Lovely Luang Prabang, Laos
Trip Start
Aug 31, 2008
1
20
27
Trip End
??? ??, 2009
Luang Prabang,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Monday, November 24, 2008
Well our 3 day sloooooow boat journey into Laos actually ended up being tons of fun. That is minus the mini bus ride to the border, and the one night stay in the most disgustingly dirty guest house we have stayed in to date. But the next morning we boarded a very safe (ha) boat and crossed the Mekong to the other side...Laos!! Immigration went smoothly and next thing we knew we were aboard our floating home for the next two days. First day we spread out with our new cushions bought from a convenient road side stand. Started a two day long game of Asshole. Drank some famous Beer Laos and met some great new Commonwealth friends...and a New Yorker, Paul. Cruised along the Mekong with the amazing Laos jungle as our backdrop. Hard to beat. That night the boat stopped in a small village where we stayed for the night. They turn the generators off at 9pm every night so it was off to bed early. I have never experienced the absolute blackness that a powerless, jungle village in Laos provided that night. You could not even see your hand if you put it in front of your face. Next morning we stocked up on snacks from the once again conventing roadside stands, and got back on the long boat. Pretty much spent the next 8 hours as El Presidente....ok so its just a card game, but when you play for two days straight it gets serious. By the end of the trip the final order was..President:yours truly...Vice President: Paul....Neutral: Mike and Nadia....Vice Asshole: Christopher....and...drum roll please...Asshole: Daryl. The first order of business, Mr. VP and I decided was having Daryl change the White house into a house made entirely of Fruit Creme Cookies and the swimming pool would be ice cream (a different flavour every day). Anyways we made it to the UN Heritage town of Luang Prabang just before 6pm. Found a cheap little guest house and explored the awesome night market.
The next morning we hoped on a tuk tuk and headed out to the waterfalls. Swam for a bit until the guys were convinced that leeches were sucking on their cuts so we left and returned to town. That night we ate some really good pizzas and drank some realllly good Sangrias then went to the night market again (P.S. not a good idea once you've had a few pictures of Sangria...suddenly everything seems like a great deal). Bars in LP have an 11:30 curfew so we did what every other backpacker would so in such a situation...headed to the bowling alley (?). Thats right we spent the rest of the night drinking cheap bottled spritzers and beer and bowling our hearts out (seriously...there were even injuries). The next day Mike, Daryl and I checked out some Wats and met a nice young monk. He explained to us his teachings in ancient wood carving...then asked if we had Facebook....ha. That night we boarded the bus bound for the tubing splendors of Vang Vieng......
