Luang Prabang, waterfalls, leeches, bowling, etc
Trip Start
Jun 06, 2008
1
13
23
Trip End
Aug 06, 2008
Luang Prabang,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Anyway, that morning of the 7th I had to wake up half an hour earlier than I would have otherwise because since the day before there was no electricity IN THE WHOLE TOWN, they could not do my laundry so they were going to do it overnight. Therefore I had to pick it up in the morning and obviously the clothes were not dry and still hanging, which meant I had to help them take them off the drying line and fold them while still damp but at least now I had clean laundry after tubing in a muddy river in Laos.
So, after this laundry experience at around 7AM, we were driven to the bus station with the 2 Irish guys Peter and Simon and the two Aussies Alex and Kelob
Bowling in Laos
. All together with some oter strangers we fit in the minibus better than sardines. Additionally, not only where Dom and I in the back seat with Peter who's to tall for those seats but the streets in Laos are a great mix of hilly, winding, made of gravel and bumpy. Just picture our horrible state of pain in the backseat, any rollercoster has got nothing on that!On the way to Luang Prabang we stopped in this village/rest stop where little kids ran up to the cars with big smiles on their faces wanting to play and asking for food (I felt like Dom and I were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie going to Africa like you always see in the magazines) and that really put where we were,what we were doing, and how lucky we are in perspective.
Finally we made it to Luang Prabang where the first thing we did was get a plane ticket out of the city to Siem Reap 2 days later. All the agencies were giving us a 240 dollar quote until finallya sketchy one told us they could do it for 160 dollars. We got the ticket and the receipt and proceeded to walk around the town which you can cross in 15 minutes (walking) and is full of little cafes, internet places, cute restaurant, and tourists relaxing. After walking around we went to the night market where I got ANOTHER painting (2 dollars this time) and Dominique bought an insane amount of tourist traps/accessories (When she reads what i just called what she bought she'll get mad at me)
Luang Prabang's main temple
. Following the nice walk in the night market we met up with the Irish fellas Peter and Simon and had dinner with them. The following day we woke up late on purpose and with Jordan, the Irish, the Australians, etc. (in total 10 off us) we got a tuk tuk and driver for the day and went 1 hour away from town to these amazing waterfalls. All this was less than 3 dollars a person. At these waterfalls entrance was $2.50 but they were absolutely amazing. It was a series of waterfalls that and you go lower make up different pools you can swim in to. Since you have walk up the hill to the very top of the waterfall, we started with the pool allt he way at the bottom. There you can jump off the waterfall top into the pool (4-5 meters) and it's so cool because you cant' see where you go because of the water splashing everywhere.
Next we walked up to another pool made by these waterfalls but right away we walk passed that to the 3rd pool from the entrance which was the pool that gave you the view of this majestic (and the main) waterfall which must have been at least 100 meter high and you could go around it and if you have no common sense under/in it. Lukcy for us no1 was stupid enough to do that. The next step, as we had been told by many fellow backpackers in our travels so far was to go on top of them so you could see everythign from above
Some good people we met
. We started the hike (and a hike it was) getting stuck in mud, climbing sei-vertical walls, holding onto trees for dear-life, getting attacked by leeches (thorughout the day I had to pull out 3 leeches from my feet and legs), jumping in and over rivers leading tot he waterfalls, getting lost, finding other tourists just as lost as us, and having a grand old time. But after all that we made it to the top and sadly enough it was very anticlimactic. You are better off staying at the bottom, enjoying the view from there, not losing any blood to those leeches, and saving a lot of energy. Back to us, we left the waterfalls after 3 hours of trekking, hiking, and swimming and made it back to Luang Prabang where Dom and I walked straight to a mssage place and for a 5 dollar hour Lao Massage. Not a bad life afterall...
Then we all met up again for dinner where we ate bamboo/pork sticks which were delicious and then we went to the bar to drink a bit but in case you did not know everything closes at 11PM in Laos under government law EXCEPT for the bowling alley! So we met up with our 17 year old waiter from the restaurant and all together we went bowling! yes, bowling in Laos! Oh what clean fun, if you don't count the beer and popcorn.
At last, 1AM had arrived and it was time to head back home and sleep, but not before the police set up a road block and while only Dom and i were left to be dropped off at our hotel, the police stopped our tuk tuk, questioned the driver and us to find out why we were around so late (apparently cars have a curfew in Laos) and then let us drive home.
Next was 4 hours of sleep (as usual by now) and a morning pick up for the airport where we met the Australians Alex and Kelob who had just missed their flight and had to wait for the next one which was 3 days later! As for us, we went in and at check in they told su our names where not in the list of passengers on the computer. 45 minutes later with proof of purchase and a paper ticket in our hands, they finally let us get on board and onto our next country (Cambodia) to meet back up with Shady.
I'll leave you all with one word of advice: if you you ever travel to SE Asia and skip Laos you are missing out on the best country in the region.
