Laos

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Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng - Vientienne - Thakhek - 4000 Islands

4th March to 15th March 2001

LPDR: Laos Peoples Democratic Republic or also known as Laos Please Do Not Rush. More on this later with some of the bus stories. Our bording crossing from Chang Xang in Thaliand was a worrying one. We had foolishly handed our passports over to the bus company to sort out our visas for Laos for a small fee. They said it would save time at the border. We were told we would get these back the next day, so once picked up that morning from our Guesthouse in Chaing Mai we logically looked to get our passports back. With looks of confusion the driver says in broken English: "What you forgot your passport?" So in full panic we made a phonecall to the girl in the office who told us the passports would be waiting for us at The White Temple in Chaing Rai, one of the stops on the way to the border. Once here we were told they would be waiting for us at the border and when we got to the border, passports still not there and continued confusion from bus drivers as to how we could have forgotten our passports. We waved goodbye to the group we had met on the bus as they continued across the border while eventually we were told that passports were en route in another van. An hour and a half later we were on the boat across the river border to Laos to find the others from the bus still waiting on us. So in fact while we paid extra to save time at the corssing those who didnt pay extra ended up waiting on us. Anyway from here we got a giant tuk tuk to the bus station for our VIP bus. Hardly a VIP bus but would be fine. That was until more and more and more people got on, so much so that people were lying on the ground, under the seats and to make matters worse an unsealed cardboard box full of roosters and chickens ended up in the aisle beside me wedged against my leg for the 12 hours plus night trip. Was this a VIP or VIC bus? 12 hours that could have been halved had the driver not stopped every bloody half an hour firstky to check a clear problem with the tyres on the bus and secondly for food stops. Funnily some people did sleep but with the constant ruffling of feathers I never had any chance of shut-eye. It was amusing though to see peoples reaction at dawn when the rooster let out a deafening "Cockadooooodle-doooooo", and funnily enough it coudln't have been more on cue as we arrived at Luang Prabang bus station.

We shared a tuc tuc from here and got dropped off near the markets in search of a guesthouse which we found very quickly, Thailinn Guesthouse, very central, a side street just up from main street. We got some sleep and then walked around the town down to the river Mekong for some breakfast and people watched. This was a lovely quiet town with most of the traffic consisting of tourists on rental bikes. A night market took centre stage at 7pm as the main street is closed off to traffic and the locals take to selling crafts and trade in a no-pressure and hassle free approach. We had some rice wine and whisey tasting at one of the stalls where the whiskey and wine is stored in a bottle with dead snakes and scorpions - 50 and 80% alcohol (rough). Entertainment Square was also beautful at night aligned with restaurants and bars with some lit up bridges leading across the river to other bars.

We got a 5 hour bus ride the next morning for Vang Vieng. With only 4 of us on possibly the newest bus in South East Asia (the driver very particular about dirty shoes and even dirty backpacks) this was a cosy trip up through winding roads but gorgeous scenery, despite it being a little smokey with farmers burning the end of the harvest of rice paddies. We arrived in Vang Vieng at lunch time expecting party central from what we had heard about tubing but infact it was very quiet. We had our choice of hostel, all very similar in price but got one with wi-fi right next to where you check in for tubing. We had a walk around the small town, full of restaraunts showing episodes of Friends and Family Guy and our choice of where to eat was pretty much dictated by which episode of Family Guy we wanted to watch. By the time we finished eating the places had come to life. With crowds returning from their day tubing the streets turned into what looked like auditions for that Channel 4 show Shipwrecked; girls wearing only bikinis, lads in shorts, bare footed, paint splatterred, with more ankle and wrist bracelets than some of the stalls in Bangkok things were going to get messy here. So much for respecting the locals and dressing appropriately, despite obviously bringing lots of money to the town they must hate this invasion by rowdy, booze fuelled tourists. Too sober for any of this we got an early night but the next day after breakfast we got our tubes and headed for the start of the days tubing. With free shots in most bars and reasonably priced beer its easy to see the carnage on the streets the night before with the walking wounded sporting black eyes and various bandaging. All that said my god was this fun. The swings and slides into the river, mud volley ball (hilarious), the chilling in the tube with a beer and competition from bars trying to get bodies over as they throw a line in hope you'll grab on and be pulled in. Again though easy to see how so many accidents get reported with some crazy manouevers attempted (and mostly pulled off) from the high swings into unknown depths of water. We had to be back by 6pm to get our deposit back for tube, of which most people just accept as gone from the moment they get the tube but we were determined so once passed the last bar we took off paddling with maybe 15 more ambitious tubers. This number dwindled quickly as tuc tuc drivers waited around the usual sites where people gave up. With just us and another couple left we wished we had gotten a tuc tuc when we came across a river block, a line of buffalos cooling off in the water blocking our path. Thankfully cooling off was all they were intersted in and soon after this we were back in the town. People spend days in Vang Vieng doing the same thing every day, some guys I spoke with a week, one guy 3 weeks. I would have loved another day but that would have been it. Plus my ears were in bits full of water from the swing jumps in. What a day!

After Vang Vieng we got another awful bus to Vientienne, the capital. The signs were obvious when we circled the town 3 times in dessert heat before being dropped at Vang Vieng bus station to wait an hour for a bus that was waiting there all the time anyway (LPDR). So from here we were piled into a bus with the usual stopping every 20 minutes and non existant AC. 7 hours later we were in the capital and got a tuc tuc from the bus staion to Namphu, the central square. The tuc tuc broke down a couple of time son the way in but it was funny, a nice man with his 4 year old son with him who sat in the back with us constantly tryng to open Kates bag. Accomodation in Vientienne was pricey and ended up in a dump for the night, with most places full. We got some food and straight to sleep in our bug infested beds but the next day saw what attracts people to Vientienne. We walked to Talat Sao Shopping Centre seeing the Presidential Palace, Phat That Laos and That Dam. We were glad to see a French influence on the food also, a nice break from fried rice adn noodles, with lots of baguettes on sale. We didn't stay long here though and continued south, next to Thakhek hoping to see Kung Lo Cave. What we didn't know was that the cave was 200k from Thakhek and unless doing a self drive on bikes was crazy expensive. There was no way we were driving that distance after another revolting bus trip, this time with chickens unboxed just tied up by the legs. To be fair this was a local bus and we were right down in a corner on the back seat. We checked into a recommened guesthouse, Travel Lodge, and it was really nice with big rooms, restaurant, TV and bonfire at night which ws great for keeping away mozzies. Although not willing to make the long trip to Kung Lo we did hire a motor bike the enxt day to visit the local caves. Unlike in Chaing Mai this bike wasn't automatic and took a while to get used to. Signs weren't good when we ran out of petrol 200 metres after leaving the driveway but we were soon on the road again. We went to nearby Tham Para, a Buddha Cave with a little boy Buddha outside playing with a monkey who apparently wont leave the area and is the only one around. This was beautiful with shrines inside with donations to Buddha and people praying. From here we rode to Xieng Lieb another cave where we were greeted by 2 small boys, 4 and 5 we later found out. We parked the bike and walked through what seemed like the trail we should follow. The two boys joined us, moments later passing us out and directing us where to go speaking in Laos. They brought us into the cave and through little passage ways to areas where light shone through various parts of the cave casting gorgeous shadows. They were great fun, one taking Kate through easier routes the other bringing me a more challenging way. Although they had no english they were well able to ask for money at the end although they deserved it. My guy immediately took off running down the road with his money and came back a few minutes later with a boiled egg. After this we went to the Tha Fa Lang, a big lake down a track. This was so refreshing on a very hot day and we swam here for a bit before returning to the town getting soaked by kids with water pistols on the way back to Travel Lodge.

Our next destination was south to Four Thousand Islands but could only get as far as Pakse, again a long bus trip that could have been halved had they not stopped so often. Once in Pakse we got a tuc tuc with two toher guys we met to the south terminal bus station but he insisted on bringing us to a mini van he had lined up. Had we known now what we would later find out we would have taken this bus. Instead we got to the bus station to find a fleet of buses, all tuc tucs and old local buses destined for south. After much confusion we got on one heading for Don Khong, the biggest of the islands. Although here was no windows on the bus it had the makings of a pleasant bus trip; that was until one guy mounted the roof of the bus and lassooed two goats dragging them up by the necks and tying them (standing up) to the roof of the bus. Our hearts went out to the two poor fellas up top as the driver sped along the decent roads. How scared the must have been became clear when Kate, sitting next to the windowless window felt drips flowing in the window. Yes thats right the goats, clearly petrified, pissed themselves. Understandly so and as relieved we were to get off some of our Laos buses I can only imagine how relieved this pair was. We got a ferry across to Don Khong late that evening and checked into Don Khong Guesthouse. After getting talking to an Aussie guy we decided to leave the next day to Don Det with just one big problem; no ATM's on the island or nearby main land, the nearest back in Pakse where we had come from that night. We had read this but were hoping the guide book was just a bit dated. So all set for the journey abck to Pakse the next morning we were thrown a life line by our guest house telling us a hotel nearby took VISA and we could ghet cash there. Soon enough we were on the long boat on our way to Don Det, a cool trip taking in the islands and local fishermen. We stayed at Mr. B's Sunset Guesthouse and as the name suggests had a great view of the sunset. What the name doesn't suggest is just how beautiful the sunset is. Our little bungalow overlooked the river and had a great view of this every evening. We did lots of swimming ehre over the couple of days but were limited as to what we could do as although we got money out we still had to keep some in reserve to get a boat and bus out of there and to pay for our Cambodian Visas. So it was back to fried rice everyday and basic rations although we always kept a little aside for a Beer Lao or two in the evening. We ate at Thanva's Restaurant a few times, Mr. Mo's and By Phouwan and had beers at Smile Bar most nights, a cool place wih cushions on the floor and low tables. Our days were spent by the make shift beach where the boats come in or swimming across to a little island out the back of our bungalow. In the evenings we would retire to the hammocks at the bungalow and read or snooze. In fact a nice beach is the one thing missing on this otherwise perfect island but its still so nice. One thing we didn't get to do was rent a bike and take a day trip to a big waterfall but our budget simply didn't allow it. We did have great fun though with the local kids well armed with water pistols as New Years was celebrated while we were here and as is tradition water fights are very frequent (and much appreciated with the heat). So for anyone thinking of going here the only advice is bring money and more than you think you'll need just incase. You'll be staying longer than you planned. As a t-shirt I saw read: "Been there Don Dhet" (presumably to be said in a thick Munster accent).

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