From Myanmar to Laos

You received the last blog from us in June and a lot has happened since then! We would like to update you on the developments in Myanmar and the fact that we are now in Laos. How did that happen?

In March 2020 we returned from Myanmar due to Covid. Not only was it mandatory, but we also wanted to return to the Netherlands as Covid was becoming a global issue and countries, including Myanmar, were locking down. We found the last commercial flight out of the country in the nick of time and flew back to the Netherlands. A familiar place for us and a good place to wait things out. Covid has affected most of the people in Myanmar over the last year and there have been a tremendous number of deaths!

So much so that the army has built an extra crematorium in which 3000 bodies can be cremated per day (on top of regular capacity)!! Hospitals were taken over by the army to house men, and though medical care was already limited there is now no more medical support for people at all. Vaccines are hardly available to date and oxygen is very limited and unaffordable.

Literally everyone we know has had the virus to a greater or lesser extent themselves and lost family and friends to it. Scientists we speak to say that Covid is past its peak in Myanmar because almost everyone country-wide has been sick.

In our blog in June, we told you about the coup that started February 1st this year, and since then the military has been in power. The coup is perceived as having more impact on the population than Covid. All the shelling, bombing, and torture aimed at oppressing the innocent population and all the deaths that have resulted are making the population scared and powerless. Many are losing hope that this will ever stop, but there are also many others who are combative, actively resisting the military, and are still absolutely convinced that they will (one day) win the battle.

The stories from people we still text with daily and weekly are horrible! The only thing we can do for them is 'listen' a lot, text back, pray for them, encourage them, and send money for emergency aid.

We have collected money for relief support and through your generosity a lot of good things have happened! Food has been bought for those who had to flee the war as well as pieces of tarpaulin for families sheltering in the jungle from the heavy rain (it’s rainy season). Care is taken for the elderly in the mountains who are no longer cared for by their families due to the war in cases where family members are dead or political prisoners.

It is very basic relief support and we can only do little, but we can say that the money has really saved lives and gave hope for the future. One hundred percent of the money goes through our friends to where it is most needed. Our friends show receipts for everything that is bought and the person who receives money or goods signs for receipt.

If you also want to contribute, you can still do so - please contact us for details. Gifts for relief funds are tax-deductable in The Netherlands (depending on your location gifts for relief funds may or may not be deductible from taxes).

The pictures below show some of the relief goods purchased and distributed.

Because we do not foresee the situation in Myanmar changing anytime soon, we started looking for other opportunities in Asia to make ourselves useful to people who are less fortunate than us.

Now, after half a year we arrived in Laos. Laos is located in the triangle between Thailand, Myanmar, and China. It is a developing country like Myanmar and their religion, culture, and nature are very close to what we experienced in Myanmar.

Off to Laos...

On Wednesday September 29 was the big day we left for Laos… After 11 hours to Seoul we had a long 16-hour layover!

Laos does not yet allow tourists, but with a business visa, a mountain of patience, and a willingness to pay extra costs (due to Covid measures) you can enter the country. After waiting 3 months from submitting our application, we finally picked up our visa at the embassy in Brussels on September 14th. Against our expectations, we found a flight a day later with Laos Airlines. This is the only airline that is currently allowed to fly to Laos, and they have only six flights a month in or out of the country. Four flights a month via Seoul (South Korea) and two via Malaysia, that's it. There are no other choices as the country is still locked down due to Covid.

As the connection via Seoul was the best, we booked this leg of our journey with Laos Airlines through a travel agent in Laos, and we booked a separate flight from Amsterdam to Seoul with KLM. Because these are two separate bookings, our luggage would arrive at the baggage claim in Seoul, and we would have to check in again with Laos Airlines. However, that’s not possible because when we would leave the departure hall, we would have to quarantine for 14 days in South Korea which we don't want! Someone from Laos Airlines had to pick up the luggage and KLM had to release the luggage, a situation with which they apparently do not have much experience with at KLM. It was quite a process at Schiphol on how to arrange that, but in the end it all worked out and we were relieved to see our suitcases in Laos... Otherwise, flipping the same underpants for seven days would also be something because the next flight would only come in a week! ;-)

The flight with Laos Airlines was truly an experience! One which we enjoyed with another Dutch couple. They sat behind us and all four of us were amazed at the size of the 'hand luggage' with which the Laotians (inhabitants of Laos) entered the plane. Large suitcases and travel bags that normally belong in the hold of the aircraft were hoisted into the hand luggage compartments together with normal hand luggage. They were then pressed, stuffed, and rearranged by the flight attendants until all lids were closed. That stuffing and pushing takes ages and a large number of people were no longer under the compartment of their own 'hand luggage' due to all the shifting. We even saw a flight attendant put a large bag on a man's lap because all the compartments were packed!

When everyone was finally seated, the 3 flight attendants, wrapped head to toe against Covid, started to show the emergency instructions. The flight attendant just in front of us showed us how to fasten a seatbelt around your stomach with an old worn belt. Then she explained that in case of emergency an oxygen mask will come from the compartment above you. The sample mask she held in the air was clearly worn out and black from mold. When we saw this, we quietly burst into laughter and the Dutch couple behind us also suppressed their laughter. The inflatable life jacket for an emergency landing in the sea is a true museum piece.

The whole plane inside and outside looked a bit grubby. Saying a prayer that all the screws of the aircraft were not rusted did not seem excessive. The flight between Seoul and Laos took 5 hours and in those hours we were spoiled with a bottle of water and a cake box containing a mini apple, two cookies, and a mini croissant. Less pampering than at KLM, but all of this was also a reminder to us that we were on our way to one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.

Upon arrival at Vientiane Airport, we climbed down the gangway and 20 meters further we climbed up stairs to the bridge. Apparently, the bridge was unable to reach the plane. There we shuffled in line with our hand luggage when we suddenly saw the people in front of us filling out two forms that we were handed while exiting the plane.

It seemed wise to do that now too and at the end of the bridge a lady took them from us again - we have no idea what these forms were for. Then we shuffled to a desk where we had to show our negative Dutch PCR tests and a number of other documents. We also received another set of new forms which we had to fill in almost the same information as on the first forms.

And on it goes, filling in about two forms per desk and showing our own paperwork (Certificate of Entry, negative Covid tests, mandatory hotel reservation, documents from the Chamber of Commerce, etc.) alternated with passport control, a fresh PCR test, explanations about mandatory Covid insurance, ordering transport to the quarantine hotel, and don’t forget to get an 'ankle bracelet ' fitted to our wrist and then we had the final step again to fill out forms for the transport to the hotel! At each step we had to fill in forms again with the same large list of data that is taken again in the next step. We got hand cramps from it all.

The bracelet fitted to our wrists monitors our body temperature, heart beat and location for the next 14 days and can be monitored remote - if we walk out of the hotel, they will be able to track us down...

What are we going to do in Laos?

In Vientiane, the capital, an American couple runs a Fairtrade craft business CAMACrafts that offers workers fair wages to support their families. With the salary the workers earn they can pay for education for their children and medical costs among other things. They also buy nutritious and healthy food for their families.

Chris and Sarah are going on leave to the US for a few months and were looking for a managerial replacement during their absence.

In addition, we are planning to inspire and teach people how to set up a business so that they can provide their own income independently. It fits Albert's skillset to guide them in this. In addition to providing a job, Chris and Sarah also physically visit the poor and support them by offering practical help and by transferring knowledge in a variety of areas to help them get ahead in life. The English language is also a subject people really want to learn here in Laos, similar to Myanmar.

They assure us that there is plenty for both of us to do and we can also be creative in coming up with activities ourselves. Help and training is needed in almost any area. All of this really appeals to us, Albert with his many years of experience in business and Judy with her experience in taking care of and supporting families, raising 3 children of her own and a long list of foster children.

For now, it will take a lot of getting used to life here. The environment, culture, language, heat, food, smells, and so on; everything is different.

For the 14 days in quarantine, it seemed wise to take a slightly larger room with a little more freedom of movement. We chose a hotel on the booking site where we could also see two easy chairs. Sitting on the side of the bed for 14 days is not so good for one’s back. Because the entire country is locked down, the hotels have virtually no visitors and we got a discount of almost 70 percent; therewith it is affordable to take a larger room. When we arrived, the room looked as promised on the hotel site. Nice and spacious so that we can swing our arms and legs around with ‘Nederland in Beweging’ (the daily Dutch fitness program on TV, mainly for the elderly) before we get stiff and a '7-Minute-Workout' for the extra couple of heartbeats.

On day two the toilet started to act up a bit and the water did not drain well. After three more days we called the reception desk about this. The receptionist said they would send someone from the technical service and asked us to open the door and then keep our distance. After all, we are in quarantine.

The plumber came in completely packed in a full body protection suit against Covid and armed with a plunger whereupon he went raging with the plunger. He went in and out and apparently was not able to fix the toilet. After an hour he got a colleague. There was even more noise in the toilet than the hour before. We couldn’t see what was happening in that bathroom of ours, but it sounded like the water was now dripping from the ceiling. The men disappeared for 45 minutes and then came back, again with the plunger. The same noise started again, and we seriously hoped that our toothbrushes and toiletry bags were still dry. After a while they left again and did not come back. After half an hour we went and had a look. We saw that the bathroom floor was flooded with water that didn’t smell like roses at all! What happened in here to make it look like this?? We were doubled over with laughter!

After an hour and a half, Albert called the receptionist to ask where the men had gone and whether they would come back. The receptionist first asked if the men were done and when Albert said it didn’t look like that yet, a startled voice followed and a lot of "sorry, sorry, oh so sorry sir!!". We told her we could laugh about it and as we laughed together, she said in a very friendly manner that she would make it up to us.

After fifteen minutes we were called back and told that we will be given another room. We could first go and see if we were okay with it, so we did to follow procedure though we expected the new room to be in a better shape than our room was now. At a glance we saw that this room was going to please us. A room with a separate living and sleeping area, jacuzzi, double shower, two toilets, a bar and two balconies! It looks like she brought us to the hotel's Presidential Suite! It couldn't get any better after sitting in the stench for 3.5 hours! We had to laugh a lot about the whole situation and feel very blessed with this beautiful room!!!