Living Loving Laos

Arial view of Laos

Day 1:

Jumping for joy upon arrival in Laos, and not just because we had done the statistically impossible and miraculously survived our Laoair flight from Siem Reap.   The moment we deplaned in Luang Prabang, the warm, dry Laotian air wicked the Cambodian humidity away from our shirts, and along with it, all the cobwebs in our minds from the past few hectic days and nights.

We were greeted at the main terminal by a driver from the Ban Lao Hotel and enjoyed the air conditioned ride to our accommodation just outside the historic town centre.  As usual, we were eager to explore our new surroundings so we wasted no time in dropping off our bags and hitting the road.

As we made our way toward the main street, we were immediately conscious of how quiet it was.  True, we had arrived in the heat of the afternoon (and I mean serious 36 degree heat), but even taking into account the observance of midday siesta it seemed as though a certain tranquility or sleepiness had been pulled up around the small town.  Or maybe we had just grown too accustomed to the chorus of tuk tuks, touts and tourists that had been ringing in our ears ever since we touched down in Bangkok.   

French Colonial Style guesthouse along the main road

It didn't take long on the main street before we realized that what Luang Prabang lacked in decibels, it made up for in charm.  Lots of charm.  With it's colonial french-style guest houses and family-run restaurants juxtaposed against ornate temples and modest monestaries all nestled at the confluance of the Nam Khan and the Mekong Rivers, Luang Prabang can be described as nothing short of quaint.

A Buddha inside one of Luang Prabang's many temples

We spent the late afternoon wandering casually through the Royal Palace and Wat Mai, the new monestary, and gazing in awe at the elaborate mosaics, ornate facades and gilded golden peaks of Wat Xieng Thong.  With over 30 temples rising above the town, it is no wonder that the city, a UNESCO world heritage site was formerly known as Xiang Dong Xiang Thong (Cirty of Gold).

Mosaics at Wat Mai

Inside the Royal Palace complex and monastery

Just before sunset, we climbed to the top of Mount Phou Si (Holy Mountain) and watched as the sun slipped behind the mountains flanking the mighty Mekong.  We began our descent not a moment too soon.  The rain came on just as we were reaching the final flight of stairs.  Back on Sisavangvong Road we found a quiet patio with cheap beerlao and tables tucked away amongst flowering tropical plants.  After sharing a few of the recommended Lao dishes (beautifully flavoured and satisfyingly spicy) we headed back out onto the street and enjoyed a banana pancake while wandering through the incredible night market. 

Local shutterbug at the Night Market

Day 2: 

One of the less spectacular cascades of the Kwang Si falls

Early on Day 2, Kora, Joel and I hopped in a tuk-tuk and headed south out of town toward the Kwang Si waterfalls.  After a short hike through the jungle, visitors to the falls are rewarded with a powerful 50 meter cascade of cool, fresh water.  That is of course, if you have the foresight to climb all the way to the top of the falls.  We did not.  We took one look at the rope swings and turquoise blue swimming holes and got so distracted that we never actually made it to the main falls!  Luckily, the smaller falls were also incredibly spectacular and we enjoyed several hours of entertainment climbing over the smooth rocks and plunging into the refreshing waters.

Swimming hole and rope swing area

Joel takes the plunge into the cool Kwang Si waters

Kora and Joel waiting for dinner

Back in town that evening, we settled in for another delicious Laotian feast in the centre of town and were even feeling bold enough to try a helping of the Mekong River Weed.  The unfortunately named appetizer was similar in texture and taste to Nori and was lightly salted and covered in sesame seeds.  Definitely edible, although I don't know if I would rush out to find it back at home.  

Mekong River Weed

Feeling sufficiently refueled, we made our way back to the night market where we tried our hand at some serious bargaining.  Although the prices weren't quite as good as in Siem Reap ($2 for a tshirt instead of $1) we were all pleased with the variety and the quality of some of the handicrafts and with the dirt-cheap hippie-inspired clothing and we all came away with a good-sized haul.

Entering the Luang Prabang night market

Day 3: 

Monks walk the main street for the giving of Alms

Another 5 am morning in Southeast Asia!  Our internal clocks, which had already self-adjusted to keep temple sunrise time, were assisted by a very noisy rooster outside our room and after grabbing a baguette for the road, we made our way to Sisavangvong Road where we watched as hundreds of monks in their sienna robes emerged from the town's monasteries and made their way down the street for the giving of Alms.  Watching as this ceremony took place, it was impossible not to feel the deep spiritual connection of the Laotian people and Luang Prabang.

We didn't have too much time to sit in deep reflection, however, as our bus for Vang Vieng was scheduled to depart just before 8 am.  We had paid extra for the express bus, which our travel agent promised us was faster and more comfortable than the regular busses servicing this tourist route.  We should have known that in Southeast Asia, words like "express" have absolutely no meaning.  The bus was comfortable enough, but it was slow moving on the steep mountain passes and disconcertingly shaky on the windy downhill curves, many of which were flanked on both sides by sudden drop offs and steep cliffs which descended from the mountain ridges to the lush jungle valleys below.  Luckily, the drive was so incredibly scenic that we paid little attention to the hair-raising conditions of the journey.

Views from the highway to Vang Vieng

Our express ride stopped frequently at small huts and villages which appeared sporadically along the highway and at each stop, the locals would hop off and collect fresh fruit, visit friends, exchange money and examine the daily selection of road-side poultry (dead, but not yet plucked!) before hopping back on to continue the journey.  At one point, a man returned to the bus with a large handful of vegetation and my jaw dropped in amazement as he walked past me and I noticed that it was a huge heap of marijuana (which I recognized only from the news of course).  He gave a proud, toothless grin as he noticed my bewilderment and revealed green buds the size of corn cobs which he was willing to offer us at a very reasonable price.  We politely declined, having watched one too many episodes of National Geographics "Locked Up Abroad" (a favourite show of mine on the road) but had a good laugh about the thought of three law students engaging in a highway drug deal in Laos.

A local poultry shop on the way to Vang Vieng

Just when we thought the ride could not get any more strange (or less "express") we came to a sputtering stop on a long stretch of mountainous road.  There was a verbal exchange between the driver and some of the locals, some of whom hopped out for some fresh air (read: cigarettes).  We got out to take a look and were devastated to see the driver working away underneath the bus.  Not a promising sign that we would make it to our destination before dark.  After what seemed like forever stranded at the side of the road, a local passenger ushered us back on the bus, and after a few false starts, the engine kicked loudly back into gear.  The problem, of course, was that we had run out of gas!!!  After uttering a few choice words under our breaths, we laughed the situation off as "typical Laos" and then sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride.

Who'da thought you would need a full tank for an 8 hour ride?

Karst formations surroung the Nam Song River Valley

We arrived in beautiful Vang Vieng late in the afternoon and within minutes we knew we had entered backpackers paradise.  The small town, situated along the Nam Song River consists of only two main streets, each of which is lined with guesthouses and riverside restaurants serving up a gastronomic smorgasbord of PadThais, Lao curries, Italian Pizzas, tropical fruit shakes and American Breakfasts.  While some joints advertised juicy burgers and frosty pints, others offered comfy booths set up to allow patrons to dine and drink while enjoying TV favourites like Friends and Family Guy.  As we made our way through town, drinking in the scenery and adjusting to the sensory overload, we began to marvel at the fact that such a place could exist-  a hedonistic oasis in the middle of the jungle, eagerly waiting to sweep travelers passing through off their weary feet.

Posing on our balcony

Joel relaxing after a long ride

We chose a spotless guesthouse with a large balcony and a stunning view of the Nam Song River and the magnificent Karst Hills then, after changing into our freshest, most relaxed attire, we set up shop on the comfy cushions of the restaurant next door to watch the sunset.  Just after dark, thunder clouds rolled in over the mountains and we enjoyed our much-needed bottle of red wine while we watched the storm move through the valley.  We were just starting to regain our nerves, which we lost halfway along the treacherous highway into town, when we were startled by a tremendous flash of lightning that came streaking over our heads and struck down somewhere across the river.  There was an immediate blast of thunder that shook the entire restaurant and suddenly we were in the dark.  We sat in utter silence for a few seconds before laughing at our fright, and enjoyed the rest of our night indulging in pizza, padthai and wine by candlelight.

Day 4:

Getting ready to tube!

There is not much to say about day 4 in Laos, other than that we spent another day loving life and loathing real life in Vang Vieng.  After sleeping in for the first time in a weeks, we rented rubber inner tubes and hitched a ride to Bar #1 for the start of our watery pub crawl.  

Bar #1

Great music, free shots, buckets of Redbull vodkas, rope swings, water slides and a ton of fun people??  It's hard to ask for more, except maybe some degree of water safety.  I had heard rumours that many tourists suffer serious injuries in Vang Vieng and it's not too hard to see why.  The atmosphere does not exactly lend itself to good judgement.  Nevertheless, our group all emerged from the river no worse for the wear (albeit with a few less pairs of flip flops and sunglasses than we had started with) and enjoyed one last dinner before Kora and I hopped on our bus back to Luang Prabang.

Kora starts to float away!

Bucket Buddies!