Archives for 2012

and the kids who stole my snacks.

Sometimes when you travel, you do a lot of searching. I’m not talking about the kind that involves your soul and gazing at your navel. I’m talking about the kind where you are speed walking down streets late at night in Bratislava on the hunt for tacos. Or getting lost in Vienna looking for that one vegetarian restaurant that Lonely Planet claims to be amazing.

After visiting Patuxai we found ourselves on one of these searches. Luckily we had the scooter to do all of the hard locomotive work. This time we were looking for something a bit more culturally relevant than tacos. Mike had heard about a seemingly magical place where you can enjoy a cheap sauna and message in a little forest on the grounds of a temple. Even using a GPS, we were having a difficult time. At one point we stopped to ask and were ushered onto the grounds of an International School. Maybe we should have stopped in for a quick interview?

Eventually we found it but not before I agreed to have a massage at a parlor down the block. I abhor confrontation so I stayed for the massage while Mike continued on until he found the actual place, Wat Sok Pa Luang. After my massage he brought me to the wat so I could see it for myself. Understandably, I didn’t take any photos as people were lounging around and sweating up the place. However, I did take one of the walkway in.

Later in the day we ended up once again near the Mekong. We stopped to snack on some steps and were instantly greeted by a few cute and very sneaky children.

It didn’t take long for one to get into my chips and another to walk off with my packet of crackers. I know it’s teaching them bad habits, but I didn’t chastise them. I didn’t know what to do (and I’m a teacher!). They were so cute. Especially when one accidentally let go of her helium balloon. Instead of getting upset she just waved and said, “Buh-bye!”

What do you do when you get scammed by super cute kids? 

xo, jill 

the Laotian Arc de Triomphe

Our second day in Vientiane started out with breakfast and another walk.

This time we were in search of the perfect scooter to take us around town.

Our first scooting destination? Patuxai, the Laotian Arc de Triomphe. Patuxai was erected between 1957 and 1968 as a monument to honor those who died fighting for freedom from the French.

It was a fairly hot day so while Mike elected to take the stairs to the top, I stayed down at the bottom. I hadn’t gained back my full strength from my little potential-dengue bout. Sitting on a bench at a prime tourist destination did give me the opportunity to partake in a university student’s tourism survey. I always like stuff like that.

Funny story. The cement that was used in the monument was actually intended to be used for a runway. In the 1960s, the United States gave Laos money to build a new airport, but the government had other ideas. Instead, they decided to build Patuxai.

It’s not for me to say if it was money well spent, but it’s definitely a lovely landmark.

xo, jill

Flowers and old building edition.

Here are a few more photos I took of Vientiane while we were walking back towards our hotel along the Mekong.

Vientiane is the most relaxed capital city I’ve ever visited.

xo, jill
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“Helping People Move On”

While in Vientiane, Mike and I stopped by the COPE Visitor Center.

Although not widely known, Laos is the most bombed country in the world. That’s thanks to the efforts of the United States during the Vietnam War. 

Of the 270 million bombies dropped on Laos, 30 percent did not detonate. Approximately 80 million bombies still remain and are known as unexploded ordinances (UXOs). This means that approximately 25 percent of Laotian villages are still contaminated with live explosives.

It is estimated that between 1964 and 2011, more than 50,000 people have been killed or injured in incidences involving UXOs. Appalling.

People who are simply digging in their gardens or children playing in the fields are dying or losing limbs when they unexpectedly come into contact with a UXO. 

The COPE Center is working to help people affected by UXOs move on from their tragedy. Through a number of programs, COPE provides prosthetic limbs, physical therapy, transportation, and financial support to those in need. In addition, COPE works to raise awareness of cluster bombs and ban their future use.

I was incredibly impressed by the COPE Center. The museum was carefully curated, the stories were powerful, and the overall atmosphere was one of hope and positivity. Nothing in the literature alluded to bitterness towards the US, and as you can plainly see, there is much to be bitter about.

To learn more about the COPE Center visit here.
To watch a very touching short documentary click here. I really recommend it.
And if you’d like to buy a leg, you can do that too. 

xo, jill

Statistics from posters on display at the center.

“But do I really feel the way I feel?”*

I’ve noticed that the more trips I take, the less I plan. My first “backpacking” trip was to Peru in June of 2008. Shauna and I had it all planned out by…February? Pretty early on. Thinking about it now makes me laugh. Of course, some trips do require careful advanced planning, especially if you are visiting a popular destination in peak season.

My tactic now is to do enough research to decide which cities I’d like to visit and what must be booked in advance, and then figure the rest out as I go.

So maybe that’s why I was so in awe my first day in Laos. I didn’t really know what to expect from Vientiane. (Mike had been there before so I was happy to trust his judgement.)

We took a walk our first afternoon and I swear I was stopping every ten feet to take pictures.

A note on crossing the border: It’s really easy. We hired a tuk tuk in Nong Khai to take us to the Friendship Bridge. Once there you walk through immigration on the Thai side (make sure you have your departure card) and get on a bus to take you to the Laos side. Here you pay for your visa (strangely, it’s most expensive for Canadians) and walk on in. At this point we took a taxi to Vientiane, which is still about 20km away.

Of course, the tuk tuk first tried to take us to an agency. Despite Mike explaining that he’d previously crossed the border with no problem, the woman claimed it was impossible to do so without their (400-500baht) services. Don’t believe them. Like I said, it’s really easy.

xo, jill

*Catch it?