Tonight I'm heading south, taking an overnight bus to Pakse. From there I'll continue right away to the Bolaven plateau, somewhere between Saravan, Sekong and Paksong. I've been writing quite a lot in the last days... this will cease now, because in this region internet access will be very scarce. Some people call south-eastern Laos "the wild east", because it simply is less devellopped, less touristy... maybe more interesting, though...
Vientiane is really nice to relax for some days and to enjoy the atmosphere of this laid-back "capital city". But I don't need to mention that Laos consists of much more...
One last note: Laos is pronounced "Lao", and this was the original name. The "s" was added by the French is not pronounced...
martes, 3 de abril de 2007
Croissants and cameras
What have these things to do with each other? Well, not much, I just don't want to start too many posts...
It's nothing precisely Asian, but I enjoy them every morning: fresh, crispy croissants. A legacy from colonial times, you can find them not only in the pure tourist restaurants. Together with a tasty Laotian coffee it's a great breakfast. Yes, Laos grows its own coffee... I'm heading south now and I guess I will tell more about this topic later...
Concerning the croissants: in almost 2 years in Barcelona I haven't come across tasty croissants... what are they doing there and what could be a solution to this disgrace? Work camps in Laotian or Vietnamese bakeries for every Spanish baker? Quite costly, I know, but maybe it would be worth it...
I was asked to publish some photos... well, I took two cameras along, but both of them are not digital. I had to find out that the one I got repaired in Barcelona, still don't work... So there's only one left, which I need to use for the black and white-films of the planned reportages.
I was looking around a bit, but Vientiane isn't Bangkok. Looking at my budget, I simply couldn't afford paying 200 US-$ for a fairly decent digital camera. Yet I stumbled upon a solution: in one store I found something which ressembles a camera, uses 200 ASA color negative film and is about the most primitive thing I have seen in my life... but I paid only 25 $ for it... so I'm going to give it a try... it just takes a while, because first I have to shoot the film, later get it devellopped and scanned on CD. Then I have to find someone to show my how to place the pictures in internet... I admit, I'm not really up to date concerning some simple everyday-things of the year 2007...
So expect some photos in about 2 or 3 weeks... if this so-called camera functions...
It's nothing precisely Asian, but I enjoy them every morning: fresh, crispy croissants. A legacy from colonial times, you can find them not only in the pure tourist restaurants. Together with a tasty Laotian coffee it's a great breakfast. Yes, Laos grows its own coffee... I'm heading south now and I guess I will tell more about this topic later...
Concerning the croissants: in almost 2 years in Barcelona I haven't come across tasty croissants... what are they doing there and what could be a solution to this disgrace? Work camps in Laotian or Vietnamese bakeries for every Spanish baker? Quite costly, I know, but maybe it would be worth it...
I was asked to publish some photos... well, I took two cameras along, but both of them are not digital. I had to find out that the one I got repaired in Barcelona, still don't work... So there's only one left, which I need to use for the black and white-films of the planned reportages.
I was looking around a bit, but Vientiane isn't Bangkok. Looking at my budget, I simply couldn't afford paying 200 US-$ for a fairly decent digital camera. Yet I stumbled upon a solution: in one store I found something which ressembles a camera, uses 200 ASA color negative film and is about the most primitive thing I have seen in my life... but I paid only 25 $ for it... so I'm going to give it a try... it just takes a while, because first I have to shoot the film, later get it devellopped and scanned on CD. Then I have to find someone to show my how to place the pictures in internet... I admit, I'm not really up to date concerning some simple everyday-things of the year 2007...
So expect some photos in about 2 or 3 weeks... if this so-called camera functions...
Books
For those who can't travel themselves, there are some books available which describe in a magnificent and atmospheric way life in Indochina, at one time or another...
An all-time classic: Graham Greene's "The quiet american", a novel set in Saigon around 1950 during the first Indochina war. It's been translated into probably every major language (including catalá), so there's definitely no excuse if someone doesn't know it.
Right now I'm reading "La nuit de dragon" by Norman Lewis, an english journalist who travelled Indochina in the 1950s. The original title is "A dragon apparent", and it's a collection of smaller and larger reportages, written in a vivid and very descriptive way. I don't know whether it's available in other languages. From the same author was published a book about his travels to Burma, don't know the title right now, if one's interested, just feed your search engine with the author's name.
Many years ago I read "Borderlines" by Charles Nichols, a collection of shorter stories about his travels to Thailand... easy and pleasant reading...
It was definitely one of the last true adventures on this planet: in 1985/86 the swedish journalist Bertil Lindner crossed in 18 months northern Burma, starting in India, in Naga Land, and travelling through the lands of ethnic minorities until crossing the Chinese border. The written testimony is "Land of Jade - A journey through insurgent Burma". I must admit, it requires probably some interest in Burma's past and present... but if someone got just that, this is a book not to miss (before I left, I saw a new edition in Altair, Barcelona's travel bookstore).
These are just a very few recommendations, but all of these books are easy literature and definitely worth reading...
An all-time classic: Graham Greene's "The quiet american", a novel set in Saigon around 1950 during the first Indochina war. It's been translated into probably every major language (including catalá), so there's definitely no excuse if someone doesn't know it.
Right now I'm reading "La nuit de dragon" by Norman Lewis, an english journalist who travelled Indochina in the 1950s. The original title is "A dragon apparent", and it's a collection of smaller and larger reportages, written in a vivid and very descriptive way. I don't know whether it's available in other languages. From the same author was published a book about his travels to Burma, don't know the title right now, if one's interested, just feed your search engine with the author's name.
Many years ago I read "Borderlines" by Charles Nichols, a collection of shorter stories about his travels to Thailand... easy and pleasant reading...
It was definitely one of the last true adventures on this planet: in 1985/86 the swedish journalist Bertil Lindner crossed in 18 months northern Burma, starting in India, in Naga Land, and travelling through the lands of ethnic minorities until crossing the Chinese border. The written testimony is "Land of Jade - A journey through insurgent Burma". I must admit, it requires probably some interest in Burma's past and present... but if someone got just that, this is a book not to miss (before I left, I saw a new edition in Altair, Barcelona's travel bookstore).
These are just a very few recommendations, but all of these books are easy literature and definitely worth reading...
lunes, 2 de abril de 2007
Saturday night in Vientiane
A full moon is shining over Vientiane. I leave the river area to stroll through the darker streets and alleyways. Although it's saturday night, it's incredibly quiet. People sitting on their porches, talking in low voices, the continuous sounds of what could be crickets or cicadas, the rustling of leaves of palm and banana trees in the evening breeze, smells of charcoal fires and barbecued meat in the ubiquitous food kitchens... I'm only a few blocks away from the "center"...
When turning around a corner, I get to a night market: again rows of food stalls, the sweet sounds of Asian pop music from a shack selling CDs, a few tables where clothes and kitchenware is being sold... but in spite of all the people tranquility is still like floating in the air..
Slowly I head back, taking as many turns as possible through unlighted alleyways... I'm not too eager to get to the mainstreet with its continuous flow of cars, scooters and tuk-tuks, and yet this flow of vehicles, people and noises is so far away from the habitual frenzy of Barcelona... so why not getting another Lao beer before going back to the guest house?
When turning around a corner, I get to a night market: again rows of food stalls, the sweet sounds of Asian pop music from a shack selling CDs, a few tables where clothes and kitchenware is being sold... but in spite of all the people tranquility is still like floating in the air..
Slowly I head back, taking as many turns as possible through unlighted alleyways... I'm not too eager to get to the mainstreet with its continuous flow of cars, scooters and tuk-tuks, and yet this flow of vehicles, people and noises is so far away from the habitual frenzy of Barcelona... so why not getting another Lao beer before going back to the guest house?
Translation
A little help for all those who don't speak spanish ...
I already wrote more than what would fit on one page. At the bottom of each page you find several links: "entradas antiguas" means going back one page to the older posts, "página principal" to return to the page with the actual posts...
Any more questions or complaints? Just write me a "comentario" ...
I already wrote more than what would fit on one page. At the bottom of each page you find several links: "entradas antiguas" means going back one page to the older posts, "página principal" to return to the page with the actual posts...
Any more questions or complaints? Just write me a "comentario" ...
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