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Published: November 6th 2006
This was absolutely awesome. Brilliant. Quality. Kawaii (cute in Jap).
2 Minute Noodles
On a side note however - the 2-day slow boat trip from Luang Prabang up to Housieau was brutal. I am definitely now travelling and no longer holidaying. Despite the teasing of fellow travellers when they hear how I'm flying from Bangkok to Hanoi that I'm a
"champagne travller" but well I have nothing to prove by travelling 4+ days when I can do it in 2 hours.
The boat broke down so we ended up staying in this tiny village (where I think we had the only 2 light-globes). I felt absolutely wretched on this boat with fever, seasickness and cold sweats. Those damn malaria tablets are killing me. So I wasn't at all happy when the head villager, I'm assuming, came down to meet us and said "You sleep here?" and pointed at the sand on the beach. Happily we ended up getting a place to sleep (very grungy, to put it favourably). We then proceeded to beg for food (literally) and we ended up getting 2 minute noodles.
Note when I got to the border I then caught an 8 hr
The View to the Village Where 2 Minute Noodles was the Full Menu
Cosmos, Barry and Ross on the slow-boat from Luang Prabang to Housieau. The second day on the boat was pure quality esp knowing that a decent meal, Beer Laos and hot showers were awaiting.bus trip, which broke down (sound familiar?) and then had to sit on a dusty pickup truck which went flying around corners (about 3 times faster than any subsequent driver) on a road which is the "beginnings" of a highway. This was the most nauseauting experience of my life. (I was slightly relieved that I wouldn't be going to Cambodia after this and I do recall saying that if I don't reach nirvana after the end of that car trip, I don't know what would)
Singing Gibbons - not Furry Black Squirels
This was absolutely the best experience. It's been 2 years in the making and while a little on the exxy side is designed to show the villagers that by protecting the forest they can survive. As opposed to logging the forests and killing the animals. The treehouses are designed so that you minimise impact as are the ziplines - which incidently a hell of a lot of fun. The black gibbons were thought extinct till 2 years back. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them (but they are rare). I did get to see a little gold gibbon which lived near the kitchen. I'm convinced after
hearing them sing that they aren't just giant furry black squirrels, which funnily enough I did see. Huge beasts.
I think the photos can tell the story.
I did however have a scary experience when a monkey jumped on my face. I had recollections of the movie Outbreak which meant I stood well away from the monkeys after that. For some reason, they loved to jump onto me!
I managed to avoid being leeched on (these are my worst fear - I hate them). I tigerbalmed my feet, socks and shoes on a regular basis much to everyone else's entertainment. I did also hear a horror story about someone having a leech up their nose from Noelie. That is so wrong.
Staying by the waterfall the second evening was quite nice for the fact that we could jump into the waterfall, river and shower! To everyone's amusement, I decided I now had to shampoo and condition my hair. Did kind of feel like some tv hair advertisement, washing my hair in a bikini by the waterfall. Very cheesy.
It was also really lovely having fresh fish for breakfast the next morning where we ate with
the chefs who were really sweet. Also best meal I had in Laos by far - it even surpassed my buffalo steak, frogs legs but perhaps not the coconut and roasted banana creme caramel. Hmm...
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