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Published: June 13th 2017
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Geo: 21.0243, 105.855
DAY NINETEEN (1/21/13) — Laos to Hanoi
Baby Elephant Walk
Today is travel day. All of us are headed back to Hanoi and then to points beyond. The morning is at leisure. Most take one of the two half-day options:
- "Rice is Life" program at Living Land Farm -- a day in the rice paddy, filled with information, personal hands on experience and tasting
· Elephant Jungle Adventure: elephant trek through the rain forest at the Lao Elephant Camp
We opt for the elephant ride and are delighted we do. It's an amazing and oh-so-very-fun adventure. Especially with the London ladies who are hysterically funny and speak such very proper English while they are whining.
The drive is 45 minutes on some of the worst roads we've been on. The elephant walk itself is also 45 minutes … through a rain forest, with some VERY steep ups and down. You REALLY have to hold on. We traverse stone paths and the elephants delicately negotiate them. We pass through riverbeds and at one point we actually head into the river. It's all very exciting and occasionally off-putting.
The British ladies have what they refer to as a "rogue" elephant. He stops when he's supposed to go, and when he can, he takes the road less traveled. All the rest of go to the left of a tree, he chooses a 70-degree angle climb which throws the ladies on to their backs, their hair flowing behind them, all the while yelling, “Naughty elephant”. We laugh hysterically.
When we near the end and the rogue elephant has again chosen a very steep ascent, Gloria announces, “I'm not sure which is worse. This ride ... or the road coming in.” Jenifer responds:
“Oh, Gloria, it's part of the rich tapestry of our lives.”
Amen. That line will become part of my permanent repertoire.
Back at the hotel, we pack up, have lunch and head to the Luang Prabang airport for our transfer to Hanoi. The Tauck itinerary has included five flights:
1. Hanoi to Nha Trang
2. Nha Trang to Saigon
3. Phnom Penn to Siem Reap
4. Siem Reap to Luang Prabang
5. Luang Prabang back to Hanoi
It turns out there is a direct flight from here (Luang Prabang) to Bangkok. We could have saved ourselves the flight to Hanoi, the overnight, an extra day of travel and the $200 surcharge for a Vietnam visa that allows re-entry. If you are planning extending from this trip, you might want to investigate leaving from Laos.
We fly Lao Air to Hanoi, where it is 70 degrees … substantially warmer than it was when we were here what seems like a month ago but was, in fact, just two weeks ago. We collect our luggage and bid our new friends farewell. We promise to stay in touch.
It's been grand. We have seen new places. We have learned new things. We have made new friends.
“Oh, Gloria, it's part of the rich tapestry of our lives.”
BANGKOK EXTENSION
We are no longer traveling with Tauck. But we are traveling with Morleys and Gundlachs. We are met by a driver who was pre-arranged by our travel agent (Travel Collaborative in Boston) who scoops us up and delivers us to the Movenpick Hotel in downtown Hanoi. It's very near the Metropole where we stayed two weeks ago; but it is very far from it in terms of style. Colonial is replaced with sleek, contemporary Asian. Very nice.
However, we are envious of the Dos Santos who have chosen lodging near the Hanoi Hilton. Why didn't we think of that?
We meet Morleys and Peggy in the Mangosteed restaurant for a tasty, casual almost American dinner. And retire early since we have near-dawn flight to Bangkok in the morning.
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Barcy
non-member comment
Elephants live long... so I wonder if these are related to the ones in Vietnam who knocked down a whole village of huts and ate the bananas Carl and his troops were counting on eating while they were out on patrol. They were not happy with
those thieving elephants...