Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's a good idea to plan carefully. What appear to be very short distances on the map can
often take many hours, even in a vehicle. One good thing about bicycle touring in Laos is that
should things get too difficult, you can always flag down a passing sawngthaew and throw the
bike on the roof. Another alternative is to join an
organizedcyclingtour
. There are plenty to
choose from; London-based Red Spokes ( 020 7502 7252,
redspokes.co.uk
) runs a pop-
ular two-week tour that takes in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, as well as some
rural stretches with spectacular scenery.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
During their period of colonization, the French regarded traditional Lao therapies as
quaint and amusing, and this attitude was passed on to the Lao elite who studied in
France. In an essay about traditional Lao medicine written in the 1950s by a former
Minister of Health, the traditional Lao doctor is repeatedly referred to as “the quack”.
But renewed interest, partially fuelled by a similar rekindling of enthusiasm in neigh-
bouring China, has seen a resurgence of confidence in traditional techniques.
Tourism has been partially responsible for renewed interest in traditional massage and herbal
sauna, though these alternative therapies are generally limited to larger towns and cities.
Besides the obvious physical benefits the Lao massage and sauna afford the recipient, admin-
istering massage and sauna to others is believed to bring spiritual merit to those who perform
the labour, making Lao massage and sauna a win-win proposition for all involved.
Lao massage
Traditional
Lao massage
owes more to
Chinese
than to Thai schools, utilizing medicated
balms and salves which are rubbed into the skin. Muscles are kneaded and joints are flexed
while a warm compress of steeped herbs is applied to the area being treated. In practice,
though, the standard massage offered at Lao spas and massage joints is “dry”, with balms and
hot compresses available as optional extras. Besides massage, Lao doctors may utilize oth-
er “exotic” treatments that have been borrowed from neighbouring countries. One decidedly
Chinese therapy that is sometimes employed in Laos is
acupuncture
(
fang khem
), in which
long, thin needles are inserted into special points that correspond to specific organs or parts
of the body. Another imported practice is the application of
suction cups
(
kaew dut
), a rem-
edy popular in neighbouring Cambodia. Small glass jars are briefly heated with a flame and
applied to bare skin; air within the cup contracts as it cools, drawing blood under the skin into
the mouth of the cup. Theoretically, toxins within the bloodstream are in this way brought to
the surface of the skin.
