Visiting Schools while traveling

There are many places where students go to school six days a week

including the school I visited near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Interestingly they only have classes five of the days.  On Thursdays they clean the school and work in the garden where they grow food that is used for their lunch. When I entered the fourth grade classroom all the students stood up.  After greeting them I said that they could be seated. My guide said, “No, they must stay standing as a sign of respect to their guests.”  Oh, my, I can talk for a long time.  I noticed they had their math books open to a page of problems similar to what I saw when I visited a school near my house.  

I do school programs in the United States and in many of the countries we visit.  Visiting schools is a great way for me to meet the local people and learn about their customs.  What we learn in foreign countries we then share via presentations here in the United States.  Some schools are very modern such as International Schools but in most countries there is a wide diversity in the quality of education.  I was surprised when I visited an

International School in Yangon, Myanmar.  The students were dropped off by their parents in new cars just like here in the United States.  In most international schools all subjects are taught in English. There were familiar signs in the school such as “Don’t run in the halls” and the school was decorated for Valentine’s Day.  

We also visited schools in the remote part of Myanmar where the one classroom was made of bamboo with three walls.  Most of the students wore the traditional longyis, a waist-to-ankle wraparound “skirt.”  The girls’ longyis were more colorful than the boys. I noticed one boy had on blue jeans.  He must have thought he was stylish in his Western-like outfit but the truth is that the longyi is better suited to hot, humid Myanmar. 

In many Asian schools we have visited English is being taught.  In some the more remote schools the teachers had an extremely limited command of English but taught the words they knew so we would do an impromptu English lesson.  Tourism plays an important part in the economy of many countries and the language of tourism and business is English so those with a command of English have the opportunity to get a decent job. 

Some things that are the same world over: All students have to sit in

their seat, listen to the teacher, do their work, and afterschool they like to play with their friends.  Schools around the world are interesting in their differences. In a city school in Laos the students stood in line by grades in the yard for morning announcements made by the principal on a megaphone.  At the end she mentioned all the students who had not been doing their work. Many of the remote schools, especially those in Buddhist monasteries, know that visitors will leave a donation that is much needed. Buddhist schools are free and often offer the best education in some areas.

One school we visited in China was for students who went to Chinese schools during the day but in the evenings they attend English language schools. There were one thousand students just in this one location. 

A River Cruise on the Mekong

I love river trips and our eight-day cruise on the Mekong Explorer was wonderful.  The Mekong Explorer is a beautiful teak and mahogany cruise boat that has a capacity of 34 but there were only about 20 on board making the crew to guest ratio about one-to-one. My cabin had air conditioning, a desk, an ensuite bathroom and wide sliding wooded doors perfect for viewing the countryside as we sailed along.  We boarded in Nong Khai and disembarked at Ubon Ratchathani, both of which are in Thailand.

By law there is no night travel on the river so each day we cruised a while and usually took a morning and afternoon shore trip, which were fascinating and varied. The rock formations at Phu Phrabat Historical Park (soon to be a UNESCO World Heritage site) were some of the most bizarre I have ever seen. The rocks most likely provided shelter for prehistoric people two to three thousand years ago but statues show that the area later became a place of Buddhist worship. There are great local legends associated with

the rock formations including one of a beautiful princess forced by her overprotective father to live in a rock formation that looks like on upturned shoe. Another day we visited the Buddhist Sculpture Park where a monk and his followers created concrete structures the most amazing is the one of Buddha meditating under a towering 65-foot high seven-headed Naga snake.

One morning our tour included a surreal small boat ride on a tranquil lake covered in rosy-red lotus flowers. It was easy to understand why the lotus is so admired in Asia – they are beautiful. One of my favorite days started with a long-tail boat ride up Khading River where we visited the Laotian village of Ban BagBang. The village was a mix of traditional houses made with

woven mats and new colorful cement houses. There were many satellite dishes and everyone seemed to have a cell phone.  Technology is uniting the world. I see it as a mixed blessing as remote places now have access to modern technology and conveniences but in the process they are losing their traditional ways.  

One night we tied up to a sandbar in the middle of the Mekong River. It was the dry season so there were a lot of sandbars and thankfully our captain was experienced in navigating the river. The crew prepared a bonfire and a wonderful BBQ of meat, chicken, prawns, fish and shish kabobs. The Laotian crew, after setting everything up on the beach and preparing the food, entertained us by singing some Laotian songs. 

For many the word “Mekong” conjures up visions of war but after my 8-day cruise on the Mekong Explorer I know the Mekong River between Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand is serene with incredible sites to see along the way. The banks of the river are lined with vegetable gardens and rice paddies. 

The company, Cruise Mekong, which offers the cruise we enjoyed also, offers several other options including a cruise to Luang Prabang, the most popular destination in Laos.  We had already visited Luang Pragang and the surrounding area so we were happy to visit an area off the beaten track.  Some of the guests, after a night at a Tohsang Khongjiam Resort near Ubon Ratchathani, connected with the company’s cruise of Southern Laos.

Visiting Vientiane, Laos

 I like it when countries offer visas on arrival. Such is the case with Laos. It is quick and easy – just fill out the form, submit a passport-style image, passport, and pay $35 in cash.  As a point of interest the name of the country is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the local people call their country Lao. Laos is the French derivation of Lao and is in common usage outside the country. 

We checked into the Best Western which was a good choice and reasonable with two of our requirements: complimentary breakfast and internet. The hotel is located in the heart of old Vientiane near the Mekong River. We find it easy to book with an international chain and gain points for future stays.

The hotel was on a small side street with many restaurants and just a short walk to the night market. I liked sitting in the restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows watching the street scenes.  Street vendors still sell produce from pushcarts. Night markets in Asia are fun and a great way to mix with tourist and locals. The market sells handicrafts and food.  I bought a couple scarfs

made of Pashmina and wish I had bought more they were so soft and lovely.  I never heard of Pashmina but a quick internet search said it was cashmere. Oh, well, maybe I will have to return.  During the day we walked down to the riverside park where there is a small Buddhist temple. Vientiane is usually not the main destination in Laos but there are some notable sites to see including Pha That Luang, the glowing gold-covered Buddhist stupa in the center of the city which was thought to have been established in the third century AD.

 Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the major tourist

destination as it the nearby Kouang Si Waterfalls. The falls were beautiful and the kids swinging from a rope into the pool of water below the falls made me want to be a kid again.  A German lady was making a sketch of the area. I wish I had the talent to do the same as it would be a wonderful way to remember the visit.

My favorite Lao destination is Plain of Jars, an archaeological site with more questions than answers. Thousands of huge stone “jars” of various sizes dating from 500 BC to AD 500 are scattered on the fields near the Vietnam border.  The current explanation is that they were part of a prehistoric burial practice.  I’m not sure that is the definitive answer.  I would be more inclined to think they were storage jars but whoever created them are long gone and there are no legends about the jars or the people who created them. The Plain of Jars is in an area that was

heavily bombed during the Vietnam War as part of the U.S. secret war in Laos to support the Royal Government and stop the arms traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  Over two million tons of ordnance was dropped on the area over a nine year period and one-third never exploded so wandering around the field is not recommended but the safe areas are clearly marked. 

There is never time to do everything. If I return to Laos I would like to spend more time in Vang Vieng with its surreal karst hill landscape.