Vientiane: Day 1 (Part 4)

17 November 2016

Next destination is Patuxay. This building was built in 1957, and is the most prominent landmark in the city. It was inspired by the architecture of Arc de Triomphe in Paris, built in typical Lao motifs. We climbed about 284 steps (by my count) and enjoyed an excellent panoramic view of the city from the top of the monument.

I find Vientiane very clean, reasonably structured, and very slow paced. This was probably what Malaysia looked like 50 years ago. More importantly, I got the impression that the people here are contented and happy with what little they have. In my opinion, this is the best kind of happiness.

And then we were done for the day. Back to the hotel to check in and freshen up, and here I received devastating news (and photos) from back home. When Philip went to feed the girls, he found 3 dead pups around the garden, and 2 dead pups in the store room being carefully guarded by Geri. The newborn pups had been mauled, some with heads and stomach bitten off and missing. Of course I suspect Molly although there are 2 male stray dogs mooching around the house. I suspect Molly because I saw with my own eyes her vicious attack on Betty, an attack that was unprovoked and without rhyme or reason.

But here’s the saddest part. Philip dug a hole in the garden to bury the pups, but Geri wouldn’t let go of the 2 dead pups that she was guarding, she must’ve thought they were still alive. He had to lure her away with trickery, and then he locked her in the store room while he buried all 5 dead pups. Born only to die. And the Geri! The poor whistling, singing Geri! How she would’ve felt after being in labour and giving birth, there is no way she could’ve protected all her pups from murderous, evil intentions. I’m so upset that I wasn’t there to protect her. And now they’re all dead!

With a heavy heart we walked from the hotel towards the Mekong river to watch the sun set. I was contemplating the meaning of life, death and reincarnation. It seems so senseless for the pups to be born only to die, and to die such horrible deaths. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Why? This is a question I will never get the answer to.

After that we walked through the night market along the river, had dinner (pork rice and fried noodles and Beer Lao) and then back to the hotel to pack and sleep.

Vientiane: Day 1 (Part 3)

17 November 2016

Then, to lunch at a local restaurant beside the Mekong river. Just across the river is Thailand. Countries bordered by a river. Here I tasted my first Beer Lao, and it was good! I think I like it even more than Bintang Beer in Indonesia. What I want to know is, why there is no local beer in Malaysia.

Anyway. For lunch we had local food which consisted of sticky rice (you have to roll it into a ball and eat it with the dishes), tilapia from the Mekong river cooked with lemongrass, spicy papaya salad, water buffalo beef lap (salad) and a plate of fresh herbs – basil, kafir leaves and another vegetable that I do not know. The papaya salad was spicy and according to Silvia, the beef lap even more so, and I was surprised to learn that Lao people loved spicy food. I’ll fit right in!

After lunch we went to Pha That Louang, an important stupa built in 1566 and reconstructed in 1930, considered the symbol of Laos as it is the most important Laotian religious and national monument. The top is covered with pure gold. The architecture of the stupa is in Lao style influenced by Buddhist beliefs.

Locals say that it was originally built as early as the third century to house a breastbone of the Lord Buddha brought to Laos by an Indian missionary. However, the current structure was built by King Setthathirat in 1566 on the site of a 13th century Khmer ruin. He named Vientiane the capital after Luang Prabang in the mid-sixteenth century. There is a statue of him in front of the main entrance to That Luang. We just missed a big celebration as we could see the remnants of the same all around the stupa grounds. We went around the stupa and lit a candle.

Beside this there was a temple known as Vat Sisaket. This is a beautiful temple dating back to 1818. It has thousands of tiny Buddha images and rows with hundreds of seated Buddhas. These images mainly date from the 16^th to 19^th centuries and come in all sizes and are made from wood, stone and bronze – more than 6,800 Buddhas in total.

We were supposed to visit another temple, Vat Phra Keo but unfortunately it is under construction at the moment. Apparently this temple used to house the Emerald Buddha. According to our guide, legend has it that the Emerald Buddha was forged in Sri Lanka, and then given to Cambodia as a gift. A prince in Thailand fell in love with a princess from Cambodia and as a wedding gift, the princess’ father gave the Emerald Buddha to Thailand. Laos and Thailand then had some dispute and the Emerald Buddha was taken to Laos from Thailand, and currently it is back in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Vientiane: Day 1 (Part 2)

17 November 2016

First we went to the morning market where the local people were selling all sorts of local products, mainly vegetables which were farmed by themselves, and many of the buyers were also locals. However as it was already late morning, the crowd had already begun to dwindle – the market starts at 4.30 am! The weather here is quite hot, and I of course forgot to bring my sunglasses.  

Then we went on a local bus (about USD0.60 for about 25 km away from the city) to the Beer Lao brewery. This is their local beer which comes in 3 flavours – regular, dark and gold (premium).

Next, to the Buddha Park. This park is home to more than 200 Buddha statues and an enormous reclining Buddha image which is 40 m in length. The best spot for photography here is on top of the giant dome structure standing about three stories high. The entrance is crafted to look like a demon’s mouth (about three metres high) with a stone ladder inside leading to a bird's eye view of the entire park. The dome is divided into 3 parts – earth when you enter, hell down a flight of really narrow stairs, and heaven up a flight of equally narrow stairs. But the view from the top is mesmerizing.

The park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a monk who studied both Buddhism and Hinduism. This explains why the park is full not only of Buddha images but also of Hindu gods as well as demons and animals from both beliefs. His statue is also in the park.

Some that I remember are Indra, the king of Hindu gods riding the three-headed elephant, a crocodile, a god or demon of the sun and moon, and my favourite was of a 4 faced god/buddha/demon with 8 hands stretching out to the ground. There was also Hanuman and Ganesha at the edge of the park, by the Mekong river where he is apparently covered up to the waist when the river floods. 

Vientiane : Day 1 (Part 1)

17 November 2016

Geri was in labour I think but I’d no time to await the arrival of her pups. Seems like I’m always away when pups are born; I was in Moscow when Molly’s pups arrived.

2 and ½ hour flight to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. “Lao” means kingdom and “Prabang” means Buddha; so the kingdom of Buddha. Lao People’s Democratic Republic or Laos has a population of about 5.5 million people. There are about 500,000 people in Vientiane. Laos is 1 hour behind Malaysia, so we arrived at about 9 am Malaysia time, 8 am Laos time. Our guide Phet (pronounced Pat) met us at the airport, we left our bags at the hotel and had Lao coffee (it’s done with condense milk and comes with plain tea on the side) and a baguette (a remnant of the French colonists).

Present day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao (Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol), existed for four centuries as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. It was founded in the 14^th century by a Lao prince Fa Ngum, who with 10,000 Khmer troops, took over Vientiane. Fa Ngum was descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracing back to Khoun Boulom. He made Theravada Buddhism the state religion and Lan Xang prospered. His ministers, unable to tolerate his ruthlessness, forced him into exile to the present-day Thai province of Nan in 1373, where he died. 

It was not until 1637, when Sourigna Vongsa ascended the throne, that Lan Xang would further expand its frontiers. His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age. When he died, leaving Lan Xang without an heir, the kingdom divided into three principalities — Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, it became a French protectorate, with the three territories uniting to form what is now known as Laos. It briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation, but returned to French rule until it was granted autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. Shortly after independence, a long civil war ended the monarchy, when the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975.

Laos is a one-party republic. The government came into power in 1975 after overthrowing the royal government. According to Phet, it is 50% communist and 50% socialist, and 80% of the Lao people are happy with the present government. The official language is Lao. Apparently it is one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world, thanks to the Vietnam war. There are still bombs and land mines around, undiscovered.

Laos is a multi-ethnic country with the politically and culturally dominant Lao people making up approximately 60% of the population, mostly in the lowlands. 75% of the population are Buddhists; 25% are animistic. The minority tribes are Khmu, Hmong and Tibetans, who are usually animistic. The main exports of Laos are gold, copper, silver and timber, electricity generated from the Mekong river, and tourism. The currency is known as “kip”. US$1 is equivalent to about 8,300 kip. “Sabaidee” means hello and “Kop Chai” means thank you.

The moral of the story is...

I travelled half way around the world and spent 3 months in 7 countries travelling on buses, taxis and planes, living out of a suitcase and always moving around from one place to another. My iPad was with me the entire time.

Then I came home, and someone stole my iPad.

I was traveling on a budget so I stayed in budget hotels / hostels, and sometimes had to spend the night on buses going from one place to another. Not the most hygienic or sanitary of conditions, sometimes I didn’t / couldn’t shower or brush my teeth in days and sometimes I had to pee behind some bushes / rocks in the open because there were no toilets for miles around. Germs everywhere!

Then I came home, got an infection and had to go for surgery!

I went to the Amazon jungle, the biggest rainforest in the world. So many creatures, insects as big the palm of my hand, yuck! But not a snake in sight.

Then I came home, and saw a python up close in my own bathroom while taking a shower.

What’s the moral of the story here?

Schadenfreude

I know of 2 people whose lives are so miserable and empty that they have to resort to making up stories about other people, just to make themselves look important. They have to put others down, or portray others in a bad light, in order to make themselves look good. Because otherwise, they will be exposed for the nobodies that they truly are.

Rumours do upset. I won’t pretend that they don’t. My first reaction was to confront, then to revenge. But then I thought, the more I react, the more importance I give to them and their lies. So I decided to be patient and do nothing. This is nothing like me. But the truth is, these days I don’t have the time or the energy to plot and carry out a plan of attack (defence, really).

And then it hit me. I do have a plan – doing nothing. The best way to get back at nobodies is to give them nothing. For people who take pleasure in causing misery to others, the best revenge is to be happy. Because conversely, my happiness will cause them misery.

These people do not love themselves because if they do, they will not need to put others down or spread lies about others. I should pity them and their pathetic lives but I’m not going to waste another minute thinking about them.

Evil people have no place in my life. Right now and probably forever, I’m busy chasing happiness. It's the best revenge for them, and the best therapy for me.

Fraser's Hill

Sunday, 2 October 2016

Because Philip refuses to pay the government any more money than absolutely necessary, and because Philip has an in-built GPS system (his nose), we took the trunk road to Fraser’s Hill. From Petaling Jaya – Kuala Lumpur – Selayang – Rawang – Sungai Choh – Serendah -  Antara Gapi – Batang Kali – Kuala Kubu Baru – Gap – Fraser’s Hill.

I read on the internet that from the Gap, there was only one way up and down Fraser’s Hill and to ease the traffic, odd hours are for going up and even hours are for coming down. However, this has changed. Now there is one way up, and another altogether different way down, going behind Fraser’s Hill.

From the Gap to Fraser’s Hill is about 8 km distance. The base of the Gap road is about 800 m high. The roads are really narrow and really windy, with almost zero visibility of oncoming cars. Thank God I wasn’t driving as I would probably need 5 hours to go up and 4 hours to come back down, much to the annoyance of the people unfortunate enough to be stuck behind my car.

At the Gap there was a dilapidated looking building which Appa said used to be a colonial residence converted into a famous guest house operated by the government. It was closed for refurbishment but it was never completed and remains close till today. This is quite sad.

Being a creature of the sun, I brought a jacket with me. I didn’t need it. It wasn’t cold at all. I remember it being extremely cold when I was there more than 30 years ago. I’ve no idea what happened.

Fraser's Hill is situated in the Titiwangsa mountain range in the beautiful state of Pahang. I say that because I’m from Pahang, of course. It has an average altitude of 1,200 m high but its highest point rises to about 1,524 m at the Telekoms bungalow.

It is named after Louis James Fraser, a Scotsman who prospected for gold in Australia but eventually struck tin here instead in the 1890s. Employing Chinese miners to do the hard work for him and earning his keep by operating mule trains down the steep mountain track (Gap road today) to Raub town for trade. Eventually, Fraser himself moved up the hill and set up opium and gambling dens to increase his profits. Sometime around 1915, he vanished just as the tin deposits dried up and people started moving away. His mysterious disappearance remains unsolved till to date. We tried to solve this mystery but unfortunately were unable to uncover any clues.

In 1917 the place was rediscovered and there were plans to develop it into a hill station. A local man said that the first building was a house built in 1919, and is now the police station / post office. This was in town but we left the town for last.

First we went to Allan’s water, which used to be a dam built by F.H. Allan an architect, and then made into a reservoir, and is now finally a recreational lake with lots of fishes to feed and paddle boats. Just beside this was a vegetable farm that looked newly opened. Here you get to literally pick your vegetables from the ground or pluck it from the plant and buy it – tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, radish, and various leafy greens. I bought cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes and a pretty flower plant for Amma but not sure if she will like it, my parents don’t seem to like anything I give them. But I digress.

Then we drove past various bungalows, there were bungalows belonging to Telekom, TNB, Bank Negara, Bank Pertanian etc I think these were holiday destinations that could be booked by the staff of these respective establishments and inhabited for free. This is just a guess. Other bungalows were Rompin, Cicely, Abu Suradi, The Cottage. And various resorts as well.

We stopped to see this one resort called Ye Olde Smokehouse because the name sounded exquisite to me. I read that this was a building built in 1924 with the help of the Red Cross Society for the British soldiers who fought in World War 1 (1914-1918), and their dependents. It was quite a nice place and I would consider staying here if this was an overnight trip. But it wasn’t.

Next was the Jeriau waterfall. It was about a 15 minute trek from the main entrance to the waterfall, and it turned out to be a disappointment. Philip said his shower was more impressive than the Jeriau waterfall. This hurt the waterfall’s feelings. I bought soap bubbles and blew bubbles and felt like a kid again or like Spongebob Squarepants. When no one was looking, of course.

Then to town for lunch. Normal Malaysian food. Then to the Paddock for horse riding (which we didn’t do) and archery (which Philip did but his arrows kept hitting the target of the man next to him). Robin Hood he is certainly not. Hilarious. Right opposite the Paddock was the Fraser’s Hill Golf Course. These were the only 2 things that I remember in Fraser’s Hill when I was last there more than 30 years ago. Then with my parents. Now with Philip.

Finally a walk around the town. The police station, formerly a colonial house, the post office, Puncak Inn Hotel, some kind of bird centre, sports complex and of course the famous clock tower. We had the ugliest coffee and milo in what looks like a former colonial house converted into an “Eating House” (literally that is what was written on it).

And then we were done with Fraser’s Hill!