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Published: April 21st 2008
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Hanoi (Vietnam Morning)
The burning of the fields creates a beautiful hue in the morning When I think back at all the places and things I've seen my head begins to swirl. It’s gotten to the point where when people ask me the question "when did you get into X city" I actually have to stop and think about it...especially how I traveled to it.
But its funny how much you learn about your own body and psyche traveling for a long duration. You quickly learn the physical limits of your body from food poisoning, dehydration, sprained body parts (various places I didn't even know you could sprain making you think, when and where did I do that?), and full muscle failing body exhaustion. You learn when you're reaching your max and need to chill and tone it down and when you can push through it. Even mentally, there's ups and downs but you learn that most of the downs are when you are at the brink of exhaustion and just one good night's sleep and you're a new man. And a good night's sleep has now become requiring only 6-7 hours of un-interrupted sleep on a stationary bed.
Which brings me to now...
Its 6am, and have been up for a couple
of hours already after getting some well deserved rest. I'm sitting on the side walk in Hauy Xai the small border crossing town between Thailand and Laos with a good 2.5 hours to enjoy before leaving on my 3 day trek into the northern jungle on the Gibbon Experience (www.gibbonx.org) to live and zipline in tree houses and explore the wildlife in the nature reserve.
As I sit here enjoying the fresh morning clean air I watch the local procession of monks walk down the quiet emptied street barefoot and chanting as they stop by various locals to receive food and join them in prayer. I think about just 30 minutes ago, sitting on the Mekong River bed watching the sun rise over the mountains (sorry no pics of that, that moment was just for me) and think over my trip and how these simple moments are the most soul cleansing.
But alas, I'm jumping ahead again...let's rewind 3 days.
Its 6am then too, my last morning in Hanoi I pack my backpack for what must me the 50th time, jump in my hired taxi and head off to the airport to catch my plane to Luang
Prabang, Laos...(side note, mornings are the best way to really see a city, waking up a little before the locals do and watching them slowly open their shops and stalls preparing for the day ahead)...but this morning seemed slightly different, quieter. The sky was a mix of red and deep brown since the season of burning crops and fields has started in Vietnam which leaves this beautiful hue over the landscape. We drive by fresh fruit markets, flower markets, and sleepy fisherman. I get to the airport, head to the counter of Vietnam Airlines, and check in. But not yet...the agent asks for my paper ticket (this was after some hand gestures and interpretation on my part)...'but I only have an E-ticket" don't even ask me how I hand gestured that, but she understood. We get an English speaking agent and I find out that supposedly I have to have a paper ticket for this flight since they can't pull it up without the ticket number but all I got from the travel agent was my receipt for purchase. Ummmmmmmm, ok. I don't freak out, actually I'm at a nice good Zen like state, ask where the phones are, look
at the clock (flight leaves in under 2 hours) and head downstairs to try to call the travel agent that booked my tickets. I end up finding a cell phone shop that has a young Vietnamese student who's happy to have his first customer of the day. I tell him my story and he lends me his cell phone...call the travel agent who is more freaked out then me and says that she has to drive to the office to get the info I need and will call me back in 30 mins. I pull out my world edition blackberry which has turned into a glorified time clock/calendar since data and roaming stopped working a long time ago and the young shop worker's eyes light up. I end up giving him a little tour of the features on the phone...play some videos I have on it, some music and by the time the travel agent calls back I already have a little procession of my own of security guards and airport staff around me looking at my device.
She gives me the ticket information I need and also, quite flustered, tells me that I was supposed to pick up the
paper tickets before I left...opps!!!! Board the plane, all is good 😊
Lao...
Lao is beyond beautiful, laid back, tranquil. The second I got off the plane I was expecting to be bombarded by 20 or so tuk tuk or taxi drivers wanting to take me into the city, to their "special" guest houses but instead, there were 20 taxi drivers lounging on chairs in the shade reading the paper, or sleeping, and I had to actually go up to them. So refreshing. I get into the city and find me a nice, clean guest house with king size bed, hot shower for $7 and start checking out the beautiful city of Luang Prabang. I'm still not used to people not one trying to sell me anything and everything.
I climb the last step to the top of Phu Si (the hill top temple), dripping in sweat (Lao is the hottest country I've been in so far) and look out at the breath taking view of the city surrounded by the Mekong River and hearing ever so faintly local Lao music playing off in the distance.
The rest of the day I spent chilling on river
side restaurants where I had probably the best food on my trip (pics to be posted for you Bob) and renting a bicycle (this time I was in luck, they had a guy's bike) to check out the local sites and then end the day watching the sunset over the Mekong as local fishermen attempt to catch the last remaining fish of the day. More great food for dinner and then strolling through the night market which is by far the best night market in South East Asia (way better then Chaing Mai which is just a sea of fake watches, purses and the like, but this one is all local hand crafts, local coffee beans, scarves, and clothes and the like and no one trying to push things onto you).
I wish I planed my trip differently and went straight into Lao after Thailand...Lao is definitely a country that deserves a lot more time to travel through and should be put as the number 1 destination for any South East Asia. Of all the places I've seen Lao seems to be the least westernized and undisturbed country.
The next morning I wake to be excited to take
the slow boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves which has hundreds of Buddha’s on the walls, but was greeted by the first thunderstorm of the raining season. So unfortunately the trip was canceled but I still spent the morning out in the rain walking around. In hind sight it was probably a good thing it was canceled since I finally got time to finish planning out the remaining days before heading to China. I know that I have to head up to Huay Xai to do the Gibbon Experience but have 3 methods of transportation. 1) Take the 2 day slow boat, 2) take the 7hour speed boat that is known to have fatalities due the excessive and blistering speed they need to use to get you up the river in 7 hours, and 3) the local night bus. I decide on the night bus since my time is becoming critically short.
I have to say that that was probably the worst bus ride to date and I've been on some bad bus rides. No air-con so and the bus was so full that people had to sit on kiddy chairs in the aisles. We literally
cooked on the bus and I was actually envious of the 4 pigs that got to travel on the roof of the bus to our destination. After almost 19 hours of sporadic sleep and locals leaning on me, including 1 that had to sit between my legs, we get to Huay Xai where I get the last spot on the Gibbon experience leaving the next day.
So here we are...I'm starving...I'm going to grab me some breakfast... 😊
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Jake
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Vang Vieng
Hey, Did you make it to Vang Vieng, or the Plain of Jars?