Sometimes things aren't as simple as they seem

So we retuned to the city with vague instructions about we needed to do. It would take a few days for thing to be clarified, but essentially, one village required a new set of 41 tables and chairs, and for the rest the standard educational supplies and a set of sporting clothing for the annual inter-village sports event. Having no idea how much this would cost, the next few days was spent answering these questions.

The first of the questions was how to build the tables and chairs they required. The village teacher and chief had indicated that they could create the tables and chair in the village using local wood. They estimated that they would be able to build all 41 tables and chairs to 6,500,000 Kip (815USD). Getting the village to build the tables come with some benefits; and sense of ownership, development of local skills, and more money going in to the local economy. However there are additional risks; the level of workmanship; controls on the expenditure of the money; availability of the people.

It was fortunate then that while I was in Pak Pong I noticed that World Vision had been through and supplied the village with new tables and chairs. So I went around to the world vision office in luang prabang and had a chat with one of the staff there. He proved very helpful in providing advice on suppliers, processes and other questions that he had. He even gave me his number to call if I needed any further assistance. Armed with this information we headed out to the furniture factory. Again discussion largely led by Thee affirmed what the staff at world vision had told me. Priced at approx $41 each the total cost of the tables and chairs was around the $1700. This was substantially more that the $815 quoted by the villages. After lengthy discussions it was decided to have the tables and chairs made in the village as it would be cheaper and encourage skill development in the area, which is inline with the objectives of the project.

The shopping for educational supplies was much simpler as it was a matter of finding out how much it would all cost and match that against the available budget. It took a few days to finalize but in the end for 550 school books , pens, pencils, paper, markers, scissors, glue, soccer balls, speak Takraw balls and nets for five schools cost less than $700. As a result we were able to meet all of need of all the schools in the budget. With money left over to support the annual village sporting event with uniforms for all participants.

This is an outstanding result for the project and provides the required operational support to the schools, allowing the teachers to teach more effectively. Unfortunately timing meant that I am unable to be present for the delivery of the goods to the villages as Thee has to work and then I have to leave to Bangkok.

So having bought most of the materials I have left the final logistics in Thee capable hands to deliver over the next couple of months. I look forward to the receiving photos and updates from him.

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The last two days

The last two days have been great and character building at the same time. Yesterday full of confidence I joined a cycling tour with Thee from Luang Prabang. 

The morning started well, meeting him for coffee and then helping him prepare everything as we left town. Due to the geography, the cycling doesn't actually start until about 70km outside of Luang Prabang, so there was a long scenic ride through the mountain before we finally got on our wheels.

But by 12:00 we were on our bike riding gleefully down the hill. Thee had put me on duties as an extra man on the road, so I kept an eye on the eight others and made sure they were all right. About 2 hours into the ride I descended down at a reasonable speed in order to catch up with one of the cyclist who was ahead of me. At various point there was water across the road and I new not to turn when going through them to avoid falling over. However eventually I came to one which was my undoing and my front wheel cam out from underneath me and I hit the ground probably doing 15-20 kilometers an hour. Being the cowboy that I also wasn't wearing a helmet. 

Well, I was shocked as I have had a serious bicycling incident in a long time and at first I was worried about my state. I had hit my head on the road so my first concern was whether my head was okay and was pleased to find that there was not blood coming from my skull. So the head was fine. A day later I don't really even have a bruise. SO then I checked the rest of my body and I was lucky to get away with a few scratches on different parts of my body, but nothing to serious. I also have some muscle damage in my should that bore the brunt of the fall. So we weren't off to a good start.

From there I rode to the bottom of the hill to clean myself and wait to get my bag from the support car to access my first aid kit. About 5 min later Thee arrived in the car and I told him what happened and that I needed my first aid kit. I went to the car to look for the bag that had some band aids and my passport and much to my surprise and horror, I couldn't find it.

I was then that I realised I had left my passport back in Luang Prabang and now needed to call people, but I had no reception. So there wasn't much I could do other than push on.

As a group we rode further and about an hour later arrived at a build up of traffic. Being cyclist we rode right up to the front to find that a landslide had covered the road and there was only one way traffic going through and every fourth truck was getting stuck. So we ended up waiting as a group for about 1 hour before we could get through. Mean while it was starting to rain so everything was getting wet an dirty.

I continued through the mountains supporting one of the cyclists that was coming up behind and we were doing really well until the rain really started coming down, at which point I jumped in Thee's car a wet, a little cold, annoyed and distracted about my passport. We arrived in the next town were the rest of the group was sheltering in a shop. There we had lunch were I continued to try to make calls but not having any success.

Eventually I enlisted the assistance of Thee who phoned a friend who owned a guesthouse down the road from where I stayed and got him to walk up the road to the guesthouse where I was staying. Luckily enough the bag was there and no-one had taken it. I took a while to confirm that it was my bag and what was in it. But eventually the bag was handed over to Thee friend has arranged for transport of the passport to where I am. I should receive the passport in the next hour. This all took a process of two hours to arrange.

After that my spirits were lifted but I still could handle descending more mountains so I decided to travel the rest of the day in the car. Before the end of the day we came across another landslide across the road, this time a truck was stuck and not going anywhere fast. The smaller vehicles had managed to create a risky but possible track to go around in and Thee successfully maneuvered his truck through the obstacle around to the other side. From there on it was smooth sailing through to the Guesthouse in Kasi.

So by the end of the day I was still a little battered and bruised from the fall and relieved that my passport was not completely lost and so I was able to enjoy a hot shower and dinner with reasonable grace.

Today the ride to Vang Vieng was beautiful though uneventful. It was more beautiful than I had thought having traveled this road many times. But Laos at this time of year is especially attractive. Tomorrow, more cycling a boat trip and a swimming pool to look forward too at the end. I am going to hopefully collect my passport shortly. 

 

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Website: http://ignatris@blogspot.com

Time to go shopping

We had made it. We had gone to the villages and obtained at least some of what they wanted and had left messages with the other teacher about how to get the messages to us.

Now it was just the long ride back to Xieng Ngeun. After some overcast days and plenty of rain. The return journey was cursed with blazing sunlight. As we made our way through the early village this was bareable as the roads were shaded. But after we had crossed the river to the other side the open roads provided no respite from the sun.

This new main road has been contracted for the development of two dams along the nam kan river. A road like this changes the game for many people in the villages as the time and financial cost to get to the main town is reduced. It also allow external people to get to the villages. It is probably a little fortunate that the road along the nam fen was not well made and cannot support cars and motorbikes. This way the local people get the benefit with out too many negative impacts apart from the great scar that is left on the landscape. It should also be made clear that the road is something that the local people generally see as a good thing.

The main road however is different. This is part of a very large engineering project operated by Chinese companies. They bring in heavy machinery and a different working style that has created tensions in the communities with fights breaking out. I have been told that Laos people have been paid compensation for incidents like these from the Chinese companies but over the longer term it will probably lead to a growing distrust between the two ethnicities. The whole operation is typical of a messy industrial site with very modest working conditions for the workers and is a big departure from the normal day to day living of the lao people.

The main road was much less challenging the road along the nam fen and we quickly made up the kilometers with long downhill section providing a little high speed enjoyment that made me a little nervous from having no protection on. But in the end the only danger was the sun that gradually turned me red. A lunch break at a small restaurant on the side of the road was welcome before we got back on the bikes and cycled the last two kilometers to Xieng Ngeun.

From Xieng it was five km on sealed road to Thee house were we recovered briefly before heading back to luang prabang. I should also mention that accompanying Thee and myself on this journey was a retired guide from the tiger trail trekking company. This well spoken lad had set his sights on travel and after saving some money is going traveling around his country and maybe further abroad. I had some very good discussion with him about a range of matters. But one that struck a chord with me was his interest in building a vocational college for under-privelidged youth in the luang prabang region. This would require a substantial amount of investment and money, but if there are any investors or philanthropists interested in creating such an institution. Let me know and we can start a conversation on how to turn this idea into a reality.

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An unexpected day off.

Note: this entry precedes the earlier entry

This morning I awoke and completed a morning run before settling in for a quiet day of administration. That was until I got speaking to nigel at the guest house. Nice English lad in his 40s who had just dried a local Laos girl, Ngoy, 3 months ago and where spending a little time traveling through Laos. As I sipped my tea and the conversation progressed he and his partner invited me to join them for the day and go see the waterfalls. Keen for a swim I decided to put my plans on hold and jumped in the car. However by that stage there was a Japanese lady, Yumi and her Chinese friend, Hen in the bus; an Italian couple, allesandra and andreas, another laotian couple, four children and an older women, Song. So it was a full van. Then on the way to the waterfall we picked up another two people to complete the party bus.

We headed out to the kuang si waterfall about 25 km south of luang prabang. There our guide order an array of food and we wandered as a troop up to the waterfall stopping briefly to shelter from a monsoonal rain.

The kuang si waterfall is quite stunning even in the rain and to have the privilege of eating a Laos picnic in the waters of the waterfall was gladly taken. We ate a mighty feast of fish, chicken, pork, quail and papaya salad, all while receiving quizzical looks from passing falang.

We then walked along the river went for a short swim, said hi to the bears before jumping back on the party but to the tad se waterfall.

The tad se waterfall is only accessible by boat and is a beautiful waterfall that is perfect for swimming. So the kids and a few others got in the water and enjoyed a little fun. We then treated ourselves to some beer lao before getting back on the boat to where the van was parked.

Before we wen back to the city there was one last stop. Not had an uncle in the village and thought we should drop past. Turns out they were organising a Basi ceremony and invited us inwith food and Lao Lao. All in all it made for a great day and celebration. The welcoming and fun loving nature of the lao people shone through all day. This point was further elaborated as we were given a karaoke special in the van all the way back to luang prabang. It was loud, good and not so good but always done in pure joy.

By the time u was dropped back at the hotel it was night time. I thought I would have a quick nap before heading out for some evening dancing with Nigel and noy, however weariness became me and I did not wake up till hours later, missing an opportunity. I was however glad to have some rest.

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A day out

Right now I am sitting in the village of Pak Pong having just finished breakfast. The past 24 hours have been met with the quiet and curious stares of the local people. Most notably the children who continue to approach me with an air of skepticism. I don't think that any of the younger children I met last time remember me.

Yesterday started by picking up the bicycles from the shop loading on the back of the truck in the rain and heading out to Thee's house. What was an empty shell the last time is was here is now a vibrant little shop and household, though thee tell me it doesn't make much money at the moment.

After some spicy dip and galangal and pigs uterus soup we got on the bike and headed on our way. The ride to Xieng Ngeun to get on the boat took about 20 min through the rice fields and random sa-bai-dee's from passing children. As is custom we waited for about half an hour at the dock for the boat to get prepared. What was different was that while I waiting we indulged in a spot of fishing and watch to goats getting weighed on a set of scales for suited to weighing rice. The goat, with legs tied perched in a basket upon the scales that had seen a few years. The goats looked less than impressed about the whole affair.

Eventually the bike where placed in the boat, fuel was paid for and we headed on our way up the river. The river was high and powerful due to the wet season rainfall and the small outboard motor struggled again the flow. Quickly crossing the river each time to be near the river bank and avoid the main current, as well as take the shortest route. About five minutes into the journey the rain started and didn't really stop until we reached our destination in Pak Bak. The raincoat that I thought would be useless proved valuable in the cool wind and rain.

The journey was less romantic than previously. Whereas there used to be a real feeling of going somewhere a long way from anywhere, the river bank is now lined with a road and power lines that have been built to give access to construction vehicles for the building of two new dams. More on this later.

We arrived in Pak Bak only to find that the teachers where out of town on training due to it being school holidays. Immediately I was disappointed about what could be achieved from the three day trip. But the show must go and Regardless of being able to meet with the teachers I did have a three day adventure tour to look forward to. With bikes packed and ready we headed off into the mountains. The road cleared by Vietnamese construction crews in exchange to collection of hardwood was built with little durability in mind and hasn't really survived the wet season. The road is peppered with landslides and washed away entirely by the odd river here and there. All in all with the rain the track was challenging to navigate and we were sufficiently dirty by the end of it.

After leaving the village of Pak Bak we past through Ban Kok, and houay kasak before arriving in Pak Pong towards the end of the day. All the villages gave changed since I have been there. Pak Bak and Ban Kok have both seen the addition of other people from other villages higher In the mountains as the government tries to get people cooed to education and health services. Houay kasak still remains but some people have moved to Ban Kok and there is no longer a school provided for the students here.

To make a ling story short we arrived with minimal fuss in what was a pleasant after noon cycling. Having walked the track previously, riding was quite pleasant and quick.

This was my third time in Pak Pong and while some faces are now familiar the faces of the children change quickly that I couldn't remember. Most greeted me with the quiet skepticism of the first time, except one who spoke a little bit of english and greeted me with a big smile and handshake. We spent quiet evening eating with the family and drinking lao whisky, as is custom. And I turned In for an early nights rest.

The next morning we were greeted by rain, which made for a slow start to the day. In it's place we stumbled from breakfast to secondses, through to
Morning tea and lunch. By then the weather had cleared and we were ready to head up to the last village Bak fen. Webhad heard that there may have been a landslide on the road making it impassable so we opted for the boat. This also presented an opportunity to do some fishing on the way. This turned out to be quite an adventure.

The river was swollen due to the recent rainfall presenting many hazard. Our expert driver carved his way up the river with dexterity stopping only to collect worms for fishing.

Fishing can be done in many ways and this technique involved attaching a line and hook to a stake and placing these along the riverbank. You then collect
them a few hours later and see what you got. This process involves a fair bit of swimming so ibwas a little surprised when all four locals in the boat jumped into the river and carried downstream like in a storm water drain and Thea and I were left waiting and hoping in the boat. About half an hour later they appeared again this time from upstream. I felt like the river had become a playground and was merely a loop that you could go around.

With everyone back in the boat we continued upstream navigating past a tree that had fallen across the river.

Arriving in Bak Fen we were fortunate that the teacher an chief of the village were home. So we had a meeting to look at their desires. After some discussion it was concluded that what was most needed was 41 tables and chairs for around $800. Ideally they would like a new school but at a price tag of around 15,000 this is beyond the project budget. This was a good end to the day and a good outcome for the village.

After the meeting we quickly met with thee's sister before descending down the rapids to Pak pong. An exhilarating ride and we picked up a couple of eels and fish from the stakes that has been set out. It was well after sunset by the time we got back which required showing in the dark. The night was rounded off with another Basi ceremony and plenty of Lao whisky. Most amusing were the rambling of one of the elders that apparently couldn't decide whether to speak vietnamese or khmu and thus couldn't be understood by anyone.

That is enough for today, more on the return journey tomorrow.

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Nam Fen Schools Project - Background

I think it is time for some background for people that are new to this blog.

This journey started back in 2007 when I lefty Australia to travel through south east Asia for 6 months. During that time I spent 6 weeks in Laos and under took a range of exciting activities that helped me fall in love with this beautiful country. The most special experience was taking six days and heading into a remote village to really get a sense of village life. I was taken into the family household of the guide I was with and ate, slept and worked alongside them for the six days. It was a truly unique experience and one which will shape the rest of my life.

My parents always told me that education is key to improving your life and so I was struck by the effect that having such limited access to educational resources would have on the opportunities the children of the area would have in the future. With broken blackboards an absence of books and teaching resources these kids will be doing it tough in the modern knowledge economy.

So I started with a small gesture of buying two blackboards for one of the villages and it all grew from there. After a successful music fundraiser in 2009 and a more successful trivia night in 2010, I have returned to Laos with around $4000 to spend on supplying resources that the teachers need. And that is why I am here.

My team involves a good friend of mine Thee who guided me the first time and he enlists the help of friends and family to manage the logistical operations. We met again today and talked of our plans over the next two weeks.

In that discussion it became apparent that there is much that is changing.In the last two years one of the villages (Houay Kasak) has been merged with another village, Ban Kok. In addition and a little concerning is that there is now a road that provides access to all the villages in the area that was built by Vietnamese construction crews. Why this came about is because the Chinese are building two dams along the Nam Kahn river which the Nam Fen feeds into and roads have been built to allow construction crews in. From there it was only a reasonably short extension to build a road to the five villages of the Nam Fen river. What the impact of this will be is yet to be determined but life is definitely changing and these villages are becoming less isolated. This creates opportunities and costs that need to be managed.

The other point of interest is that the government is taking a greater interest in what we are doing and want to put additional controls in place, including itemised tracking of what material goes in. A side effect that is emerging of providing money to these villages is that the education office, wanting to use its limited budget effectively, wants to shift money away from the villages I am working with and provide it to other villages. this is a little concerning and I need to be careful that the villages along the Nam Fen don't end up with a net loss.

So these are the stories of note and challenges as we move into the next phase. Keen to hear your comments and ideas on how to move forward.

See the facebook page if you would like to comment https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=91621187391

I dug two holes and was stood on

So I dug two holes at the Abundant water compound as part of landscaping activities that are underway. Unfortunately for me just as I started digging the sun came out from behind the grey could increasing the burnt temperature by about 5 degrees. So it didn't take long or the sweat to be dripping off my forehead. These were the first holes I have dug in some time and also the first time gardening for sometime. So what seems like an ordinary experience, was actually a satisfying achievement.

The day started as normal with the catchup on emails and and other errands before heading out to the compound. On the way we stopped to pick up lunch from the market. BBQ chicken giblets and pork sausages, with bread (without the ants) and stewed vege's. Simple but tasty.

At the compound I observed further to work of Abundant Water and the delicacies of working with Laos staff. Both Chantana and Noukam. Are committed workers and with a little coaching keep the show running on a day to day basis.

Riding back to Vientiene past the market, Sunny suggested we go have a massage to ease our tired muscles. He did this by first asking the question what is your pain threshold. This was the right question as a Laos massage is not for the light hearted. Using feet and all I was stretched, tenderized and beaten softly, such that it would be impossible to say that it hadn't done something.

The evening was spent watching (sleeping through) 'The good, the bad and the ugly' with Sunny and friends at his salubrious house.

The next day was spent in town, running errands and preparing to leave to luang prabang. The only event of note was the open mic night at a secret expat location away from the tourists. There I had the opportunity to express my talent to an appreciative but inattentive crowd. But that is the life of a performer.

So now the real journey begins as we start to find out how much $4000 can really buy you.

Ciao

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Day 2 and the rain continues

So I found out yesterday that a typhoon had recently hit the region and thailand and Laos are suffering from flooding in regional areas. So far the human toll is limited but once again the poor regions have to rebuild their lives. The remaining clouds hanging over the region are the left overs of the typhoon and according to the weather forecast will be around a bit longer.

But enough about tue weather. Yesterday was productive as I caught up with Sunny from Abundant Water and he kindly took me out to the research compound. The first impression of a compound full of old vehicles and boats was nit what I expected. But tucked away at the back the etched outline of a kiln could be see shading under a tim roof. Next to it a shed and container indicated that work was a foot. Sunny gave me an explanation of the recent developments of the project and showed me, to my surprise, examples of the finalized filter which was a long way from the simple bowl I had seen in Australia.

Driven by engineering concerns and the villagers desire to feel hi-tech, the form has become sharper with straight lines and the inclusion of plastic parts. Not Because it had to, but because the synthetic nature is expected to increase the take up.

The people at Abundant Water have done some great thinking about what it is going to take to get the technology deployed, and in doing so some of the approaches are counter intuitive from a development perspective. Mainly around ensuring that the technology becomes fashionable.

I know I haven't said much in detail here, as it is not mine to say, so I encourage you to go visit their webpage. www.abundantwater.org

The evening was spent with expatriates doing development work with the Laos government and discussing the joys and frustrations thereof. The night was spent at the hotel, chatting with the locals, and englishman and an Iraqi over a few beers.

The morning run was great for the mind and soup for breakfast satisfied the body. Now for some tea. Till next time.

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Day 1

Well, I made it.

This is my third trip for the year and starting to feel rather at home at airports. The familar procedures and structures are becoming all to common. So it was nice when leaving bangkok on Laos airlines, the ground crew all stood in a line and waved us out. A touching gesture from a small company competing against the giants of the airline industry. I think I was I'm the smallest plane to leave Bangkok that day. It's prop engines no match for the jets that surrounded it.

It is of course the wet season and the distinction is all too apparent. Where I remember Laos almost always in the sunshine, I haven't seen the sun yet as the grey clouds meander slowly over from Thailand.

Change is rapid in these parts. Last time I was here the waterfront in Vientiene was a messy organic bank of wild plant and the trucks were just moving in. Now it is a concrete waterfront as seen in many great cities, with a park and new road behind. It is great for a morning run and I hope only that the night market remains.

Life is slow as idle tuk-tuk driver wait for passengers and casual conversations line the sidewalks. That is not to stay that the city doesn't live. As I arrived last night I saw my first crime in Laos as a young boy ripped a necklace of a lady's neck and jumped on an awaiting moto and sped away. There wad nothing to do it happened so quickly leaving only and echo of voices and air of disappointment.

This is after all the big city and every year the roads get harder to cross.

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The journey begins

It's 8:30 and I am sitting in a cafe sending out a few final text messages before I go offline. It has been a long time coming and I can't quite believe that I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

My first stop is Laos. Where, with the support of friends and colleagues in Canberra, I will be spending over $4000 on school equipment and resources for six schools in the luang prabang region.

From there I go to New york to spend two day exploring movement and speech with some of the top theatre trainers in the US.

Then I go home. And I really mean home as I go explore and regenerate the lives of my parents in the small country villages where they grew up and got married.

After celebrating my 30th birthday I will be joined by Renee and travel through copenhagen and oslo into the norwegian fjords.

And finally I travel to Beijing to. Celebrate the wedding of a mentor and friend and experience to home life of a Chinese family.

thanks to all that have helped me create this journey and allowing me to see the opportunity.

Next stop: Vientiane.

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