EC-Rider Travels

It was a bit of an early start and sad farewell to unbelievably kind Alex and Tippy who have given me just the most amazingly, spoiling five days. Sweet Naruesha had risen even earlier to make the most delicious chicken/rice/herby soup. Bit different from my usual fruit and yoghurt breakfast, and I was not too keen, but needless to say, it was absolutely delicious. Tippy had kindly arranged for a driver who arrived very promptly and by 8.30 we were on the road. The smoke was still pretty thick and remained with us all the way to Chiang Mai, four hours away. Chiang Mai is now a huge bustling, sophisticated city, not at all how I remember it in the 1980s! And the airport too was very smart and efficient. I was through before I knew it.

I think the one thing which has surprised me more than anything about Thailand is how incredibly sophisticated, clean and efficient their cities (well Bangkok and Chiang Mai!) now are. The roads too are immaculate and very efficient; I can more than understand why Alex wants to make his life here. It is of course very different in the countryside, where communities continue to lead a simple life, but more developed and organised than it was. I am sad no-one wears traditional dress any more, but love the pride they have in their country, their heritage and of course their royal family. They are a devout nation with the great majority being Buddhist and perhaps it is due to this, they seem content and happy with what they have and the life they lead.

Despite the smoke being almost as thick in Chiang Mai, the flight to Laos was on time, in fact it left fifteen minutes early, and just over an hour later we were in Luang Prebang, Laos. Not much to be seen on the way as we followed the smoke across the boarder into Laos. It was even thicker here and lying both above and below the clouds, it must be a quite a fire. Despite having so efficiently got my visa in advance, there was quite a wait at immigration, but not as long as for those who had not done so! Pang was waiting for me with Hell, the driver (not a good name) and we drove fifteen minutes or so to the Satri House Hotel. On the way we stopped at an ATM and I withdrew 1m Laos Kip (about £50!

Pang explained that the smoke was not in fact a forest fire but due to burning of crops in Laos, China and Myanmar and also an increasing amount of intentional burning of forest by people trying to clear land to cultivate their land. Apparently it is always like this during Jan, Feb and March, but admittedly worse than usual this year.

I then had a quick Laos lesson…. Laos is the only landlocked country in South East Asia and is bordered by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It was once a hub for overland trade and became wealthy both economically and culturally. In 1893 it came under French protectorate – indeed there is still quite a strong French influence – briefly gaining independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation and then re-colonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy. Laos applied to be a member of the World Trade Organisation in 1997 and was finally granted this in 2013. It is now a socialist republic, governed by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, encompassing 53% of the population but with a questionable Human Rights record. The country produces electricity from the rivers, selling the power to Thailand, Vietnam and China and has been busy building railways connecting it to its five neighbours. Laos has been sited as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies by the World Bank.

The Satri House hotel is very nice boutique hotel in an old white washed French colonial house. The building was built in 1904 by the parents of the first President of Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Prince Souphanouvong, who grew up here. It is very attractive with lots private little areas with ornate water features. My lovely friend, Serena Blackburn had arrived earlier and it was just SO nice to see her. We have barely drawn breath since I got here, just enough for an ok supper in the hotel and then had an early night as Serena had flown over the last one from Cairo, following a week on the Nile!