Once more with the TLCB to Laos (June 2015)
This trip was scheduled for May of this year but due to some scheduling problems in Laos, the trip had to be postponed to early June which was good for some and less good for most of us as we could expect some rains in early June at that start of the rainy season. The team on this trip consisted of Mac, Paul and Stewart who all rode up from Bangkok on the 6th and Glenn and myself who travelled a few days earlier from Chiangmai to Vientiane.
Early morning (on the 7th of June) we met the Bangkok contingent and Sompou (who was driving the truck Mac rented from Avis in Vientiane) at the Friendship Bridge and departed for Longcheng. Along the way we had nice sunny weather and no problems with the road and dry but dusty tracks .
After a quick look/see stop at the Khoksa Airfield and lunch in Nam Ngone we continued onwards to Longcheng where we arrived around 3 o'clock which left plenty of time for sightseeing in Longcheng itself. By the way, most pictures were taken by me but some of the pictures shown were taken by Paul, Stewart and Glenn
Somphou, Mac and Glenn checking if the new Lao SIM cards keep us connected to the world
Tiny owl at the Vathsana Restaurant/Guesthouse in Nam Ngone
Where are we and where is the Phou Bia mountain
The runway of LS 20 Alternate in Longcheng
All was well with picture taking and story telling going on of how things were here some 50 years ago while we strolled through the village. Unfortunately, all was disrupted when some of the local "poo-yai" (in this case the security people) needed to show who was in charge here.
We were advised to report to the police station where we spent the next hour and a half explaining why we were there and we had to show the pictures we had taken in Longcheng. After the police deleted quite a few pictures from Paul's camera we were told to leave Longcheng.
The owner of the Guesthouse where we had booked rooms was very unhappy about this and he as well as Sompou made some frantic phonecalls with the result that we were allowed to stay the night.
Stewart, Mac and Paul on the runway in Longcheng
The TLCB crew for this trip having dinner at Longcheng - Mac, Stewart, Somphou, me, Glenn and Paul
Early morning in Longcheng and a peek out of the window showed that the night had dropped quite a bit of water on Longcheng and this made for an interesting trip from Longcheng to Phonsavan
Rain clouds over Longcheng
While passing a Lao truck which could not make it up the steep slope, my truck slid of the high ground into a rut and I got stuck
Getting ready to winch myself out of the rut
A Russian built PT 76 amphibious tank left in the Lao country side after the Vietnam war and evidence of what disabled the tank
Rain or not but work goes on for the people who search for and remove the unexploded bombs, etc. - some 2 million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam war. Among the 2 million tons of ordnance were "cluster bombs" which contained over 200 million bombies (about the size of a tennis ball) and some 20-30% of these bombies or bomblets did not explode
Bomb collection at the Dok Khoun hotel we stayed in Phonsavan
Cluster bomb casing filled with bombies
During the next few days we visited schools where the TLCB provided assistance before returning to Vientiane and heading home. First stop was at the primary school in Ban Nong at the Plain of Jars where the TLCB provided funds for new school furniture.
The old (on the right) and the new school (on the left) - both buildings are still in use
Part of the new furniture donated by the TLCB
The handing-over ceremony was held in the old school building and it is evident that this building is in need of repairs - a new roof is needed (the bright spots on the floor is the sunlight shining in through the holes in the roof) and concrete to replace the dirt floor.
A Baci ceremony was held after the handing over ceremony followed by a party with food and drinks
The next school to be visited was the primary school at Ban Na Fa where funds were provided for a new roof on the school building
The village ladies preparing the food to be served later during the party
Again the usual speeches - this time by the head of the District Education Office, the head of the village and Mac representing the TLCB, signing the handover documents, baci and food and drinks followed this time with singing and dancing the Ramwong
Next on the program was the secondary school in Ban Nong Pet where the TLCB provided funds to install new roofing materials on two school buildings and yes, the quality of the buildings is a bit lower than what we are used to in the west
The next morning we had an early start as it would be a long day - first to the secondary school in Ban Ton Ling Chong (the TLCB provided funding for a concrete floor) which is located some 90 km. north-west if Phonsavan, back to Phonsavan and than for another 120 km south-east to Thathom. Quite a bit of rain along the way but otherwise no real problems other than a truck stuck on the track which blocked our way back to Phonsavan
Farmers getting ready to transplant the rice seedlings to the rice fields
Along the way a truck which left the road and could not get back on the road so we pulled him back on the road
A few rivercrossings on our way to the school
The new concrete floor of the school - the last part was finished the day befire we arrived.
No Baci, no speeches, etc. here but just an impromptu lunch with some of the teachers
Sompou looking a bit forlorn as on our way back to Phonsavan the track was blocked by a big truck and there was no way to get past it. What to do? Wait till another big truck would come to pull the truck out, take a very long detour via Luang Prabang or take the dirt road which had been abandoned after the last rainy season as it had become unstable. We chose the last option - sorry, no pictures as we needed 100% concentration to keep the truck on the track.
The next morning we had to visit three schools before heading back to Vientiane.
Ban Phieng Ta Primary school which was supported by the TLCB with a new concrete floor and new roof
Next on the program was the primary school in Ban Sibounhueang where the TLCB provided the funds for new school furniture. Although the school was closed as it was holiday, some of the students came in to show of the new furniture
The usual hand over ceremony, a "turbo speed" baci, lunch and, last but not least, drinks.
The last school to be visited, the primary school of Ban Khone Sana is one of my favourites as, after the TLCB decided to provide the funds for a concrete floor and a new roof for an existing building, the parents decided that it would be better to tear down the old building and build a new one and that they (the parents) would provide all the labour as well as the materials for the walls of the new building
The old school building which was really "on its last legs"
The old Kindergarten room with no furniture so the kids have to sit on the floor
and the new building (3 classrooms and a room for the Kindergarten) which should be ready when the new school year starts in a few weeks.
Time to head home as, after a week on the road, visiting schools, attending baci ceremonies, eating, drinking and dancing, the TLCB team started looking a bit tired.
