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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