What’s The Difference —Champasak, Laos | June 2003
“The 11-Minute Khone Phapheng Lao-Khmer War”
Quaáack, quack! We’ve hit some ducks. On our way to Khone Phapheng, the spectacular cascading waterfalls of the Mekong river’s Si Phan Don (four thousand islands) area on the Lao-Cambodian border, we’ve hit a badling of ducks.
It’s not that surprising though. The school’s accountant, who’s driving our car, is a very typical Lao driver. His speed is either stationary or warp, the car’s mirrors are positioned so that he can easily check the ‘lucky’ wart on his chin and his eyes are everywhere except on the road in front of him. The three poor ducks lying there in front of us, writhing their feet and flapping their wings, went completely unnoticed until their feathers landed on the windscreen.
Within seconds we are surrounded by angry villagers demanding compensation for their ‘loss’. After a heated debate, it is decided that we should buy the ducks; dinner for tonight. The accountant is visibly unhappy with the purchase and only reluctantly gives in to the crowd’s demand.
The ducks’ legs are tied and they are thrown into the back of our truck. They’ve gone quiet and look in shock. I suggest we could at least relieve them from their suffering, but this idea is met with blank stares.
“No, no, we cannot do thàt,” one of the Lao staff members finally exclaims, “It is not good for the Buddha.” The local logic goes completely past me: it’s wrong to kill the animals now, but it’s okay to let them suffer and kill them for dinner later!?
The Khone Phapheng Falls in Champasak Province, Laos
I’m aware that most people around me do actually think this makes sense, and so I let it go and try to forget about the ducks, now quacking away in the back of the pick-up. When we get to Khone Phapheng, it has to be said: the waterfall is spectacular — maybe not as big as the legendary Victoria Falls in Africa, but still…
For me there’s also a historical sense to the place. The Khone Phapheng and other waterfalls ruthlessly cut short the Dutch exploration of the Mekong river in the 17th century.
On 20 July 1641, Gerrit van Wuysthoff, a Cambodia-based merchant of the Dutch East-India Company, went on a journey along de Louse rivier (the Mekong) in search of a trade route to Winkjan (Vientiane), the capital of Lauwenlant (Laos). Although he successfully managed to reach the royal court of the land of a million elephants [under] the white parasol (King Sulinya Vongsa’s Lan Xang Hom Khao), the journey was a logistical nightmare. A long way from his Cambodian basecamp and having to hand-carry his twelve boats past the numerous waterfalls interrupting the flow of the mighty Mekong, Van Wuysthoff declared the Dutch bid for a monopoly on the deerskin trade unprofitable and left. It was the end of a very short-lived Dutch presence (the first Europeans) in Indochina.
I like places I know the historical relevance of. Staring at the fuming rapids in front of me, I can clearly see — almost smell — Van Wuysthoff and his private army dragging their boats up the muddy hills. They must have been suffering, wearing their shiny metal cuirasses and helmets in the 30°C+ temperatures. At least the water looks cooling.
This part of the Mekong river is also one of the last hideouts of the rare Irrawaddy freshwater dolphin. There are many boats offering short river trips to see the dolphins so, although the Irrawaddy is a notoriously ugly species, we decide to rent a boat and see for ourselves.
“No, no we cannot,” says the accountant who’s been complaining about being hungry for quite some time, “It is dangerous. There is a war!” What!? Did he just make up a Lao-Khmer war because he wants to have an early dinner?
On the other hand, there are all kinds of minor disputes in this part of the world that don’t necessarily make it into the international spotlight, so maybe it’s true what he says. As we scan our surroundings, however, we see dozens of tourists boarding the small boats for dolphin spotting trips. To the dismay of our accountant, we decide to take the risk.
After a short negotiation with one of the ‘captains’, we agree upon a price and board the small wooden flat-bottom vessel which will take us across the river towards Cambodia. There should be an opportunity to spot some Irrawaddy dolphins along the way.
Fwissshhhh the soft swish of a blowhole sounds after just a few minutes on the water. The flat-round head of a pinkish-white dolphin breaks through the water next to our boat. That’s amazing! The very rare Irrawaddy dolphin — pretending not to be rare at all — right next to us, at padding distance!
When we reach the Cambodian side of the Mekong, we quickly disembark and press our footprints in the mud, checking Cambodia off the list of countries still to visit. Then we return to the Lao side of the river, spotting a few more dolphins on the way. Feeling very adventurous, we return to our car. I’ve completely forgotten about the ducks, which by now have probably been boiled like 17th-century soldiers, in the back of our pick-up. It’s time to head home.
Back at base in the southern city of Pakse, the Lao staff excitingly start preparing dinner. At first this all looks quite relaxed but then come the ducks…
A young girl holds one of them up — its wings folded behind its back, still alive, quacking without energy — and with a swift move slides open its chest. The blood quickly pours out and is caught in a bowl, saved for the popular dish of Nam Tok (ນ້ຳຕົກ) or Duck Blood Salad. I can’t believe what I’m watching, the poor duck is forcibly pumping out its own blood, slowly dying. So much for the Buddhist care for animals!
When dinner comes out, I’ve lost my appetite. I’m not a vegetarian and, of course, I understand that an animal has to die for us to eat meat. But this was just unnecessary, so much suffering: first hit by a car, then left for hours tied up in scorching heat and finally cut open, neck to guts, and forced to pump out its life-force. No, I think I’ll opt for some vegetarian dishes at the Indian restaurant down the road for the next couple of days.
Dr Dre ft Eminem – What’s The Difference on 2001 [CD]. Santa Monica (Ca), USA: Aftermath Music. (2001)
This autobiographical sketch comes from my bundle In the Moment: A Disjointed Audiobiography which is available at Amazon.com. (USD 9.50 for a paperback or USD 4.50 for the Kindle version)
