Laos holiday…  October 2007.   

Vientiane was our first stop on our trip to Laos. We decided to doVientiane first  to see  the Pha That Luang,  Patuxay and the rest of the city. The Buddha park was not on our list but got to see as well.   

First day was really fun. We decided to rent a motorbike as it was more fun than riding a tuktuk.  Motorbike rental was very cheap that time, they  required us to leave  a passport as some sort of collateral.   

busy taking photos instead of reading the map

It was my second time on a motorbike thats why I wasn’t that scared anymore. I was the one in charge of the map but I didnt find map reading interesting, I like it now though We made a few stops and took some photos along the way. We were heading to the  Pha That Luang but we got lost a few times.  Guess it was slightly my fault, as I’ve said I didnt like map reading that time. It was really difficult to get lost there as the locals dont speak and understand english that much. So the best way is to follow the directions on the guide books and be a good map reader. My boyfriend is good at it but it really is difficult to drive and read map at the same time.   

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around vientiane

We stopped by to figure out where we’re going and to take a few photos as well.  I can’t remember anymore what this thing is called. Might as well include in my album.   

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Pha That Luang

It was nearly sunset whenwe got to the Pha That Luang. It is a gold-covered Buddhist stupa and one of the highlights of Vientiane. They  often say that your visit to Laos won’t be complete without seeing this stupa. We decided to take several photos outside the temple first before going in. We didnt have a tripod so we just relied on the timer. We were really struggling to capture a good angle then suddenly a local man approached us and offered to take our photos and have them printed for the price of  usd5 for 2 printouts. We grabbed the offer.. we wanted to capture the stunning stupa at the background. What I didnt seem to understand was the man didnt want to take more than 2 shots, when in fact he was using a digital camera. Maybe he was saving the power or something, i dont know. By the way he had his printer lying under the palm tree, and mind you it was not a photo printer, it was just a typical inkjet printer that was running low on ink. To cut the story short, we were disappointed when we saw the printed photos, very poor quality.  But I still have it now  

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Pha That Luang, day 2

We were so busy taking photos and when we decided to go inside, the gate was already closed. We tried to talk to the guard to let us in even for a few minutes but he was really firmed and said “no no no… tomorrow “ :-)  we even tried twice but there was no luck at all. So we left after taking few more photographs and decided to come back the following day.  We went to see the rest of the area after leaving the Pha That Luang and took some more photographs before heading to the riverside cafes (along Mekong river) for coffee. We found this nice little roadside cafe and decided to have coffee and pastries, unfortunately I forgot to take some photos as I was feeling really tired already. 

Patuxay

We went to see Patuxay on our way back to Pha That Luang the following day. Got inside and took a few photos then went straight to Pha That Luang.

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Pha That Luang day 2

Finally we were allowed to go inside. Was surprised to see so many tourists walking. There was also a mini gallery and we decided to walk around and check out some paintings done by a local artist.  An old lady who introduced herself as the artist’s wife,  tried to make a small talk with us. Just when we were about to leave, a postcard lying on the table caught my attention. It was an image of such a huge reclining buddha. I got really curious and asked the lady where it was taken and how to get to the place. She was really kind and gave us directions how to get there… so, we’re off to the Buddha park.  

 

Prapheng Waterfall on the Mekong River.

The waterfalls and rapids across the countless streams of the Mekong River in Southern Laos are located in one of the richest and most bio-diverse areas in Asia.  And it is always under threat due to the hydroelectric potential of the Mekong.  Several dams have been built in China and in Laos and Cambodia, studies have been completed to determine the feasibility of dams in the Southern reaches of the river.

I believe its only a matter of decades before the Don Khong, Laos to Kratie, Cambodia stretch is dammed and therefore life as we know it on the river will be gone.

Typical river scene.

I had been thinking about making this trip for several years but had only recently decided to make this trip happen.  This area, which is referred to as Siphandon (translated in Lao as 4,000 islands),  can be visited from one of two routes with the northern route from Ubon Rachathani, Thailand through Pakse, Laos being the easiest to make.  You can fly into “Ubon” from Bangkok and then arrange for car, van or bus to journey the rest of the way to Siphandon.  From Ubon, the journey is approximately 300 kilometers.  The highways from the Thai border are quite good in contrast to the roads along the southern route from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Siphandon.

Sunrise on Don Khong.

As I find Cambodia one of the most enchanting places on Earth for photographs, I decided to take the 700 kilometer southern route.  Through the towns of Kratie, with its endangered Iriwaddy dolphins, to the northern wetlands capital, Stung Trung.  Along the way, there are so many opportunities for photographs that one is never lacking subjects.

Shy Iriwaddy Dolphins, an endangered species, near Kratie.

In the coming weeks, I will be posting photographs of the entire journey, from beginning to end. And back again.

Fisherman with net in foreground. Prapheng Waterfall in back.

Fisherman's ladder bridge in foreground. Sophamit Waterfall in background.

Pakbeng, halfway from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, from the Photos I Wish I'd Taken series.

Then there is the river, where natives wave from the shore, and young boys make faces in response to yours if you sit in the back of the riverboat and breathe all the fumes from the engine, all the clouds of blue cigarette smoke, and all the smoke from the fires lit throughout the land. Once the children on board are finished serving the passengers they climb the ladder at the front of the ship and wander into the windy compartment upstairs, where the pilot sits with a young monk wreathed in orange, and a pair of women talking about betrayals and loser boyfriends, and an Irishman and a woman from Corsica discussing their lives of exploration, and perhaps even the author, who is drenching himself in these overheard conversations, the pleasure of eavesdropping. Then there is the river, the darkness, the mist and the rainfall; once you get off at Luang Prabang and walk up the cement ramp to the city which is more jungle than city you will find yourself overwhelmed with wonder, especially when you see all the rectangular riverboats moored together on the shore. The old world is the new.

India – Slowly on the Ganges
The cost of our Ganges cruises will increase 25% from the 10th February 2010 to cover spiralling ground costs.

Mekong – Mekong Exploration
Upper deck cabins on our Upstream Mekong cruises will increase by 10% reflecting further enhancements to the service, food and beverage and other investments we have made to maintain our position as the premier cruise brand on the Mekong. Main and Lower deck cabins will remain at the current price.

Burma – All Irrawaddy and Chindwin cruises
From 10th February 2010, all Burma cruises which depart in the 2010 / 2011 season (ie departing between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011) will increase by 10% taking them inline with 2011/2012 prices. Note that last year the dollar devalued against the Myanmar kyat by over 20%. This trend looks like it will continue making Burma a more and more expensive destination and further rate hikes may be necessary later in the year.

AMA Waterways plans to add a second vessel on the Mekong River in Asia to operate cruises in Cambodia and Vietnam. The new vessel (as yet unnamed) will debut in the summer of 2011, with more capacity than the line’s first ship in the region (the 92-passenger “La Marguerite,” which is already almost sold out for its current season).

Visit our River & Specialty Cruises and AMA Waterways pages to learn more about this unique and luxurious way to experience the rivers of the world!

Let this be a lesson to you; always double check visa requirements before you head off on holidays (unless you’re from Singapore).  I went to the airport knowing I needed a visa to enter Vietnam but what I didn’t know was that I needed to pre-apply for one.  I figured it was like Cambodia, Laos, Turkey and any other number of countries; I’d be able to get one on arrival.  Nope.  So, when the folks wouldn’t let me on the plane I had to scramble to get flights changed for the following day as well as call hotels in Luang Prabang and Hanoi letting them know I’d be late.  I also had to rush from the airport to Wan Chai on HK island to the Vietnamese immigration office in order to get an emergency visa ($100 USD for about 5 minutes work).  In the end, I managed to leave on Christmas day but due to weather and the subsequent delays, I arrived at my Hanoi stopover 5 hours later than originally planned.  More than once I thought that maybe something was telling me I wasn’t supposed to go on this trip.

僕の旅行の始めは大変でした。もちろん、ベトナムの査証が必要な事ですが前に手に入れてなければいけませんしらなかったんです。それで空港からベトナムの入国管理所に行きました。緊急査証は高いでした。百ドールを払いました。高いですね。さらに、旅行者は新しい飛行切符を予定されました。そして、１２月２５日に出発しました。でも、香港天気が悪かったので五時間ぐらい遅延しました。大変！

I quite liked Luang Prabang.  It’s definitely a nice place to visit though it has certainly become like much of south-east Asia; geared toward tourists.  Which I guess is good in one sense but detracts in another.  I had been looking forward to seeing some of the Buddhist temples and the Pak Ou caves, historical resting spot of Buddhist statuary past its prime.  I guess I’ve been completely spoiled by temples and shrines in Japan because the majority of the temples that I saw left me unimpressed.  Granted, they were old at several hundred years but many also seemed fairly uncared for despite still being operational monasteries.  The caves at Pak Ou have also become a disappointing tourist trap.  The slow boat up the Mekong river was nice (though out pilot seemed to take the slow-boat part to heart) but once you get there, the landing is chock-a-block with other tourist boats and the lower cave where most of the statues are is full of people.  That’s become par for the course in that part of the world though.  It was the same when I went to Siem Reap to see the Angkor temples.  A far cry from what one friend of mine described as her trip there over a decade ago.  Though, the mad dash out of Cambodia when civil war erupted I could do without but certainly seeing the sights without the throngs would be a bonus.

ルアンプラバンは好きでした。いい所ですがたくさん旅行者がいました。いろいろな面白い所に行きたかったけどラオスのお寺はちょっと面白くなかったです。たぶん日本のお寺とは比べ物にならないほど劣っている。パクオー洞窟もがっかりさせました。有名な所ですけど旅行者が多すぎました。でも、メコン川に船旅が楽しかった。

There is a lot to be said for the town though.  It’s definitely a quiet, relaxing place and the people are very friendly.  There are a lot of great restaurants and cafes to choose from, many of which have seating on either the Mekong or Nham Kan river.  I can honestly say I never got a bad cup of coffee while in Luang Prabang and most of the places have free wifi.  A rhetorical question: If little ol’ Luang Prabang can manage amazing coffee and wifi-ready cafes everywhere, how is it that Hong Kong, the self-proclaimed “Asia’s world city” can fail so miserably on both counts?  All told, I would definitely go back to Laos on a vacation.  A long weekend is really all that’s needed to see most sights and relax with a Beer Lao or two by the river.

ルアンプラバンは素晴らしい村です。静かだし、いいレストランがあるし、人が優しいです。たくさんレストランは川岸の席があります。美味しい食べ物食べたり、ビールを飲んだりよかったです。本当にルアンプラバンにどこでもレストランやカフェに止まりました美味しいコーヒがありました。香港にそれはぜんぜんちがいます。それは分かりません。本当にルアンプラバンの休みを勧めます。でも、二、三日もいいと思います。

Map of Cambodia

Several years ago I began thinking about a trip up (or down) the Mekong River from its source on the Tibetan Plateau 4350 kilometers away from its delta near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.  It’s a river diverse with flora and fauna, sadly under attack by countries along its length for its hydroelectric potential.  Of course “hydroelectric potential” translates into damming the river.

Before the Mekong “disappears” under one dam project after another, I decided that I must see the river.  The upper reaches of the river have been subjugated by dams in China.  The lower reaches are still dam free although for how long is subject to discussion.

I am kicking off this discovery in early February with a leg known for its magnificent waterfalls in southern Laos and the Irawaddy dolphins, a endangered species that still lives in small numbers in this area of the Mekong River. I will be traveling by car from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Pakse, Laos.  Along the way I intend to tweet my journey and post to this blog.  The objective of the trip is to photograph the waterfalls, the river, and life along the river.

This trip will head north east via highway 7 to Kratie, famous for its small pod of  Irawaddy dolphins, then thru the town of Stung Treng before crossing the border into Laos.  Between the border and Don Khong are the mighty waterfalls that brought the French ambition to travel by ship to interior China to a dead end.

In Part 2 of this series, which I will post in the coming days, I will discuss the equipment I am bringing on this trip.

Here’s a great story from our friend Saiaew in northeastern Thailand

By Tipakson Manpati, 12 January 2010

My Mekong River

I joined Children Day this year with a big group of active youths from Khon Kaen University and Rajchapat Udonthani and also with “young heart” people from Human Rights and Peace Information Center of Northeast Thailand, Children and Social Development Center and villagers struggling groups against bad development projects like potash mine in Udonthani province and Lam Pa Niang water diversion project in Nongbualampu province. The Children Day was held on January 9, 2010 at Huay Khob-Huay Hiam school, Huay Khob village, Had Kam Pi sub-district, Pak Chom district, Loei province.

There were many fun and edutainment activities that children participated such as singing, dancing and arts. “My Mekong River” was a topic of school essay and drawing contest. The contest activity was a channel for the children to express their feelings, thoughts, and perspectives to outside world about the Mekong River while many communities in Pak Chom district is in Pak Chom dam site that the Thai government proposed in 2005.

Having read and seen the students’ essays and drawings brought me a meaningful thoughtful moment. I wish whoever read the kid’s assay and see the kid’s drawings would help encourage them to care the children’s dreams and want to protect the Mekong for all lives.

An essay of a primary student who won the first prize.

My Mekong River

The Mekong River is important for lives. It is the borderline river between Thailand and Lao. In the past, fisherman and villagers in general will find food from the river. The river flows through many countries. It is a very long river.

The Mekong River is fertile and there are many kinds of fish. I am happy when I see beautiful scenery and nature of the Mekong. My grandpa goes to fish in the Mekong. Sometime, the villagers plant vegetable on an empty land of the Mekong for eat and sell. The Mekong River is essential for the villagers living. The Mekong River has many kinds of fish and some villagers go to fish for their food. Atmosphere and scenery of the Mekong is beautiful. Sometime, tourists come to visit and take pictures of the Mekong. Strand in the Mekong has small bushes and beautiful and colorful shells hide in the rocks. In April, the Mekong has many ponds. There are shrimps rest in the Mekong rocks and people go to get them for food.

Some people might think that the Mekong is not important, but for me it is very beautiful place and essential for all villagers living. I like to see the Mekong and riverine animals live happily. So, we must help each other to protect the Mekong River and for its beautiful nature.

By Preeyanut Kamsai, Sixth grade student, HuayKhob-Huay Hiam School.

Mekong raised me up

I talked to Nareekan Doungnate, a student from Huay Khob-Huay Hiam school who was very active to share her Mekong story. She also won a second prize assay and she showed me with a humble smile.

“I’m proud that I was born in the Mekong River community. When I was a kid, my father went to fish for our family. My mother and my grandparents used to pad gold from the Mekong and sold the gold for our family’s income. That was the way they raised me up.” Said Nareekan

Look at the Mekong scenery in dry season from the mountain

She went on talking the ways of many lives have been long depended on the Mekong. “We take a bath from the Mekong water. We eat from the Mekong.  We can take a break to see the beautiful scenery of the Mekong. We have many festivals and tourist attractions related to the Mekong such as Songkran, Buddhist Lent Day and Naga Fire Ball festival.

She finally emphasized with her wide-eyes and big-smiled to me “Anyone that has a chance to visit my community, I want to tell them that the Mekong is the most valuable for us.”

Picture words a million

First prize winner

Third prize winner

It was 5 p.m. and the Children Day closing ceremony was done. I took this chance to ask the children if they would want to take photo together before the sunshine disappear into the dark of the winter. A big group of the kid raised up their hands with excited feeling to join. I walked with them to the Mekong river bank area which now emerges a large and wide land for river bank cultivation since the seasonal water has decreased. Below are some of the children’s drawings that show a colorful, wealthy and healthy of “My Mekong River” for the people.

Second prize winner

]]> http://13lines.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/the-life-of-muslim-in-cambodia/ Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:34:21 +0000 mega aisyah http://13lines.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/the-life-of-muslim-in-cambodia/ http://aroundtheworldwithmarylescasto.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/unbelievable-angkor-wat/ Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:59:43 +0000 Maryles Casto http://aroundtheworldwithmarylescasto.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/unbelievable-angkor-wat/

Cambodian Market Place

We were still traveling with the Romines when our next stop was Cambodia. We flew into Phnom Penh. The reason people went to Cambodia in 1996 was to see Angkor Wat, a 12th century

temple — first a Hindu temple then a Buddhist one. There were no roads, only one hotel (where all the tourists stayed) and basically nothing in the way of luxuries. Typical me, immediately

upon our arrival I wanted to hit the market place. There were stalls and stalls of fresh fruit. It was definitely where everyone gathered. You could buy anything…from chickens to clothing. We ended up having dinner at a place right on the Mekong River. We were all looking forward to our visit the next day to Angkor Wat.

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to Angkor Wat. The roads were horrible. It was like you make your own road there. Angkor Wat is so hard to describe. The entrance is lined with carvings as far as you could see. You have to remember this was all done by people with no mac

hinery — all by hand! Since we were some of the first tourists to see the temple in modern times we had complete access to the

Angkor Wat Temple

building. There were big, massive trees that were taking over the temple like it was being swallowed. Because of this destruction of the temple, a good friend of mine, Joyce Clark, helped start a foundation called “Friends of Khmer Culture” to

Trees Engulfing Angkor Wat Temple

assist in the preservation of the art and culture of Cambodia. If you’re interested in their ongoing projects here’s a link to their website: http://www.khmerculture.net/

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

In 1996, the Cambodian people were still recovering from the devastation of past wars. What struck me immediately was the sight of all the people without limbs. The devastation was so intense. I kept thinking it was like a perfect storm — it hit them

all at once. You keep asking yourself, “how did we let this happen?” You don’t hear much about Pol Pot and the killing fields. When you go to the killing fields there is complete silence. No one has to tell you to be silent — you just know that the massacre was so horrendous that the ground is sacred. There is a museum there to tell the story.  All the skulls are displayed in a glass case. Just as the Jewish people were taken to the gas chambers in WWII, the Cambodian people were taken to the fields and murdered. They have since been dubbed “The Killing Fields” and it is now known as the Cambodian Holocaust. It is estimated that 1.7 – 2.5 million people were killed during Pol Pot’s reign. That’s an estimated 21% of the Cambodian population at the time.

Cambodia Killing Fields Skulls

Even after what was done to them, the Cambodian people I met, the guides and survivors of the killing fields expressed forgiveness and an eagerness to move on with life. They were in the mode of rebuilding and they saw success in their future.

Seeing what I have seen before and knowing how they have recovered tells me there is hope for any country that has been devastated by war and poverty.

Next stop…the country of my birth, the Philippines.

Laos is landlocked and lies between Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Mekong River forms the countries western border and the Anna Mite Mountains form its eastern border with Vietnam.

The total land area is approximately 237,000 sq km. An area similar to that of the United Kingdom. The main features of the country are its mountains and the Mekong River valley.

Laos has a monsoon climate of a dry and a wet season. The dry season lasts from November to May with the cooler period in December and January. At its coldest, the temperatures can fall to as low as 15. The cold periods tend to be at night and early morning with colder temperatures at higher altitudes. During the hot period of the dry season, between March and May, temperatures can reach the high 30s. The rainy season is a lot cooler, and rainfall varies according to altitude. Generally speaking, the monsoon season produces severe rain that lasts for short periods of time. The wet months vary according to location, in Vientiane, they are from May to September, in Luang Prabang, and August is far wetter than any other month.

Parts of the Anna mite chain are covered with tropical evergreen forest, where rainfall is highest and in the south, tropical pine forests can be found.

Laos, the land of a million elephants and one of the last places to see old Indochina. The pace of Laos is slow and its people relaxed and friendly.

There are 68 official ethnic groups in Laos, belonging to three main groups.

For much of its history, Laos has been under the thumb of its neighbours at various times the Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Siamese. The result is that Laos has experienced great difficulty in establishing a national identity.

Laos folk music uses the Khen a set of pipes. Lam Wong is a popular folk dance where couples dance in circles to Lam Vong music.

It has a large number of animal species, including as many as 500 different birds. Reptiles include many snakes, including king cobras. There are a large number of lizards. Mammals include wild cats, bears, leopards and tigers. There are up to 500 wild elephants, although more than twice those numbers are in captivity. There are a number of rare species which include rhinos and wild cattle.

The Lao language is a member of the Tai language group, sometimes known as Tai Kadai or Kadai.

One of my first trips in Laos was back in July of 2007 when Aon, her family (her mom, younger sister, and Bia) and I visited the famous Buddhist temple and Khmer ruins Wat Phou Champasak near Pakxe in southern Laos.

Getting there was quite an interesting journey because to get to the temple and the ruins one has to cross the mighty, magnificent Mekong River on a ferry.

For those who are vaguely familiar with the Mekong River, the name alone conjures up all sorts of images whether it’s the Mekong Delta from the Vietnam War or if you are much of a Thai whiskey drinker, Mekong Whiskey. However, for those who live along its winding path, the river is an important waterway and natural resource.

The river itself can get quite wild during the rainy season (last year in the capital city of Vientiane it rose above flood stage and flooded out streets that run along its banks) but when I crossed it in the July of 2007, it was simply magnificent and peaceful.

The ferry is a couple of boats lashed together with a makeshift platform to accommodate a few cars and a bus or two. It might not look like much, but it serves its purpose well ferrying people and vehicles across the Mekong.

It takes no more than thirty minutes to cross, and when the weather is gorgeous like it was the day we crossed it, the scenery is breathtaking.

My sleeping quarter while visiting my grandmother at the country side, my bed is against the wall

My first visit I had a hard time adjusting to the living condition.  Currently when I looked at the pictures at first it is very sadden because initially I saw the conditions; they are filthy. But then again if you look hard and deep enough these pictures showed characters of each individual strength and weakness.

I saw children expressions are happy, curious, playfulness, innocent and very powerful.  I can even compare these children to body of water that flows through Laos. The Mekong river; a tiny drop of water started its journey’s from the  Himalaya carved through mountains and lakes through Tibet, China it carved a small streams, rivers and then gather it all mighty strength to become the longest river in Southeast Asia and it border many countries. The mighty river have the powers to create and destroy lives.  These children are just like the river they can carves, creates a better future for lao people by built a stronger foundation or they can follow the current path, a very weaken foundation that was destroyed by their previous generation or do nothing at all. There are so many obstacles which make me wonder if they could make a differences. 

I have a lot of hope by witnessing  a twin-born couples day before my arrival at my grand mother village.  Both of them look healthy and they are getting  their first vaccination donated by the UNICEF. Remember? the little orange box we carrier around during Halloween?  those penny both dull and shinny was a bless when you witness that the money we donated is at work in Laos. The beige box on the left hand side is a cooler storage vaccines for the children.

Mom and her new-born being examined at the clinic

Clinic outside of Vientiane, nurse is in the process of given her newborn first vaccination

Older sister holding onto another one of her new-born sibling while her mom have her other sibling examined by a nurse

 Although the clinic is not what we used to in the United States.  It is the initiative for basic health care that Non-Government Organization is working hard to keep it going.  My gripes; it is only temporary once the money ran out or their visa expired they leave the country.  Some will try to go back but some will travel else where.

Children playing near the clinic all got some popsicle, no wonder they like to hang out with me

Mekong river looking over Thailand side, looks more modern

Those children are fast they are all the way down close to the river and I'm not even close and I'm running out of breathe, and where is my inhaler? The hot sand and the midday sun doesn't helper neither. Shoot!!! I'm suppose to be in charge of the kids and I haven't been swimming since I graduated from high school. Their parents entrusted me to watch the kids it's more like the opposite.

Yep the mighty Mekong river during dry season. MUDDY !! just the way I liked my coffee muddy.

Kids showing off, the water was pretty cold, even the river looks calm the curent is pretty strong

Small walking trail from the Mekong river walking toward the village

Cousins showing off their pets, I asked if I could have the big one for making larp ped

Children in Xieng Kuang Province

These are couple old picture my second visit to Laos. I was able to visit the Northern part of Laos, Xieng Kuang province and saw the plain of jars. What an ingenious way to use a scrapes from the war and made something useful, Lao engineering at work; materials provided by left over U.S dumpster.

Stilt house make with left over clusters bomb shell

Plain of Jars- Xieng Kuang, Phonsavanh

Children from the village at Hinboun province standing near the river welcome our visit

Little girl with her sibling begging at tala sao market

There are some promising to the future of Laos, if they live in the larger cities or the capital and  if their parent’s have the resources to send them to school, buy uniforms and some children even attend extra curriculum studying a second  languages such as, English or Chinese etc…… Some of these children will have better future since they will be able to study aboard in Australia or even in the United States. For some who have no choices but beg on the street to make a day to day living along with their parents.  I don’t want to disregard this unfortunate children future.  With hope they will re-direct their destiny to make a better future for themselves.

Young girls walking to school after lunch break, Vientiane

I’m on my way to Talat Sao Market, it’s a short distance from where I lived the street is not that busy. I came across these children walking back to school after their afternoon break. We rely on these young girls to make the better choices and whether or not Laos can compete and develop economically like the rest of the Southeast Asia countries.

Here is Saiaew’s new report on the potential impacts of Pak Chom Dam on food security in communities living along the Mekong River in Loei province, Thailand – Please take a look and share your thoughts!

Gao Giong in the southern province of Dong Thap is a place that Cong has been closely connected to for many years. Its development has been his life’s passion, ever since he was a boy.

He says he will never forget the days in the past when the rainy season was approaching. His family and neighbours would bind together several small boats to make a large floating platform that was converted into a temporary house floating on the flooded rice paddies.

“Spending our nights out there we had to battle mosquitoes, bloodsuckers, snakes and mice,” recalls Cong.

But life has changed.

After a dozen years of helping out with developing what was a dry and neglected area into one of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta’s most famous eco-tourism sites, Cong is now proud of what he and his colleagues have achieved – an eco-escape rich with precious flora and fauna.

Work on the ambitious project started in 1985, when district authorities called for young volunteers to help develop and protect Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds). Cong was assigned to lead the group.

They dug channels, built irrigation systems and bridges and planted cajeputs, small flowering trees of the myrtle family, native to the East Indies and Australia. Many hectares of cajeput helped to create a more inviting environment for fauna and other flora to flourish, especially bird life such as stork, cormorants and herons.

The park has become a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. They come here to relax and enjoy meandering sampan cruises through the wetlands.

Bird watchers in particular are in for an enthralling visit, as the park provides a sanctuary for several species of birds during the flood season.

Cong says Gao Giong is most beautiful at this time, when the waters rise from August to October. During this time, water from the Mekong River flood the local rice fields and turn Gao Giong into an oasis teaming with life. Thousands of white storks hover over the green cajeputs, coming to feed on fish and bugs hidden in the reeds and waters. Bird nest across about 40ha of the park, which attract 15 types of birds, including egrets, sparrows, wild ducks and herons.

The environment is an example of the region’s mangrove lowlands and the park acts as a ‘green lung’ of the Dong Thap Muoi region.

Cong says the site has earned tens of billions of dong from tourism. In addition, they also earn VND4 billion (US$216,000) from exploiting the cajeput, which contains a greenish oil with a range of medicinal uses. Sales of the oil contribute a significant sum to the local government’s budget.

From 2003, the park’s management board has co-ordinated with tour operators to develop tourism services. About 300ha of 10-year-old cajeputs have been set aside for visitors. The park’s total size is 16,000ha.

To protect and preserve the park’s environment, Cong has focus on sustainable practises. Local residents are allowed to prune unsightly or excessive cajeput branches, which are used as fire wood or sold for money.

Cong says the park’s management board has spent hundreds of millions of dong in building houses and providing rice for needy households and underprivileged families in the area, granting scholarships for poor but talented children, providing free health checks and treatment to the poor and contributing to building bridges and roads.

Rural life in the Gao Giong has changed for the better and the local economy is thriving. There are now vital roads crossing floodways and new houses have sprung up with red tiled roofs sprouting antennas and providing a more comfortable life for local residents.

After nearly 25 years of working in the park, Cong and his management board have received many certificates of merit and gifts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Forest Watch and Dong Thap People’s Committee.

“I hope the Party and the State will further support us to improve infrastructure, creating good conditions for tourists to visit the area and help the site’s development as a precious example of the great outdoors,” says Cong.

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