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Published: January 23rd 2009
Sabideeee!!
I know its been awhile!!! But I have had limited internet access (and time)!! Sorweeee!!!!!! I have soo many stories to tell, so this is going to be a long one!!!
I flew into Laos (Luang Prabang) about 10 days ago and at the airport I met a girl from Switzerland (Julie) and 2 girls from Germany (Iga and Eva). We shared a tuktuk from the airport and found a really nice guesthouse, Julie and I decided to share a room. The next day we all met up for a yummy breakfast at a great little café and the spent the day just touring the town!! It’s a small beautiful town with 3 main streets parallel to each other and it is surrounded by the river!! Lots of riverside restaurants and cafes, and every night they close down the main st for the night market to open!! It was the nicest market I have seen yet, no one pushing anything to sell, you can actually pick up an item without being pressured to buy it!! The street food is like no other!! Lines of fresh baguettes, with anything you want!! HOT COFFEE in a PAPER CUP!!! Hahahah (my fav) and so many fruit smooties!! Also the bakery’s had every cake you could imagine!!! Pineaple, mango, pumpkin, chocolate, mocha… just to name a few of my fav’s heheheh . It was sooo yummy!!!
So enough about the food!!! The next day the girls and I decided to go on an over night treck. It was amazing!! We had 2 guides for the four of us, and these guys were locals who knew so much information about the villages we visited it was great to have them with us!! The first day we trecked up a mountain for about 5 hours and had lunch in a very small village, then we headed down the mountain, about 3 more hours and landed in another village where we spent the night. The scenery was just breath taking!! You are just surrounded by mountains… ahhh it was so peaceful!! The sleeping arrangement in the village was basically a hut on stilts with a thin mat and blankets. Its just amazing to see how these people live, 4 hours away from the city in the middle of the mountains! They just live off the land!! So peaceful!! And the kids are soooo freaking cute!!! They just surround you and try and play games with you!! And always want their picture taken!! They might look a little dirty but honestly they are just kids being kids, if we ran around in the dirt all day we would look the same!
The next morning we left the village and walked to the waterfalls! They were beautiful! And then took a elephant ride which was a real bonding moment for Julie and me because I was sure we were going to die, our elephant was having a bad day and was not a happy camper!!! Now I remember why I said I would never do another elephant ride again!! It was the scariest part of my trip!!! I feel guilty that I once again supported this, but I have learned my lesson!!! No more elephant rides!!! After the ride we went kayaking down the river for 3 hours!!! Ahhhhh that was so peaceful!! We passed villages with people bathing in the river or doing laundry, it was so nice!!
Once we returned to Luang Prabang Julie and I decided to take the bus up north (4 hours) to a very small village and from their we took a boat even further north . This village is so remote there are no cars or mottos, no internet, some places don’t even have power! It basically consists of one street parallel with the river, its looked like something out of a western movie, really unique!! Anywho we found little huts on the river for $2.00 a night! The bathroom was outdoors but their was great hammocks!!! Perfect for reading while the sunset!! Although it cooled off in the evenings we just sat around the firepit! Biggest decision of the day was waffle or pancake for breakfast!! We found the best restaurant!!! Although the food took over an hour it was ok because their was nothing else to do!! Our neighbors were a sweet couple from Holland and they invited us to go a fishing trip with them! A young fisherman took 6 of us out in his boat and showed us how they fish, it was really great! We caught some fish and bbq’d them on the beach.
The next day we all went on a trek to a village about 2 hours away, we stopped at a waterfall and a cave. We decided to stay the night in a homestay. Their was 6 of us and the family was very accommodating!! For supper 3 of us wanted chicken and 3 of us wanted duck, so while we sat around the fire they grab a duck and a chicken and an hour later we were eating… it was a little crazy, but that’s how its done! That evening we sat around the fire and chatted with the family, the mother told us she had 8 childern but only 3 of them survived, they live so far away from any medical help, its just the way it goes. I guess the gov't is trying to force the people in the villages to move closer to the towns so in a few years most of these villages wont be there anymore.
The next day we trekked a bit further and again the scenery was just so amazing!!! My pictures really don’t do it justice! I spent the rest of the afternoon in my hammock, it was tough! Hahaha
The next morning we headed back to Luang Prabang and ate some more yummy cake and coffee!!! Now we are in Vieng Vang and it really is completely different than LP, a real backpackers vibe with the tubing (I haven’t tried yet) and the happy shakes, everyone is very chilled out! Again there is lots of restuants on the river with big comfy cushions to just chill out in! I think Julie and I will stay here for a few nights and then head south to a place called 4000 islands, close to the boarder of Cambodia! It is pretty remote and I am sure there will be no internet… just hammocks MISSING EVERYONE SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!
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Carla
non-member comment
wowzers
Amazing Amy! So happy to hear you love Laos...I knew you would. I never heard a bad thing about it. Can't wait to do it myself someday! God I wish I was there with you...miss you so much! Keep having fun, stay safe and keep in touch; these diaries you're doing right now will be so important to you later in life! xo carla