http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/North/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Laos , North en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:24:33 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:24:33 UTC Ok so the plan was to write in this blog often but that's not going to happen. I do however have a snapshot of some adventures of Laos transport in order of event.Pickup truck Slammed into and mounted kerb. Jeff jarred his knee. I had a pole poke into my back. We are fine.Then out boat crashed into a submerged rock. And I listened really hard for Celine Dion but maybe she doesnt know where http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-350648.html I am writing this entry from Vientiane just across the Mekong River from Thailand. I had been planning to exit Laos after their independence day on the 2nd of December and get a bus to Bangkok. For those of you not aware for the past 6 days protestors from the PAD have taken control of both the international and domestic airports in Bangkok in a sense holding the country's main industry http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-349922.html How much change can there really be just walking across one little border The answer A lot. I could still see China from the back off the TucTuc Pickup that took me away form the border on one of my better days I could still just about spit internationally and already I was both overwhelmed and relieved with the change around me as I puttered into northern Laos and Luang Namtha. I was ove http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-349548.html Well guys i'm still in Laos and still loving it here Last Wednesday we left Vang Vieng and headed up north to Luang Prabang by bus taking about 8 hours or so. The bus journey was quite funny with lots of erratic driving and the bus driver buying big rats from street vendors along the way and storing them for dinner i think Luang Prabang is a really beautiful city well big town i guess. Its a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-348437.html We've been travelling in Laos for over two weeks now and have had lots of fun here even with the 1200pm curfew. Met three Irish girls back in Pai and took the 2 night2 day slow boat down the Mekong River into Luang Prabang with them. The first day on the boat wasn't so bad as it was our introduction to Beer Lao but by the second day... A little hungover and on an even smaller boat we really j http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-346436.html Whilst Luang Prabang and Phosavan were cultured and informative Vang Vieng was nothing but a place to party.Despite arriving late on a Monday evening Ignacio myself and the latest British additions to our group Lucy and Clem were eager to get out and have a few drinks. As with Luang Prabang things closed early here but we managed to find a late bar imaginatively called the 'Late Bar' to finis http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-343658.html I got a great piece of advice from my good friend Oonagh re. tubing PACE is the name of the game. Unfortunately for me and Jackie that advice arrived a couple of days too late.We tubed 2 days in a row then had a rest for a day and then went again as Nikki and Brian from the boat arrived into Vang Vieng.I loved tubing its been one of my favorite things on the whole trip. Its just a huge party http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-343191.html Before leaving thailand after spending probably too long there we had heard only good things about Laos. From the second we crossed the border we got a taste of the friendly attitude of the Lao people such a good sense of humor and so many smiles I knew people weren't exagerating I've forgotten how to spell when they told me about the people here even though generally as a backpacker you d http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-343089.html Walking around Luang Prabang which is surrounded my impressive mountains has rivers running all around you can see the old colonial buildings and feel almost like you're in olden Europe. Little cafe's and wooden buildings hotels with shutters on the windows but the place is also scattered with Buddist Temples amid palm trees Wats and filled with buddhist monks in their bright orange robes. T http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-342603.html We last left the blog in Chaing Rai in Northern Thailand. We have since travelled through Northern Laos and are currently in Southern Laos. There has been so much to see that we thought we should split Loas in to 2 blogs.Our bus to the border was not so good either the suspension had been stolen or had been ommited in the design stage. After clearing immigration and officially leaving Thailand http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-342445.html Afternoon allJust got into Laos this morning. We crossed from Chang Kong to Houa Xai and are about to set off on our Gibbons Experience tomorrow morning.We came up from Chang Mai yesterday which is about a 7hr bus journey and not the nice kind of buses.Chang Mai itself is a very nice city i have loads of photos but they are all i cant upload them cause they are on a different format. but i hope t http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-341871.html Sabaaidii Greetings from LaosAfter exerting ourselves by trekking in Chiang Mai Lee and I decided to head to Laos for some much needed relaxation time. We'd booked ourselves onto the 2 day Mekong sailing trip and prepared ourselves for the fact that the journey probably wasn't going to be any fun. Before reaching the border crossing we spent the night at Chiang Khong Thailand. The grim guest http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-341186.html LaosWith my tight time frame in South East Asia I wasn't too bothered about condensing Thailand into a week and missing out the South Islands as I'd been before and I had Bali on my agenda. Ignacio was also eager to leave Thailand as he was a month behind schedule and had a friend waiting in Luang Prabang Laos. With expedience in mind we'd shunned getting the more relaxed slow boat down the Mek http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-339947.html Vang Vieng was the next destination. fun fun fun with infamous tubing Then I had a few hours in Vientiane before heading to Hanoi Vietnam. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-334958.html Tanaan uimme viidakon keskella ja loysin kauan kaivatun ystavani. Aamulla herasimme rankkaan sateeseen. Oleskelimme sitten jonkin aikaa sisalla silla nyt meilla on koti jossa jopa viihtyy. Emme Udomxaissa ei varmasti kirjoitettu nain mutta en nyt muisa kirjoitusasua yhden yon takia vaivautuneet paljon vertailemaan guesthouseja. Se olikin sitten sellainen murju etta siella tuli vedet ulkoa la http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-331057.html Jes ilmastoitu nettipaikka Olemme nyt Luang Prabangissa tuli viimeksi hieman vaarinkirjoitettua joka vaikuttaa hieman travelleri ghetolta mutta ihan viihtyisalta sellaiselta. Pari katua on aivan taynna guesthouseja ja lisaa rakennetaan koko ajan joka paikasta kuuluu nakuttelu. Mekong virtaa kaupungin ohitse ja houkuttelee uimaan silla taalla on hyvin kuuma. Kuitenkin jos menee lahemmaksi k http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-330696.html Olemme nyt Laosin tropiikissa. Nyt alkaa tareta Aurinko laskee kohta mutta vielakin lampoa on varmasti yli 25 ja paivalla 30. Juttelimme asken ylhaalla temppelilla nuoren munkkipojan kanssa ja kylvin hiessa kun aurinko paahtoi suoraan palmujen vehreista oksistoista huolimatta. Keskustelut olivat kuitenkin sen verran antoisat etten olisi malttanut millaan lahteakaan. Maisemat olivat myos upeat http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-330364.html Then it was Laos http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-328895.html Ahoy there my heartiesI was so excited about coming here because it's the gateway town to base yourself for a trek into the Nam Tha National protected area of primary jungle and home to Tigers Various Primates Elephant you get the idea. So upon visiting various different trek operators to find the best trek and deal in town the whole thing started to look a little dismal.Firstly being two of http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-327394.html MORE PHOTOS HEREIn Luang Nam Tha I check in Zuela a lovely wood and brick guest house probably the cleanest and nicest place I've stayed in so far in the region if not the cheapest. In the lobby I meet Jackie an outgoing Aussie who came here for the same reason as me trekking and is looking for companions to bring the cost down. We both sign up for a 2day trek that will take us through th http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-326189.html So...where was I....ah yes the bus journey to Chang Kong..... Firstly I must point out that not being able to sleep on buses is something that I've become accustomed to over the years and luckily for me the windy roads coupled with another mad driver guaranteed that that wasnt about to change. I did however have a cunning plan at the halfway point and decided that by sitting in the front would gi http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-325220.html We had an early start this morning because we wanted to give alms to the monks. It a daily ritual in Luang Prabang. We got up at 5.15am got ready and walked up to the main street. We didn't have far to go thankfully. The street was already lined with street vendors and people ready and waiting for the almsgiving. One of the street vendors gave us rice and bananas for the monks. As we could http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-317086.html On the 18th I felt like the Queen until I got to our guesthouse.... We left Vieng Xai to drive to Vieng Thong. We did not really want to stay in Vieng Thong but it was too far to drive to Nong Khiaw in one day. When driving through the small villages the children were shouting Sabaidi hello and waved at us so with one hand steering the bike and the other one waving back like the Queen. It is http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-314583.html It wasn't too bad staying in the dorm. There were 3 guys and 3 gals including me Ray and Warwick so it was okay. Thankfully no one snored or not that I noticed and I did sleep. Having said that Warwick Ray and I decided to find a guesthouse with a triple room to reduce our costs. Ray and I woke up early so we went and had brekkie and chilled out in the communal area which was a covered te http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-314255.html 10 July 2008We got our laundry first thing in the morning checked out and had brekkie. We met up with a guy who stayed at our guesthouse. He was also booked onto the Mekong River trip. We collected the sandwiches and cushions that we ordered the night before because this was a 2day trip. We got a tuk tuk to the boat and it was quite empty when we got on. There was just the English guy that http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-313853.html Well I decided to go for it and travel to Laos today. Me Jen the Irish girl and the Dutch girl were dropped off at the bus station in Chiang Rai. The Irish girl Ray was also going to Laos so that meant I would have company for the journey which was great. Jen was heading back to Bangkok. Megan the Dutch girl who was with us yesterday wanted to go to Laos. However she met her friend a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-312786.html Laos VientianeOctober 16thSo I've turned the corner into the final leg of my trip. I'm past the half way point and after an eventful night of sleeping at the airport I'm finally in Laos. No more flights until my big one home. No more needing to be somewhere by a certain date. All I have to do is get from A to B. While waiting for my plane to leave KL I starting talking with a Aussie guy who w http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-311535.html Northern Laos 31st March 16th April 2008 http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-310062.html Northern Laos 31st March 16th April 2008 http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-310055.html Northern Laos 31st March 16th April 2008 http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/North/blog-309995.html