Blogs from Luang Prabang, West, Laos, Asia - page 155

Pas encore remis du decalage horaire, nous rpenons ce matin l'avion vers Luang Prabang, un site du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco et notre premiere escale au Laos. Le vol dure un peu plus de 2 heures, dans un petit appareil du genre DC8. comme ceux qui font la navette entre Charlottetown et Halifax. Monsieur Pan nous accueille a l'aeroport, et nous arrivons a l'Auberge Le Calao, un immeuble d'architecture sino-portugaise datant de 1930 et situe au bord du fleuve Mekong. Apres un copieux dejeuner, nous allons voir les chutes Kuang Si, qui se trouvent a 1 1/2 de route. Un sentier en montagne nous mene aux chutes. Il y a peu de touristes en cette saison, ce qui nous convient parfaitement. Les petits villages qui longent la route vers les chutes sont plutot coquets; je crois ... read more

We weren't able to write for a bit because we were on the move a lot, and then I didn't really feel like it when I heard Nana was sick, but it sounds like she'll be okay, so I better catch up with it. First of all, Merry Christmas to everyone. We just got off the phone to Nana's and I'm really sorry we couldn't talk to everyone that was there but we're in the sticks and the line was rotten, so I just needed to let Dad know we were okay and check that Nana was. Okay, Days 15 & 16: Chapter Five - Ketchup: Part One - Ayutthaya. First a tip: If you ever happen to drive with a Thai man, don't sit in the front seat. What's that line from the Fast Show, ... read more

'Twas the night before Christmas And all through the Laos, Not a creature was stirring (because here they're Buddhist). The stockings (and underwear, rain jackets, etc.) were scattered all over the floor, And Sarah hoped to God that St. Nick wouldn't snore The travellers were nestled all snug in their beds While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads (actually this is a Lariam side-effect. Other symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, light-headedness, loss of balance, headache, sleepiness, inability to sleep, abnormal dreams, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, abnormal heart beat, skin rash, hair loss, eyesight problems, muscle pain, convulsions and "disturbances of mood". If symptoms persist contact a doctor immediately) And Sarah in her pigtails and Nick in his Hockey Hair (Against which Sarah plotted with a bottle of Nair) Had just settled in fo ... read more

Hey All, we hope you're all enjoying the holiday season (or at least coping well)! We'll just give you a run-down on the latest from Laos before wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. Luang Prabang continues to be a comfortable place to stay, offering excellent food (especially good cheese) and wonderful atmosphere. Definitely our favourite place so far. About a week ago we started getting the itch to explore, and the closest site outside the city is the Kuang Si waterfall, about 30 km south of the town. In Laos, 30 km means a one hour or so drive. But it was definitely worth the bumpy ride! The waterfall is actually one large waterfall and five or six smaller ones, all of which flow into calm pools of the most beautiful, ... read more

We have made it to Luang Prabang all the way from Thailand. We started in a place called Chiang Kong which is right on the border with Laos separated only by the Mekong River. We had no problems getting our visa to Laos although we were a little unnerved when the man at the tour office told us he had to take our passports until the next day (the way international crime is these days, there are now probably a number of Nicks and Sarahs in southern China, Myanmar, and perhaps even India). We stayed overnight at the "Boom House" hostel, which unfortunately lived up to its name because it had paper thin walls and our room seemed to be at the crossroads of all the pedestrian night traffic in town. No sleep could be had, ... read more