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Published: June 27th 2010
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Sabaidee from Laos!
Even though we enjoyed Vietnam, after nearly a month there we were excited to move on to Laos.
We flew into Luang Prabang a little bit under-prepared. Alice had been ill and we kind of forgot that we were entering a new country. We were a bit worried when we realised we were on the plane with no cash in any currency, no passport photos, and no idea whether the airport would have an ATM so we could pay for our visas. We had planned to get some dollars at the airport in Hanoi, but apparently there is no bureau de change there.... madness.
As it turned out, Luang Prabang airport is tiny, but the friendly customs officials waved us through so that we could get cash out, before coming back to pay for the visas. They charged us $1 extra because we didn't have photos - but they didn't take any pictures of us in the end either.
Luang Prabang is beautiful in a very understated way, and extremely laidback - a real change of pace from Vietnam. The old town is set on a small peninsular between two rivers, and small enough
Wat Senesouk
Luang Prabang to walk around in half an hour or so. There are lots of exquisite Wats (temples) which are still in use - there are monks everywhere. The temples are quite simple but beautifully decorated with gold paint, carvings and murals. The town is surrounded by forested mountains and the views are spectacular - but essentially we spent a very lazy 6 days there meandering around the town and sitting in lovely cafes. The weather was a lot cooler and more rain which was actually a relief after 6 weeks of hot sunshine. The people of Luang Prabang always seemed happy and are very friendly with everyone saying Sabaidee to us.
After a few days when we could be bothered to move, we hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. These are about an hour away from the town, and it was very quiet when we were there because it was raining heavily when we set off (there's nothing like optimism!). By the time we got there, the rain had stopped and the falls were lovely - after walking through the forest for a few minutes we came to a series of emerald green pools and
small waterfalls. Following the path for ten minutes or so, there's a larger waterfall descending into a deep pool. It wasn't very hot when we were there but we braved the water anyway - it was crystal clean and very cold!
There was also a bear rescue centre near the falls, so we stopped to watch the bears for a few minutes. Bear bile is used sometimes in traditional medicines in Asia, and they are kept in really small cages so that bile can be harvested. These small bears (3-4 foot tall) had been rescued and lived in this enclosure because they wouldn't survive in the wild. They seemed well looked after and it was fun to watch them ambling around and play-fighting.
Another day we had decided to do some kayaking, so we went into a tour agency and somehow came out having booked ourselves on a morning's trip to the elephant sanctuary - completely unplanned! It was another rescue centre which works with ex-logging elephants and tries to give them a less hard life. The Lao government is working towards banning the use of elephants for logging (like the Thai government has done already), but there
are so many elephants working that all the ones currently being used will need to be kept somewhere and looked after. The organisation we visited explained that one way of paying for that is to give rides to tourists for a couple of hours a day and letting tourists learn about elephants and how to look after them.
While we were there we had a short elephant ride along the river - we started out in the seat but half way the Mahout (elephant keeper) swapped places with Alice so she could ride on the elephant's neck! Scary at first but they don't move fast and it's easy to balance - even if you're Alice.
After perfecting her balancing skills on the elephant, Alice also decided it was time to try riding a bike, so we hired a couple for an hour and rode around the quiet streets of Luang Prabang. The bikes were a bit rickety (they were shaped like Choppers) so took a while to get the hang of it, but neither of us fell off.
After the heaven of Luang Prabang, we travelled to the hell of Vang Vieng. We spent a total of
24 hours in Vang Vieng which was 24 hours too long! The town is set in a valley with karst formations similar to Ha Long Bay but on land - and it's difficult to see the scenery past the pure ugliness of the town. It's full of grubby, tatty outdoor cafes showing series of Friends and The Simpsons on DVD on repeat. All the food was horrible and because the places were so dirty we really didn't trust that the kitchens would be any cleaner. I don't think it's the kind of town that trained cooks or experienced bar owners move to. Other than that, there are guesthouses and building sites. There is no town as such - just tourism of the worst kind. The main activity is tubing, where people hire a rubber ring, float down the mud-brown river, and stop at all the bars along the way, which offer added extras like mud-wrestling and 'special' brownies. Obviously loads of tourists (especially the 18 year olds) love all this and seemed to be having a great time, although we did see a few casualties including a couple of sobbing boys on the pavement after a few too many and
a man who had had far too many special brownies who always looked totally lost and kept asking us how to call home. Needless to say they were all British.
We avoided the tubing and decided to go kayaking instead. This was not a success - we discovered (as if there was any doubt) that we are not really outdoor adventure enthusiasts. There were some smallish rapids, where inevitably we ended up facing the wrong way, or (once) falling in, plus we got really bitten and sunburnt, and now have minor injuries like sore thumbs and aching arms. Never again but at least we've given it a go, so in future places we will not be tempted. Back to cafe society for us.
After the kayaking, we decided to get out of town before Vang Vieng inflicted any more suffering on us. We jumped on a bus to Vientiane and civilisation. This is a quiet city, especially considering it's the capital. Tourism levels seem very low which might be a knock-on effect from the trouble that was happening in Thailand, which is very near to where we are now.
We are heading to a spa later to
Wat Xieng Thong
Temple in Luang Prabang have a swim and a massage to ease our aches and pains from yesterday's kayaking experience. Other than that, the cafes are a-calling, and possibly a temple or two.
Can't upload photos in this cafe but will add them soon. We fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Tuesday.
Looking forward to the match tonight- come on England!
Lots of love Alice and Julia xxxx
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