Lao PDR (People Democratic Republic)

I dimokratia tou laou tou Lao ine mia apo tis 5 enapominantes kommounistikes hores. Me plithismo giro sta 5 miria, antistihi kata kefali 500kg vovmas ehontas to pagosmio record .... ooo ne! ... pio poli vomva k apo tin Kampotzi ehoun dehti oi amiroi. To prosdokimo zois ine peripou 55 hronon k ets eksigite k to moto tous pou ine i leksi "muang", antistoixo tou hallllara tis Thessalonikis, "evgefsto" gia fai, "haroumenos" gia ti diathesi k alles polles thetikes erminies. Oloi k ola kyloyn edo arga, haropa k theli ypomoni gia enan dytiko pou ehi sinithisi se allous rythmous [Glits as poume den tin paleve me tpt eki]. Stous agrous vlepis kirios ginekes, vlepis mikres kopelitses na kouvalan 30-50kg tsouvalia i plehta kalathia gemata ksila. Oi antres os epi ton pliston ine tempelides i opiomanis, allos enas logos gia na kratan ola ta oikonomika oi ginekes. Mitriarhia se olo tis megaleio diladi.

Molis to 1949 edioksan tous Gallous apoikiokrates k to 1975 o communistis Pathet Lao, me ypostiriksi ton Sovietikon, ekthronise vasiliades k vouleftades, eno to komma apla allakse onoma mehri simera. Parola afta sto sintagma k se ola ta episima eggrafa tous apofevgoun sistimatika ton oro "kommounismos" k anaferonte se ola os "laika", "dimokratika", "kivernitika". I egaliteri eteria sti hora ine i Beer Lao, pou ksepernai se tziro tis tilepikinonies, energiakes eteries k allous dimosious i idiotikous organismous. I mpira ine 660ml k kostizi peripou 1 afro. Alla ela pou to meso merokamato ine akoma mikrotero, itoi 30 afro to mina !!!! ... opote i mpira ine apagoreftiki shedon gia tous ntopious, para mono otan ti mirazontai i ehoun kamia giorti. Ant'aftou oi paraskevazoun shedon oloi to Lao wine, kati san raki k fisika apo spiti se spiti diaferi.
Emis ksekinisame ena epiko taksidi apo Chiang Mai. Apogevma anahorisame me mini bus pou mas ksiliase me to dinato a/c k ftasame mehri ta sinora tis Thailandis opou kimithikame liges ores se ena entelos parakmiako hostel. To proi ordes (kamia 50 atoma diladi) apo touristes etoimazomastan na figoume apo Thailandi k na perasoume ton epivlitiko Mekong River sti methorio periohi tou Huay Xai me tis makrostenes varkes, "long tail boats" opos tis onomatizoun oi ntopioi. Konta sto mikro afto horio ehi to flight of the Gibbon, to afthentiko opos lene, mias k ine poli megala zip rails pou se pigenoun panoun sta dentra k menis se tree houses, eno parallila megalo meros apo ta hrimata pou sou kostizi pigeni stin prostasia ton Gibbons. Parola afta o Dima pou to gnorize den to anefere kan, alla ontos itan activity ekso apo to budget mas (150 euria). Apo eki lipon me minivan se 5 oritses imastan se mia mikri poli, i ena megalo horio mporis na to pis, i Luang Nam Tha, opou k miname pano apo mia evdomada.

Chiang Mai ... (ta resta)

CM was the first place we have been twice. After leaving from there we headed northern to enter Laos and after 3 weeks we returned back to CM to take some massage lessons. Our course was an intensive one that lasted 3 days and our teacher is a local woman. Massage was not that easy at all and the pity thing is that we had to practice on each other, so the teacher was more commenting and correcting us. It was also quite interesting to spend couple of days by her place and watch how she lives and her family situation. Interaction with locals is not always easy, as most of them they approach you with profitable intentions. So for us was a good chance to understand more about Thai life.

Around 15 km north of the city we went by papia (Honda) to Doi Suthep Wat, a really nice and picturesque temple, where Thai people come from all over the country to visit it.
We were lucky as we passed through the University to taste a huge variety of local cuisine during a cooking festival that was taking place that night. There were also live student bands, lady-boys beauty contest and all these in a huge campus next to the city centre.
Night-life was also interesting as there is a lot of live music every night at a bar district. Reggae , ska and rock are the main music scenes represented. There is also a quite popular roof bar and some typical thai discos (clubs) where music is commercial, but women are more than men.
In general CM was the most easy place to stay, prices are cheaper than anywhere else in Thailand and maybe even cheaper than Lao, food is plenty, shopps and markets are huge and almost 24h. Particularly the sunday market that takes place in the city centre or the daily night market next to the river, attract traditionally traders from Cambodia, Burma, Lao, China, Vietnam as well as Thailand. Prices are even more competitive than in Bangkok and variety is huge. Foot massage at all its luxury, with a price of only 1,5 euro per hour!!!!
So everything is convenient for farangs in Chiang Mai. Actually, it was the first place that we realised being in a tourist trail once again, after leaving Mongolia.