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Published: February 21st 2010
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Ahhh!
Without warning, a tangled mass of bamboo sprang out behind Kim. Wednesday, 01/27/10
Since our visit to the Kuang Si waterfall the day before was far from satisfactory, we arranged for a tuk-tuk to take us back. We bought some sandwiches and other food for a picnic and our tuk-tuk picked us up at our hostel at 10:00. We arrived at the park at 11:00. We decided to climb up to the top of the falls before our swim. My mind was more than willing but my body was weak. My legs were still dreadfully sore from two days of elephant riding, stair climbing, and being cramped for several hours on a tiny boat. But we had been told that the view from the top was good, and so I soldiered on. We had also been told that, once at the top, one had to walk through a stream so I chose to wear my flip-flops instead of my sneakers (for all those who know me well, try not to have a heart attack over the fact that I was traveling with only two pairs of shoes). It turns out that decision was a very poor one. It had rained the night before turning the steep path into a very muddy
and slippery one. It took us about 45 minutes to scramble up the hill. I had to climb on my hands and feet, sometimes using trees and vines, to keep from slipping and tumbling down. At times there were deep sinkholes directly next to the path. It was not the most fun 45 minutes of my life.
Our informant was correct, however. It was really very beautiful at the top. The view of the surrounding mountains was superb. Walking through the cool water was a nice respite after the arduous hike. We rested at the top for a few minutes, soaking up the scenery, before trekking back down. Descending the muddy slope was even more laborious than the climb up. By the time we reached the bottom I was dirty, sweaty, and very ready for a swim. We walked down to the swimming area and changed. There were a couple other young men using the rope to swing out into the water, but no one else was swimming. It turns out there was a reason for that. Because of all the rain from the night before the water was freezing! I was determined to swim in a Laotian waterfall,
The path going up
At this point I decided to blame Kim for wanting to climb up to the top. though, so I slowly made my way out into the pool as did Kim. We watched some more boys use the rope swing, as adept as Tarzan. All except for one who was too afraid even to reach out for the rope. He thought that jumping from the waterfall was a safer bet until he actually jumped, at which he yelped “Oh, no!” before flopping into the water. Ah, peer pressure.
At this time Kim made up her mind to try the swing herself. I know my limits and declined to accompany her. She deftly walked out onto the limb and confidently grabbed the rope. She backed up, braced herself, and swung. Let’s just say it wasn’t the most graceful thing I’ve ever seen Kim do. I’m just glad she cleared the rocks before losing her grip on the rope. She managed, nevertheless, to hang on long enough to splash clumsily into the water. After I saw that she was okay I felt free to let loose a couple of hearty guffaws. She, too, was chortling as she swam back over to me. I congratulated her for being the only girl brave enough to try the rope. Kim couldn’t
stay in any longer. The ‘pedicure fish’, which are a little annoying, were freaking her out. As we were preparing to get out of the pool another couple was entering. Kim and I stood by a bench drying ourselves off while the boyfriend was trying to get a picture of his woman sitting in the water. I noticed that she was squirming uncomfortably. I said to her, “Hey, if you sit there long enough the fish will give you a pedicure.” The effect was immediate. She screamed at her boyfriend, “I told you! I told you! I told you there was something biting me!” I could hear her screeching all the way back to the changing rooms. *sigh* Ah, messing with people….
There wasn’t enough time to sit and eat, so we ate our sandwiches on the tuk-tuk back to town. We showered, rested, and then went back out to climb Phousi Hill. Phousi Hill is a prominent hill in the center of Luang Prabang. It is home to a temple and a great spot to watch the sunset. Though I did not relish the thought of another climb, it was our last night there and our only chance
to go. As expected, it was a million and one stairs to the top. But there were some interesting statues on the way up and the sunset was indeed very nice. After the sun had set behind the mountains we made out way back down to eat dinner. On the way we passed a temple where some monks were chanting. In the growing dark, the dimly lit temple and the singing that filled it gave the surrounding area an ethereal quality. We stood and listened until our growling stomachs reminded us that it was well past dinner time.
We found a nice restaurant and sat down inside. While we were waiting for our food an old man entered the restaurant brandishing a broom as though it were a gun and demanded money from us. Two waiters intervened, telling us the man was crazy, and the old man shoved both waiters away. I was momentarily nervous, but the broom-wielding beggar shuffled to the other tables looking for handouts then quietly left. We finished up our shopping at the wonderful night market, and then returned to our hostel to pack. The next day we would be heading out for Phonsavanh.
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