Laos, 13.06. - 16.06.23
Pakse Loop
Actually, we wanted to do the Loop earlier. Before we went to Don Det. But after the many hours on trains and buses, on the way from Hanoi to Pakse, my butt hurt so much for days...
We did a day trip on mopeds to an old temple ruin (which I might have titled as "Ruins of Hyrule" in my WhatsApp status). After that day, I said, "I can't sit for another day."
So, packing our things and off to Don Det, but you've probably already read about that.
Champasak
We were recommended this ruin with the statement, "Yes, you've seen many temples, but you should still see this." The way there was supposed to be the best road in Laos and very easy to ride on. Since Janine wanted some more practice driving, this was a good opportunity. So, we set off.
I then took a brief look into the associated museum. Here I learned more about what exactly this ruin is. The temple Wat Phu dates back to the 11th to 13th centuries and was the most important royal seat and cultural site of the city of Champasak in the former and eponymous Kingdom of Champasak.
Already in the 5th century, there were Hindu facilities here, which were expanded over the centuries and eventually transformed into a Buddhist temple. The huge water basins at the foot of the complex, which likely served as a water reservoir for the site, are remarkable. From here, a procession road extends up the mountain. Along this path, various shrines and terraces were constructed. The complex is comparable to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
While we were navigating our way through the ruins, we had to compare the site to the ruins from the video game "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (Ruins of Hyrule).
To this day, this site is used by believers from all over Laos for various festivals and ceremonies. We were also fortunate that some monks arrived shortly after us at the top, and we could listen to their chanting. The city of Champasak also has been well-preserved thanks to the site, so it has the oldest houses in the entire country.
Pakse Loop
But what is the Pakse Loop actually? Pakse is a city in southern Laos. It's quite large by Laotian standards. And the Loop?
In Asia, scooters and mopeds are used a lot for transportation. Given the landscapes here, it was foreseeable that there would be routes that tourists can enjoy riding on to see the scenery. Since scooters are usually rented and often need to be returned to the same place, it's recommended to take a circular route.
And this concept has become widespread in Asia. So, in hostels, you often hear about different loops that you can take. It's like "Name of the city where you can rent scooters easily or that serves well as a starting and ending point for other reasons," and "Loop" as a signifier for "you can ride in a circle and see a lot."
Now we're back in Pakse, with renewed energy.
After an exciting day of hitchhiking, we went straight to our scooter rental and secured two mopeds.
The rental owner is a Frenchman with a Laotian wife. She mostly handles the business and communication with Laotians. He takes care of the customers and the technical aspects. So, we got mopeds that are maintained to European standards. This means all brakes have sufficient braking power, the tires have enough air, all lights work, and most of the time even the fuel gauge and the speedometer. What is taken for granted in our scooter rentals is an exception and a sensation here.
So far, we've only had mopeds in better condition once before, which you can read about when we arrived in Lombok. (Maybe someone will remind me to link the Lombok article here once it's out 🫠)
With him, everyone also gets an introduction and a test drive. Otherwise, he won't give you a moped. Additionally, every evening at 6 p.m., there's an informational session where he explains what you can see and where you can go. You get the currently prevailing prices for parking, entrance fees, or gasoline, so you won't get ripped off. And you'll know what's currently worth seeing or what can be skipped. (He gets this information, among other sources, from his customers when they return.) Although we had already heard it once, that was a few weeks ago, so we wanted to hear it again. And indeed, for example, the recommended travel route was different due to the weather at that time.
At the rental place, we could also store our large backpacks, so we could travel with light luggage only.
Day 1
At the hostel, we met two other Germans who also wanted to do the Loop, and we immediately arranged to have dinner together. This led to us doing the entire tour with Tanja and Daniel. The next morning, the four of us set off, picked up the mopeds, and after a quick breakfast at the local market, headed towards the plateau.
On the way, we visited a coffee plantation where we ordered 3 different types of coffee for comparison. Here, we were explained the process of how coffee used to be grown and processed, and then how it's processed today. Janine saw coffee plants live for the first time here and understood the difference between Robusta, Arabica, Liberica, and we were told about many other types of coffee. After some stories about different plants and animals, we got back on the mopeds. We spent our first evening on a small island in a lake. Here, we could sleep in a treehouse over the water. Since the accommodation was run by a Frenchman, there were some Western dishes available. So, that evening we all enjoyed different dishes with a lot of cheese, a lot of cheese. (Here in Asia, cheese is a true luxury. Most of the time, you don't even get proper cheese, and if you do, it's very expensive.)
Day 2
The next morning, we rode to a small village nearby to meet a local named Captain Hook. The self-proclaimed Captain Hook was a local who enjoyed explaining the ways of life in his village and the local population to various tourists and tried to answer other questions they had. Captain Hook belongs to an ethnic minority called the Katu.
Laos is a country with extraordinary linguistic diversity, especially considering its low population. However, due to its remoteness, this diversity is still largely unexplored. The exact number of distinct languages is unknown and is estimated to be between 70 and 120. From a linguistic perspective, these are classified into four major language families in Laos.
There are 47 ethnic groups in Laos, which are further divided into over 160 subgroups and tribes.
He told us how he came to be a tour guide in the first place.
In his childhood, there were no schools in the area.
One day, a tourist got lost and ended up in his village. He tried to communicate with the tourist and had the idea of learning the foreigners' language.
That's how he began learning the "Farang" language. This sparked his interest in Western languages and culture.
The "Farang" language (meaning Western foreigner) was French, and not every traveler spoke the same language. When he was around 13, the first school was opened, and he immediately enrolled. From then on, he learned to speak English.
There, he learned some things that the older generations in his village said were not true... after all, everyone knows that "the Earth is not round..."
The foreigners are just trying to deceive you... They're only making fun of you...
They don't have to work, that's why they have such light skin. They have factories where they make money. And they have light hair because they drink so much whiskey and wine. And the blue eyes come from drinking so many soft drinks like cola and Fanta. We are tall because we eat bread, and they are short because they only eat sticky rice.
He moved to the nearest larger city (to his teacher). He enjoyed life in the city and Western culture. However, his family disapproved of it. His mother fell ill and other misfortunes occurred, which his family attributed to him doing forbidden things and bringing bad luck when he visited them. As a result, he was eventually prohibited from leaving the village. In order to dispel the bad luck, animals had to be sacrificed. Depending on what he had done wrong, different animals were offered as sacrifices. For instance, when he had unmarried sex, a buffalo had to be sacrificed. This became too expensive over time.
So, he started guiding tourists through the village when they visited.
These tourists told other travelers that they had been to the village. They found it so interesting that they also wanted to go there. Subsequently, the other travelers also shared their experiences. Thus, his business thrives on people spreading the word about how intriguing their time with him was.
Today, he guides people through the village and the farms daily. He tells them his life story and about his village's culture. And you can really ask him anything you'd like to know.
Afterwards, you can help his wife roast the coffee that you can buy from him in his house. Then, there's coffee and food to enjoy. We were also allowed to try the self-grown tobacco. In this village, people typically start smoking at the age of 4 to ward off mosquitoes.
He also showed us a species of ants that exists here, and you've all probably heard or seen something about it. It's often shown in children's films or something similar – ants working together to collect food, and sooner or later, there's a scene where they pile up, holding onto each other, to move something or cross a gap.
This technique is primarily known from the Asian weaver ant. In contrast to many related species, these ants don't build nests on the ground but in trees. When they find a suitable spot, the ants crawl on top of each other to bridge gaps between leaves. Once they've completed their task, the leaves are pulled together. This process is repeated several times, creating a leafy cell. To prevent the ants from holding on permanently, larval silk is used to close the cell, with larvae taken from another cell that haven't pupated yet. These larvae are then carried over the leaves like a weaver's shuttle in a loom, using the silk to seal the cell.
But this species is also known for something else here.
They taste good, somewhat lemony, I believe. But if you want to know more, you'll have to ask Janine. She tried it. (I couldn't bring myself to do it.)
Mister Hook told us many more things.
Every house has a soul. By knocking on the door, you drive away the soul, which is very bad. For a new soul, a buffalo must be sacrificed as an offering, which again is very expensive.
Overall, meat is only eaten on special occasions here, about three to 5 times a year. The people here make a living from growing coffee, rice, and cassava.
There are 24 people living in his house. 800 people live in this village, and a total of 4,000 people belong to this ethnic group called Katu, with the other Katu villages being partially 30 minutes away by car. The neighboring villages belong to different ethnic groups.
Mister Hook told us many, many more things. More about his culture, but also about coffee cultivation, tobacco consumption, medicinal plants, how the children make their own soap bubbles, and more. But that would exceed the scope of this post.
You can also stay there if you haven't learned enough after several hours. This way, you get the opportunity to get to know the village even better. And if that's still not enough, you can also do volunteering in the village and on the farm.
Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time for overnight stays and volunteering, and we had to continue, but I'm eager to come back and try it.
In Laos and parts of Vietnam, we learned that the populations are not as uniform as we often imagine. The official language is Lao, which is taught in schools today. English is also taught, like in our country. Depending on where you are in Laos, Vietnamese or Thai might also be interesting.
However, the Laotian population is so diverse that a different language is spoken in a village of 200 people compared to the neighboring village. Languages, not dialects, are meant. Thus, it happens that children already speak 2 languages before learning the national language, Lao.
Within these ethnic minorities, beliefs also differ. Captain Cook told us that religions are often similar within a region. So, his village believes the same as the surrounding villages, that there's white and black magic, and that some things are good while others are bad. But what things are good or bad, and who and why they use white or black magic, is entirely different.
Similarly, clothing and beauty ideals differ. (Especially regarding clothing, Janine will write something for you, you'll see that in the next article, I believe.)
In the evening, we wanted to stay overnight at a farm.
The way there was very pleasant to ride. But the last 2 km, as we were told beforehand, are a bit more challenging.
But actually, the last 200 meters were the only truly difficult part. They were so muddy that 3/4 of us fell. Fortunately, no one got hurt, and the mopeds survived well... but everything was covered in mud.
Upon arrival, we received a tour of the farm from our wonderful host Noi almost right away. We saw the work being done on the new rooms that are being built. The fields and what's being grown on them. We were explained what is yet to be planted and how he plans to weave climbing plants into a roof so you can enjoy a coffee comfortably in the shaded field among the plants. Everything that was halfway ripe, we got to taste right away. Among other things, a plant whose name I unfortunately couldn't figure out, but for me, the fruits simply tasted like popcorn 🍿.
During the tour, we also learned more about our host.
Until a year ago, Noi earned his money as a farm laborer himself. Together with his brother, who works with computers, he bought this farm. And now his grandmother helps him with everything from harvesting, processing, to selling. His brother still works somewhere else. And he's running the farm alone now. And he's only 25 years old.
After the tour, we went to the kitchen. Our host asked us if we wanted to help with cooking. We were very happy about that because we hadn't been able to cook for ourselves for weeks. In many guesthouses, they don't like it when you want to help. Janine has fought battles just trying to put away her dishes. Since we were all hungry and wanted to learn more about Laotian cuisine, we helped in the kitchen.
After all the ingredients were chopped, grilled, or wrapped in spring rolls, a big table was set up. And we finally could stuff ourselves.
For dessert, we had fresh jackfruit to go with our beer. It tastes basically like gummy bears.
Day 3
The next morning, we managed the narrow path better, luckily.
So we drove to the waterfalls.
On the plateau, there are 9 waterfalls, of which currently 7 have water flowing and 6 are accessible. We visited 3 of them.
I can only recommend the pictures of them (in the photo album).
At one waterfall, there was a café from which we could see other people daringly and with lighter wallets crossing to the other side on a zip line. There are a total of 4 zip lines here, which eventually bring you back to where you started.
As we sat there, fog started to roll in. This allowed us to see the waterfall plunging so deep that only mist reached the bottom and slowly disappeared from below.
After about half a cappuccino, the fog cleared again, and the waterfall reappeared.
The second waterfall is within a resort. However, we can't park directly there. We park near a local where we also plan to eat later.
From here, we walk.
Fortunately, the resort doesn't mind if you just stroll through to see the waterfall...
Because it went bankrupt at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis...
(Does anyone want to buy a resort with me? I know a few that are currently affordable. Just need some renovation.)
We sneak past abandoned offices and empty bungalows, making our way to the long staircase that leads to the lower end of the waterfall.
After the waterfall, we head back to the eatery where we parked. There, we discover that the owner also speaks German. He gladly seizes the opportunity to speak German again.
After a delicious meal prepared by his wife and with slightly flushed ears, we eventually have to start the journey back.
One last time, enjoying the magnificent view.
Because we want to return the mopeds (and retrieve our stored luggage).
The rides through the Laotian countryside were truly impressive and relaxing. In small villages, children would often run up to us when they saw us, waving. With hardly a schedule and no one to guide us, we could stop anytime to savor the landscape. And sometimes, we rode for kilometers as if in meditation. (There's nothing to do, and we have all the time in the world. Too fast to chat and too slow to arrive soon. It reminds us a lot of our hike in Sweden.)
We enjoy the last evening as a group of four with a prepared table grill before heading to bed.
📷 You can find more great pictures in the photo album.
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