early flight to Bangkok.
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September 2018
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