A lot to cry about

Dear Marmite

You really don't know how lucky you are. I know that you had a bit of a dodgy history before you came to live with us but now you have a roof over your head, feasts fit for a king and love all round. There is very little that you could want for on top of that.

Today in Laos I found out that 44% of the population live on less than US$1.25 a day. On top of that, there is endemic corruption so many people have no access to employment or education while the president is giving China, Vietnam and Russia rights to what amounts to "land grabs" before giving his own people opportunities. Any progress that comes from this foreign intervention benefits the wealthy and one day China will re-call its debt. God knows what will happen to the counttry then.

The Chinese set up building projects and employ Chinese workers. What is more 2 million Chinese are moving to the country in 2020. The current population is only 7 million so that is an incredibly large percentage of foreign people. Inevitably this will change the essense of what the country is.

History has not been kind to these peoples either. From 1964 to 1973 they were bombed every 8 minutes night and day. The legacy of that war that no one really knew about is UXOs - unexploded ordnance - which means that farming is still a very risky activity. People are still being killed today. A small industry has grown up using the bomb metals to make other items like spoons and bracelets. This is small positive to come out of the carnage.

We visited the Plain of Jars, where these remaining stone jars have stood the ravages of time. They are about two and a half thousand years old but no one really knows what their purpose was. There is a very calm aura about the sites and it is well worth the visit.

 (All my best photos are on my D90) It is assumed they were burial pots which also doubled up as whisky jars - hence the song - (Thin Lizzy). Many were destroyed in the fighting and all around the site are bomb craters. With a tough terrain, corruption, poor infrastructure and low level education, it will take many years before Laos will be able to stand on its own feet.

Sad as all this is, it took a fresh chilli to make me really cry. Our guide took us to a very local restaurant for a noodle meal. Before the meal came we had a bowl of raw vergetable leaves put on the table. I was keen to work out what they were by tasting them. There was also a plate of fresh chillies. I bit into one and it was mighty hot. Undaunted, I peeled back the skin to eat and left the seeds. Then I rubbed my eye.

My tongue burst into flames and no amount of beer / water / fresh air cold dampen the fire. Rubbing my eye made it sting so much I forgot that it was me that caused the contact and added to my initial dose with another rub. Tears streamed from my eyes and down my nose. I personally had a lot to cry about. The chilling data amplifies how unequal this world is and it is more likely to get worse. That is a far bigger thing for us all to cry about.

I quenched my fire with beer. The dead banana, mango, papaya and tamarind trees in the valley near the stone jars are already dead as it has been unseasonally cold and dry in these parts. They need rain. The Climate crisis is yet another blow to survival here in Laos.

It is a wonderful country, Marms, but be glad you are a pampered pooch in Singapore.

Love

XXX