18th November 2013 Vientiane, Laos
Laos through my eyes – Denise Heywood
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos.
Working in Cambodia as a freelance journalist and lecturer in the early 1990s, I heard about Laos, alluded to in whispers of admiration. Serene and unhurried, it was a forgotten place. When I finally arrived, in 1994, from Phnom Penh, it was to complete chaos. Raucous celebrations were marking the end of the That Luang Festival and I retreated in haste to a little guesthouse for refuge.
But the next day I flew in a rickety Russian plane to a tiny air strip further north and disembarked to find verdant mountains and complete silence. A taxi drove me across the old wooden bridge into Luang Prabang and the driver stopped so we could look down at the chocolate coloured Nam Khan river flowing into the Mekong beneath us and above at the glittering golden spire on top of Mount Phousi. It was pure enchantment. A week later I was still there, exploring every faded Buddhist temple, strolling along quiet streets where children played and watching spectacular crimson sunsets over the wide river.
Many articles and lectures on Laos later, when Narisa Chakrabongse of River Books suggested I write an illustrated book on Luang Prabang, I jumped at the chance. I was already bringing cultural tour groups from London, my home, where I had returned to live. With camera and notebook I doggedly visited every sacred and secular building in the town, from dawn to dusk, in mist, rain and deliciously hot sun, to create the only book that shows every temple, Ancient Luang Prabang. Now about to appear in a third edition, with new chapters on the rest of Laos, and translated into French, it always reminds me that hard as it was to produce, with Narisa’s unflagging support, it was always a joy. Every sacred mural and Buddha image, every exquisitely carved doorway, every courtyard filled with orange robed monks, was a discovery and a delight to record.
I have been fortunate to travel throughout Laos, bringing art groups every year, but always return to Luang Prabang. It is a place that defines the word picturesque, with its dramatic natural setting, its mystical aura, its understated elegance and, above all, the gentleness and kindess of Lao people. Even though many more people visit it now, it still has that serene and unhurried air of a forgotten place that draws whispers of admiration.
Ancient Luang Prabang & Laos will soon be available from Monument Books and Amazon.co http://www.deniseheywood.co.uk/alb_book.htm