I thought that I would spend some of my Christmas Day in Luang Prabang taking photos. I certainly have not taken many since being in Laos and definitely not on my Rollei SL66.
For those of you who have no idea what that is, it is a large studio camera that is 30 years old, bulky as hell and due to a lifetime of work, no longer the reliable machine it probably once was. Sort of the opposite of me, at least in some ways. This has not been helped by the fact that since I have owned it, it has found itself thrown into a helicopter in the Himilayas, carried in numerous backpacks on treks in places such as Nepal and New Zealand, strapped to a camel in Rajasthan that promptly sat on it at the first opportunity and then more recently attached to the back of a motorbike as I rode on dirt tracks firstly around Asutralia and now here in Laos. Why do I even carry something that is unreliable, cumbersome, requires a seperate light meter and as one person pointed out "does not even have a zoom lens", not to mention that it is now near impossible to buy film for it anymore? Because it takes photos that digital cameras cannot match. Well, unless you have a spare $40,000 that is. Alas it will probably be the last trip I use it on before I succumb to buying a digital SLR.
But that is not what I really wanted to talk about. What I wanted to talk about were some of the issues, dilemas, moral difficulties if you will, that are faced with taking photos in places like this.
The problem starts with the fact that this is a UNESCO town. That does not mean you can't take photos, it is actually quite the opposite. The problem is that everyone is taking photos. So when this happens locals become savy to it and will not let you take their photo unless you pay them or buy something from them. You can take a photo without permission, but as far as I am concerned that is like "borrowing someones wife without permission", if you get what I mean. So permission must be sough else problems with trust arise.
But what if they want money? I do believe that in some instances something should be given, after all I am taking something of theirs. I am against giving money as I believe it creates an unhealthy environment. In the good old days when film was the prefered medium of photographers, I use to carry polaroid film and give my subjects a photo of themselves. For a lot of people I shot that had never seen a photo of themselves, the value, both financially and sentimentally, was far greater than that cash I would have given them, particularly when you bear in mind that a single polaroid would cost around $3 compared to the cash that they would have wanted of about $0.50. Sometimes buying services from them, such as produce, is a way to gain permission without either party feeling ripped off. That is what happened this morning when a street vendor initially refused to let me take their photo unless I bought some of their food, which incidentally was very good.
My dilema today was when I was coming down the steps of a temple in the middle of the town. Here were traders selling their wares and goods. There was a hunched old lady selling small raten cages with baby birds for visitors to set free at the top of the temple. It would have made one of the finest photos of the trip, but I could not take the photo. This goes back to the dilema. I would have had to ask permission (my personal belief) and she would have said no - she was there to make money. If I offered her money for her photo then I would be setting a precedent that she would harrass other passers for the same. If I had offered to pay for her birds I would be encouraging a trade growth in something that I believe is wrong - the birds will probably not survive at their age without their mother, let alone a belief that birds should not be caged. So it was with some disappointment that I had to walk on as she harassed another passer by on his way up to the temple to buy her birds. But I do believe that it was the right decision.
It is hard taking photos in these sorts of towns where they are use to tourists. They want money, and why not? For me though it is back to the remote villages where I can trade some interaction and conversation for a photo and everyone feels that they have gained a lot more than in these towns.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Why did the chicken have to try crossing the road?
Any driver will probably know what it is like to have to perform an emergency stop. Any person on a motorbike will know how it makes you heart race. In the villages and towns here there are signs for 30km speed limits. That is less than school zones in NSW and certainly less than Queenslands 80km school zones in rural areas.
But it makes sense in a country where it is the cars, not motorbikes that speed (almost no motorcyclist here goes over 30km, partly due to the poor roads, partly due to the fact that the bikes do have the capability whereas the 4WD rarely drop below 80km/h).
The villages sits on either side of the road that cuts through it and is generally the point which people gather to sell produce, talk or play their version of Boules (Patonque, but don't ask about the spelling please).
However I have come to realise that the limits are not there for the humans who have a sixth sense for traffic, but rather the livestock. In particiular the chickens.
The chickens. Damn them. A few of them have been actually. If they are on the road, fine. Slow down, go around. But it is when they are on the side of the road and they decide to cross when you are 5m away that issues arise. Brakes on my bike are pretty weak, but I had so far managed to avoid hitting them. Or a dog or a Pot Belly Pig for that matter. I did have a close call crossing bridge a few days ago. 20 or so run manically infront of me. Hit the brakes and managed to avoid them. But the 4WD coming from the opposite direction at the mandatory 60km/h min speed did not bother slowing down as he approached me. For some reason the chickens thought that is was preferable to run infront of a Hi Lux than a little 250 bike.
As the white feathers ruffled, through my headphones I could still heard the sickening crunch of bones as the car pulverised it. Amazingly only one was killed. No mourning from his commrades though as they went back to pecking at dirt in search for the grain of infinite hunger satisfaction, or whatever it is that they do.
Today my luck ran out. Yes I was over the speed limit, marginally, but it would not have made a difference as this kamakaze darted out, avoiding my front tyre only for me to feel the crunch as it collided with my boot. I felt bad as I saw it lying there. But no doubt a local somewhere will be feasting on chicken hotpot tonight.
But it makes sense in a country where it is the cars, not motorbikes that speed (almost no motorcyclist here goes over 30km, partly due to the poor roads, partly due to the fact that the bikes do have the capability whereas the 4WD rarely drop below 80km/h).
The villages sits on either side of the road that cuts through it and is generally the point which people gather to sell produce, talk or play their version of Boules (Patonque, but don't ask about the spelling please).
However I have come to realise that the limits are not there for the humans who have a sixth sense for traffic, but rather the livestock. In particiular the chickens.
The chickens. Damn them. A few of them have been actually. If they are on the road, fine. Slow down, go around. But it is when they are on the side of the road and they decide to cross when you are 5m away that issues arise. Brakes on my bike are pretty weak, but I had so far managed to avoid hitting them. Or a dog or a Pot Belly Pig for that matter. I did have a close call crossing bridge a few days ago. 20 or so run manically infront of me. Hit the brakes and managed to avoid them. But the 4WD coming from the opposite direction at the mandatory 60km/h min speed did not bother slowing down as he approached me. For some reason the chickens thought that is was preferable to run infront of a Hi Lux than a little 250 bike.
As the white feathers ruffled, through my headphones I could still heard the sickening crunch of bones as the car pulverised it. Amazingly only one was killed. No mourning from his commrades though as they went back to pecking at dirt in search for the grain of infinite hunger satisfaction, or whatever it is that they do.
Today my luck ran out. Yes I was over the speed limit, marginally, but it would not have made a difference as this kamakaze darted out, avoiding my front tyre only for me to feel the crunch as it collided with my boot. I felt bad as I saw it lying there. But no doubt a local somewhere will be feasting on chicken hotpot tonight.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
"Guess what the cooked animal is" prize draw!
So it has been 4 days on the road and what started off as a bit on the monotonous side has day by day become a pretty amazing experience. The journey started from Vientiane along the Mekong, pretty flat and dull but good to get into the swing of riding a bike 5 times smaller than mine on a foreign road. So far it has done really well, though I have a really tender backside at the end of each day which requires massage. Honest.
So I am currently on the Northern border with Thailand in a town called Heung Xai (though each town has about six different names). Tomorrow I head north, riding along the border with Myanmar before heading to the very north where it meets with China. But for now I need food and I saw this tasty looking morsel at the local market. I will award a prize for anyone who can work out what it is, and then whether you think that I will actually eat one.
It is the last couple of days that have had the best riding. Only being able to make about a couple of hundred KMs a day because the road conditions mean an average speed of about 35km/h results in you getting to take in everything around. The most amazing parts have been making the bike climb from the Mekong where most days seem to end, up over the hills that can go over 2000m. Up there are numbers of hill tribes that do not get much passing traffic - I only passed one car today - and when I pulled up everyone comes out to look, very curious. They quickly hide when you pull out a camera. But if you are riding through and wave and shout Sabai de (Hello) they will wave back. There is no public transport in these hills, as remote as it is, so you see people walking everywhere, unless they own a tractor (not like ours), a scooter, car or elephant.
However there is a significant amount of work going into sealing the roads, making them all weather. The implications of this are huge. Many of these roads traditionally have been unpassable in the wet and it will make access to facilities easier as well as bring more tourists off the Mekong and into the hills that are really only accesible by 4wd, truck or motorbike at the moment. But it should also help health issues. The trucks and cars that pass along the roads cover everything in dust which would have a major impact on the locals respitary systems as their houses are alongside the roads. To give some indication as to how bad it is, below is a photo of me in my riding suit after just a day. And don't ask what it looked like after blowing my nose! If anyone else is thinking of doing a trip like this, I can highly recomend an Ortlieb bag as not only is it waterproof and touch, but it keeps all the dust out.
So I am currently on the Northern border with Thailand in a town called Heung Xai (though each town has about six different names). Tomorrow I head north, riding along the border with Myanmar before heading to the very north where it meets with China. But for now I need food and I saw this tasty looking morsel at the local market. I will award a prize for anyone who can work out what it is, and then whether you think that I will actually eat one.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
On the road
Internet cafes where I am (Pak Beng) but there is Wi Fi if you check
into the most expensive hotel in town (a whopping $70 including all
meals?!?).
Below is my trusty steed of 3 days. Much smaller than Guenther my BMW,
but the locals think it is big and to be honest, there is little need
for anything else. Actually despite the saddle being aweful and giving
me a butt rash (soothed by a $5 massage), it is much easy to handle in
all the loose gravel and sand on the mountain roads.
The ride itself started pretty dull from Vientiene for the first
couple of days, with the exception of some intermittent run through
mountains, but today has been spectacular, leaving Sainyabuli and
heading high into the hills, coming across tribes who appear to have
never met a 'ranga, spectacular scenery and then down into Hongsa
where I found a man going to work on an elephant. After Muang Ngoen
there was some pretty amazing roadworks underway which I think is
being undertaken by the Japanese. It made me realise a few things
about how much we can take good roads for granted and what it means to
the people here, but I will write more when I can use something easier
than an iPhone.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Starting the journey
back to the hotel until I discovered that the brakes were a bit like
jelly.
Anyway, I seem to accumulated a couple of items since getting here
that has made packing very hard, but Ito done now and all that is left
is to put on my pants (packing is best done in underwear I find),
boots, pay the bill and hit the road (figuratively).
Below is the map with a purple dotted line indicating my proposed
route. Heading west that is.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Of course you have to appreciate vehicles to some extent if you spend
significant amounts of time driving or riding for pleasure. For me it
is vehicles that are retro fitted or altered whether for pleasure or
just work. Fast doesn't do it for me. Here is a vehicle that I would
definitely buy if it were ever made legal in Australia.
How long until the telcos catch on
It is a funny sign of the times when I can log on to a free public Wi
Fi on my phone in a third world country and make free Skype calls
instead of paying huge amounts to roam. Surely by now the Telcos would
have joined the game? Buying a brand new Nokia handset here in Laos is
cheaper than some roaming calls. Even updating the blog at the moment
is free as I am doing so from my mobile.
Speaking of which, I have never seen so many fake iPhones in my life -
it is wonderful. Move over Rolex, Omega... There is a new luxury good
to forge!
Fi on my phone in a third world country and make free Skype calls
instead of paying huge amounts to roam. Surely by now the Telcos would
have joined the game? Buying a brand new Nokia handset here in Laos is
cheaper than some roaming calls. Even updating the blog at the moment
is free as I am doing so from my mobile.
Speaking of which, I have never seen so many fake iPhones in my life -
it is wonderful. Move over Rolex, Omega... There is a new luxury good
to forge!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Monks on bikes
It is funny how fast a horendous journey can quickly be forgotten. Actually to be honest it was not that bad, just uncomfortable and that was my own doing from:
It seems to be that wherever you go, there is always something happening. When I went to Darjeiling a few years ago it coincided (coincidentally) with a visit from the Dalai Lama. In Vientiane today delegates and participants were turning up for the South East Asian games. These are all prefered to the time I discovered that I was in Prague at the same time as an IMF conference when I walked into the middle of a protest with police firing tear gas.
Before coming I spoke with my cousin and his wife about Laos as they had visited a number of times. It would appear that a lot has happened since their last visit 4 or so years ago. Sightings of "exotic" cars such as Mercedes and Lexus and even a Mustang place Vientiane away from how I imagined it - I was envisaging more of a Kathmandu which I visited in 2003, but this place is cleaner and easier going and more developed, but not in a bad way.
And being a bike rider I love seeing all these different types of bikes - the Chinese and Japanese scooters, the police on their big cruisers all in white - police and bike. Coming from Sydney where the police are big males on big BMW's, it was a wonderful sight to see two females with plaits all the way down their backs riding two up on the big white bike waving as they went past, followed by a monk on a scooter sitting side saddle. And then there are the Tuk-Tuk or whatever they are called in this part of the world. You can see how they have chopped up a Suzuki and converted it into something capable of carrying a family of ten. In some ways it is like a country town in Australia - everyone either is in a ute or on a bike.
But for now the sounds and smells of fish cooking over charcoal are calling me and I think that I need to catch up on a few hours sleep. I have a bike organised and so in two days I will be heading off into the rural towns and villages and hopefully posting some photos along the way.
- leaving it too late to get a good price for a flight
- booking on a budget carrier for long distance
- trying to save more money by having to take more flights than sensible
It seems to be that wherever you go, there is always something happening. When I went to Darjeiling a few years ago it coincided (coincidentally) with a visit from the Dalai Lama. In Vientiane today delegates and participants were turning up for the South East Asian games. These are all prefered to the time I discovered that I was in Prague at the same time as an IMF conference when I walked into the middle of a protest with police firing tear gas.
Before coming I spoke with my cousin and his wife about Laos as they had visited a number of times. It would appear that a lot has happened since their last visit 4 or so years ago. Sightings of "exotic" cars such as Mercedes and Lexus and even a Mustang place Vientiane away from how I imagined it - I was envisaging more of a Kathmandu which I visited in 2003, but this place is cleaner and easier going and more developed, but not in a bad way.
And being a bike rider I love seeing all these different types of bikes - the Chinese and Japanese scooters, the police on their big cruisers all in white - police and bike. Coming from Sydney where the police are big males on big BMW's, it was a wonderful sight to see two females with plaits all the way down their backs riding two up on the big white bike waving as they went past, followed by a monk on a scooter sitting side saddle. And then there are the Tuk-Tuk or whatever they are called in this part of the world. You can see how they have chopped up a Suzuki and converted it into something capable of carrying a family of ten. In some ways it is like a country town in Australia - everyone either is in a ute or on a bike.
But for now the sounds and smells of fish cooking over charcoal are calling me and I think that I need to catch up on a few hours sleep. I have a bike organised and so in two days I will be heading off into the rural towns and villages and hopefully posting some photos along the way.
Friday, December 11, 2009
All to save $500...
The journey looks like it is going to get off to an interesting start...
See to get best price tickets meant that I had to take one step forwards and two steps back. What do I mean? Well rather than fly in the direction of Laos from Sydney, instead I have to go to Melbourne to get a connecting flight. Weird. Then I have to change planes again in Kuala Lumpur. All this to save $500 off the ticket price, which still cost $1500.
Anyway, the issue is that Air Asia for some reason will not let me check in online, not normally a big deal but I have 30 minutes between one flight landing and another taking off in KL and they will not transfer check in luggage. As it is I am going to have to wear full motocross gear on the plane so that my bag is light enough to be counted as hand luggage.
Starting to think that I will feel like this...
See to get best price tickets meant that I had to take one step forwards and two steps back. What do I mean? Well rather than fly in the direction of Laos from Sydney, instead I have to go to Melbourne to get a connecting flight. Weird. Then I have to change planes again in Kuala Lumpur. All this to save $500 off the ticket price, which still cost $1500.
Anyway, the issue is that Air Asia for some reason will not let me check in online, not normally a big deal but I have 30 minutes between one flight landing and another taking off in KL and they will not transfer check in luggage. As it is I am going to have to wear full motocross gear on the plane so that my bag is light enough to be counted as hand luggage.
Starting to think that I will feel like this...
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