On the road to Pakse

Sabaydii,

Here is a continuation of the series of ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘On the road to Pakse[1]’.

Hakphaang,

Kongkeo Saycocie

Leaving the sad-looking monument[2]

Newly constructed

By That Luang behind

Our pick-up gained speed

And hummed all the way

Down the route 13

The only premium highway of the country

To the south of Laos

This route

I remember

My family had suddenly traveled

From Thakek[3] to Vientiane in 1970

After only 3 years of stay over there

Not long before dark

We reached the outskirt of Thakek

For a Pho[4] dinner

Greeting us at the entrance of the town

Was no one else

But the desolate monument

Of Kaison Phomvihan[5]

It looked like

Every sizable village or town

The supreme leader monument

Became a spirit altar guarding the place

Replacing the once revered LakMuang[6]

Too bad

Neither villagers nor townspeople

Maybe only a few diehards

Even looked at it

Just the mentioning of this monument

We received a funny turn of the head

This much told us

Of what came into its creation

And of what people were really thinking

Of their super-imposed cult veneration

By the roadside

Among the parked Tuk-Tuk[7]

Strayed the skinny dog

Scavenging for any remains

At the trash can

By the roadside Pho restaurant

Being not that hungry

I grabbed a few meatballs

from the Pho soup

tossing them to the hungry dog

after all

I too was that hungry before

I too was that desperate

How could it be?

Almost 30 years had passed

And still things were very much the same

Or even worse

Leaving another monument behind

We took off to the sunset

Letting the shadow of the hills

Surrounding Thakek

Wrapped us in the thrall of magic

I had long forgotten

Oh Muang Lao

Was I finally home?

7.31.03

[1] Pakse is the third largest city in Laos. Situated in the south of the country, it is rightly called the capital of the south.

[2] the sad monument I am referring to is the monument for the dead. This one is for those who died fighting for the Communist cause.

[3] Thakek is the fifth largest city in the country. It is located in the middle between Savannakhet and Pakse.

By the way, Luangprabang is the fourth largest city. After the first five, no towns could come close to be called a city.

[4] Pho is the Vietnamese noodle highly popular in Laos. In fact, it becomes accepted as a Lao food consumed all over the country. By the way, Thakek being a town once heavily populated by the Vietnamese settling in Laos during the French colonial years was famous for its delicious Pho.

[5] Kaisone Phomvihanh was the least well-known Lao Communist leader. When the old regime was overthrown, he became the prime minister and undisputedly a strong man of Laos. Still, a majority of Lao people didn’t like and trust him that much for he was half Lao. His father was Vietnamese. Only his mom was Lao. He was a trusted disciple of Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese Communist leader.

[6] LakMuang is the sacred spot where the city was first built. Lao people have a strong belief that the city will prosper only when LakMuang is in the right place.

[7] Tuk-Tuk is the tricycle used mainly as a taxi. It made a loud noise like Tuk-Tuk. That was why it was called so.