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Happy New Year 2548 :)
Entry 31 of 38 | show all | print this entry |
Yay for relaxation, it's great, I feel like I'm in a totally different world. No stresses what so ever. Well not maybe when it comes to the buses in Laos. First you have to show up at least an hour early to hopefully get a seat on the bus (which you must claim by seating in until the bus leaves), and to pray that you will actually get a seat, and not a plastic stool in the middle of the aisle. As much as they sound inviting for a 6 hour journey, I think my bum would prefer some cushion. Sometimes people are incredibly nice, others times you feel like you have the black plague upon entering a bus. Then the fun continues when you get to travel on the bus with bags falling on your head, people vomiting, occupying a bus with all sorts of animals, dead squirrels in leaves (you name it, I've probably seen it), having to quickly close the windows due to vomit or strange liquids pouring off from the roof (praying that your bag isn't nearby), living in a pile of garbage that on some trips can quickly multiple depending on the people (people love to throw their garbage on the floor and out the window). As time passes I look less and less forward to my next bus trip, so I'm choosing to stay at my destinations for a few days to avoid extensive bus travel. They're really not that bad :)
While in Luang Nam Tha, we did a 2 day trek, it was incredible, one of my Laos highlights to date. I much preferred this trek over the one I did in Thailand, which was much more touristy. I would highly recommend that people come to Laos to do treks. We spent 2 days in the jungle, staying one night in a village. It was a new tour so we were the 4th group to do the tour. The villagers recently had to move out of the National park into a new area, so we were visiting a new village that had just started being constructed one month prior to us arriving. They had not yet built a guesthouse nor toilets, so we were privileged in that we were able to sleep at the chief's house. When dinner came we ate with the chief and everybody else just watched, such a strange experience, almost uncomfortable in a way. This village had no electricity nor running water. It was like going back in time 150-200 years where the eldest children (1-10) were looking after their younger siblings while their parents were out working. It was amazing what these children were capable of, carrying huge quantities of water, cooking for the family and basically running the home throughout the day. Visiting Westeners are still a new idea to this village. They must think that Westeners are strange in their actions, and for doing things like putting on sunscreen, bug spray and brushing our teeth.
Next we set off to Nong Khiaw, after an exhausting 8 hour bus trip, we finally made it. To this point, I had seen typical Laos villages and farming land with some hills, plus some jungle. However, the scenery had started to look the same. Well not really, because I had felt like I had traversed many kilometers, when in fact I had only covered a small portion of Laos. When you arrive in Nong Khiaw, you go WOW! Out of nowhere comes this spectacular scenery containing mountains, water, villages and a tropical feel. I felt like I was in paradise. I could have sat for hours with a drink in hand just staring at the local daily activities for hours. From Nong Khiaw we travelled to Luang Prabang by boat. It was a beautiful section of river, a continuation of what we had seen in Nong Khiaw. Unfortunately we received rain for half the trip, but we were lucky to have a covered boat.
We arrived in Luang Prabang on New Years Eve. What a city, this is one of the most beautiful and RELAXED cities that I have seen in my life. The city was packed with tourists. Luang Prabang is the most popular destination for the celebrations of the New Year along with Chiang Mai in Thailand. We spent New Years day wandering the streets and visiting a massive street market. This time of year brings out the child in everyone. Locals and tourists line the streets with water guns and buckets full of water to soak anybody passing by; everyone gets wet. As the day progressed the coloured water started along with black shoe polish. We were quite colourful and dirty, so much fun :) During the afternoon you head over to an island on the Mekong river where you are quickly covered in tapioca starch. There is no question about it, you head to the nearest stall and purchase your own bag, you just would not survive without any ammunition. The best fights occurred with groups of young Laos boys, they know how to fight. Once you have been successful in obtaining a hard white pasty covering on your skin, hair and clothes, you are ready to visit the temples and caves. This is by far the best New Years celebration ever, so much better than doing a countdown to celebrate the exact second when we cross into the new year. It's 3 perfect days of great food, atmosphere, festivities, perfect number of people etc. Everyone kept in line, there were no police present, and the "fights" automatically stopped once the sun went down. These people know how to have fun and just enjoy life. A lesson to be learned by all.
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