On, In, Around and Up

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My last few days in Laos saw me in Luang Prabang before heading on a boat up the Mekong River as I headed back to Thailand. I was sad to leave Vang Vieng (so much to do that I didn't do, so much fun still to be had), but I'm determined to squeeze as much into this trip as possible and that is what I am doing. I won't have a chance to travel like this again for a long time, and I need to make the most of it while I can. There were 4 key verbs that described my time in Luang Prabang, and the activities I did while there: on, in, around and up.



On an Elephant

I think that every traveller has a list (mental or officially written down) of things that they absolutely want to do while on a trip. Mine had a few key things to start out with:

1. Snorkel on coral reefs (check - I'll be telling that story soon)

2. Shoot a bazooka in Vietnam (fail - the place I thought had this option didn't, and then I never got organized enough to find where I could do it)

3. Ride an elephant

In Luang Prabang I was able to complete #3. We were recommended Luang Prabang because they have more ethical elephant riding options at elephant sanctuaries there than what I had heard about in Chiang Mai. It was more expensive, but that wasn't really a factor I cared about seeing I wouldn't even want a dollar going to someone who treated animals poorly.

With my ethical conscious clean (I believe, please let me know if I am wrong), we set out for our 1 hour ride. I was ridiculously excited - as in squeeling and bouncing up and down in anticipation excited. I have no shame in admitting this - I am a total geek when it come to all things animal rated and own it proudly. At first my friend Josephine and I were sitting on a seat with the Mahoot driving our elphant. Our elephant was in a fussy mood and the Mahoot was having difficulty getting him to move forward - at one point we actually caused a traffic jam with our friends' elephant behind us. It turned out he was just hungry and wasn't going to go anywhere until he got another snack (apparently the sugar cane he was munching on when he picked us up was not enough).

Once he was a happy elephant again, we started to make our way down a river, by walking in the middle of the river with water almost to the elephant's belly. About midway, the mahoot got the elephant to stop and then turned to me and asked if I wanted to trade placed with him. I wasn't expecting it until we were on dry land again, but happily (and cautiously, or this story would be titled Falling Off an Elephant into a Murky River) traded places with the Mahoot and guided the elephant for 15/20 mintues. The entire time I had a shit-eater grin on my face that would not be whiped off.

After my friend got her turn in the driver's seat (she found the experience fun but far less comfortable than me), we headed back to the base camp. On the way, our elephant started to get grumpy again until we passed a bush that it decided was yummy and pulled the entire thing roots and all out of the ground to chomp on while we made our way back. Naturally, to reward the hard work we gave the elephant bananas galore and hugged him. I'm pretty certain only the former was truly appreciated.

It was by far one of the highlights of my trip, and a memory I won't soon forget. I also suspect I might be wearing the same shit-eater grin for the next two months while I'm in Sepilok with the orang-utans, and there's no complaint from me about that.



In a Waterfall

On the same day as the elephent ride, my friends and I headed to Kangsi Waterfall. It's a pretty major tourist destination, but rightfully so. It is stunning. The water is crystal clear, and the swimming is amazing. While still crowded when we got there, it wasn't too bad compared to later (if we had gotten there when we were leaving, we wouldn't have bene able to see the waterfall). I think we spent about 4 hours at the falls - first swimming in the lower pools, and then sunning ourself by the main falls. It was one of those perfect afternoons that you are able to recognize as special even as they occur.



Around Luang Prabang

Of course, part of the fun was simply exploring Luang Prabang. It is a beautiful, small city, with gorgeous architecture, some great sites and a lot of character. Their market seems to go on forever, and the food offerings are fantastic. Probably the greatest value for money for a vegetarian ever is the food stalls by the market that sell 10,000 kip ($1.25) plates of vegetarian food where the rule is you get one plate, loaded with as much as you want. There's an option to buy meat, but a word of caution: while one night my meat-eating friends had no issues at one stall, the next day at a different stall only one of my friends had meat. A few days of misery later she headed to a hospital for her digestive issues.

Like most other travellers, Luang Prabang was where we dragged ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to go watch monks collect alms. I was surprised by how young some of the monks were. It was explained to me that it is a right of passage for young Buddhist men to spend at least a few weeks, if not a few years, being a monk before returning to their normal lives. Not having this experience is a blot on your character, and reflects poorly on your family. Many families actually send their young sons to monastaries for summer holidays (much like we go to summer camp), as it is believed to build character and teach good behaviour.

So Luang Prabang was great - make sure you roam the market (it is the only place I have bought more than my obligatory magnet), and I highly recommend a bar called Utopia. It has one of the best atmospheres of any bar I have ever been to, and will probably catch myself wishing there was a place like it in Toronto this summer.



Up the Mekong River

After Luang Prabang, our final time in Laos was spent on a small river boat heading up the Mekong River over 2 days. At first I was worried I would get bored, but it turned out to be a great break from running around and seeing things. Taking naps, playing cards and talking with friends provided some much needed downtime, and I'm glad we did it.

While on the river, we took some time to stop at a small village. Many of the children in the village were fascinated by us, and followed us everywhere we toured. Others hid behind their mothers, or watched us from afar. It was interesting to see how simply the people lived, and broadcast the reality that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. I made sure to use the last of my kip buying bracelets that were on offer, only wishing I had more left so that I could have bought more.



Overall, my last few days in Laos were spent having new experiences and taking it easy. I wish I could spend more time in Laos, there are so many places I still want to see in the country. I know that one day I will head back to see more of the country, as it is such a beautiful place and people are so lovely (and I'm not being cheesy there - I think that lovely is the perfect adjective to describe the Laos).

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