Laos

A country bordering Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China, Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. I visited Laos for six days as a part of my school's "Project Week" two years ago, and I chose this specific trip as Laos had been a place that I had never visited before. Although I had visited most of its bordering countries (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and China), I was always intrigued by Laos, the "Land of a Million Elephants", as I wondered how it would differ from its more touristy neighboring regions.

Culture:

I was given the opportunity to experience a home stay near Phou Khao Khouay National Park, where we stayed at a local village for three nights. The family whose home I stayed in was very hospitable, and the three nights I spent there was an amazing way to immerse myself into their culture. I noticed that all of the families in the village were very welcoming, providing the best that they could for their guests. We helped the women of the household prepare the meals, and despite the language barrier, managed to learn a bit about their family and lives. It was from these small discussions that I learned that the Lao have a rich sense of humor, and genuinely enjoyed listening to our life stories. I also learned about the importance of family. Four generations shared one compound, and all gathered together, sat on the ground around a Lao-style table called the "pa kao" at the end of the day. Everything seemed so relaxed- untainted by the stresses of the world that I'm used to. Being a part of their simple, carefree life enabled me to understand the importance of slowing down and- as cliched as this sounds- enjoying each moment of life without worrying about the future.

The village was very tight-knit, and was composed of a few dozen families, an elementary school, a communal shower and a small store. The strong bond within the village was evident when I went to the communal shower with the other students on my trip. All of the females would gather around and chat while pumping water for another, helping each other pour the buckets on one another's heads when necessary. I learned that Lao culture was very much centered around collectivism versus individualism. The work and tasks were distributed amongst the whole village, whether it be welcoming the visitors or building the elementary school. On my final day at the village, all of the home-stay families organized a ritual, called the "baci". Baci is a ceremony practiced in Thailand and Laos, and is used to celebrate important occasions. The families tied white strings around our wrists to preserve our good luck, and we were told to keep them on for two days. The home-stay aspect of this trip allowed me to fully immerse myself in Laotian culture by being exposed to the daily lives and homes of local Laotian people. For those who have an opportunity to do a home-stay in any of their trips, I would highly recommend it. Staying in hotels or hostels in the city is not a truly genuine experience, nor does it allow you to experience, firsthand, the unique aspects of a country.

Sights:

Vientiane

The capital of Laos, Vientiane is a bustling city full of vitality and life. The city is very similar to Bangkok, in that there are several coffee shops and small stores that target tourists. While in Vientiane, we went to Talat Sao, or, the Morning Market, and saw all of the stalls and small clothing stores. We also went to a night market on the first night, where we tried local delicacies such as sticky rice and noodles. 

Ban Na

Ban Na is a village on the outside of Phou Khao Khouay National Park, and is known for having an Elephant Observation Tower. After a long trek, we arrived at the tower, and stayed there overnight. Fitting 15 people in that small tower was definitely a struggle, but we managed to use our Tetris skills to fit all sleeping mats without anyone having to sleep standing up. Unfortunately, we did not end up seeing any elephants, but we were exposed to beautiful scenery on our trek there, so it was worth it. 

                               

Phou Khao Khouay National Park
Phou Khao Khouay National Park is about an hour's drive from Vientiane. There's a little hut that overlooks the beautiful waterfall, as well as a walking trail where you can see mixed deciduous forests and small rivers that you can swim in. Our school trip was organized by Green Discovery Laos, and since it was a service trip, we nailed trail marks onto trees, revamped the public bathrooms and painted a crossing gate. We got the opportunity to rest, and were able to explore the beautiful sights offered in the PKKNP. Of the different monuments, temples and sights to visit, I would recommend going to the Wat Si Saket (the oldest standing temple in Vientiane) and Patuxai.
Below: Pictures of the river that we stopped by during our trek 

One place that I wish I could have gone to (but unfortunately was not on the itinerary), was the Buddha Park, which showcases an outdoor collection of a myriad of concrete sculptures. I saw pictures of the Buddha Park in a travel book, and it struck me as quirky, and almost Vientiane's version of Wonderland.

Language:

Lao is very similar to Thai, therefore my past annual visits to Thailand had helped me grasp the basic Lao phrases. 

Hello- Sa-bai-Dee

Thank you- Khawp Jai

Please- Kawlunaa

Goodbye and Take Care- Sohk Dee Deuh

Yes- Maen Leeo

No- Baw