18 February 2012
Vientiane
The most memorable aspect of our time in Laos’ capital,
Vientiane, was the visit we made to COPE, Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic
Enterprise, a nonprofit group devoted to helping victims of cluster bombs in
Laos. According to their literature, per capita, Laos is the most heavily
bombed country in the world. Between
1964 and 1973, Americans dropped over 260 million bombies—that is the
equivalent of a plane load of or bombs every 9 minutes for 9 years—over the
country. It’s estimated that 30% of these bombs failed to explode, which means
there are at least 78 million active
bombies in the country today. And these bombs are killing and maiming Laotians.
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| Cluster bombs |
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| There's a lot of red on here. |
We were introduced to the center and taught a little history
of the bombs and then ushered into a video room where we saw a public service announcement.
The movie shared the stories of four children who had all been injured by bombs:
one child was looking for scrap metal, another was digging for worms, the third
made a fire on the ground with her sister in order to cook the fish she had
just caught, and the final child was playing with his sling shot when he came
across a bomb on the ground. After a dramatization and recounting of each child’s
story, each child would look very seriously into the camera and explain how his
or her life had been limited by the injury. Each segment ended with the child
warning the audience: “Children, be careful when you are digging for worms, or
you could end up like me.” Or, “Children, only build a fire in a place where
you have before or above ground, or you could end up like me.” The video was
moving, and for me, the most heartbreaking part was, none of these kids was
doing anything that a child should not be doing. Sure, in the US you can tell a
child not to take candy from a stranger or not to play with fireworks, but how
do you tell a kid not to dig for worms?
COPE provides rehabilitation and prosthetics for people
injured by cluster bombs at subsidized costs or for free. I’m not really big
into promoting causes in this blog, but what I saw at the center really left an
impression on me, and I’d like to share the information. So… If you would like
to learn more about this organization or buy someone a leg (yes, a leg), check
out their website:
http://www.copelaos.org/.
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COPE also sells ice cream.
How great is that? You can give back by eating your favorite food. |
Our evening in the Laos capital ended with dinner at a Markphet,
a restaurant opened in 2006 by Friends-International with a goal “to inspire
the youth we work with—to teach them how to build themselves a new future.” The
restaurant employs marginalized youth and gives them restaurant skills. The program
has been a huge success, and the students have “spearhead[ed] the revival of
their own food culture which they are so proud of.” The food was delicious.
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| Family style dinner |
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| Dessert :) |
Before our flight to Hanoi, Vietnam the following day, we
explored a few sites and markets of the city. The photographic evidence:
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| The Presidential Palace |
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| Wat Si Saket--the oldest temple in Vientiane |
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| Outside Si Saket |
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| Trying to be artsy with some of the 6,840 Buddhas housed in Si Saket |
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| More of the 6,840 |
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Wedding photos. I was tempted to get my photo taken,
but I didn't have a groom available.
Now I have a visual record for when I do. |
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| I'm not sure why I decided against getting my portrait done here. |
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| Duck bills, anyone? |
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| What about chicken feet? |
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Patuxai--An Arc de Triomphe knockoff.
According to Wikipedia, it's a bit higher than its
French inspiration, "to spite the French." |
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All around the temples and monuments I saw people getting their pictures
taken with monks. I would have done the same, but it wasn't
clear to me if the monks were charging for the privilege. |
Vietnam, here I come!
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| Bag lady on the move |
