Luang Prabang

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Today we arrived in Luang Prabang. Really we are using it as a stop over as we plan to get the boat up the Mekong into Thailand. We stayed in the old city again another city in Loas that really isn't! In our standards anyway. The town is easily traversev on foot and relly comes alive in the evenings when the night markets set up. They take over the smaller roads and sell all sorts, generally tourist focused curios, we could buy so much as they have really nice things at such cheap prices. Just no room in our bags! On our second day we took a walk up the 'Sacred Hill', which is home to another Wat (or temple). The views from the top are magnificent. Whenever we go to see temples there always seems to be some photogenic monks hanging about, we're sure they sit/stand in certain places on purpose but it gives us a great photo taking opportunity. In the afternoon we made our way out to the Kouang Si waterfall 35 km out of town. The water fall is 60m high and the water (which is a brilliant blue colour due to the minerals) then cascades through several pools that we were able to swim in, a little cold but nice after clambering to the top. In the evening whilst walking back to our guesthouse the monks were praying/chanting in a nearby temple so we popped by to be nosey. It was really nice to witness it and was quite a relaxing way to fet away from the hustle and bustle of the town.

On the 6th Nov we made our way to Thailand by speed boat, we did intend to take the slow boat but it took 2 days whereas the speedboat takes 8hrs with stops for the same journey. On arrival at the boat port we were shown to our boat and crammed into boxes like battery hens (1.2 x 0.8m for two people)! Leg room in Asia is really an issue for those measuring 5'5'' or over. We were sold the ticket on the understanding that there would be only 6 passengers, they packed 8 people in plus baggage. We both wedged ourselves in our box (2 to a box) and then began to wish we knew how to meditate, the pain was excrutiating with no room to stand up or stretch. Luckily we stopped every 2 hours which was a blessing, in the meantime we had to think of nice places! WE SURVIVED THE SPEED BOAT, and are now accustomed to tortue techniques having to sit in the stress position for 2 hours at a time and subjected to the white noise of the engine, which was a 16valve Toyota engine strapped to the back. Off the subject of the trip, most people in SE Asia drive Toyota Carina's, such good taste! The crossing into Thailand was pretty straight forward, the Mekong separates Laos at a town called Houayxai and Thailand at Chiang Khong. After being booked out of Laos we jumped on a Longtail boat across the Mekong into Thailand. We then jumped on a mini van into Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand。

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Comments

[Charlotte]

Hello travellers! x
Hey there you two, sounds as though you are having an amazing time and i'm v.jealous! hope you are both keeping well. I've booked my flights for travelling! Leave 10th Feb. 1st stop: Hong Kong, then over to New Zealand for a month, Fiji, Austrailia and Singapore on the way back! arrive home end of May. Anyway, where abouts are you guys going to be around Feb/March time? Hope to hear from you soon, take care! lots of love xx