Heritage in the Jungle? Visit Laos and its UNESCO Heritage sites

The rush hour occurs when school ends and students fill the streets with bicycles.

Sunset on the ancient ruins by the mighty River Mekong ... Laos is a country where time has no meaning. Like Myanmar, the lack of foreign influence offers travellers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional SE Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, travellers who have made it to Laos agree that this country is the highlight of South-East Asia. Laos is the least developed of the former French Indo-Chinese states. Due to a ruinous sequence of domination, conflict and socialism which ruined the country in the 1970s and years of isolation, Laos is now stabilizing, enjoying peace and admitting foreigners.

I was at Ubon Ratchathani, Eastern Thailand, visiting the Cambodian ruin of Prasat Vihearn, 100 years older than Angkor Wat and only seen from the Thai side. The A.C. coach from Ubon to Pakse (Laos) goes via Siridhon Dam to Khong Mek, (Thai border) and onto Van Tao / Pakse. The scenic route along the length of the dam is bordered by paddy fields and forests. You notice the differences on each side of the countryside due to the economies of the two countries.

Lao Border police issue visas for US$30, but ask for Thai Baht 50 as their fee for giving your own passport back! On the way back, when I insisted on a receipt, he pointed at a notice stating the fee for overtime work after office hours. I was there at 11 am on a Wednesday morning. Seems familiar doesn’t it? Reminded me very much of home!!

 

Boarding the ferry

Three French ladies living in Paris and Champasak befriended me. As I was going to Champasak’s two UNESCO heritage sites, it made sense to go with them. I sat up front next to a French speaking tuk-tuk driver. 

Watching the scenery for 19 km in a tuk-tuk before we hit the Mekong River was a balancing act on the small seat. A three-pontoon ferry takes us across the Mekong, known as Nam Khong locally, in all of 15 minutes. The actual process of boarding the ferry was driving onto thick wood boards over a wide muddy corrugated track. The ferry had to be manually push started off the mud bank!

I prefer centrally located hotels with friendly smiling staff, a general feeling of occupancy in the main areas, a room with a view and a spotless loo. Its amazing what you find sometimes - the larger hotels are often cold, uninviting places even though their furnishings may be the best. 

Thavasib Hotel, the only hotel in town!! 

I found a really nice place: turned out Thavisab Hotel was the only hotel -     US$ 10 for a really large A/C room, fridge, and clean loo with hot water. There were eight guest houses offering rooms from US$ 2 to US$10

CHAMPASAK is a one street 4 km long village - the Mekong on one side, fields on the other; at one end the technical institute, a third way up the ferry point, another third up the hotel and at the end is the ornate first entrance to Wat Phu which lies 8 km away. No bars, no massage parlours, no entertainment or restaurants as we know them; only Thai TV. What I call a cool place to chill out, doing nothing as Thai TV is worse than Indian TV. 

Wat Phu - an awesome single temple ruin far smaller than Angkor. 

note the moss and lichen on these steps!

The mountain top is swathed in mist until you get near - the Wat is invisible in the green forest cover. The main entry is some distance from the gate. Then comes a longish dogleg of a driveway and only as you start climbing, do you get an idea of all the ruins. The stones are dark and often with moss / lichen. Unlike the Cambodian Prasat Vihearn with a far steeper climb, the steps here are fewer but much more slippery as moss grows on the wet stones. 

Originally for Hindu worship and subsequently converted to a Buddhist temple, Wat Phu’s history is unclear. It was the site of a temple of the Khmer Empire that eventually made Ankor Wat its capital. Wat Phu, the most sacred religious site in Southern Laos, dates to the Chenla Period (6^th-8^thC) and later part of the Khmer Angkor Empire (9^th-13^thC).   Situated at the base of Phu Pasak (Pasak Mountain), Wat Phu ascends in three levels up the side of the mountain to the main temple sanctuary commanding breathtaking views.  Wat Phu is shaped to express the Hindu vision of the relationship between nature and humanity, using an axis from mountain top to river bank to lay out a geometric pattern of temples, shrines and waterworks extending over 10 km. The site nowadays is a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship. Historians say the Khmers chose this site because of a natural spring flowing from the top of the mountain and because the peak of Phu Pasak resembles Shiva’s phallus. 

 UNESCO in 2002 listed it as a World Heritage site. In 2003, the Archeological Museum opened with more than 150 artifacts. On both sides are ruins of a temple complex. Unlike Prasat Vihear in Cambodia, which has mine fields outside the cleared zone, here you can walk around. Only when you start climbing, do you see two large man-made ponds, the ruins below, the long rows of pedestals lining the driveway to the original formal entrance and the huge trees typical of this area which are not visible when you first enter.

Phu Pasak may have been used for human sacrifices as the temple is divided in two parts. The lower part consists of two ruined palace buildings at the edge of a pond, which was used for ritual ablutions. The upper section, the temple sanctuary itself, once enclosed a large Shiva phallus (linga). It was later converted into a Buddhist temple but much of the original Hindu sculpture remains. The lintels feature various forms of Vishnu and Shiva as well as Kala, the Hindu god of time and death. The naga stairway is lined with plumeria (Dokchampa), the Lao national flower.

 The Wat has a large image and three smaller images of the Buddha. Simple but seriously dominating. I bought some joss sticks and flowers, lit them and spoke to Him. Maybe He listened!! I never anticipate so whatever happens is for the good. 

When you see the Wat from a distance, the glow from the Buddhas as well as the natural light is such that there is a yellow glow emanating from within the temple to the outside and the natural countryside colours seem to recede. It’s eerie and awesome!

ruins at the top level

Wat Phu Buddha shrine top level - Champasak 

At the top of the temple site are a number of carved rocks, resembling a crocodile, a naga (a Cobra) and an elephant. It is believed that these rocks were used for human sacrifice. There whole area is forested so most of it is impenetrable. Sitting at the top, I felt a real sense of happiness and elation at being in such a pristine divine place.

Next stop Phu ASA, the 18^thC Khmer stone temple at Khiet Nuong on the 48 kms marker from Pakse / 30 kms from Champasak. The last 10 kms are over a heavily corrugated mud track, more suitable for elephants than tuk-tuks. 

 

At the elephant base camp, we had a 3 km uphill climb, but like the Malay rainforest, I was careful as the path is made of rocks and tree roots. One walks on one’s toes to ensure a confident step. Unfortunately, the minute we started from the base, it started drizzling right until we returned home.

The volcanic plate of Phu Asa is impressive.

at the top with ruins Phu Asa, Champasak  

The ground is made of huge black boulders pitted with holes, large flat pieces over 10 ft wide. A collection of 15 six-feet high slate brick columns built with small stones placed on each other, arranged in a semi-circle on the crest of the hill. There is a central small ruin with in-growing trees and lichen. On the left side at the far bottom of the hill you see wild elephants in the wetlands. We walked back in the pouring drizzle: totally soaked.  On the way back, I felt a little wiggling on my right calf; lifting my trouser, I saw a leech enjoying itself! The guide saw it, shivered and started checking his pants; not once, but thrice!!

Wat Oumong trees reflection .  Champasak  

En route, is Wat Oumong, 5 kms off the main road, in deep forest. The trees are huge – over 150 feet in height and the way the trees’ roots curled around the small Wat’s ruins reminded me of Ta Phrom in Angkor. Nature is awesome but merciless. Nearby, there is a large pond which reflects the giant trees and their roots – an unforgettable image.

PAKSE OR PAKXE, the regional capital, at the confluence of the Xe Don (Sedon) and Mekong Rivers, halfway between the Thai border and the fertile Bolaven Plateau, is the south's biggest city and commercial / transport hub. It has wide boulevards, orderly traffic and its waterfront cafes are full of youngsters.

Pakse’s main tourist attraction is the Champasak Palace Hotel, a majestic structure resembling a giant wedding cake. The late Prince Boun Oum Na Champasak, heir to the Champasak kingdom and one of the most influential southerners of the 20^thC, needed a palace to accommodate his many concubines. It is now a leading hotel with over 170 well furnished rooms, each looking out onto the river.

Champasak Provincial Museum houses fine examples of ornately carved pre-Angkorian sandstone lintels. There is also a selection of local tribes' costumes and jewellery. There are three markets in the city but the best is the very large and lively East Market. An interesting half day outing is to go across the river in a longboat to Don Muang - a very large island with many old style wooden houses on stilts and a path running right round it. The island crossing was not as exciting as my experiences on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar or the Mekong in Phnom Penh.

Most shops and offices in Pakse shut by 5.30 pm but the many private ground floor Mom & Pop shop-houses stay open till 11.00 pm. Late evening sees the riverside cafes, over 15 discos and bars busy.

I had walked around the whole day and found Jasmine, an Indian dhabha, owned by a Tamilian, a 16-year Laos veteran. His was the only popular eating place with people. Most people eat at the food barrows / stalls all over the city. Foreigners follow the herd instinct or their guide books. Rice is the staple food. Dishes are cooked with fresh vegetables, freshwater fish, poultry, duck, pork, beef or water buffalo. Lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander give the food its characteristic tang. Various fermented fish concoctions are used to salt the food. Hot chillies, garlic, mint, ground peanuts, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk are other seasonings.

My favourite memory is sitting by the river at sunset. Unforgettable! Lots of cloud cover and a hardly visible sun which gave way within minutes to no clouds and a brilliant golden yellow sun which later became maroonish red as the evening progressed and then gradually faded away. I look forward to many more sunsets in Luang Prabang and Vientiane!

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Full country name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Area: 236,000 sq km (92,040 sq m)
Population: 4.75 million (growth rate 2.9%)
Capital city: Vientiane (pop 300,000)
People: 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong or Mien high-altitude hill tribes) and 10-20% tribal Thais
Language: Lao and Lao dialects (closely related to Thai), French
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and spirit cults

How to get to South Laos

Air: A visa from Delhi to Vientiane.

Road: Thai and Lao coaches four times daily. Both coaches were first rate – brand new reclining seats, toilet, TV.  Lao gave free cold towels /free wafer biscuits.

When to Go The best time with less rain and less heat - November to February. For the mountains, it’s May and July. Roads may be washed out during July - October rainy season. Peak tourist months - December to February.

Accommodation

In Pakse, Champasak Palace Hotel; Pakse Hotel and many guest houses.  

Room rates depend upon the city and on the location of the room – panoramic, superior, standard or economy.

Must - See – * Bolaven Plateau - Laven Tribals for highly-regarded coffee in the world. Centre of Mon-Khmer culture with Alak, Katu, Ta-oy and Suay villages. *Khone Phapeng waterfalls are the largest waterfall in SE Asia, the East’s Niagara.

Major places to see

VIENTIANE (pronounced 'Wieng Chan') is laid-back and has interesting wats and lively markets. The most important monument is Pha That Luang (the Great Sacred Stupa) is a symbol of Buddhist and Lao sovereignty. Other sights - Wat Pha Kaew, a former royal temple; Wat Si Saket the oldest temple in Vientiane; the Morning Market. Wat Xieng Khuan is a collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. Vientiane has many hotels and guesthouses. For good Lao meals, try the Dong Palan Night Market on the east bank of the Nong Chan ponds.

LUANG PRABANG’s main attractions are its historic temples - 32 of the original 66 built before French colonization. It has a lovely setting encircled by mountains at the confluence of the Khan and Mekong rivers. Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Wisunlat worth visiting. Nearby are the famous Pak Ou caves, some of which are filled with Buddha images.

Ho Chi Minh Trail War history lovers will like the Trail running parallel to the Laos-Vietnam border. It was used by Viet Minh & North Vietnamese. 1.1 million tons of explosives and massive quantities of herbicides were dropped by USA between 1965-69.

Getting Around the main roads are good. Bus services are limited. Rivers are the true highways of Laos. For long journeys, take diesel river ferries; shorter trips, hire a river taxi or longboat with an engine. There are taxis, tuk-tuks and Pedi cabs.

What to buy

·  Embroidered silk and cotton fabrics in piece good or sarong format. Champasak is famous for its nearby weaving village.

·  Lao coffee – strong and really refreshing. As good as Colombian and Vietnamese coffee.

Currency: the Kip - be prepared to handle a huge wad of old notes as Laos has no coins. You may pay in kip for cheap purchases, baht for mid-range buys, and dollars for expensive items in the countryside, US $ or Thai baht. Travellers cheques & credit cards are not preferred





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