Mekong River and sunset from Phousi Hill (photographed by the author)
"On the banks of the Mekong River", by Yuki Nakamura
Wat Shenthorn, Buddhist Statuaries (photo: author)
To Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, located at the confluence of the Mekong and Khan Rivers, is an ancient capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom, the foundation of today's Laos, where nearly 80 temples were built over a period of 600 years from the late 13th century. The city still retains a strong Buddhist tradition, and at the same time, it is a city of mixed cultures, where Western-style architecture built during the French protectorate period from the 19th to the 20th century is blended with the Buddhist style.
I spent the majority of my eight-day workation here. In addition to having wanted to visit for a long time, I focused on the balance I was looking for in a workation destination: a secure work environment, time difference, travel time, security, and city size, and a place where I could switch between on and off cycles in small increments, such as eating and walking (of course, there were many miscalculations beyond my imagination), We decided on this location for our workcation. I hope to share with you some of my experiences in Laos.
Wat Visnenarat, Statue of Buddha (photo: author)
Author's Weave (photo: author)
Ock Pop Tok "East meets West"
Ock Pop Tok, which means "East Meets West," was established in 2000 by an Englishwoman and a Laotian woman. It was established to promote the cultural and artistic value of textiles and to increase their economic value as work.
It has workshops for silk weaving, natural dyes, wax dyeing, and bamboo crafts, as well as a store and café where visitors can purchase handicrafts and spend a relaxing time by the banks of the Mekong River.
I participated in a weaving workshop there. It was my first weaving experience, but I was able to complete a stole with the support of the weaver from morning to evening.
Weaving Workshop (photo: author)
Laotian Cuisine
Cooking was one of my favorite things to do during my workation. The staple food of Lao cuisine is long-grain or glutinous rice, which is said to be less spicy and therefore more suitable for the Japanese palate. Many dishes are lightly seasoned with lemongrass, basil, mint, and other herbs and limes, which stimulate the appetite even in hot and humid weather.
Cooking Class (photo: author)
Khao Pyak Saeng, thick udon-like noodles made of rice flour and tapioca flour, topped with soup, pork, fried garlic and plenty of herbs, is one of the unforgettable tastes.
On my days off, I attended a cooking class hosted by a Laotian restaurant. We started at a morning market where we went around the vegetable, fish, meat, dry goods stores, and rice area to learn about the ingredients, and then moved to an outdoor kitchen in the jungle, about 30 minutes from the city center. We cooked five dishes from appetizers to desserts using traditional methods over charcoal and mortar in a friendly atmosphere in the great outdoors.
Phosy Market in the Morning (photo: author)
After the Workation
Various words that describe the act of going somewhere out of the ordinary, and staying there, all have a clear outline and common meaning; from "traveling," "business trip," "long stays," “homecoming," to "study abroad." As soon as it became a workation, the outlines of where and what I would be doing were blurred for me. It is more restrictive than deciding where to vacation and more freeing than a business trip. Planning a workation for me was an opportunity to try and face at the same time a different way of assembling my work environment, eating habits, and on/off switch from my usual work environment in Tokyo. The experience of being in a different culture for such a limited period of time was very refreshing, and I was most surprised when I returned home to find that I was more refreshed than I had imagined.
As soon as I returned home, I imagined what kind of place I would like to visit next, and how I would spend my time there if I have another chance again. It is also a way to rethink how I spend my time everyday.
Mekong River from the Walking Trail (photo: author)
Author (written in Japanese): Yuki Nakamura
Reader: Kaz T. Yoneda, FRSA
Editor: Hinako Izuhara
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Thank you for your time and kind attention.
Until next time!