Adrenaline Junkies!

For two weeks of our time in Laos we were joined by the hedonistic duo of Jed's Mum Christine and her sister (and Jed's Auntie) Linda. Helping us get motivated their hoilday spirit for packing in as much into every day as possible made for a great fortnight of travel and adventure.

First we spent a few days in the capital Vientiane wandering the temples and museums and taking in a local dance performance and a massage. It was my first massage and I was surprised by the fearsome strength of the young Lao masseuse. More than one of us came away with a few bruises but I found it quite invigorating. We found a few nice places to eat including sampling some BBQ fish by the river bank at sunset and also discovered that traditional Laos food is inferior to every other country we have tried in Asia. It was also here that we discovered a taste for beer lao, a smooth and refreshing beer indeed.

We then embarked on our first bit of travel taking a bus north to Vang Viang. A very popular travellers hangout but set amidst an incredible landscape. It was not too busy during our time here though and it was easy to escape the busy 'Friends' bars in the centre of town and enjoy the surrounding countryside. Our first excursion was to cross the bridge and walk through the muddy paddy fields on route to one of the many caves. After a fair walk along the trail fighting off the bushes we emerged at the base of a steep, slippery rocky path up to the cave. Here Sam and Linda turned back and Myself and Mum made our way carefully to the cave. After a little exploration we could find no other way and had to return the way we had come. Descending proved much more challenging though and we had to do a kind of crab like move to navigate the rocks. We finally made it back to the foot of the cliff and learned that Sam had managed to fall flat on her face despite waiting in relative safety, quite funny I thought but at the time Sam didn't seem to agree.

The following day was spent having Indiana Jones style adventures. We started off getting picked up by a songthaew, in the pouring rain. We squeezed in with the rest of the group and had a bumpy, speedy ride down to the river. Here we donned life jackets and were given some instructions on how to kayak. We then went on the shortest kayak ride ever to cross the river, but it was a good taste of things to come! It turns out it's not as easy as it looks!!

On the other side of the river we very elegantly got out of our kayaks and went with our guide to explore the elephant cave and the village. Our guide's name was Lee and he told us that when he first saw a white person he was terrified and he ran away and cried. He said that everyone thought that white people were like giants with their long noses and light eyes but now he likes to speak to them. His English was brilliant and he had learnt most of it from just talking to the travellers that pass through.

He also showed us that in the village they have a couple of caged monkeys going crazy. He explained that there are not many monkeys left in Laos as the Lao people eat them and only keep the monkeys in the cages for tourist's to see. To be honest I think we would have all been happier knowing that the monkey's were free, and it was not something we enjoyed seeing. Throughout Asia we have seen a lot of this sort of thing and it is very difficult as the people have a different view of animals to us and don't see it as cruel. Lee also told us that after a few whiskey's, men often realised they had ran out of food and in their hunger they decided to eat their pet dog. I bet they regretted that in the morning. So much for man's best friend!

Once through the village we crossed some slippery paddy fields and for once I managed not to slip over, which was a bonus, before arriving at the area where we would go tubing. We got in to our rubber rings and had to pull ourselves along a rope in to a very low roofed cave. There were quite a few of us in the group and our little group was right at the front. After getting deeper in to the cave and a few screams from me trying to avoid big cobwebs and bumping my head on the roof we were told to get off our tubes and follow our guide. We then squatted and crawled to get through a tunnel which opened out in to a big deeper pool of water inside the cave. Once through that we were given the option to go through another tunnel which involved crawling on your belly commando style! We weren't sure at first but everyone else was joining in and we didn't want to miss out so off we went! Apparently there were some evil looking spiders around there, with red eyes, but luckily we didn't see them! After emerging from the tunnel covered in mud, we made our way back through the cave and out in to the lagoon where we had a swim and a splash about - very refreshing! That part of the day by itself was an amazing experience but there was more still to come!

After lunch we made our way back to the kayaks to have a proper go. Me and Jed jumped in one and Christine and Linda in another. Not long in, Jed and I got swept in to a bush and seeing as I was in front, I got a face full! When we managed to free ourselves from the tangles of the bush I found that I was covered in mud and bugs and I had several spiders crawling up my legs!! That was by no means the scariest part of the day though. Not long after, we were approaching rapids and didn't manage to straighten ourselves up in time. We hit side on and we were flipped over. I was caught under the kayak and had to swim out. In the panic I let go of my paddle and managed to swallow a load of lovely river water! Meanwhile Jed managed to catch both the paddles and surfacing we grabbed hold of the boat, me in a bit of a gaspy panic! The guides got together and one swam over, flipped over the kayak and then got in to it. He had to physically drag me back in to it as I wasn't strong enough to pull myself up. After passing me back my paddle, (which I really didn't want!) we were on our way again, although somewhat nervous now! We managed the rest of the day without tipping over again but Jed got shouted at (by me) a few times for rocking the kayak - I was a bit jumpy! However we did manage to go through a bush again, this time Jed recieving the worst of it getting dragged through a bee hive and getting covered in cockroaches and spiders!! EEESH!!

Not long after that we Saw Christine and Linda get in to a bit of trouble. They rowed in to a bank, got turned round so they were going backwards in the rapids, which they managed to do several times much to the amusement of the guides, only this time the rapids were strong and the kayak flipped over. Christine was dragged up river holding on to the the kayak but Linda was stranded, grasping on to an overhanging bush in fear. Jed and I were passing but completely helpless as to what we could do. The look on Linda's face was unforgettable and unsurprisingly she was a bit shaken about her 'near death experience' afterwards. She had to be dragged on to the bank to get back in and we still had a little way to kayak before our next stop! Very scary!

A bit up river we pulled over and stopped at a place overrun with teenagers playing volleyball in the mud, tubing up the river and jumping off the massive rope swing in to the water. After watching people do it I wanted to have a go seeing as it was a day for adventures, so accompanied by Jed and Christine I joined the queue. I hate hights and I hate ladders so climbing to the top of a very high, very rickety one was quite a challenge in itself. When I reached the top I was holding on so tight my hands hurt and I was shaking (ever so slightly!!) You then had to step out on to two planks of slippery wet wood directly over the river and grasp on to the rope swing and jump. I was terrified and screamed all the way down. I didn't make much of a swing though, instead hitting the water and coming to an abrupt stop! After my second go I realised that the reason that kept happening was because I wasn't holding my legs up but by then I had had quite enough excitement for the day and didn't have another go. Christine and Jed seemed to have a natural talent for it and managed quite a good swing which is supposedly the fun bit but I never found out!

When we had finished there we headed back to our kayaks and made the short journey back to town. It was calm luckily and a nice way to finish up. Still buzzing with adrenaline, we got out and headed back to the huts. It had been a day of adventures and challenges that i'm sure none of us will forget!

A 7 hour bus journey through some spectacular scenary took us on to Luang Prabang. One of the must see places on most peoples Lao itinerary it is nicely located beside a couple of rivers and full of art, culture and history. We managed to find a nice little guest house for a base and set about exploring the town. We visited a few Wats, including Xieng Thong and That Chom Si perched on mount Phousi and offering some nice panoramic views. We also paid a visit to the royal palace, art gallery and a nice excursion to Koung Si waterfall. The waterfall was almost deserted and we enjoyed a refreshing splash in one of the icey cold pools. Nearby we had a brief encounter with a Tiger and some bears rescued from poachers. (yes they were in enclosures)

The next day Mum and Linda headed off on an Elephant safari which they really enjoyed and Sam and I hired some bikes and took off into the surrounding villages. (We should have some elephant related pictures soon.)

From Luang Prabang we took a slow boat up river to the village of Nong Khiaw. The six hour journey took us through some stunning scenery, over rapids and through a sudden rain storm during which we had to batten down the hatches and try to keep dry. The driver did an excellent job of navigating his way through the rapids with very little visibility and got rather soaked in the process! It was interesting to see all the life along the riverside, men fishing, children splashing around and playing in boats, women washing plates in the riverwater and people going about their daily routines. It was a very relaxing journey and I think we all enjoyed it much more than the bus!! We arrived in the village and made our way through the muddy streets to find a guest house. After checking out a few we settled on some comfortable huts on the riverside. We then set off on a walk to explore our surroundings.

We wandered through the village, replying to the calls of "Sabai Dee!!" (hello) from all the children, and found that there were lots of new born chicks and ducklings everywhere. We enjoyed stopping and watching them several times, they were very cute! We then stumbled across some children playing with some calves in a field. They were trying to ride them and the ones that managed to get on their backs were given a few seconds of riding before being flung off rodeo style! The children were small enough that the calves didn't seem to be hurt by it and the children didn't seem to mind being thrown off. It was very interesting to watch.

Nong Khiaw reminded us a lot of our time spent in Bario because of its peaceful relaxing atmosphere. It is an easy place to just be, taking tranquil walks, enjoying a drink next to the river or relaxing with a book. The four of us rented bikes again, although we didn't make it far due to to lack of brakes on some of the bikes (mainly mine!) and up and down route we had to take. We passed through some lovely little villages though, where we were blown kisses from the toddlers and saw piglets and puppies!

We left Nong Khiaw the following day by minibus and the journey was quite eventful with plenty of stops, a flat tire, the loading of many, many chickens and ducks on to the roof rack and the usual attempts to pack every bit of space on the bus with another paying passenger! We returned to Luang Prabang for the evening, before heading back to Vang Viang the following morning. We rested for the afternoon and after relaxing in one of the many "Friends" bars with a beer we went to sample some of the sickly sweet, very calorific pancakes from one of the street vendors. Yummy!!

Then the next day we were off back to Vientiane and all of a sudden it was Mum and Linda's final evening with us. All that was left to do was reflect on an action packed few weeks or in the case of Mum and Linda to go for another massage. This time a herbal one with some stretches and yanking of body parts thrown in by the sadistic masseuse's. Then it was off to the airport to say goodbye to Mum and Linda and adjust back to life with just the two of us once again.

A memorable and fun time indeed!

Sam and Jed x

Ps. Look out for more photos in the next week or two!!

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Part of trip: Asia

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