This visit was my third to Laos’ former capital. I went mostly to see two old pals who had just moved there after 24 years in Phnom Penh. They didn’t know many people yet. One guy I knew there from a previous trip met us for coffee one morning; it was funny to be the outsider, introducing two neighbors.
We talked about recent changes to the town. On the surface there weren’t many. But of course the surface is protected by UNESCO World Heritage Site rules. Among the criteria for Luang Prabang’s 1995 designation as a heritage site was its “exceptional fusion of Lao traditional architecture and 19th and 20th century European colonial style buildings.” Buildings must be painted certain colors; new construction must conform to certain styles, heights, and techniques; and signage must be chiefly written in Lao.
This last regulation appears to have been diluted in the case of “FOR SALE” signs, which show up more frequently than I recall from previous visits. Such ads generally are dominated by Chinese or Vietnamese script.
A Lao guy struck up a conversation as we were walking around town. I asked him if he had ever traveled. He said his only journey outside Laos happened when he was in high school and was selected for a government-sponsored trip to Budapest. “Never to China?” I asked. “Vietnam?”
“I don’t have to go to those places,” he answered. “Those places are coming to me.”
