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Published: August 26th 2006
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Nathan and Anne-Marie at the Tad Se waterfall
Don't you just love Nathan's "I'm obviously Canadian" farmer's tan? For a country with the reputation as the most bombed nation on earth, Laos is certainly the most beautiful. Our bus ride ("bus" being a generous term; minivan is more apt) from Vang Vieng was both terrifying and breathtaking. The ride was six hours up a mist and jungle-covered mountain, around winding, twisty narrow roads with no guard rails and only our driver's expertise to keep us from skidding off the side of the mountain. I couldn't sleep a wink out of fear and every time we took a sharp turn, I held on to the handle of the door for dear life. Nathan was luckier in that his fear allowed him to sleep the entire ride.
Luang Prabang is a beautiful, sleepy lakeside mountain town that is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. That means, basically, that massive overdevelopment is banned so as to preserve the colonial and historical buildings. We had a nightmare of a time finding a decent hotel but not for lack of trying. We didn't realize that yesterday was the final of a boat racing competition so most of the hotels were full. We finally found a great hotel in an excellent location; two blocks
from the Joma Bakery that has, yes, finally, bagels with cream cheese. No lox, but I can deal. We have been here for almost 24 hours and have eaten there twice. The town is full of lovely shops, streetside cafes and a lively night market which is great fun to browse and bargain. We found one of first bookstores (where you can buy, trade and rent books and magazines) established in Luang Prabang just 2 years ago. Their aim is to make literature as accessible as possible to the locals. Books are still a rare commodity here and it's facts like that which suddenly make this trip much more humbling for us.
Yesterday we ventured out of town and took an elephant trek in the jungle. For me it was rather anticlimatic as I'd already done one way back in Thailand on Ko Chang and I thought it was much better. Nathan loved it, however, and now wants to get involved with elephants somehow when we get back home. We both stupidly forgot to use our mosquito spray and were eaten alive on the trek; 15 bites alone on my left leg! Let's hope our anti-malaria pills are working.
We then took a boat down the Nam Kham River to some of Laos' famed waterfalls. The Tad Se waterfalls aren't as high as the Kuangsi ones but in the rainy season they are fuller and considerably more beautiful so we opted to visit them instead. Unbelievable. You can swim in the falls and climb over the rocks which are surprisingly not slippery in the least. After the hot and uncomfortable weather, splashing around in the waterfalls was a refreshing treat. The water is clean, crystal clear and beautiful as it crashes down over the rocks. If we'd had more time here, we'd have visited the Kuangsi falls but we don't feel cheated in the least.
Tomorrow we leave Laos for good and fly out to southern Thailand for our much-needed end of trip beach vacation. We're a bit unsure of what to write. Laos is, in a word, indescribable but I'll try. In comparison to its brotherly neighbours Laos appears to be the least understood. I don't mean that negatively in any way, of course. But having only opened its borders to tourism 16 years ago, Laos and its culture are still relatively undiscovered and vary enough
from its neighbours to make it a place that has something rich to discover on each subsequent trip here. There's no pressure to buy, the locals are the most laid back people we've ever met ("You need a tuktuk?" "No, thanks." "Okay." *stretches back in hammock*), the countryside and mountains are heaven-sent, the handicrafts and silk are luxurious, and the atmosphere is just...Laos. It's incredible here and we haven't even seen the southern part of the country which we've heard is even more beautiful. I'm sad to leave Laos and I know going back to tourist-dominated, Western comfort-driven Thailand is going to be such a major culture shock after having been in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam for the past 2 months. I'm trying my best to stay open-minded about it and remember that we're just lying on the beach for the next week but I know I'll be thinking about Vietnam the entire time. Nathan, although also sad to leave Laos, is more excited and justifiably so since he has not yet been to Thailand (nor anywhere with tropical beaches, for that matter). Either way, we're both more than looking forward to scoring a beachfront bungalow where we can sleep
on the white sand, watch the sunset for the next week or so, and reflect on what we've experienced over the past few weeks.
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auntie jane
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what a trip
nathan and anne maire,your trip looks and sounds amazing ..a place which makes you more understanding of man hardness and gentilness ..take care ...