Blogs from Laos, Asia - page 523

Apologies for the delay in finishing of our blog but finally here’s the last leg of our trip to SE Asia: Laos was an a slight detour that wasn’t originally part of our ‘itinerary‘. The reason we ended up there was due to a Canadian couple we met in Cambodia who enjoyed it so much and spoke so affectionately of it that they effectively talked us into going to see it for ourselves. A decision we are now very glad we made. It wasn’t a great deal of hassle getting there as we would have had to have flown over Laos to get back to Bangkok anyway. First a quick flight from Ha Noi took us briefly to the capital Vientienne from where we boarded a small propellered number which rattled and shook us the rest ... read more

Welcome from Luang Prabang. It has been two days since my posting (I try to write every other day), yet it is a little tougher to get access to the internet as you could imagine. There are only 3 internet portals in the entire province, so it is utilized sort of like the few phones in a jail (lifers go first). On both sides of me are monks, which is a living contradiction. They're all done up in their orange robes, typing away on the net. I bet they're looking at porno. HA. From Chiang Mai, my last stop, their are very few options to get here. One choice was to take a three day journey. The first day is all day in a mini bus, then you sleep overnight in some town. The next day, ... read more

As Lonely Planet describes Laos, "once you reach it, travellers let out a communal sigh "ahh" " And I have to say, it's pretty damn true. DAY ONE After our trying boat journey that I attempted to put down as some kind of test in patience, we walked the beautiful, though some times run down, streets of Luang Prabang. This was our first experience of a Colonial Asia, where the French influence extends not just from the architecture (conveniently protected by a declaration of heritage by UNESCO - French based by the way), but to fresh baguettes (a VERY welcome change from fried rice), and the lovely gardens and numerous out door cafes in which you can drink REAL coffee!! Our first mistake mind you was to look vaguely interested at one of the many spruikers ... read more

Well childern...we left off from our last adventure in a little place we call Nong Khiaw. Northern Lao has been a pretty chilled out time the past two weeks that I have been here. I have kept a low profile, mainly because there is no real night life, there aren't many tourist, intermittent power, and I am still recovering from the intensity experienced in Thailand. However with two weeks of R&R now in the reserves, it time to go out and spend that hard earned sleep. I'm going to Vang Vieng baby! Vang Vieng is both a treasure and a person's own worst nightmare, although I don't understand the latter. People either stop here and enjoy or move straight on with a look of disgust. Mainly this comes from those self-righteous, vegan, i hate mass commercialism ... read more

Blee blah sing shang bong (haven't quite figured out how to speak Laos yet!! But sounds something like that to me!) Well since I last wrote I think I was about to bike a million km's around the Angkor temples. Longest day ever! Woke up at 4am....on the bikes by 4:30am in the pitch black....crazy times trying to get there for sunrise (worst bikes alive as well) Got there and surrounded by people. Kind of anti-climatic because it was too cloudy and never actually saw the sun! Walked around the main part of the temple and for the rest of the day continued getting on and off and on and off and cycle cycle cycle!! UGH!! Wanted to kill the bike and whomever discovered these temples so far apart! I don't know how many kilometers it ... read more