A foggy, hidden landscape

Leaving behind the cultural circuit, I traversed the interior regions of the country that took me on an unknown journey marked by lilting folk music and craggy hillscapes awashed in steady downpour with the verdant paddy fields telling a tale of plentitude.

A rugged mountain country with some plateaus and plains, the country has been blessed with unspoilt tropical forests that receives copious monsoon rains from May to November.

We left Vientiane early in the morning amidst pouring rains that had cleansed this City known for its ancient and recent Buddhist structures.

Moving out of the urban but gentle environs, the scenery transformed immediately as on our way, we could see farmers busy ploughing their fields in the traditional way while womenfolk relaxing in front of their thatched huts after finishing their daily chores.

When we got down at Namon, a village, a few cherubic children playing alongside came running towards us and happily posed for photographs with us without any inihibitions.

At this village, I met one vendor selling some items which one wouldn't definitely see in an Indian village. Some amazing things like buffalo and goat horns, snake skin and even turtle bones were being sold. As I could not communicate with him, it was difficult to understand why they were selling such items.

After spending a few minutes with the farmer's family who offered us tender coconuts, we made our way to Nam Ngum reservoir on a happy note refreshed by the green environs and the laughter of young children.

Possessing a mountaineous terrain, it is very difficult to go from one place to another as there are only a few reliable transportation routes in Laos. There is very little connectivity from the capital to the interior regions of the country

Therefore, the Mekong is one of the most frequently used transportation routes where one can see large draft boats carrying people as well as goods.

In fact, innumerable boats are afloat on the river which have been transformed into food joints along with local music bands entertaining locals and the tourists.

One of the major tributaries of the Mekong, the Nam Ngum River flows from the northern mountaineous regions of the country and joins the Mekong at Vientiane. This river basin is the lifeline of more than one million Laotians in the country.

However, till date, this under developed country is striving to exploit its abundant natural resources through the construction of hydro-electric projects with four projects already in the pipeline. A landlocked country, its main crop is rice that is grown on the fertile floodplains of the Mekong River.

A variety of vegetables, fruits, spices and cotton are also grown. Once part of the south east Asia region's heroin-producing "Golden Triangle", Laos has all but stamped out opium production.

Just 120 kilometres from Vientiane, the Capital of Laos is the Nam Ngum Lake that is a favourite destination of locals and tourists. Apart from floating restaurants around the shores of the lake, one can get a taste of fresh fish from the lake that is only partly cooked with a few herbs and spices.

After enjoying the local cuisine comprising sticky rice packed in bamboo boxes along with a soup made out of some herbs and exotic vegetables at a resort situated amidst the choppy, white waters of the Nam Ngum, it was time for us to enjoy the ride across this vast expanse of water criss-crossed by islands and surrounded by mountains on all the sides. One can cruise around the 'thousand island lake' and see the innumerable hidden landscapes amidst the rising mist.

At Ban Tha Ngon where there is a bridge, one can find a few floating restaurants on the reservoir offering fresh fish and other local specialities. A pleasant boat trip in this lake unfolds a wonderful view of the stunning scenery, of the innumerable dark green islands dotting the entire waterscape.

The vast,deep lake also known as the "Lake Geneva of Asia", is surrounded by Phou Kao Khwai (Buffalo horn mountain) and the innumerable peaks of dozens of hills in the valley which goes on to form hundreds of enchanting islands. It is a man-made lake of 250 square kilometres, created as a result of damming of River Ngum. As we traversed from one end of the lake to the other, it was enchanting to see a few islands emerging from the thick fog now and then and once again disappearing as if to nowhere.

One of the largest lakes in Asia, it has become the centrepoint for holding water sports including rafting but one can hire a boat and explore many unknown islets as well as spend a day in this gigantic water expanse.

Laos, one of the few remaining communist countries in the world, is very poor and dependant on international donations and in this regard, India has been giving financial assistance for developmental projects. The correct answer for last week's quiz is: Borobudur Monument, Java, Indonesia.

Congratulations Ramya S Bhat from Teacher's Colony for giving the correct answer Reader's quiz: Which is the world's largest lake?