Laos Arrival
Posted by Stuart at 02:48 PM on October 15, 2002Rupert and I have made it safely to Vientiane, Laos after an easy one-hour flight from Bangkok. So far today we have walked around town visiting a few temples and spending some time at the Thai consulate working on my visa application. We are heading to check out the Mekong River (the border with Thailand) tonight.
So far I really like what I am seeing here. In many ways it reminds me of Siam Reap, Cambodia. Just as in Cambodia, as we flew in to the Vientiane airport it looked like we were going to land in a rice field. Luckily a paved runway showed up underneath us just in time. The airport was small, but airconditioned, and the immigration and customs process was very smooth.
Life here definitely moves at a slower pace -- even slower than in Thailand. The traffic is not very heavy and consists of anything from old Russian cars to brand new Mercedes, as well as motorcycles and bicycles. The streets are dusty but not too trashy; the buildings along them are a mixture of Thai/Laotian style, Chinese shophouses, and French colonial. Most everyone we have dealt with speaks at least a little bit of English, and all have been very nice and helpful.
Our plans are to stay in Vientiane for a few days until I can get my visa, then head north to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. By the time all of that is over, it will be time for me to head back to Bangkok and start my teaching job on the 23rd.
What supports the economy? Not much at all because there really isn't much of an economy to support. I don't know exact numbers, but I am sure Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. Farming is of course very important and tourism is just now starting to take off. Other than that, I don't think there is much here.
I wanted to add a comment to your Oct 14 archive re: terrorism in Asia, but I wasn't able to. Noting that in this entry you said you would be going back to Bangkok to teach, I wonder what your thoughts are about possible terrorism acts in Bangkok. I will be travelling on a Himalayan trip to Bhutan via Bangkok. I will be there for a few days in the beginning and the end of November. I am a Canadian who is a bit worried about some warnings issued by the government about travels to Asia, but specifically, I wonder what others think about safety in Bangkok? Especially since you've been there, and will be living/working there. Any thoughts?
Thank you for posting, CC. Sorry about not being able to post to the right entry... I am not sure why that one isn't working.
I personally think that Bangkok (and the rest of Thailand) is as safe a place as you can be in the world. In fact, I feel safer here than I did in San Francisco, and definitely safer than I would in Washington or any other big US city.
The Thai government realizes how dependent they are on tourism and they know that they can not afford to have bad publicity. There have been reports in the local press this week about how security has been increased at all of the places around the country where foreigners congregate. (Kao Sarn road in Bangkok, for example.)
In general I feel that you can't life your life being afraid of what might happen. Otherwise you'll never leave the house. Without a doubt, the experience of a trip to Bhutan and Bangkok very much outweigh the small risk of terrorist activity.
Even though I think that the US State Department warnings are a bit overexaggerated and a bit C.Y.A (cover your a**) they do have some good advice. Be aware of your surroundings and try to avoid big congregations of foreigners (e.g. a nightclub in Bali that caters to foreigners only). That's good advice anyway, since why would you want to travel to the other side of the world to pay outrageous prices to party with people from your own country?
In other words, go on your trip, hang out with the locals and enjoy every minute of it! :)
Good article, I am fan into China art stuff
What is the major source that supports the economy? Tourism? Manufacturing = if so, then what? Farming? Since I just saw a map of Asia, I now know that it's not fishing ---- didn't realize that Laos was as large as it is. Not that it's as large as Russia (haha), but it's bigger than Luxembourg or Taiwan. Speaking of which, I didn't know Taiwan is an island. See all the wonderful lessons on countries of the world I am studying? Thanks SG!!
9 more days of fun-filled leisure for you!! Then back to the grindstone; however, I can imagine that the grindstone will be quite an experience (which is a horrible adjective to use, because it doesn't accruately describe what teaching in an international college, at a foreign university will entail - what it will be like - what all new you will learn, people you'll meet, customs, teaching methods, etc.).
Love you!!