Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Luang Prabang, Laos (March 29-April 2)


We, Ms Leah included, booked the VIP bus out of Vieng Vang, but unlike the last VIP bus we took this was the local bus.  Thankfully, it wasn’t a very hot day so the fact the air-con or the fans didn’t work, wasn’t that big of a deal.  Northern Laos is mountainous and can be very rugged in some areas.  The bus would slowly chug up the hills, only to get to the top and go speeding down the narrow curving roads.  This was not a fun bus ride, but we made it to Luang Prabang. 

Luang Prabang is located along a peninsula formed by the Mekong River on one side and the Nam Khan river on the other side.  It is absolutely enchanting.  The buildings are either built in the Indochinse architecture style or are old French villas and Unesco has named this former French capital a World Heritage site.  We had arrived in the later afternoon and wandered around to a few guesthouses before finding a clean, cheap place with two rooms (one for Jeff & I and one for Leah).  We dropped our things and then went out to explore the town.  Every evening Luang Prabang has a wonderful night market that spans several blocks.  There are, if I remember correctly, over 40 different ethnic tribes living in northern Laos, one of the biggest tribes being the Hmong people.  The market has colorful textiles from these tribes, paper lanterns, wood carvings, jewelry, paintings, chopsticks, and hundreds of other items.  I think the best part about this market is that it is extremely low-key and low pressure.  You could actually look at things without being pressured.  That night we ate a really good little noodle stand at the end of the market.

The next day was cold and rainy.  Leah, Jeff, and I wandered around the streets for a bit and then decided to get a massage.  After we were relaxed, we sat down at a street side cafĂ© to have a couple of beers.  We were sitting there chatting, when all of a sudden Jeff stands up and starts yelling ‘Jackie! Jackie!’  Jackie is a French lady we volunteered with in Kalcutta and who was also on our flight into Bangkok.  She sat down and we had a few more beers.  It was a wonderful evening of friendly chatter!

In the morning, Leah, Jackie and I had decided to meet to take the walking tour of Luang Prabang recommended by Lonely Planet.  We viewed the cultural center and up the 100 m hill to the temples of Phu Si. From here, we had amazing views of all Luang Prabang. The walk brought us down to several other wats (temples) in the town center and finally to Wat Xieng Thong.   Xieng Thong is a beautiful temple and monastery.  The buildings of the complex are covered with amazing mosaics of trees, people, boats, rice paddies, and pictures of everyday life.  One the eastern side of the Wat, is the royal funeral chapel, where several of the royal family urns are kept. 

On our last day in Luang Prabang, we booked a kayaking trip down the Nam Ou river with Leah.  Although, we didn’t come across any big rapids, there were a couple of splashes here and there.  From the river we could see some farms, people fishing, and surprisingly people panning for gold.  We pulled the kayaks on shore and had a lovely picnic lunch.  After lunch, we continued down the Nam Ou to where it meets with the Mekong.  Just before we reached the Mekong, we came to some huge limestone cliffs.  After crossing the Mekong river, we beached the boats again to view the Pak Ou Caves.  These caves have hundreds of images of Buddha in them.  We rafted a few more kilometers down the Mekong, before exiting the river and loading the kayaks on the tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk then took us a village called Ban Xang Hai or more commonly called the whiskey village. Although, it was an authentic village, it felt a lot like a tourist trap.  Lots of textiles and goods being sold out of doorways.  It’s called the whiskey village because the villagers make a lot of LaoLao here to be sold at the night market.  We were given a few samples of different types, and it doesn’t matter what kind of rice is used, its still disgusting!   

The next day, we took a bus north to Luang Namtha, just 17 kilometers from the China border.  We booked this bus with a private tour company for about 20,000 more kip (about $2.50) then the local bus.  It was well worth the extra cost!  Leah, Jeff, and I had the bus to ourselves and we had a driver and a ‘guide’ as well.  The guide would explain some of villages as we passed and answered our questions in the local market we stopped at as well.   
View of Luang Prabang & the Mekong from Phu Si

Me outside one of the wats in the center of town

Main temple at Wat Xieng Thong with the tree-of-life mosaic on the end


Locals panning of gold along the Nam Ou river

Leah, Jeff, and I on the Nam Ou

Jeff inside one of the Pak Ou caves

Lady with a bamboo rat at the local market the bus stopped at

Close-up of the ROUS, aka the bamboo rat



Sunday, April 10, 2011

Vientaine & Vieng Vang, Laos (March 25-29)


We left Tha Khaek on the morning VIP bus.  Unlike the previous VIP buses we had been on, this bus was deluxe!  Two stories, air-con that worked, seats that reclined back when you wanted them too, and TV/DVD that ranged in entertainment from karaoke to Fast and the Furious in Laotian.  It was a very pleasant ride and after about 5 hours we arrived in Laos capital city, Vientiane.  Although Vientiane was a very nice, clean city, I felt that it lacked character and was much more expensive than the rest of the country.  J agreed and we caught one of the first mini buses the next day to Vieng Vang.

On the ride we met a very nice American, Leah, who despite being a Vandal was really interesting to talk too.  (For those of you who know about college loyalties, the Vandals are from the University of Idaho & is 8 miles from where I went to college at Washington State University GO COUGERS!)  Leah had spent the past year and half teaching English at private schools in China.  We chatted for bit and picked her brain for the ‘cool’ places to visit in China.  Several hours later we arrived into Vieng Vang, found a guesthouse, and acquired Leah as a neighbor.  

At dinner that night, the three of us met another American and an Australian at the table across from us.  The Australian, Kallie, worked for Lonely Planet doing some editing and freelance photography.   We had a festive evening of drinking beers and laughing.  The thing to do in Vieng Vang is to rent an inter-tube and float down the Nam Song river.  We all agreed on a meeting place and time for the next day and said goodnight.  The next morning we meet up with Leah and walked to the appointed meeting spot.  The walk turned out to be much longer than we had thought.  It turned out to be a couple of kilometers and we arrived late. Kallie and Emily (the American) were no where to be seen.  So we ate lunch and crossed the river to rent the inter tubes. 

This river float was very different from our peaceful float down the Mekong River in Don Deit.  Bars line the river, each having its own drink specials, loud music, and rope swings or zip lines.  We crossed the bamboo bridge to the first bar and talked to the bartender about renting inter tubes.  He informed us that the inter tubes were rented back in town and then everyone takes a tuk-tuk out.  Leah, Jeff, and I came into a little group huddle about what we were going do, when the bartender changed his mind and rented us three inter tubes.  Before we set off, Jeff had a bucket drink of Lao Lao (Laos whiskey, trust me its gross!) and Red Bull and launched himself off the rope swing at the bar several times.  Then we were off down the river.  It wasn’t long before we got to the next bar, maybe 20 meters, and we had ever intent of moving on, but ropes were being thrown out and we were being towed back into shore.  Jeff launched himself off another rope swing several times before we were ready to move on. 

By moving on, I mean we drifted across the river to the next bar.  This one not only had a higher rope swing, but a zip line as well.  Jeff took the zip line out but didn’t let go before it hit the end of the line. When his hands slid from the handles of the zip line, the momentum he had going flipped him, literally head over heels, about three times before he hit the water.  From someone who didn’t hit the water hard, it was pretty funny to watch. 

We were towed into several other bars and Jeff went off every rope swing around.  I, being scared of heights, was perfectly happy to watch, take photos, and chat with Leah.  We floated past the bar area of the river and down into the quieter areas.  Once the noise disappeared into the distance, the river was quiet relaxing and beautiful.  As the sun set, the temperature dropped and we exited the river before reaching the town center.  It was a fun day.

The next day, the weather changed, it is was a bit cold and rainy.  Jeff was really sore from all the swinging so we took it easy.  In nearly every restaurant in Vieng Vang, there are endless re-runs of Friends or Family Guy replaying over and over.  After watching about 10 episodes of Friends, it was time to move on!  
Boo Vandals !! Go Cougs!
Floating down 'bar street'


One of J's many launches off the rope swings that day

Not all Vandals are that bad!  Thanks for floating with us Leah!