TOUR IN LAO IN NOVEMBER 2007

Here is the STUDY TOUR event happened by Market Strategy & Development Company (MSD) to plan touring in Lao to put its all staff to attend in this study for four days and three nights from the 23rd to the 26th day of November 2007 based on expanded by the Managerial Director during Cambodia was celebrating the Annual Water festival in three days.

Sawin was invited to join with his counterparts to take in a 15-seat mini bus to go traveling in some tourism sits in Lao picked up and guided by the private Traveling Company (Phnom Penh).

In the dawn early morning at 4.am on Sunday, November 23, 2007, gathering participants from MDS and MD's relative members arrived together at MSD campus to depart a journey to the target sites in Lao from Phnom Penh by the 15-seat mini bus transportation including 15 passengers named Mr. Oeur Sawin, Mr. Phan Phanak, Mr. Sar Ratha, Khat Muny, Mr. Yuonly Serey Arun, Mr. Mom Chhon, Ms Phe Sothavy, Ms. Pat Sophanny (the new friend from the public Bank), Nefong's mother with his family members plus a driver and a Khmer guiding man speaking Laotian with a Laotian guiding girl when the bus arrived in Lao. It was the first time that Sawin to depart a study tour towards an overseas country closed to Cambodia.

The sky became clearer from the shining of the sun light rising from the east distinction. We were taking the traveling company bus for one full-day to reach Pakse urban province across four Cambodian provinces such as Kandal, Kampong Cham, Kratie and Steung Treng province along the NR6A and NR7, Thnal Keng crossed national road points, Chea Lea commune, Batheay wet market, Pa'av market and Skun bus restaurant areas for breakfast. We took a rest to have a breakfast in the cashew field of Skung bus restaurants in the NR6A in Chheoung Prey district, Kampong Cham province. Some of the participants were taking pictures such as Sawin, Phanak, Nefong, Ratha, Thavy, Serey Arun and Chhon but 7 others were eating breakfast. Various passengers stopped to have breakfast here during a lot of different vehicles crossing this area. The morning breakfast price was reasonable price for the customers from various areas. The breakfast session came to be ended based on the touring schedule time; they continued to go forwards target tourism sites as planned deadline in three days.

The mini bus started to work. It was the windy sound of touching mini buss’ walls and doors made us hear the strong windy getting through the holes of the bus walls because the bus hit air fast along the NR6A to NR 7. We immediately left Skun market at the beginning of NR7 to reach Chrey Vien commune, crossing Prey Tatoeung Market, Chamkar crossed road and arrived Kampong Cham town but we still passed the Kizona Cambodia-Japan friendship bridge with hundred meters in length. The time was around 10am we crossed Chob and Suong Communes, Stoeung market, Ponhea Kreak market, then Memut market, Kampong Cham rubber fields. The second stop for meal was to have lunch at Snual local restaurant in Snuol district in Kratie province. We had lunch together here for 35 minutes approximately 12.00pm mid-noon and then kept going on our journey to cross Steung Treng province to Lao. We travel along the NR7 and arrived Steung Treng town at 2.50pm with a little bit tired but we all felt very pleasant to join in this historical study tour in the name of uncourageous event from the company to enhance social comprehensions and responsibilities in lives – not only for the company but for all participants. By that time, we crossed Sekong bridge which was under the construction by Chinese Construction company. So we had to take over Sekong river by the local ship (Salang) to the north direction.

Now it was going to be dark because the sun was setting step-by-step during we nearly passed Cambodia country to arrived in Lao. In the ship consisted of many local passengers coming from their work to get home. Our mini bus took more speed to accelerate our journey to Lao along the national road no 7 where there have been less people by the reason that most of the fields here are rubber trees, fruit fields and vegetable fields. Also, some mixed citizens of Cambodians who could speak Laotian language living with Cambodian people. People in this province lived with doing the farming and forest food seeking for raising their domestic financial economy in the families.

We reached the Cambodia-Lao border posts at 4.00pm on November 23, 2007. Frontier border policemen were stopping us to check out from Cambodia police post and checked in at the Lao border police post spending time about 20 minutes before they allowed us to get in Lao. Near the Lao border existed too many different trees opposite Cambodia territory that there were cutting-tree field along the national road 7. However, we acrossed difficult muddy road to the paved road in Lao border area when we looked through the mini bus windows and doors with views of so gree forest beside the road. Lao keep forests better because we actually saw the true in front of us. And then we get in the Laotian national high way looked quiet with the willagers' small houses around the road. At 5.20pm we again acrossed the national road police post putting banner to check in all the tourists acrossing the road. In addition, Phanak and Phavy arranged a Karate fighting to each other whilst Sawin being a Achnha Kandal to facilitate and stop this fighting during Pat Sophanny just glared at and laughed to what they made a joke evironment of the journey.

After checking in the final police post, we continue our journey to the hotel in Pakse urban because it was coming darker and around 7.00pm in the evening. We heard wind blowing and SATREY crying to certify that it was the time they had to fly into their hives to sleep before the next day coming. Looking through the mirror of the mini bus, we saw a lot of lights shining from every villager's house making us know that even if the Lao is also the poor country but many people in the rural areas could have abilities to consume elects with low price. Saw and others saw the vagour paved roads linked from the main road in the countryside area. Many of us feld asleep and some already slept in the mini bus during transporting to the hotel. At the middle road to the hotel, we took a short break for releasing pissing together whilst the moon was shining from the sky caused the time to be very romantic emotional feeling. The touring guide called Vuthy were keeping contact with the representatives of the hotel to prepare some rooms us to relax and booked Laotian food restaurant located over the river.

Suddenly, we arrived in Pakse urban (small town) at the hotel named KHAM CHALEUNG HOTEL at 7.55pm to put luggage and take a bath before we went to have dinner at the booked restaurant. In this hotel, there were a lot of sanitized atmosphere with well-decorated furniture such flowers, sculptures, statues represented Laotian gods, beautiful views of the hotel reception hall, the displayed wooden chairs, friendly waiters, tables and desks, displaying landscapes of natures and Laotian antiques on the wall. In the hote looked fresh and relaxed because the beds, room floor, water closet and basins were clean and smelled good in all rooms. They separated rooms to stay and take a bath. Then the guide started to call all to come together for dinner arrangements at the restaurant that was a little bit far from the hotel.

They were ready in the mini bus to go for dinner arrangement at the restaurant went acrossed a Laotian Buddhist pagoda was celebrating the annual Water Festival in three days in the same season as the Cambodia annually does. We would stop to visit this ceremony when we finished dinner. Particularly, we arrived at the Laotian Restaurant called BEER LAO. BEER Lao restaurant, which was located over the river, looked from the outside very romantic and night refreshness to serve customers the food and drinks at night. All the waiters and beer promotion girls here were beautiful but mixed some Cambodian girls as well when we asked them to mention about some interesting eating places at night in Pakse urban. In the restaurant, Laotian traditional rice is "Buy Dam Neoub" mixed with vegatable food tasted delicious but a little bit smel of Laotian national perfume during we were eating. Sawin feel extraordinarly of Lao food at the first time by the reason that it was different from Cambodian food. Most employees here were not tall compared with Cambodians, Laotians were short enough based on their customes since their great grand parents. Tonight we had Lao beer just a taste examination like rice wine. We were talking with each other and Laotians to make sure that what things were different from Cambodia especially the the culture. Laotians also respect Buddhist theory.

After dinner, we came back to the hotel across a Laotian Buddhist celebrating the annual Water Festival. By that night there many Laotian participants visiting the dramma, concerts, some traditional games and various selling kiosks around the pagoda. The dancers looked beautiful with white skin in short enough in Lao traditional customes. They danced so quickly to attract the audiences feel enyoable and surprising to watch the perfomance scense and then we moved for the hotel around 9.55pm.In the dawin of the early morning of the second day, we saw the shining of an antique Laotian stupa through the hotel window after we got up to prepare and take a bath before we were going to get in the mini bus to have breakfast. We continued to go visiting some tourism sites where planned after we finished breakfast around 7.30am. We left the mini bus in front of the Laotian restaurant in order to have breakfast together inside in the urban of Pakse province. There were Laotian customers mixing with Western, Asian, European and American tourists who came to travel in Lao, also had breakfast in this restaurant which was normally called as the common Laotian restaurant. It was smelled the flavour of beef around the table exterior when we came in and ordered noodles to eat in the dishes. All forks, spoons, plates and other materials stored food and groceries smelled beef as well.

The Laotian noodles soup smelled the flavour of beef because Laotian sellers usually used beef for making soups When finished breakfast, Sawin, Phanak, Nefong and Serey Arun were taken pictures comutually including Laotian guide Miss Keooudone Phamachan where surrounded by the short Laotian buildings in this Paske urban where linked the roads to visit natural resorts.

In Lao, there are cheaper goods than Cambodia because Laotian currency value of Kip was lower than Cambodian Riel such as 100 Khmer Riels equal 2000 Kips. The petrol price of 1 litter equals 9400Kip and the price of electricity was 1800Kip / KW. The price of land for sales was 120US$ per 1 Km2 where located in Vieng Chan city and 1 plot/lot of rural land for sales was 20.000.000 Kips. Anyway, if we wanted to get married Laotian girls costing breast juice price of 4100US$ or 100.000 Bath per girl who were normally engaged by their parents for the urban areas. But the bridegroom was foreigner cost 50.000.000 Kips that the bridegroom had to pay by the authorized agreement by the Laotian Ministry of Foreign Defense. However; when we continued our journey to visit the tourism sites we just learnt some Laotian words such as "Korp Chai" means "Thank you" of which the old said to the young and the young did back as well. Lao had its own presidential regime without King that the President name called Jumdi Saiyasome and the the Prime Ministre named Bousone Bophavanh.

The Boloven (or Bolaven) Plateau is located in the south of Laos, between the Mekong river in the west (border with Thailand) and the Annamite mountains in the east (border with Vietnam). Cambodia is near, just 2 hours by road to the south. The region is known to produce the best coffee and tea of all Laos, along with other agricultural products (mainly crops and rubber). There are countless rivers and waterfalls, and the climate is fresh due to the altitude (around 1100 meters). Along the road to the Boloven Plateau which is known to have the most beautiful waterfalls of all southeast asia. And it is justified. I am pointing out some most impressive sites. We saw the green vegetables and forests beside the road especially the green cafe and tea fields looked very beautifu and splashed by the sun light. Most of the plateau people planted the cafe and mainly crops. The very long view of the mountains resided by the small Laotian farmers' houses. The cafe planted here named Loba star, Touch, Tom and Alapika which was the most hightly pleasant to the taste. The cafe price, along the road, was 18000 Kips per Kilogram equaled 2USD$. There were companies and farmers planted cafes. The cafe seeds looked fresh and provided us with fresh air where this area had less people houses but with the most natural resources. In some villages, the men could have a lot wives. The wives could sleep together in one roome but the husband sleep in one room by himself in the case he wanted to sleep with wives, he could request one wife and substitute to the next wife per night.

Now our team just jumped to Tad Yueang waterfall where located by the most green forests, cafes and other vegetables especially the tea planted by Laotians. These fields were in the pathway to the water falls. Tad Yueang waterfall was 120 meters in height and Located at 35 km from Pakse on the road to Paksong. Beautiful waterfall of 30-40 meters with a pond at the bottom, where you can have a nice relaxing bath. Today there were foreign tourists coming to visit the Tad Yueang waterfall which looked very actractive with the water falling down from the upward of the Tad Yueang valleys. Sawin, Ratha, Sophanny, Serey Arun, Phanak, Muny, Nefong, Uncle, Aunts (Nefong's mother) felt so excited due to the new views of the water fall. When we jumped down to the bottom of water splashing, we also got wet from the falling water drops. In addition, we continued to visit Tad Fan waterfall after we already visited Tad Yueang waterfall because it was not so far from each other. Visiting Tad Fan waterfall, amazing twin waterfall of 200 meters (200!!) located also on the road to Paksong at 20 km from Pakse. We saw a twin waterfall (Toek Chhruos Koun Phluos) which was falling down so quickly making tourists felt so shoke and excited when they looked through the slopes of water falling. This twin waterfall is 1000 meters in height measured by the helicopter using meter threads. This water flew from Bak Sang linked to Pakse. It flows from the mountains toward the Mekong river in all seasons.

We found out the ways of the people doing their own businesses, farmings and planting cafe plus mainly crops after we left these waterfall for other places. The rural Laotians mostly planted black seeds of rice (Srov Damnoeub Khmao). Only 140$ of family annual income per individual per year. 60% of Laotians  were farmers and 30% are officials, private company employees and did the business.

Tad Lo waterfall, this group of waterfalls is located at 80 km from Pakse on the road to Salaven. It is the most known and touristic set of waterfalls. There is a lot of bungalows and guesthouses around. It seems that the villagers come here a lot for fishing (fish is good here, lao fisherman dixit).

We went back from the water falls across the green Kamping Riech field after we already visited Tafan, Tamoeu and twin water falls and then we continued to visit Pha Suong resort. This resort, located in Phasuong village, consisted of a lot of Laotian tribes (minorities) of which Lao divided into 3 types of its people: First was Lao Lum, the Second Lao Suong and the third was Lao Chheung. The minority houses constructed with small holes via the walls in order to allow men or sons shaked or hold hands to each other. In the middle of the village, we saw the tallest hatched house where was the sacred site to pray and respect their ancestors traditionally. Here looked very interested green fields with grasses, trees and other antigues to visit; moreover we took a short break in the public ceremonial hall. Continually, we visited Phasuong waterfall crossing the long swinging wooden bridge to watch animal statues. Walking under the Maisak trees, we went to have lunch at the Phasuong wooden restaurant in the romantic forests. We ate food together at lunch time whilst European tourists did as well in front of our tables. Sawin just looked and hold an antique sand pots displaying after taking photos with Laotian girls who worked for the restaurant. All the Laotian waiter girls here were so short enough. They traditionally wore Laotian uniforms of the minority. All the food ordered by the Tour Company transported us were so delicious like Lao custome. Keooudone was introducing the traditional beliefs here and Phasuong water fall flowing from the mountains linked to Tad Yueang and Tad Fan resorts from the west direction. Lunch was ended around 1.00pm and then we went to visit  Pakse New market located in Cahampasak province where there were various Laotian, Yuon and Thai product outlets.

We just arrived the Pakse New Market at 2.35pm after lunch. The Pakse New Market was big with large parking space. We got into the market to search products like clothes, shoes, furnitures, jewelries, watches, clocks, food, vegetables,...etc. Extremely, we were requried to change cash into Kips for buying something according to the local habit not use foreign cashes.

We saw products such as clothes, shoes,...etc. selling here. Sawin, Nefong, Chhon, Muny were interviewing the sellers when other members looked for products. After we bought some products we kept going to visit Dao Hoeung market.

Now we arrived at Dao Hoeung wet market in the afternoon and finding the products in the market. We unpresedentedly met the prostitute areas at the end of the market waving their hands to invite customers to get inside after we took some photos together before we moved for search goods in the market. Thavy tried a couple of Laotian traditional clothes when Sawin and Chhon recommanded her to consider about the products.

We found the products such as Nivea to whiten skin protecting from the sun light and Vatsaline whitening skins consisted of Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C. The goods are not much cheap but friendly from the sellers. However, we just learnt some ways of the people living here to avoid and their domestic language. It was known "Tao Lai/rai?" meant How much? and "Kob Chai meant Thanks. Laotians did love Champa flowers. Meeting together after we bought the some products at the Dao Hoeung wet market we were about to arrange to go back to the hotel. We got in the hotel around 7 pm after we were taking a journey from the Chhoeung Mek market seeing night lights along way.

The 3rd Journey day in Visiting Wat Phou Temple Complex on 25 November 2007

On November 25, 2007, we early travelled to visit Wat Phou antique temple complex where located in Pakse province was built by the Khmer empire in the long previous time. It was begun as early as the 7^th century AD, though its present form dates mostly from the 11^th and 12^th centuries. We left for Wat Phou along the Champasak mountains in Champasak province. We went across  Thansamai Sovet Service village. Suddenly, we had to cross the river dock ferry-boats to Wat Phou when we saw Champasak mountain in the opposite direction about 30km from the local dock ferry-boats (Touk Dor). Of all the Khmer temples, Wat Phou is considered on of the most beautiful because of its settings. The temple complex measures 1,400 meters in a line running east to west up the lower part of Phou Pasak Mountain. It was built over the course of several centuries, beginning in the 7^th century. The Khmer rulers continued to maintain the temple throuh the 14^th century, even after they had moved the capital from the Champasak area to Angkor in connected by steps and a central walkway. Most are man-made, but the uppermost level is a natural terrace where a spring flows out of the mountain. Standing structures within the temple complex include baray, quadrangles, Nandin hall, small pavillions, brick towers, stairways and the main shrine. The main shrine was dedicated to Shiva. Inside, where today there is a statue of the Lord Buddha, there would have been a Shiva linga. We came inside the Buddhist stupa where consisted of tourists sitting in front of Lord Buddhist for praying beside incenses and candles making big smoke in the stupa. Concerted from Hinduism to Buddhism in the 13the century AD, Wat Phou still plays an important role in local religious life today. On the full moon night of the third lunar month, Champasak residents hold their traditional Wat Phou festival including many activities such as elephant race, buffalo fighting and cock fighting and also performance. On the edge of ceilling there were breast juice sea sculptures.

During we were travelling aroud the temple complex of Wat Phou, some Laotians strived to try narrating a lie of the history of Wat Phou that it was built by Laotian ancestors. We felt very sorry to them of whom were not clearly aware of the true history sources that caused them confused on Wat Phou constructed in Khmer empire period. We just felt a little sad of paying fee for visiting our ex-temple Wat Phou linked to Preah Vihea temple. In the 5th century Wat Phou was divided into two parts: North Temple and South temple. Wat Phou was constructed in the Yahsovaraman I of the Khmer Bapuon regime, the great king ruling of Cambodia.

After visiting Wat Phou around 11 am, we left Wat Phou to continue to visit resort of Khone Phapheng Pearl of Mekong where the tourists visit the water fall (ex-Khmer water fall) flows from Lao to Cambodian. It was located in Phapheng village in Champasak province. We arrived at 1.30pm and got out of the mini bus to take a short break before we had lunch at the restaurant of the Khone Phapheng Pearly of Mekong resort. A little shoked happened when we just saw the ex-Khmer water fall now belonged to Lao already. The food services in this restaurant were slow and lazy because the waiters and restaurant owner looked slow in responding the guests' requests. Anyway, when finished our lunch we went to visit the Laotian traditional shops where have been selling a lot of clothes, furnitures, wooden and stone antique jewelries, shoes, traditional towels, wooden statues, hatched hates, leather wallets and other toys especially the bamboo buskets. Visiting the waterfall nearby called Khone Phapheng Pearly of Mekong which looked very strong speed of flowing mixed with blur and vigour sand water, not very clear water, light dark water bubble with dust. It looked very romantically shoked water flowing by the reason that the area was controlled by Khmer empire regime after our lunch ended around 2.00 pm in the Khone PhaPheng Pearl of Mekong resort restaurant. During we were watching the water of Mekong flowing especially Nefong captured the images of Mekiong flowing and our member photos together before we came back to buy some of Laotian products in Kips. Many products displayed in each type of the Laotian shops in the tourism sites looked very Laotian traditional craftsmen and craftswomen with sexy statues like the old Laotian ladies carrying bamboo buskets on their back to find out the food in the forest to support their family members in the past decades which were very different from the present time. Then we combined into the mini bus to go back to Cambodia through our the road where we passed across in the last few days of the first tour study in Lao.

After we checked out at the Laotian police post and checked in the Cambodian police post we came back to Cambodia arriving at 50.30pm in Steung Treng town and stopped to take a sleep per night before going to Phnom Penh. We stopped our mini bus to release some bad thing out in the middle national road no 7 beside the rubber field between the border and Steung Treng town. Now we had to cross Sekong river again on the local ship transporting to stay at Steung Treng guesthouse. Our team went to have dinner at the restaurant a little far from the guesthouse. We had some drinks and took photos during we had food and looked at the moon blurly shining the light from the sky.

In the early morning on Monday, November 26, 2007, we left Steung Treng to Phnom Penh via Kratie dolphine tourism resort where tourists could see the dolphins performing some activities jumping over the Mekong river water. Moreover, we could buy antique wooden dolphin furniture sold by the local people in Kratie town. Last, we got in the Kratie town at the midnoon for lunch time in Snuol restaurant in Snuol district.

In total, two nights plusing three days of touring in Lao and one day  night in Steung Treng town to come back to Phnom Penh, we had learnt traditional beliefs, economy, resorts, farmers, farming vegetable fields, forest conservatives, cafe and tea fields, natural landscapes of Champasak mountains, complext of Wat Phou temple, Tad fan water-fall, Tad Yuean waterfall, Twin waterfalls, Phasuong resort water fall, Pakse New Market, Dao Hoeung (Chhoeung Mek) market, views of rice fields, local domestic finances and regimes in Lao to make us feel enjoyable and could be one of the study tours as the long documented journey even if we would come the same place again when any of us should have time in the following years by the reason that we need more new developed things in our lives, only tour in Lao but we could also travel to other countries all over the world.