Oudomxay

From Vientiane, we travelled to Oudomxay, where our provincial office is. Oudomxay  is in the northern part of Laos,50 minutes plane-ride away from Vientiane.  We dropped by our office, which is just across the airport, for some introduction before we headed further north, to one of the districts.

Oudomxay has a beautiful, mountainous landscape, which I enjoyed during the more than 2 hours drive to the district.  On the way, there are huge plantations of bananas and watermelons, which, as shared by our staffs, are owned by Chinese corporations. Oudomxay is close to the Chinese border and in exchange for the roads built by the Chinese, they are allowed to operate these plantations in Oudomxay.That would explain the many Chinese trucks plying their highway, and the many Chinese drivers and pahinantes billeted in the hostels. 

Watermelon plantation

Typical house in the villages

Early morning scene in the village

House and the rice produce

We stopped at a local market along the highway to buy some food. I was shocked to see the many headless cats and rats being sold in that market!   Our Laotian colleague just laughed me off saying these are jungle cats and rats and can be eaten. (Say, what?! ..... Anyways, I temporarily became a vegetarian for the rest of my stay in Laos). 

Boiled bamboo shoots has become one of my favorite food in Laos

Rice cooked in bamboo "pan?" 

We stayed one day and one night in the district to do our review of the district office, then we traveled back to Oudomxay for a review of the provincial office. The review lasted for 3 days and there was hardly time to explore the place. Except on our last day.  Together with my Laotian colleague, Somsack, we went for a walk in the late afternoon. We climbed up for around 15 minutes to the Phouthad stupa. A standing Buddha statue, with right hand raised to ward off evil and calamities, awaits visitors at the top.   Sunset and the view of Oudomxay town at the top of the stupa, was a great way to end the trip. 

The Phoutad stupa

Standing buddha, at dusk

(P.S.  Hunting of jungle cats is now prohibited in Laos, because they are near extinction)

(P.S.2 Our colleagues shared that excessive use of chemicals in the plantations are damaging their soil so much so that they fear that when the foreigners leave, the next generation might not be able to plant anything in those areas)