Sabaidee...buy from me!!!

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February 5th 2007

Published: February 5th 2007

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Prairie Gypsy

Me and Ellee

Got any bananas?

Sabaidee!!!

My title for this is blog is a saying that rhymes in my head as I am falling asleep after shopping the night market. They almost sing it as you walk by their stall. The last few days have been incredible.

Left off in Houay Xai; when I wrote my last blog entry, I hadn't give Houay Xai and its ppl a fair shake. I came to really enjoy the town for what it was - a good intro into the "Lau ways". And I've coined the phrase, 'nothings' guaranteed in Lau'. Meaning, they tell you times or distances but are only a guesstimate. You can order something off a menu, but you never really know what you are going to get (but always turns out good - for me, anyway).

The immigration border crossing was hillarious. Rather than the tight ties and stiff shirts you'd expect at a border patrol, it was a picnic table with a bunch of men joking with the foreignors and planning to party with us later on that evening. I met up with a nice Israeli man my age - Yaniv who would be on my Gibbons trek; we walked all

On the road to Bokeo Nature Reserve

Dusty towns. Yes, one of those shacks is someone's home.

over the town and observed Lau life in many forms. Also enjoyed my first 'street food'. They cook up bbq everything right there in front of you and serve it up in bags to go or in banana leaves. It was very tasty and I felt fine the next day!! Take away is always in little plastic baggies - even the soups, sauces and beverages!! Its great. Joined some others at a riverside restaurant and bar overlooking the Mekong for some drinks and enjoyed a local Lau band (more like Karaoke). Sat at a table with a bunch of Irish girls (do they ever go hard!!) and a fellow named Phil (from Scotland) who I had met on the fluffy pink bus to Chiang Mai. He kept me in stitches along with the drunk Dutchman - Daniel who got the locals and the foriegnors all mixing. By the end of the night, the Irish girls had taken over the keyboard and mic and were highland dancing and the Lau's were teaching us how to dance Lau-style and Daniel was kissing everyone (including the Lau men). It was a fun and crazy evening.

The next day it was early to

Town of Ban Toup

Me and Somsei, my personal grooming monkey

rise and off to the treehouse!! Our group of 8 consisted of 5 Aussies (3 from Adelaide and 2 from Sidney), a French girl and Yaniv and I. We took a 3 hour rattly ride in a minivantruck which was dusty and rough but got started on getting to know each other well. Stopped for lunch and a stretch. The outhouse I used had chickens running through it as I was going and a large pig just outside. Ha ha! The town from which we made the trek on foot was called Ban Toup. A very poor village but very interesting. I could have stayed there all day watching their way of life and goings-on. We had a non-english speaking guide and 2 monkeys leading us the way to the "kitchen" - a very strenuous and steep one hour climb up into the forest. The monkeys were a year and 2 years old. The 2 year old - Somsei took a real liking to me and became 'my monkey' for the 3 days. I LOVED IT!!!! It rode either on my shoulders, my head or insisted I carry it like a baby. It kept me groomed and tried to nip

Somsei

Leading us to the 'kitchen'; keeping us in line

at anyone who came near me or take her away from me. Her little sister (Jack) was a brat. Very unpredictable and fickle. Jack ate my earing. When we got to the kitchen (where the guides sleep and cook our food), they fit us with harnesses and we got a quick lesson in "zipping". HOW MUCH FUN IS THAT???!!!!! Wow!!! What a rush!!! Because it is a nature reserve, you have to keep quiet and that was so hard for me not to let out an exhillarating whooohoooooo while gliding. What amazing views you see as you are zipping!!! And we were so high up. We would have liked to just go zipping all day long but they discourage this as it disturbs nature and is not the whole point of the experience. We arrived at our treehouse to a whole bunch of cut up fresh fruit and snacks and coffee. How nice!! And our treehouse -- talk about a 5 star tree-top dwelling!! Wow. We had 4 stories in our treehouse that would sleep 8. As it was, treehouse #2 was a 2-sleeper for couples and so 2 from our group stayed there. We had the option to switch

Our Treehouse

Our accomodation for 2 nights - a 5 star treehouse above the forest canopy.

to treehouse #3 our second night, but we loved our house so much, 4 of us (the Adelaiders and I) decided to stay in our original one. Let me try to create an image of Treehouse #1 for you. You can only access it from a zipline (it is over 100ft off the ground). You arrive on a very small and narrow platform. The living room and kitchen is very comfy - with a large woven bamboo mat on the floor and low basket chairs to sit on. There are several candle-lanterns for when it is dark. The bathroom is partitioned off at the side but still out in the open air. There is a fresh water shower, sink and a squat-toilet (it just falls to the ground). There is a resident pig living at the base of the tree which eats all that drops from the tree (food cuttings and leftovers and other disposable biodegradeable stuffs). Our beds are comfy and warm (matress with sheets and lots of blankets covered with a canvass drape to keep the bugs out) and were made up for us. The guides zipped in at meal times and brought us our food (usually 4

The treehouse porch...

Yes, you must strategically land on this platform when you 'zip' over (and try not to smack into the tree)

or 5 hot dishes and a big bucket of sticky rice) made us coffee and tea and cut up fruit and zipped out. The food was so good!! Sometimes when we were out zipping or hiking, we'd come back to the house and all was tidied up (!!). What service!! The guides came around both mornings to take us on guided walks (strenuous!!). We did not see any gibbons but did hear them sing in the mornings!! What a unique sound!! Like a call and answer. Saw many beautiful birds and black squirrels (the Aussies sure were excited about the squirrels!!). Much to my surprise, there were very few mosquitoes and other bugs (unless I was just blind to them...). Annie and I opted to lift our bug net to enjoy the beautiful tree-canopy view while we slept. I even enjoyed a fresh (COLD) water shower in the house! I really enjoyed the time spent with the Adelaide Aussies. They were heaps of fun. Annie is nearing the end of her schooling to be a Physio (I seem to be drawn to Physios) and she had lovely long colored (artificial) braids in her hair. I made here clip one and

Welcome snacks

We arrived to tea and coffee and fresh cut up fruit and nuts; sweet!!

make it into a bracelet for me to take and wear. More friends to visit when I return to Australia. It was a sad goodbye to my little Somsei. The bad thing about this trip to the Nature reserve ( and I know most of you will want to SLAP me when I tell you) was that my camera battery died just as we arrived at the treehouse; and I didn't have the spare with me. I was choked. Stupid stupid me. The others took lots of photos though (and had really fancy cameras too) and promised to send some to me. I did get photos of the treehouse.

Back in Houay Xai, we got one last group photo and everyone parted. Yaniv, Kareen (from France) and I enjoyed a last supper together and talked with several other travellers who were about to do the Gibbons trek.

Boarded the slow boat (2 days with an overnight stop in Pakbeng) which was long and cold but did offer such amazing views and the chance to catch up on some journal writing and Lonely Planet reading and meet some other travellers; its nice to hear of others experiences and get

Our guides

some of the ins and outs and do's and don'ts. Pakbeng left much to be desired as a place to stay, but didn't have any choice as it was the stopover. Wonderful food at our grubby guesthouse. A fellow Canadian was robbed. He left his money purse in his room just after we checked in to go have supper (not sure why he would leave his valuables in the room). The room WAS locked but anything goes around here. He lost $500 U.S. , his travellers chqs and 2 credit cards. Sucky. My valuables (all forms of currency, my passport and ticket home) including my camera have never left my body - including when I am in the shower or in bed. The slow boat to Louang Prabang yesterday was longer (because of several stops) but a bit warmer as we headed south down the Mekong river and the sun was shining most of the day. There was a cute little boy entertaining us all with his antics and we enjoyed even more lovely scenery. It was great to get off the boat though.

Finding a guesthouse was a bit of a panic as there was approx. 50 of

Our living room

us all truckin' up the hill at once to get a room and the other slow boat had arrived before us. We (a couple of Brit girls and a Brit gent - Andy) didn't get a room in the guesthouse we were hoping for but did find some after we split up. Andy and I headed out to get some eats and cruise the market and main street which was alive with vendors and food and wonderful things. We had a huge buffet (50 cents a plate) supper and fried sticky rice on a stick!! You can pretty much get anything on a stick (don't you just love that Sheila??!). Walked around with our beer Lao (supposedly the best beer in S.E. Asia) and got a feel for the city.

This morning, I had to sit down and reconfigure my itinerary. Unfortunately, I bit off way more than I could chew (doesn't sound like me, does it?!?) timewise. I will not be seeing Vang Vieng, Laos or anything south of Hanoi, Vietnam. I will simply have to come back!!

So, I went and booked some transport tickets and then relaxed and enjoyed some city wandering the rest of

Guest bedroom

the day. Walked up to ChomSi (a Wat) and had my first conversation with a Monk!!! So exciting!! There were 2 different Monks that I chatted with; they wanted to practice their English and I had the opportunity to learn more about what the Monkhood is all about and what draws them into it. Very interesting. The weather was beautiful today. Started out rather cool though. It has actually been quite cool ever since I left Thailand. A few times I have not had warm enough clothing and was wearing just about every shirt I brought (which isn't much). I think the weather will be warmer in Vientianne and then cooler in Hanoi and really warm in Cambodia. I know I know, you don't want to hear it; I have heard that it has been quite cold in Canada. So, will you laugh if I told you I had to buy a touque for the treehouse trip? Ha ha

I went for a Lao massage in a lovely spa and had an hour treatment for $5. Gotta love that. Oh, it felt great. Enjoyed some more street food with my friend Andy and then he came here to help

My bedroom

me figure out how to get photos on to my blog. It took us awhile but finally got it. I appologise for only getting one up; it takes FOREVER to upload them on the system here. I will have a gathering and slide show when I return home and or will send some to you when it is easier from my home PC. I will add more in Vientianne.

Tomorrow I am on the fluffy VIP bus to Vientianne (9 hour trip) where I will spend the next couple days to get my Vietnamese Visa processed and enjoy what the city has to offer. I will probably be back to blogging again when I reach Hanoi, Vietnam. Take care everyone and keep warm!!

Missing you lots and lots,
Pamela xoxox

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