Lao, what a great place to be... And don't worry about the guy with the AK-47 on your Bus...LOL...

Asia » Laos
January 26th 2007

Published: February 5th 2007

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thewug

Luang Prabang

Hi again all and welcome to my blog about Lao...Well Im planning to leave China today and head into Lao... I Hope... Some people keep telling me that you can't get a Visa from the border but Ive also have heard that you can so If I can't then its back to Kunming and also 500Y or $70US per each day that I over stay my visa...So I must get out of China today....

I caught a Mini bus from Mengla to Mohan(the Chinese border) aroud 7:30am... The cost was 20Y... The trip quite nice and there wasn't tomanny people in the mini bus either... We arrived at the border around 10am and I went through the Chinese part of the Border... The Chinese Solders were quite nice and we even talked for about ten mins... Then I caught a Tuk Tuk for a 5min ride to the Lao border... I went to the window that said "Visa's on Arrival" and asked how much for the visa and the guy theretold me to fill out the form and pay $35US...LOL...LOL...So I did what he said and I was sohappy... I then went through two more checks and then off

Luang Prabang

This place was so relaxing...

to a mini bus that would take be to Udomxai The cost was 30Y and about a 5 hour trip... On the way we got stopped at a police check point and everyone had to show you they were... Except Me... When I gave the guy my passport he just said " Im just looking for Chinese"...LOL... He ended up taking one of the Chinese guys out of the van and Im not sure what happened to him because we just left... When we arrived at Udomxai I got a nice hotel for $10us with a king size bed and all the comforts of home.... I loved that Bed...lol...It was a nice and soft not like the ones in China... I then went to take my laundry to the laundry lady and then to the bank to get some Kip...I then went to work for about 3 hours on my blog now that I have a beter connection to work with... Latter in the evening I went out and grabbed some Lao food and it was quite good and spicy... But I need to watch out because now Im kind of back in South East Asia and I didn't want

Luang Prabang

This place was so relaxing...

to get sick... I was eating quite good in China and gained what I had lost before... After dinner there wasn't anything real to do...All the lights were out in the town and not much happening... The town basically shuts down at night... So I just went home and watched some movies and went to bed...

When I woke up the next morning I decided to head to Luang Prabang But before I was to leave I wanted to take a walk around the town again and take some pics of the mountains that surround this sleepy little place... I then caught the bus at 11:30am... The scenery was amazing.... The lush green mountains and valleys was quite a site.... About an hour into the ride the bus had abit of a problem with the hose to the water pump.... Now it was funny to watch these people run down to a creek and grab some water and pour it into the Radiator but at the same time the the water was just going out through the hose....LOL... I like working on cars and have a decent knowledge of some mechanics and it took me about 5 mins to

Luang Prabang

Fishing with a net...

try explain that they needed to cut the edge of the hose where the break was and placed it back on the water pump.... Well the driver want to just take theknife and rip right through it and cracked it some more...LOL... I was sure know that we weren't going to have enough hose.... Put after I did the next cut and a few Lao engineering tricks we managed to attach the hose and we were on our way after an hour.... at our rest stop the driver bought me dinner and a coke and we enjoyed the half hour stop talking.... We arrived in Luang Prabang around 730pm and I grabbed a tuk tuk and headed to a hostel into town.... The one I chose was called the Khounsavanh Guest House... The room was very basic with only a bed but for $5us what more do you want....LOL... Maybe your own bathroom....LOL... After settling in I met a girl from china and we went together to the night market for some dinner.... The night market was very good with two rows of people selling their goods... It was such a beautiful site with the lights and the colours... I

Luang Prabang

Some boys out fishing with a net...

must admit that this must be one of the nicest night markets that I have been to any where... Dinner was dinner and after dinner and the night market we just walked around the small town and then called it a night....

The next morning I woke up and went for breakfast along the Mekong river... Here I had one of the worst coffees ever... Im not sure if the one I had in Hanoi or the one here was the worst...LOL... Then it was off to see the town.... With my MP3 player on I just walked around for about 5 hrs seeing the river edge of the Mekong river and some of the temples... I found a book exchange shop and bought a few books that should satisfy my needs for the next while... Later I rented a boat from a guy for 70,000kip or $7US to take me up and down the Mekong river so that I could see the sunset and grab some good pics... It was a great time just sitting up on top of this longboat and enjoying the scenery.... I made some more arrangements with the guy for the next day... He

Luang Prabang

A Monk advoiding the sun...

was going to take me up to the caves and a few Lao villages in the morning and then in the afternoon his brother was going to take me to the Falls where I could go swimming... All this for $6US... not bad... I then went for dinner and went through the night market again then for a stop at the internet and to bed for an early wake up... I like to tel you all that the people here in Lao are not aggressive people when bargaining with these people are very relaxed and I must admit the nice people that I have encountered in Asia so far...When asked to buy things when your sitting at a restaurant and you say No Thanks they just leave you alone and thats it... In other places they just hound you.... Even the Tuk Tuk drivers understand the word NO... Im so impressed with this country...

Woke up at 6:30 took a quick shower and went for breakfast at another place that I would hope would have a better coffee but I was wrong... Mind you it wasn't as bad as the other one... I then met with Amano at 8am

Luang Prabang

A flower in a pond...

and jumped on his Moto where he drove me to his boat... Amano was taking other people on his boat which was OK with me... I found out that I got a great deal because the other people were paying $4us fo the morning part and another $4us for the falls... The first stop was called the Whisky Village and it was rightfully named because it was Famous for the stills that made their homemade Whisky... you could smell it every where...LOL... I grew up in Windsor,Ontario,Canada where we have a Hiram Walkers where they brew the stuff but here in Whisky Village It smelt so much different and Very strong smelling... The next stop was the Caves called Pak Ou... Here the caves held Buddha Statues and some other relic's... We then went back down the river to a Village that makes paper... Then it was back to the boat and back another ride down the river to finish our trip... I then took Amano for a bite to eat and have a chat... Then his brother showed up with a group to go to the Waterfall... He saved me a front seat in the Mini Van and we

Luang Prabang

This piggy didn't want to go to Market...

were off... It took about 45mins to get to the front entrance of the park and it cost 10,000kip or $1us to enter... A short walk up a hill and there it was... This was one of the best waterfalls that I have seen yet... There were pools of water all around and the water was so clear... I just sat there for an half an hour.... Then it was off to some of the other pools down the river to go for a quick swim.. But I can say that the water was very cold... After the swim I went back up the hill to just relax until it was time to go.... When I got back to town and Amano was waiting for me to ask me if I would like to come to his village for dinner and I accept.... We jump onto his boat and went down the river to his village .... When I got there I met his family and we had some traditional Lao food and talked about Canada and Lao... I had a bit of the Local moonshine that I saw being brewed in Whisky Village and I tell you I cringe

Luang Prabang

Neither did this piggy want to go to Market...

still when I think about it.... I thanked him and his family for the great time that they had showed me and then Amano took me back up the river... I will never forget this experience ever...This is why I wanted to travel... I was going to leave in the Morning to head to Vientiane so it was of to bed for a goodnight sleep....

I woke up at 5:30am and quickly showered and pack my pack... Took aTuk Tuk to the bus depot for 10,000kip.... I wanted to grab aVIP bus because I thought that I wouldn't have to worry about the bus breaking down but when I got to the depot the VIP wasn't going to leave for another 2hrs and there was an express bus leaving in 10mins so I took that one... The trip was uneventful untill a guy was walking up the isle with a AK-47 under his jacket.... Now in Lao there's abit of a problem with rebels and bandits and when I went to the Canadian consulate in Saigon and asked for info on Lao they gave me a letter that stated that "you should no go to Lao".... There where some

Luang Prabang

Pick on some one your own size...

other foreigners on the bus and we all had a chat about the guy in the back.... Some of us wanted to "TAKE HIM OUT" Fucking Americans...LOL... But at a stop we went to the driver and he told us that this guy was our escort in case we had any problems... Thank god I didn't listen to the Americans.... So all was well... We arrived in Vientiane around 430pm and I found myself a place for 70,000kip and then went to grab a bit to eat and see the sunset over the Mekong river... The rest of the night I just went looking around...

The next morning I went to give my laundry to the front desk and found a good place to have breakfast and some normal coffee...I then went for a good look around the city... The first place I went to was the Black Stupa which was just in the middle of a street..then it was off to Wat Si Saket.... This place was built by King Anouvong.... Nice place but Im just tired of Wats.... the next sight I went to was the Patuxai a Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe replica built in 1969 with

Luang Prabang

Monks about to enjoy a sunset on the Mekong...

help of the Americans... I took a walk up the stairs and got a view of the city.... I then went to Pha That Luang which has a golden Stupa and is considered the most important national monument in Lao....Apparently some where a breast bone of Buddha was enclosed here... Then it was a quick walk to the National Assembly which looked closed and another walk to the Unknown Soldiers Monument... I then went to see the War History Museum and found it very lame because they were doing renovations... After a fuul day I went to grab some dinner and at the same place they had some music for sale... I bought about 10 albums(or CDs) for $10... Now Ive been traveling for quite a while and I feel abit tired of all this right now ... China took alot out of me and I lost my tan...LOL... So, This is what I decided over dinner... I was going to head back into Thailand and find myself abeach to relax on... I also decided that I was going to have to give up Chang Mai and Burma and then after a good rest on a beach just head down

Luang Prabang

A sunset on the Mekong...

to Malaysia.... So thats what I m going to do... I want to say that I just breezed through Lao and I feel that I didn't see enough of this great country... But I can say that I will be back and I will enjoy all that it has to offer... Lao is the place to be and the people are the one's that make it so great!!!!!!

The next Morning I went and had breakfast and then went to the Morning Market.... I just Love Markets and this one didn't disappoint... Then It was back to the hotel and check out... I then found a Tuk Tuk to take me to the Thailand Border for 45,000kip.... And it was about 5mins to stamp the passport and a 6min bus ride over a bridge and I was back in Thailand....

Im going to end it here and tell you all that again I thank you for reading my Blog... I would like to say that the company that runs the blog is having trouble with sending out the emails when I write my blogs so I would like to say that just keep checking to see if I