Off the Beaten Path in Vientiane, Laos

In this 2nd installment of my visit to Vientiane, Laos, I’d like to bring you back in time, in time to the age where modern technology has yet to have it’s influence to the way of life.The place I’m talking about is called Dane Song, about 30km from Vientiane on the Luang Prabang Road. My initial plans to go there was to visit some of the caves near Dane Song (advisable to go there with a Scrambler bike as you won’t have a comfortable journey moving about with an underbone motorcycle or more popularly known as ‘Kapchai’ in Asian countries.)

About 22km after I left Vientiane on the Luang Prabang Road, I turned off at Ban Hua Khoua (it’s just a small 2 lane road so follow the arrow as you can easily overshoot that junction). Turning off the main road towards Dane Song is like heading back into the past. 3 Decades in a so called modern city known as Kuala Lumpur was thrown out the window as village with zero modern technology (except for the huge satellite dishes) start to appear.

People practically travel about by bicycle and some share a transport that they also used as their farming machine. Aside from the occasional tourist’s 4x4s and scramblers moving by, the only other so-called modern vehicles would be the ‘kapchais’. Road condition in the village isn’t of your modern tarred road but the typical dirt tracks carved by the constant use by the locals getting back and forth between their homes and the paddy fields. Farmers here still travel about with their produce using push carts heading from one home to another selling what they have toiled so every vegetables sold are very fresh.

Homes in this village are mostly built on stilts either above the paddy fields or by the hill sides. Each homes mostly have just the bare necessity to get them by with the only splurge to be the satellite TV channels. Unlike the small ASTRO dishes we see typically in homes around Malaysia, these dishes looked like those use in military operations, huge enough that we can even use it as a bed if it’s placed on it’s back.

People in this village are quite shy compared to the people in the city as even kids playing together turns away when I asked if I can take photos of them playing. Girls turn away giggling and guys there basically looked at me not knowing what I want to do even after I pointed out my camera. Guess my very basic touristy sign language is still sucky.

As for the caves that I was looking for, yes, I manage to find them but I was so beat from all the bumps and rough terrains that I lost the mood in taking any photos. As I was inside the jungle, even at 4pm, the amount of light entering the area was also diminishing. On the way out, I stopped by this beautiful lake near the cave to have a rest, take a breather and enjoy the beautiful sight that was before me. A natural lake that is still untouched by the hands of modernization, I hope it will remain that way in many decades to come to allow travelers like me to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.

I have yet to touch on the main sights and sounds of Vientiane as well as the food but rest assured, that will be coming in the next 2 post. Hope you enjoy what I have to share so far about my Vientiane trip and do comment on what you think as well as what you want to see more of in my next posting.

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