A selection of my Laotian memories
1) Laos has the worlds only vertical runway…. Well kinda
The Americans donated cement to Laos to build a run way and instead they built this monstrosity of a victory monument….
An interesting way to use concrete…?!
2) It is one of 5 countries in the world that is socialist, however socialism has been loosened to allow private enterprise
This allows the baguette ladies (those who sell delicious lunchtime sandwiches at street food stalls) to have TVs and IPads! The other four socialist countries are Cuba, China, Vietnam, North Korea
3) Laos is the only land locked South East Asian (SEA) country
It’s bordered by Thailand to the West, China to the North, Vietnam to the East and Cambodia to the South
Map from Lonely Planet
4) Laos has more varieties of rice than any other SEA country, sticky rice is believed to have originated from Laos
Most of the Laos population are subsistence farmers and of those 77% are self sufficient for rice
5) hello is Saibaidee!
All the kids and street vendors yell this at you as you go past 🙂
6) the national dish is called laap
This is made of minced meat with lots of herbs – very fresh and normally eaten with balls of sticky rice – hence the Laos affinity with sticky rice. In the past laap wasn’t cooked and some people died from the parasites in the raw pork (they cook it these days and for the falang make with other meats or tofu)
7) foreigners are called falang
Originally this term meant French person – as part of the French protectorate of Indochina most white people in the 1900s were French! Now it’s all encompassing.
8) Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world
Most of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. This explains why so many people want to be involved in tourism as a way to make more money for themselves and their families.
9) the population of Laos is 6.8 million
Vientiane the capital has about 1 million people
10) hydroelectric power is the biggest contributor to the GDP
However illegal and authorised logging (Laos allows China a carte blanc) is on the rise – with impacts on the environment & wildlife
Bonus facts:
11) neem is smile and nouc is cheers!
nouc!
Lots of nouc nouc-ing when drinking the locally brewed whiskey – Lao Lao. If drinking with a local you have to show them your glass before you drink. If they don’t see you drink it, you have to take another shot, they often pretend not to see! Laotians also believe that you have to take even amounts of shots otherwise you’ll be lopsided – their saying is ‘you can’t walk on one leg’!
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Anne says
Love this. Laos is such an incredible place.
Katie Hughes says
I loved being there too Anne!
Noemi of Pinay Flying High says
I laughed out loud on the first one, so do you know where they got the money for their actual runway? 1 million people in Vientienne alone, that’s incredible!!
Katie Hughes says
It was donated by the US Noemi!!
Amanda Williams says
This was a really interesting post because I’ve never been to Laos. It’s really funny that the US donated money to build a runway and then they spent the money on something else! I don’t fancy trying to land a plane on that thing!
Katie Hughes says
Yeah I wouldn’t want to either Amanda! It’s random what people think are priorities though!!
Hung Thai says
Very interesting. I’m surprised that hydroelectric power is so huge in Laos. How is that possible if it’s landlocked?
Katie Hughes says
It’s the power of the rivers Hung Thai!
Samantha Elisabeth says
Such fun facts (the bit about the vertical runway has me cracking up). I wish I had been able to visit Laos while in Asia, it’s on my list for a return trip! I cannot wait to try laap!
Aparna says
Love this post – so much trivia about Laos that I had no idea about! Especially #1 – haha! I do love Lao food though – spicy and flavorful!
Jo says
Laos was my first solo travel destination and I absolutely loved it! So much to see, do and explore. However, to be honest I didn’t know any of these facts apart from the one which states it is one of the poorest countries of the world – how sad, since it is so pretty!
Claire says
Haha lots of fun facts! I love Laap, I thought it was Thai but thank you for correcting! I also didn’t realise it was socialist – I was in Cuba recently and there too is a strange combination of socialism and some private enterprise.
Katie Hughes says
Yes definitely Claire – it’s like they adapt to work around the rules, but I guess it’s ok to make money from foreigners ?
Jessica C says
I know someone from a family from Laos. He even had a traditional wedding in the United States! I love these facts though because it makes me want to go…and have jaap. 🙂
Paige Brown says
Fun facts! I’ve been to Laos once already and I’m eagerly awaiting my next trip in October! I love the first fact – I never knew that! I also didn’t really think about the fact that it was the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. The Mekong is such a huge part of SE Asia it starts to feel like an ocean in itself! Ha! Thanks for sharing some fun facts!
Katie Hughes says
Completely Paige – such a large body of water it becomes part of everyday life!
Single Vegas Girk says
I went to Laos for a day trip and it was so much fun! I saw the poverty and it was sad to see. I didn’t pick up much of the lingo but the drinks I saw were quite interesting! Thanks for sharing this.
Single Vegas Girl
singlevegasgirl.blogspot.com
Abbi says
These are some really interesting facts! We’re hoping to visit Laos next year so thanks for the tips. I’m Pinning this for a later date!
Katie Hughes says
Thanks Abbi and have a great trip!
Leigh says
really interesting! I had no idea Laos was such a large country. The language seems very similar to Thai as well.