An orangeade in Laos

The good people

21 Apr

While driving in the south of Laos, I come across insects, too much waste, and nice garden monks!

Retrace my steps in Vietnam, then the entrance to Laos, direction Cambodia. About 800 km.

After Vientiane, the capital further north, Savannahkhet is the second largest city in Laos. But with only 124 inhabitants, it remains very accessible and pleasant. It must be said that in this Southeast Asian country, two thirds of the population still live in the countryside.

And it seems, while the north is carpeted with mountains, the south consists mostly of fields dotted with trees, and house after house following the few main roads.

Going past all these homes without running water, I can not help but feel guilty for eagerly looking for air conditioning when I arrive in town ...

As much in Vietnam as in Laos, it is surprising to see the number of churches all over the city and in the countryside.

But on the road, in my tent, the heat is overwhelming. I sweat twenty-four hours a day in this humidity. The water in my bottles is hot like soup. And I even come to think that at least the kazakh desert gave me a break at night.

I allow myself to be tempted on occasion by "hotels". And quotes are important here! Really, I only pay to take a shower because my tent is more comfortable than the majority of these rooms. The shower in question is often just a garden hose. However, the absence of hot water is rather beneficial after a day in the blazing sun.

Typical house in southern Laos. Believe it or not, it's more luxurious than in the north of the country.

The little ones eating the corpse of a bigger one, in my luxury hotel room.

On the other hand, every night in these rural rooms is a surprise. In one of the toilets, I kill about four or five huge cockroaches with my bike shoe in hand. In another, I hear noises coming from inside my pillow ...

One evening, I even pitch my tent directly on the bed to protect myself from mosquitoes. It must be said that the use of a mosquito net is more than rare here. And I like to be warm even better than being bitten all night long in an area where you can catch malaria and dengue fever ...

Stifling heat in this bedroom without a mosquito net, so with the windows closed. And a nice bike tan!

Waste ... again

I don't get used to the garbage you see everywhere along the roads. Too often I see people of all ages throwing their bottles, cans and paper into the ditches. I even see a man come out of his house, and throw his rubbish directly into his own yard, as if his land was an open dump ...

Monk life

There is a big temple in Savannakhet. As I walk past, I see young monks sweeping the leaves outside. A few days later on the road, I see more monks outside a temple, also sweeping the ground. I don't think we hear enough about the great importance Buddhism gives to gardening! My fellow who threw his garbage on his land could certainly learn from these communities.

As I approach, this trio of young religious is very happy to let their photo be taken and to converse a little. One of them beckons me to wait for him and he quickly climbs into what appears to be an observation tower nearby. He returns with his arms laden with the food he gives me: cookies, apples, and even an orangeade! Thanking them, I can't help but smile as I compare the color of their drink with their traditional costume.

Considering that the monks here live and feed themselves from offerings, I know that what is offered to me was given to them by the local villagers. The gesture seems even more generous and altruistic to me.

Then I take the road to other meetings and surprises in this good world.