Report of the trip in Laos

History:
The history of the three countries of Indochina, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is inseparable from the history of their colonization by France from 1847 to October 1953 then from the history of the anticommunist struggle of USA until November 17, 1973. Afterwards each country has its own history under the influence of outside contributors. The Russian perestroika and the going-to-market China were not without asking some problems to Marxists leaders of these countries; however the death of the “old guard” incited to go towards the “market”. The next major step will be the setting up of democracy by the emergence of a middle class. I present this history by great periods omitting some facts which were certainly decisive. I refer net surfers to specialized books. Some parts are taken again by the conclusions of the three quoted countries.

I Origins:
Habitation of the area is attested:
-- Far back as 50000 BC limestone dwell-caves were discovered,
-- As of 10000 BC Hoabinhian civilization is discovered in north of Vietnam and on the plateau of Korat in central Thailand,
-- By 4200 BC the civilization of Ban Chiang and Ban Prasat in the North-East of Thailand was the oldest to cultivate rice, well before Chinese, and to produce bronze, better quality than Mesopotamia, thanks to the presence of tin,
-- By 2000 BC the civilization of Dong Son appeared around what will be Hanoi,
-- From 3rd to 2nd century BC at the time of Asoka the area accepted Indianan missionaries coming with merchants who diffused Buddhism of the school of Theravada – Hinayana, lesser vehicle. It was the beginning of the indianisation of the South-East Asia along the coasts towards South China. This acculturation is attested by Buddhist sculptures of Gupta influence.

-- From 1st to 6th century AD the kingdom of Funan, Chinese name, extended from Angkor Borei – current Takeo in Kampuchea to Oc-Eo in the Mekong delta –current Long Xuyen in Vietnam-. These City-States adopted the Sanskrit as liturgical language and developed a sophisticated system of channels both for culture of rice and transport of goods.
-- From 6th to 15th century AD kingdoms called Chenla by Chinese succeeded Funan and reigned in the north of the area having adopted the system of caste of India. Chinese chronicles referred to “Water Chenlan” along the coasts and “Land Chenlan” on banks of Mekong.
-- From 2nd to 15th century AD kingdom of Champa appeared on the coasts of central Vietnam stretching from Danang to Dalat. Of Indian culture it adopted Sanskrit and Indian art of Gupta influence. It was a warlike kingdom in perpetual conflict with its neighbours, Vietnam in the north and Khmer in the Mekong delta involving its disappearance.

As well as in Kampuchea and in Laos as in Vietnam powerful kingdoms succeeded these Indianan City-States affirming their individualities.

Laos:
-- From 1353 to 1707: The kingdom of Lan Xang. In 1353 prince Fa Ngum, after being exiled to have allured his father’s concubine, was invested by King of Sukhothai to re-conquer the provinces of Laos. Thus he became King de Xiang Dong Xiang Thong (Luang Prabang).
-- In 1560 King Setthathirat transferred the capital to Viang Chan (Vientiane).
-- From 1707 to 1713: At the time of a inheritance argument the kingdom of Lan Xang was divided into three, Luang Prabang in north, Viang Xang in the centre and Champasak in the south.
-- From 1779 to 1863: Siam became the suzerain of divided Lan Xang. 
-- From 1893 coming from Vietnam, the gun-boat diplomacy of France imposed a treaty to Siam reassigning to Laos of the provinces in the east of Mekong. The borders of Laos were recognized by an international treaty in 1907. At this occasion Cambodia found again the provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap. France had cherished the project of the fastening of the plateau of Korat in the past part of Laos; but the conflict of the First World War then the concerns related to Vietnam made null and void this project. 
The period of colonization by France started. Actually it began in 1872 then in 1887 with creation from the Indochina Union including Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

-- In 1935 creation of the communist Indochinese party in Vietnam
-- From 1941 to 1945: During the Second World War and the occupation of the South-East Asia by Japanese, France of Vichy by its policy of collaboration with Reich kept the administration of Indo-China thus avoiding Japanese carnage.
 
-- 15/08/1945: Lao Issara (Laos Free) formed a government per interim under the direction of Prince Phetsarat
-- In March 1946 final return of the provinces to the east of Mekong (treated of 1907).
-- In 1949 Laos and Cambodia obtained a relative independence in the Indochina Federation.
-- August 1950: the three Princes, Phetsara (right-hand side), Souvanna Phouma (neutralist) and Souphanouvong (Pathet Lao, Marxist) adopted different ways to go to the total independence of Laos.
-- 9/11/1953 Cambodia and Laos reached independence.
-- May 7, 1954 the fall of Dien Bien Phu put an end to the first war of Indo-China
-- 1958, First coalition of the three princes, it lasted eight month.
-- 1961-1963 Second coalition
-- 27/11/1973 To ceasefire of the second war of Indo-China
-- 1973-1974 Third coalition. Pathet Lao released city after city
-- August 1975 Pathet Lao released Vientiane
-- December 1975: 650 years end of Lao monarchy. The Communists seized the power quasi legally.
-- 1979 After the acknowledgment of failure of the agricultural economic policy, the government removed the agricultural cooperatives.
-- 1986 Installation of “New Economic Mechanism” with opening to the market.
-- 1991 Introduction of a new constitution
-- 1997 Laos joined the ASEAN
-- 21 century: important investments in hydro-electricity injected funds in the economy.
The communist old guard rules always the country. 

II Facts:
The History of the People of Southeast Asia is cruel, for them. Their liberation intervened in the middle of the 20th century:
-- Singapore with its charismatic leader and Malaysia with the period known as “Emergency” struggled the Marxism effectively. Thailand, in spite of fatal student's insurrections, could wipe out Communism by the alternation of civil and military power. Indo-China could not avoid this political adventure in spite of two bloody wars.
-- Singapore whose only natural resource is its hard labour, Malaysia with its natural resources and its religious “submission”, and Thailand educated in Oxford and Buddhist became major economic powers. Indo-China still thwarted by Marxist leading elite has difficulties to take off, in particular Laos.
-- Singapore, in Malaysia and in Thailand democracy is a tangible reality, certainly with nuances. In Indo-China democracy remains a far-off future; let us leave time to time, let us avoid an external intervention of “cow-boys” directed by a “born again”.

Ideas of “intellectuals” are sometimes a calamity for people when they are recovered with fine policies. They have a historical responsibility, moreover Althusser in drew the conclusions.
Compared history of the countries of the South-East Asia would owe attracted historians of any obedience: The Malaysian peninsula of British ex-colony, Thailand never colonized and Indo-China French ex-colony.

Laos:
It is hardly larger than the United Kingdom, 43% of the surface of France. The northern part half of Laos, makes up of  broken mountain ranges and plateaus of which the vastest and the most known is the Plain of Jars. The southern part extends from Mekong in the west to the Annamite range in the east, border with Vietnam.
 
The population is 5.6 million inhabitants who are distributed between 49 and 134 ethnic groups:
-- 50% of Lao, Lao Loum, Lao of the plain of Mekong. They are Buddhists Theravada with a component animist Phii.
-- 10 to 20% of Lao Thai, Lao of the high valleys. They are Buddhists Theravada.
-- 20 to 30% of Lao Thoeng, Lao of the low mountains. They are Buddhists Theravada.
-- 10 to 20% of Lao Soung, Lao of the high mountains. They are animists.
-- 2 to Chinese 5% of Henan.
 
Lao practice an ancestral worship called animism actually it acts of the belief in the “Spirits”, Phii. Although the government banned Phii Lao make coexist Buddhism with this ancestral belief. Thus in Vientiane in Wat Si Muang the central statue is not the Buddha but the city pillar, Lak Meuang.
 
Laos is under perfusion of China and its mentor Vietnam. Although the growth posts a rate of 7% per annum, 75% of the population live with less than US$ 2 a day and the three quarters are in subsistence of the farm products.
The exported products are primarily hydraulic electricity, garments, timbers and coffee to which for a few years tourism has been added.
There is practically no tax. The public revenues come from exports and from foreign assistance used for infrastructures.
Corruption remains a major problem, the monopolization by the communist elite.
 
The psychology of the Laotians come, obviously, from its history and its culture, religious. Its currency could be, laid-back, no-problem. The French colonists had summarized the behaviour of the Laotians: “The Vietnamese plant rice, the Cambodians watch it grow, the Laotians listen to it grow.” In Laos there is only one harvest of rice per annum in Vietnam there are two of them and even three in the Mekong delta.

GPS tracklog of the trip in Vietnam

I Team:
No change, MAN truck and its Guy driver.
II Journey:
Laos was visited in two periods: the south Laos starting from the border of Vietnam then after a fifteen days interlude in Thailand, the north of Laos.
2.1 the tour:
The south of Laos was directed towards the three French old cities of Tha Khaek, Savannakhet and Pakse by visiting the remarkable temples as well as the archaeological sites, Bolovens Plateau, falls of Mekong and a trek in Se Pian NPA.
The north of Laos was organized to visit the two capitals, Vientiane and Luang Prabang while stopping in some crossed cities as well as the Plain of Jars, the Menhirs in Suan Hin and a trek in Nam Ha NPA.
Due to the extended of the country the trip represented a move of 4600 kilometres roads and tracks.
2.2 The road network:
Laos is the country having the lowest density of population in the South-East Asia. The road network is not very dense taking into account the geography.
In the south Laos only the sealed road were road 13 and roads towards the border of Vietnam in the east and the border of Thailand in the west.
In the north of Laos, the tarred roads were, obviously, the roads towards the borders of Vietnam and of China, trade obliges towards Thailand as well as the road n° 7. The roads were with toll at the change of province.
Indications when it existed were readable as well as the milestones.
2.3 Laotian drivers:
Traffic of private cars was still not very important out of the cities. Motorcycles were most frequent. Local trucks of public works were dangerous because of their excessive speed.
2.4 The insurance of the vehicle:
I did not have an insurance of the truck.
III bivouacs:
Bivouacs were difficult to find in open country and in mountain; I used platforms of Weight Stations several times. Downtown it was often a stroke of luck mainly at the edge of the rivers. I did not encounter any problem of safety. The table of small the Campsite-position gives the waypoints of all my bivouacs as well as mileage between each stage.
IV Supplies of food:
As in other countries midday I lunched on the move with the “COM Pho” or in cities. “Markets” offer all essential foods, fruits are abundant. The Information page gives some prices.
V Fluids:
Diesel was present in all petrol stations. On the other hand water was difficult to supply and of poor quality.
VI Money:
All banks in the tourist cities had DAB accepting Visa card, very often Master Card but never AMEX. Bank HSBC was not present at Laos.
VII Guides:
I never took of guide to visit sites except for both treks. I had Lonely Planet guide book (Lp).
VIII Passport, visa, border crossing:
The entry Laos was subordinate to obtain a visa on arrival, VOA, 30 days at a cost of $30.
Laos did not appear in the list of the country requiring the Carnet de Passage en Douane. But it was requested from the entry by the customs.
The crossing of frontiers is presented by the Information page.
IX My appreciation:
9.1 I liked:
-- The kindness, courtesy and the helpfulness of Laos. Several times I met happy people to exchange some French words sometimes in very remote villages,
-- Laos is mountainous, it offers dramatic landscapes in dry season as well as in the south as in the north,
-- The old colonial cities allowed a return in the past of France and Luang Prabang was an approach of the Lao Kingdom.
9.2 I hated:
-- In cities and villages far away, monstrous baffles poured music howling with deafening basses.
-- English is practiced only by little people.
X Relevance of this trip by camper:
As I mentioned above the road network is of good quality on road 13 and on access road to the bordering countries. These roads can be travelled by the classical camper van with the usual reserve: The overhang, angle of escape, is not excessive and the load index of the tyres matches at least to the weight of the vehicle.