Worth the trip...

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The bus trip to Luang Prabang was grueling and uncomfortable, but at least we had a seat. Some people had to sit on plastic stools in the aisle for 8 hours through winding mountain roads. I almost throttled this Dutch guy who wanted 2 seats for himself because he wanted leg room. Everyone on the bus thought I was pretty cool for confronting him on it. It was terribly hot that day as we passed through mountain villages that were so desolate and primitive, clinging to the edge of cliffs 10 feet from the road. I wondered where they get their water and how they survive windstorms. What a tough life. Julija had a woman with a duck pooping in a bamboo cage sitting next to her who, after eating a whole fish, kept putting her hands all over Julija's seat; then she saw me take an ibuprophen for a heachache and kept begging for them. The bus station was total chaos, as usual, with men flashing signs for guesthouses in your face before you even have your pack off the roof, praying it's still there after the rally course you've just been through. We found Thony GH, which seemed nice at first so we agreed to stay; later we saw the communal bathroom, which had a few inches of dirty showerwater which the lady of the house decided she didn't need to clean up (bathrooms here have the shower and toilet in the same place, so it can get kind of nasty). After a change to a nicer guesthouse, we ended up at Chanthy Banchit GH, which was $6/night and very homey, except for the creepy drawing of a hill tribe woman smoking opium on the wall. The owner was the jolliest Lao man I've met so far, and even let the stoners down the hall into their place 3 times in the middle of the night when they kept losing their key.
We did a mountain biking and kayaking tour down the Nam Khan river which was basically the Trail of Tears. It was hot as hell and the bikes weren't tuned up, and the river was super slow most of the time so we had to paddle like crazy, along with 2 older Aussies. We found a wedding party going on on the side of the river and a group of Lao boys jumping out of a nice tree, so we joined them for a while and they got a kick out of a big white guy climbing their tree. We tuk-tuked out to the sacred Tham Ting caves on the Nam Ou river where the locals have put a buddha statues for the last 1000 years. We bonded with a group of 8 people from Germany, Switzerland, France, and Texas along the way. That night there was a huge thunderstorm and the power went out in the town. Our group drank Lao whisky as the storm rolled in and engulfed the town; it rained and blew all night and we wondered if a monsoon was coming. I guess the people blame China's harsh winter for the strangely intense storms, because it is currently the dry season. Other highlights: bowling, hanging out with some cool New York girls, climbing Mount Phousi (yes...there is a Phousi Hotel, Phousi Massage, etc.), and strolling through the town and its many temples. The night market is not to be missed either. Look for a package, Mom. Now, we will leave for Muong Ngoi in the north, a town that can only be accessed by boat that has no cars, no police, and electricity for 4 hours per day. Then we will go to Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars; then on to Vietnam.

More photos to come.

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Comments

[Jennie]

Its so fun reading your blog! What an adventure!

[rebecca]

I am having the best time catching up with your blog. I am smiling, laughing and shocked about all the amazing adventures you are having! What an increadible adventure!