A Turning Point

A 10 hour VIP bus ride is anything but. VIP is this funny term that's thrown around Asia that means absolutely nothing. The seats don't recline, the AC sometimes works, or works too well and can't be turned off--- and, if you manage to fall asleep, they suddenly switch the TVs on to Thai music videos, with karaoke sing-along-subtitiles, blast it over the speakers and yes, the Loations and Thais on board do, in fact sing along. It was quite remarkable, especially since the asians seem to have a genetic problem that makes them prone to motion sickness. There were only about 7 farangs on the bus, and most got off at Vang Viene. So, there were the 8 music videos on repeat, all featuring melodramatic scenes involving a man, a woman, the OTHER man or woman and alot of slapping and crying--- and the background chorus of Loations and Thais hurling into tiny plastic bags and jettisoning them out the windows.
It was really quite hilarious. In a horrific sort of way.
But I made it. Got a tuk tuk with everyone else to the city center of Vieintine... which is the country's capital?!?!? It's QUIET. Very strange. As far removed from Bangkok as you can get. I think it's even calmer than Chiang Mai!
As I was wandering around all the full guesthouses in desperation for a place to set down my stuff I met the Australians Maddie, Scott and Lindsey. Scott and Lindsey were long time travel buddies that had done India together. Maddie had met them in the airport and before we knew it, Maddie and I were sleeping head to toe in a big bed in an airconditioned little place that had rooms!!!
The four of us went to a resturant down by the river and lounged on Axe pillows and shared our Som Tam (Papaya Salad) and sticky rice and barbaqued fish.
Then this morning, Maddie and I moved into a nicer place with another bed for Steph, her friend who has been living in Nepal for the last 6 months and was arriving today.
While we waited for Steph to arrive from Bangkok by train and across the border, we went to COPE, a free museum/exhibition put on by a rehibilitation centerabout the UXOs: unexploded bombs from the Vietnam war that were dropped on Laos. Laos, though not involved, was thought to be a risk and the secret US campaign dropped 260 million bombs of varying types on the side of Laos that boarders with Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Bombings every 8 minutes on a completely neutral people. Now, in 2008, 80 million of those bombs, or "bombies" as they are called by the Lao, are still live and killing or dismembering people every single day. 80 million bombs.... and only 5 million people in this country. Part of the reason is the price of scrap metal. Is valuable and the people of Laos are starving. They will risk bodily harm or death to harvest any metal that they find. Refuge from the war is so common around the villages-- picture long casings instead of bamboo stills to prop up a thatched house-- that it doesn't seem frightening. Children get metal detectors and shovels and head out into the forest in search of metal, often hitting casings or landmines. If you get the opportunity, please see the Documentary film Bomb Harvest about the project of dismantling the remaining 80 million bombs and become completely aware of the unnecessary devastation our country waged-- because I have a hard time believing those secret campaigns are a thing of the past.
After the Museum we went to Phousaxi, the replica of l'Arc D'triumph that's actually taller than the original and took some obligatory pictures.
Then we came back to the hotel in time to meet steph, who's really great. The two of them are headed up to Vang Viene, maybe tomorrow to stay on an organic farm and enjoy the beauty of the place. They don't drink or do drugs and I've been invited to go along. Vang Viene is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Picture Matchu Piccu, and drop those Andean mountains in Laos. That's Vang Viene. It would only cost me $5 to backtrack, but then I'd have to come back here to leave. My next move was going to be to go to Southern Thailand via 2(!) 12 hour trainrides.... So now I've got some thinking to do... very fast.