Building Schools and Crazy Fools

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.. Where do I begin? 

Well, a few friends have actually told me that they have no idea what I’m actually doing here in Laos, so I guess I could start with that. My job.

I’m here with an NGO called Pencils of Promise (PoP for short). PoP works in the developing world - namely Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala - to build schools and support education.  The company has been working in Laos for 3 years, I think… and has built around 40 schools throughout northern Laos.

2-Room Preschool built by PoP in a village called Pak Pa

What I actually do is work with the Lao construction team here and attempt to better their organizational skills. The fun part is that I get to go out to the field to different villages that we’ve worked in or are planning to work in. It’s great to get out of the city and see the remote places that most travelers don’t get to see.

A 3-room school we started shortly after I arrived in a village called Sa Nouk. 

A few weeks back we took a 3-day trip to the north to see a few different build sites and check out some potential build sites as well. I have to say, there were times that I felt like I was the first white person some of these villagers had seen. They would stare at me like I was a ghost. I remember one time in particular a little boy was sizing me up and I noticed him and stared back at him smiling. He was frozen in terror by our eye contact. After a few seconds of shock he snapped out of it and ran for cover.

 

Lao house in Sa Nouk - village about 30 minutes from Luang Prabang. 

Lao home in Phayong - village about 6 hours from LPB.

One benefit of going to the villages is getting to try some authentic Lao cuisine.

The villagers that I’ve encountered have all been incredibly kind and welcoming. They’re quick to offer us bananas or coconuts – whatever they have to give. They’re also quick to share a beer. Oh, right. beer…

Just a few crates of 'Beer Lao'

Beer is a HUGE part of the culture here. Offering someone a beer is like shaking hands. The second you finish your glass it’s already filled again. I must say, at first I enjoyed it. It was fun to have a beer with new friends and relax a bit. But I underestimated just how much they drink. I soon found that I’m far out of my beer-drinking league here. The Lao people I know (mostly women, mind you) drink more than ANYONE I know back home.

Ever since I got absolutely slammered in a little village called Nambo about 3 days after arriving, I’ve had to come up with excuses to politely refuse beer to ensure that I don’t die of alcohol consumption here. We went to Nambo to celebrate International Women's Day and spent the whole day there drinking, feasting, and playing petang (bocce ball).. Since I didn't speak Lao, and I hadn't really gotten to know any of the Americans yet.. I just figured I'd let loose a bit, have a couple beers, and socialize. Little did I know, that you can't just have a couple beers. Like I said, the second you're done with 1 beer, your glass is full.. and you really don't have a choice in the matter. About 3 hours into the festivities I was toast. Finished. Stick a fork in me. Unfortunately for me we still had 2 hours of beer drinking left to do; not to mention a 2 hour ride back home in the back of a truck with 20 other people (not exaggerating). Needless to say, when I finally made it back home in one piece I passed out immediately. In the morning I took one look at myself and thought, "Never again..." I don't think I've ever looked so haggard. 

Probably shouldn't have shared this photo... The truck ride back. I do not appear to be sober.. nor clean.

That was my blunt introduction to Lao drinking. Fortunately I've learned since then and can manage myself in the midst of these beer drinking olympians.  

Any who… where was I? Ah yes, the last few weeks. A few weekends ago was Phi Mai, the Lao New Year celebration. There’s really no other word to describe it other than ‘crazy.’ The festivities kick off on Friday and last till Monday. Throughout that time, the city basically turns into a giant water fight arena. Supposedly getting someone wet is a sort of good luck wish to them, but in reality, it’s really just a big water fight. People line the streets with buckets of water, squirt guns and hoses and douse any who come within range. Everyone is drenched from head to toe, drinking beer and having fun. I armed myself with a 3-dollar squirt gun that looked like a sword and met up with some friends to enjoy the craziness. Within 2 minutes I was soaked. I didn't take many pictures because I didn't want to get my camera wet but luckily my co-worker, Megan, was able to get some and kindly let me use them. 

Megan getting a good luck wish

Megan's husband, Tad, battling a monk on the street. He's got the same sword gun I had. Good weapon. 

Throwing me some good luck as I passed.

Cameras aren't safe. Nothing is safe.

Some Lao people also get flour or dye and throw it on you, namely your face/head region - so I also had flour baking in my hair as the hot sun beat down upon it.  We spent about 2 hours watering passersby and then relocated to get some lunch and continue the watering elsewhere. After an hour more of drinking beer and dodging sprays of water, we took a boat to an island in the middle of the Mekong where more water and partying was being done. By this point, I probably looked like a ghoul with flour caked on my face and hair and red dye handprints spread violently on my white shirt.

Megan with some fresh red good luck on her face. Me in the background prior to my coloring. 

Elizabeth, who I also work with, was rocking the flour face all day

Phi Mai festivities  

We headed back from the island and I decided I had had enough for one day. My stomach was starting to feel like death so I headed home. Just before reaching my bike, a lovely Lao girl decided to spread thick green dye all over my face and I was suddenly the Wicked Witch from the west. I had to ride the whole way home on my bicycle with green skin and couldn’t help but think of the scene from Wizard of Oz. However, unfortunately for me, all the water festivities drain the city’s water supply and my house had no water for showers. So, there I was, exhausted, wet, dehydrated and green, with no way of cleaning my haggard self. I eventually gathered my strength and made it to a friend’s house to shower.

Over the next few days it was impossible to leave the house without getting drenched. One day, we took the PoP truck out to the city with a giant bucket of water in the back. We rode through the streets unleashing our watery weapons upon all who dare stand within range. In the end we probably got more wet than anyone. It was a blast. 

Two different truck crews going at it

I remember right when I got home that afternoon I dried off, changed my clothes, got comfy, and prepared to watch a movie. Right as the movie was starting Bay, one of the PoP staff here, came to the house and asked me for a ride to his house. I couldn't refuse and we set out on a motorbike. I was determined not to get wet. I cut through back roads, used passing cars as shields, sped past groups of kids with buckets of water before they could get us.. anything I had to do to stay dry. I made it to Bay's house completely dry. I thought for sure I could make it back. I almost did too. Just before the last turn to my house, I got stuck behind a truck who had stopped for no apparent reason. I made eye contact with a group of kids 30 feet away. I couldn't pass the truck because there was a line of traffic coming our way.. by this point, the kids were running at me, buckets overflowing, evil smiles on their faces. I literally couldn't go anywhere. I was trapped. They surrounded me like hyenas surrounding a wounded prey. I was helpless. They politely wished me a happy new year as they gently dumped every drop of water from their buckets on me with glee. Feeling like a defeated boxer and looking like a wet cat, I trudged back home and repeated the drying off/changing clothes process. That's pretty much the norm during Phi Mai.. Overall, it was awesome to be here and experience it. 

Phi Mai Parade

Phi Mai is full of traditional Lao clothing 

Some wet monks making an appearance

Pretty Lao girl

I just realized this blog post is ridiculously long. I'll try to do shorter/more frequent posts from now on.  Until next time!

Those foolish Kuang Si waterfalls..

Last weekend the other two interns (David and Hang) and I went on an adventure to the Kuang Si waterfalls. The trip started out with a 40-minute 'Touk Touk' ride to the falls in which we got to see some of the countryside.  A ‘Touk Touk’ is basically a Lao-style motorcycle-cab that offer rides around the city for pretty cheap. From where I stand now, after taking a 40-minute ride to the falls and another returning home, I’m fairly certain that Touk Touk's were not designed for people of western stature, but rather for those under, say… the 5’4” mark (Mom, you’d fit right in).  We shared the ride with a German traveler we met just before named Marcus. Marcus was probably 6’2”, and David and I are probably 6’0” (or at least that’s what I tell people) so, needless to say, we were all struggling to endure the bumpy dirt roads crouched down on the wood benches in the back. I’m probably overreacting but it felt like riding in one of those little red wagons...

The infamous Touk Touk...

I feel like such a complainer writing this right now… In reality, it wasn’t that bad.

Despite our cramped quarters, we made it to the falls just fine and the ride was actually really nice. I loved seeing the countryside just outside of the city. I’m already realizing that Laos is a very diverse country. Depending on which direction you head out of Luang Prabang, you’re going to get different scenery and different plants and trees.

Laos Countryside

On the Road

It was a brief hike from the parking lot to the falls. Along the way there were various vibrant blue pools just begging you to take a swim. I have to say it was more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. It seemed like a scene out of Disney Land. It was too picturesque to be true. 

Such a pretty part of the world!

We left the main area because it was a bit too crowded and hiked to the top of the falls. Once we saw the top we decided to branch off and explore a different direction. 

To the top of the falls

Off the main hiking trail

Marcus was with us and it was nice to chat with him and share the experience. We were talking about different countries’ iconic foods and one thing he asked us that sort of stumped me was if America has any ‘sophisticated dishes’ that are truly American… I had to think about it for a while. When I think of ‘American food’ I think of hamburgers and BBQ and maybe Jambalaya in the South. But none of those dishes are really ‘sophisticated’ like, say, many French or Italian dishes.  The best I could come up with was really high-end seafood dishes, but again, I’m not sure how truly American they would be. Any thoughts?

Dave and Marcus leading the pack

Any who… we hiked to a cool little pond area and were the only ones in the area. We hung out a bit and ate some lunch then headed back to the main waterfall area.  There was a great pool for swimming with a rope swing area and a little waterfall to jump off of.

The Pond.

The rope swing pool.

After debating whether or not to partake I finally gave in and jumped off the fall. I’m glad I did.  Hang was actually the first of us to take the plunge. She had a way of making me nervous with the rope swing.. she would wrap the rope around her hand (how are you going to let go?? I’d think to myself) and her release was far from graceful (Hang, if you’re reading this, I apologize for selling you out; but the stress that you infused in my mind makes it impossible for me to forget.) One time she awkwardly released from the rope and entered the water flailing upside-down – successfully horrifying all tourist on-lookers. “I don’t know her.” I thought to myself.

(just kidding, Hang.)

However, I must admit, I had a moment of my own when I tried to do a gainer off the waterfall but didn’t have good enough footing and ended up just doing a half back flip, landing upside-down in the water myself. Real smooooth, Stephen. I knew the footing wasn’t the best but in a moment of braveness I just decided to go for it. Bad idea. My cousin Chris would’ve been ashamed. Oh well. You only live once so you might as well risk looking like a fool every now and then. “Looking ridiculous in front of Chinese tourists is the spice of life.” Isn’t that what they say? No? It isn’t? Hmmm.. Never got that memo.

The jump

In the end it was a really fun trip and I’m so glad we went. Hang and I decided we’re definitely going to go back sometime during our time here. Maybe next time we’ll have a better handle on the whole rope swing/jumping thing and won’t terrify Chinese tourists every time we enter the water...

Or maybe not.

Until next time!

The Kuang Si waterfalls

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang – my home for the next 6 months – has yet to disappoint.  The capital of Laos is Vientiane; but most people I’ve talked to consider Luang Prabang to be the country’s best city. The city is enclosed by two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan. Both rivers are equally beautiful, but the Mekong is a bit larger and knows how to pose during sunset. There are a few little restaurants along the river and we’ve gone down a few times for a beer just before sunset. The house I’m staying at isn’t far from the city center, about a ten minute bike ride, so I have a feeling I’ll be spending many a sunset taking in the view.

The Mekong River

The Nam Khan

One of Luang Prabang’s defining characteristics is its ‘Night Market.’  Travelers from all over the world come to check it out and get some handcrafted souvenirs. The market stretches probably a quarter mile on the main street through town. It starts every night at 5 and lasts till about 11:30.  They sell all sorts of crafty items at the night market - authentic Lao clothing (slippers, shirts, baggy Aladdin-style pants), paintings, posters, wood carvings, lights, scarves, bags… you name it, they’ve got it. 

Hand-painted cards

Cool Lights

You can kind of see some tobacco pipes towards the bottom.. awful tempting.

This city is also known for its buddhist temples. I haven't gone and seen all of them yet (I think there are 20 or 30) but I plan to at some point. This is a picture of a more prominent one near the night market.

One of the first days I was here we went to this place called Utopia to hang out. It's a swanky 'Western Style' bar overlooking the Nam Khan. It's one of the chillest places I've ever hung out at. We spent like 3 hours there when we were planning on only staying for like a half hour. It turns out it's owned by this Canadian guy named Rob and I think I might have a bartending gig lined up there in exchange for free meals. (Not a bad arrangement being that it has some of the best western food in town). They say it's the place to be for travelers so I'm sure I'll get to meet some cool people there.

Utopia

Utopia's View

Overall, I'm super excited to be spending 6 months here in Luang Prabang. It's got a great mix of Lao and western culture. If you want to branch off the beaten path and find a hole in the wall Lao fried noodle restaurant, you can. If you're craving steak and mashed potatoes or need a legit cappuccino, you can get that too. 

I'm looking forward to getting to know this city like the back of my hand.  Most travelers only get to spend a couple weeks here so I feel so so lucky to have 6 months. I'm sure I'll be updating the blog with the many different things I discover about the city along the way. Until next time!

The Trip Over

The trip from California to Laos was, simply put, exhausting.

The journey started out fine enough. I met a man named Mitch at the check-in at LAX who was on the same flight and being that we seemed to be the only two English speakers on the flight, we decided to stick together.  Seeing that Mitch and I were conversing, the Chinese check-in man took the liberty of putting us next to each other on the plane, each in an isle seat across from the other. Mitch was an older guy, probably around 65, who was going to the Philippines to visit a woman he met online a couple months back… Hmm.. Red flag? Maybe.  Mitch was evidently going through a divorce and needed a vacation. He was a nice enough guy, though he tended to be slightly more chatty and vocal than I prefer. He was the type of guy who would interrupt you every 10 minutes or so while you were watching a movie to remind you that he didn’t enjoy long flights. “What’s that?” I’d say as I removed my headphones for the 5^th time in an hour. “This is gonna be a loooong flight.” He’d repeat with a look that said, we’re in this together.  I’d nod and agree with him and get back to my movie wishing that he’d realize we’re not in this together. 5 minutes later: “So where are you headed again?” he’d ask for the 6^th time since our meeting. Needless to say, Mitch’s prophetic words proved true. It was a long flight.  I’d say at around hour 7 of the 16-hour flight to Hong Kong the fatigue began to get to my head.  Having already watched 3 or 4 movies, I wandered the plane, pacing its isles like a nomadic vagabond; too tired to care that I looked like a crazy person.  The benefit of turning crazy was that I could relate to Mitch more and in the end it was actually nice to have someone to chat with (even if the topic of conversation would somehow inevitably get back to Mitch’s infatuation with Asian women).  

By the time I reached Hong Kong I had watched 7 movies, gone to the bathroom more than I could count, and was pushing the 24-hour mark for consecutive hours awake. 

The flight actually got in an hour or so late; so by the time I got to Hong Kong, I didn’t have much of a layover until my connecting flight to Bangkok. I must say, once I was on the plane to Thailand, I felt invigorated.  Here’s a little bit I wrote in my travel log (Stardate: 3022012.5):

“I’m safely aboard my next plane that will take me to the mystical land of Thailand. As the rest of the passengers continue to board, making sure to bump me with their oversized carry-on bags or elbow me in the head as they frantically fail at finding their seats, I can’t help but be filled with a sense of excitement that I’ve not yet felt so far this trip. It’s the magic of the unknown; the thrill of new experience; the energy of a new land… That or the prospect of sleep.  I’m not sure. Either way, I’m pretty stoked.”

Bangkok.

As stoked as I was, when I actually got to Bangkok, the panic set in.  People asking me questions in Thai; offering rides or rooms for rent; travelers running about frantically.  Luckily, I shared the shuttle from the airport with a God-sent saint named Dennis – a retired acupuncturist in his 60’s whose spirit resonated early 30’s. He had been to Thailand many times to do volunteer work and showed me some language/cultural basics to get me by.

My hotel in Bangkok

More hotel

Thai decorations

As I mentioned earlier, I seemed to contract some form of crazy during my travels. Prime example: I spent approximately 30 minutes taking pictures of myself like this in my hotel waiting for time to pass. I deleted most of them but I'd say this one captures that "I've been flying across the world for the past 36 hours and I feel like a corpse" look. Even so, I'll have to remember to actually be in some of my pictures during my time here.

The cultural differences of Thailand really hit me and I felt way underprepared. I tipped my bag boy $5 and I think he tried to tell me he wanted $20. Either way, he got $5.  I’m not sure if I was rude or if I had successfully avoided getting ripped off.. Or maybe I did get ripped off... Who knows? Regardless, I was happy to be aboard my flight to Luang Prabang the next morning. 

Last flight.

I arrived in Laos to smiling Pencils of Promise (PoP) faces and was taken to my new home. A successful 3-day trip from one end of the world to the other. 

View from my window in Laos, safe and sound