Laos
Laos is beautiful. This is unmistakable as soon as you set eyes upon it, let alone cross the border.
Laos is beautiful. This is unmistakable as soon as you set eyes upon it, let alone cross the border.If England's land is green and pleasant, Laos' is stunningly exotic. Miles upon miles of pristine, untouched jungle form the landscape of much of this little-known and often over-looked country. Mountain ranges interspersed with cascading valleys help create an aura of isolation; for here can be found some of the last and greatest expanses of natural wilderness left on Earth.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7376.UNDEFINED)The reason for this is less through design than an unwitting consequence of governance. Like China and Vietnam, Laos is Communist. But unlike its neighbours, it still practices that most detrimental of socialist practices; closed economics, with importation and exportation of goods and services severely restricted. The effect this has on the land is fantastic in that only small areas are farmed with huge swathes left untouched. Only what is needed for the local population is taken from it, leaving nature to take its course upon the rest.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7375.UNDEFINED)The implications for the economy, meanwhile, are disastrous, and Laos is assessed by the UN's poverty index to be as impoverished as my previous destination, Cambodia. However, this is not nearly as obvious. In Cambodia, poverty screams at you, very much of the 'in your face' variety. Here it is much more hidden and difficult to perceive.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7374.UNDEFINED)This can be at least partially explained by the fact that Laos is a strange place, not only undeveloped economically but also socially. Visiting this country is like taking a step back in time, and I'm talking not decades but centuries. To begin with, and perhaps central to its oddity, is that urbanisation has not occurred. Unlike practically every other nation on the planet, the steady population movement from countryside to townships is yet to happen. Out of a population of eight million, the capital, Vientiane has only 200,000 inhabitants.
Local identity is a crucial factor here, as a large percentage of Laotians are tribespeople and, as such their lives revolve around their small, close-knit communities. Such people perceive their own identity not as being Laotian, but rather that of their tribe. Movement away from this sphere of security and comfort is something unimaginable to most.
People themselves are timid and shy, making Laos a difficult place to get to know. People will very rarely open up to or impose upon foreigners and whilst this is endearing in that the 'hassle factor' is reduced to practically nothing, after one month I left with the feeling that I had barely scratched the surface. For all the frustrations this invariably causes, it is also incredibly charming. These simple people have a certain childlike innocence about them; a curiosity which when fused with the nationally imposed characteristic of isolationism leaves them more than a little bewildered with the ways of the outside world. Engaging with them is an effort (because they are shy, not sullen), but once achieved is rewarding. Immensely gentle, considerate, respectful and pleasant, they are simply a delight. Unfortunately for me, one month was not enough.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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