Tribasia Blog

We spent the rest of our stay in Laos in the western part of the country.
Time and time again, we used our legs as tools of mass discovery by trekking through hilly rural sceneries. Dirt roads, jungle trails and field paths often lead to hidden treasures of ethnic life and nature. We thus killed two birds in one stone by keeping fit and being eco-friendly. :))

We came across new groups such as the Lahu Musur but also refugees such as Hmong people. The Musur (also called Muser) appear extremely shy but good-natured while the Hmong seem secretive and proud. Both groups live at higher altitude.
The Laho's appearance (physical features and traditional dress) reminded us of some ethnic groups in southern China, which can be easily explained by the fact that they initially migrated from this part of the world.
We also met again various sub-groups of Akha and Thai people as well as Hor.

On our last day, we ditched walking for hitchhiking to make it on time to cross the border. We found ourselves at the back of an open-roof van tucked between bags and veggies. We enjoyed a 360-degree view of mountainous landscapes while going up a winding road and being driven through sharp turns. Many of those... but nothing better than some fresh air to prevent road sickness ;0)

As our visas expire today, we've had to cross over to Thailand and leave Laos behind. We would really have loved to extend our stay there but we have to prepare for our next destination in the coming days.

More on the forthcoming entry ;0)

Labels: Black Hmong, ethnic diversity, Lahu Musur, Laos, Trekking

(Picture by Californian Em/Flickr)
We hope you got a great start to this new year :))
2010 started for us with well-worn shoes and wide-opened eyes. We just spent 6 days in the province of Phongsali, the northernmost corner of Laos. We could not keep up with the number of ethnic groups (Akha, Hor and Lue) and their sub-groups (Akha Meuo, Akha Pixor, Akha Nuquoy and more) we met as there were so many.

We went trekking really REALLY far and wide this time. We trekked jungle paths where we could not see much ahead of us except a maze of greenness. We got our heads and feet entangled in creepers, creeping plants of all kinds and first view on weird creepy crawlies. We crossed streams and creeks, climbed steep and narrow paths and enjoyed wonderful views of pristine jungle.

On our last day, we even ended up walking two hours in the dark back to Ban Phonsa-At where we were staying. On the plus side, we could enjoy an unspoiled view of the Orion constellation and wished upon a few shooting stars. On the down side, we had to go up a dusty and windy mountainous road that seemed to never end and we always got a tad-too-warm welcome from dogs in the rare hamlets we came across.

It was all worth it in the end. We better understood the diversity and differences among Akha people. We spent time with these ethnic groups in their natural setting.

We are now in Luang Nam Tha province. We will post further news shortly to tell you about this new 'tribal' chapter ;0)

Labels: Akha, Hor, jungle, Laos, Lue, Phongsali, Trekking

We are stuck in Vientiane, Laos' capital city, for a few days before going up -26 hours' worth of travelling up to be precise- to Phongsali Province.
We came across this news on Internet and wanted to share it with you.
Many people from the Hmong minority fled Laos following persecution by the communist regime for having sided with the Americans and their allies in the 60's and 70's. Many left to seek refuge in the US or neighbouring countries, such as Thailand, where they were granted asylum.
However, the Thai authorities have just -on 29 Dec 09- completed the deportation of 4,000 Hmong people, despite fears from Human Rights' groups and diplomats that many could face reprisal.
Follow the link below to get a comprehensive coverage of this story:
"Safety Fears for Hmong After Thai Expulsion"

Please share this piece of news to raise awareness about the current plight of this ethnic minority.
You could also contact communities such as avaaz, one of the biggest web campaigner on the web at the moment, to try and ensure that the Hmong plight is heard and their future is safeguarded.
That could be your last good deed for 2009 and what best to see this year off ;0)

Many thanks and see you in 2010!

Labels: avaaz, Hmong refugees, Laos, Thailand

After staying in the heart of the Bolaven Plateau, in southern Laos, we had come across quite a few Laven but soon realized that their culture and that of Lao mainstream groups, known as Lao Theung, are now really entwined.
We then decided to further explore the fringes of the Bolaven Plateau by spending a few days in Attapeu province.

On the bus to get in that area, we got a bit worried by the sight of a couple of lone old men here and there. We know, we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but unfortunately southern Laos might attract at times the wrong kind of people. Some members of the Lao community seem to have stepped up their effort in the fight against pedophilia by putting posters and better informing the population, especially in remote rural areas. We got relieved upon arriving at our final stop to see none of those 'creepy' types.

We started our trip by crossing a river on an improvised 'water taxi' then rode a bike on red-brown dirt roads for a few hours until we came across a Brau -also known as Laveh- minority village. We did not immediately realize we had 'landed' in such a village as at a rough guess the bamboo and rattan huts looked pretty similar to that of other villages in this part of the country.
However, once we wandered around and started meeting locals, we quickly understood from old women's extended earlobes and facial tattoos that we were in presence of Brau people. We soon engaged in 'conversation' (with our limited vocabulary and our extended 'hand-gesturing')with some of them.

Brau women used to wear large ivory or bamboo tubular earrings -hence the stretched earlobes- and adorn their faces with a linear tattoo on their foreheads and another one, running from one cheek to the other in the shape of a moon crescent. This tradition is now slowly dying with the older people passing out.
Younger women still wear colourful necklaces made from blue, yellow and red beads: one choker and a few necklaces hanging loose around their necks.

The traditional costume is still worn at festival times and for special ceremonies but on a daily basis, women tend to wear an ubiquitous sarong and a top or more often a simple bra -they used to live bare chested.
Men also used to tattoo their body, in particular their arms, but at first sight, there's no way of telling them apart from other mainstream Lao people.

The Brau live in a matriarchal society. As a consequence, women enjoy near-same status as men but also have more responsibilities when it comes to feeding their household.
When in the Brau village and its surroundings, we witnessed women working hard in their fields, cooking for their families or fetching water in their heavy jars but we did not witness half as many men sweating it out...

All in all, it was a very enriching stay among this minority as we learned more about their culture and current challenges.

We will now start moving up north via Vientiane, the capital. We hope to come across many more minorities in the north where myriads of ethnic minorities settled - having emigrated long ago from China.

Labels: Attapeu, Bolaven Plateau, Brau, Laos, Lave

We crossed into Laos as planned.
In the next 4 weeks, we aim to cross the country from south to north -in that order- with the aim of only focusing on a handful of ethnic groups.
For most of this journey, we will spend time in rural areas, i.e. where internet access can be challenging and wi-fi availability is a miracle. Hence, we will have to call on your patience once more :))

We will log entries on the blog whenever possible but uploading pictures might have to wait for faster connections, i.e. upon our return to Thailand.
On the positive side, it means that you will be able to delight in a double-ride on our blog section and each time enjoy a new experience: the first for reading and the next for picture viewing :))

Labels: internet, Laos, Pakxe, southeast Asia

Sorry for being off the radar for the past 3 weeks. As we mentioned in our last posting [19 Nov. entry], we were relaxing, off the West coast of Thailand, for a little while -without internet access.
We are now fully re-energized and ready to go back on the road.
We are staying a few more days in Kantchanaburi (Western Thailand) before crossing again back to Laos, on 18th December.
This time, we will stay far away from the tourist highway, back in tribal territory :))

Labels: Laos, Thailand

(Picture by Prince Roy)
We are entering our fifth day of travel here in Laos.
After one day in Luang Namtha, one word came to our mind: changes. Changes are like coins, there are two sides to them.
1) Positive:
- Prosperity which comes as a result of foreign investment and an increased flow in tourism and trade movements.
For instance, the European Union financed the recently built Luang Namtha airport.
It might not be quite true but it seems that the Chinese pretty much financed everything else or own many of Laos' assets in the north of the country. Many new building structures and companies' names are a testimony to these. Chinese characters are also very often written side by side with Lao on road signs.
As a result, Lao children in the northern part of the country now learn Chinese as well as English and Lao at school.

- Better living conditions. The first time we came to Luang Namtha, dirt roads were hampering transport between this city and other major hubs. Now the dirt has been replaced by paved roads at every turn. As a result, transport time between cities has been reduced and road transport for passengers and goods made easier.
The traditional wooden houses are also slowly but surely replaced with bricked ones. The latter require less up keeping and as a construction material, brick is more resistant to adverse weather conditions.

- Greater awareness about the environment. Many ecoprojects have flourished as a result of foreign investments and tourism.

2) Negative:
- Loss of traditional cultures under the influence of those foreign cultures.
Young people increasingly watch Chinese, Thai and American T.V. Many turn their backs on their traditional lifestyles in favour of others perceived as more 'in'.

When we visited to the village of Namdy (Ban Namdy in Lao) 5 kms away from Luang Namtha, where Lanten people resides, we were shocked to see how it had changed since our last stay. Many women no longer sported their traditional costume and children begged for money in return for pictures.
When we first visited the place a few years back, we gathered a completely different picture from this area. Locals were shy but happy to communicate with us without money involved. We quickly understood that the increasing flux of tourists which had recently come to nearby Luang Namtha, had also used Namdy as a stopover on their way to a nearby waterfall and it had changed it all.

- Threat to social integrity: Minority women, in particular the Akha, leave their families and traditional lifestyle behind to work hundreds of miles/kms away from their villages to sell their crafts or/and sometimes, drugs, to dollar/euro-happy tourists.
Young tourists see drug-taking as a fun way to pass their holidays, unaware that their consumption only encourages more local young people to peddle drugs and become dependent on them -physically and economically.
For every local man becoming an addict to drug, a family suffers. Far from the hustle-bustle of tourist destinations, we witnessed a minority village where one household in three had a problem with drug abuse. Often, the husband is addicted to opium and his wife has to provide alone for their - large and young- family.

- Increased cost of living for Lao people and travelling for backpackers. It is now really difficult to find anything to eat for less than 5,000 kip on the street (a dollar is currently worth 8,500 kip) which was not the case two years back.

Besides, hordes of tour groups now in Luang Prabang are uninterested in knowing the real local cost of living and happy to throw 20 dollars on a hotel bed, which was barely worth 5 two years ago.

- A widening socioeconomic gap between 'the haves' and the 'have-nots'.
We could add more to the above list...

We therefore gathered a mixed picture of Laos this time round.

In a few days' time, we will leave the country as we want to take a break from travelling before going back on the road in 'Tribasia' style.
We will probably come back to Laos, but not in Luang Prabang, which seems to have lost its way on the package tourism highway.

Labels: Asia, changes, ethnic minorities, foreign investment, lanten, Laos, loss of cultures, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang

(picture by Babasteve)
After four months spent on improving our Chinese vocabulary and hand talking, we were able to say 'hello, 'bye', 'no', 'no need', 'no have', 'how much is it?', 'thank you', 'where do you go?', 'room', 'bus', 'bus station', 'train', 'water', numbers and hand talk them (which is is quite confusing since the sign for '6' looks like the sign we use for 'telephone/calling' in Europe, the sign for '5' ressembles the one for 'shut your mouth' and the sign for '7' looks like your finger got broken, etc).

The language barrier was indeed an obstacle but it did not prevent us from meeting and communicating with locals. We met lovely people along the way as well as disgusting ones (the ones spitting on bus floors and puffing in their kids' faces -and ours).

We got frustrated with the state's Big Brother's stance and its paranoia. The clampdown on many Internet sites made blog posting difficult, if not impossible. We still -sarcastically- laugh at CCTV9 (China Central Television, THE 'International' channel of China)'s comments that 'China is developing Human Rights from a collective and economic perspective whereas the West is focusing on individual and political rights.' As if Human Rights were a dish which could be prepared with different ingredients,depending on the Chef's whim, regardless of his customers' identical needs.

China is indeed booming and our guide book could not cope with the rapid changes and growth it is undergoing. However, freedom of speech is still in its infancy and will only improve if Chinese citizens slowly -but surely- rise to the challenge.

Some people might ask us why we spent so much time in China? Because Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces are treasures of natural and ethnic beauty. Despite the huge distances we had to cover and other logistical challenges, we were happy to come across minorities we had not encountered before and travel through stunning landscapes.

We are now leaving China for a smaller and more relaxed country with a wealth of history and nature: Laos. And -sigh of relief- we will now be able to blog freely!! :))

Labels: China, Guangxi, Guizhou, human rights, Laos, Sichuan, Yunnan

We arrived at dusk in Dien Bien Phu, Western Vietnam, on 11th June. This town is famed as a historical battle site which witnessed the defeat of the French colonial forces at the hands of the Viet Minh in 1954 . However, the focus of our visit here remains the minority groups.

Dien Bien is 34 kms away from Laos. When exploring the local markets in town, we met many Black Thai, also known as Thai Tay. Black Thai women look taller than their Viet fellows with their long black skirts, silky long-sleeve tops and towering headdress.

The Black Thai, both men and women, are easy to approach. They are not weary of curious foreigners and happy to smile back.

This group is actually similar in appearance to the Tai Dam from Laos. If you explore the 'Ethnic Groups' section of this website, you will be able to gather further information about this minority under the 'Laos' country tab.

We also witnessed a few Hmongs going around town. They also seem less aggressive in this area - possibly the Lao influence on people... who knows?

Today, we are off exploring the surroundings of Dien Bien and take a closer look at Black Thai and Hmong villages. Back on the bike for a bumpy ride ;0)

P.S. For those of you wishing to get more information about the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, please check the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu

Labels: battle, Black Hmong, Black Thai, Dien Bien Phu, Laos, minorities, Tai Tay