In praise of slowness

The emotions that a new experience arouses in us cannot be separated from what we have previously experienced. In this sense, perhaps living only in the present is not entirely true or possible. I wonder whether Laos would have aroused different emotions if I had not visited it after two months in India and after two weeks of illness. A little train across Thailand takes us in just eight hours from Bangkok (where we spent five days in the hotel recovering from a very heavy Dehli belly) to Viantien, the capital of Laos. The first impression I get of Laos here in Viantiene is one that will remain for days and places to follow: slowness and tranquillity. Despite being a capital city, Viantiene is not characterised by the noisy traffic and hectic, overcrowded life of big cities. After Viantiene, we move on to Vang Vien, much smaller and set in a simply breathtaking landscape. Fields of corn and rice, palm trees, sienna-coloured dirt roads and immense limestone rocks emerging from the ground like huge tree trunks. As we drive the scooter around the surroundings to discover caves and blue lagoons, we meet very few vehicles and very few people. All the people we meet are friendly and very reserved. No one raises their voice when speaking, the horn is hardly ever used. A feeling of tranquillity, silence and slowness pervades the atmosphere. Third and final stop is Luang Prabang, a delightful colonial town overlooking the Mekong River. Here we spend the evenings admiring the wonderful sunsets over the river which, unlike the spectacle of intense colours we observed in Kerala, dye the sky and river water a quiet orange, also giving a sense of tranquillity. We too slow down, letting the atmosphere of this country lull us. Long sleeps, late awakenings, slow walks. We indulge in those foods we have missed: the freshness of yoghurt and of a salad, the joy of a pizza, a crunchy baguette. We take the time we need to fully heal and regain our strength, but also to relieve our senses of those strong feelings that surrounded us during our two months in India. Noises, voices, horns, smells, cows, colours ... the hyper-sensory experience of India slowly fades into the tranquillity and peace we find in Laos. We lose ourselves in this pampering for almost two weeks, eventually having to leave to go and meet Peter's friends in Vietnam. I am rested, relaxed and strong again, ready for the next chapter. Another feeling, however, makes its way inside, a feeling of emptiness, as if the world is muffled, a little faded and a little deafened. Something is missing, something that brought euphoria, amuzement, excitement. As much as the slowness of Laos has pampered and cared for me, one thing is clear to my heart: I am missing India so much!!! Friendliest person: Somphet!!! At the train station in Vang Vieng, my pocket knife was confiscated because its blade was slightly too long compared to a norml Swiss knife. That knife is a gift I am very fond of, and for the past 10 years I have carried it with me on every adventure. Terribly sad, I contacted Marius, a dear friend who lived in Laos a few years ago to see if he had a contact in Vang Vieng who could retrieve my knife. And so Somphet appeared (I never met him in person, only by phone) who went to the station, retrieved my knife, packed it up and sent it to Luang Prabang and then also arranged for a friend of his to retrieve it at the Luang Prabang post office and bring it to me at the accommodation where I was staying. Food: Loonsum - a soup made from vegetables and coconut milk. I found it only in Luang Prabang and only in one restaurant, who knows if it is really a typical dish ... Music: This song by Joey Phuwasit

Highlights of the trip: in Viantiene, opposite the hostel where we stayed, there was an Italian restaurant where I ate a very good pasta al pesto. But the really funny thing is that the owner is originally from my home town (Varese)! Sometimes the world just seems so small! Lowlights of the trip: having to say goodbye to my knife