Riding the waves of the Mekong river
Trip Start
Nov 26, 2007
1
14
17
Trip End
Mar 01, 2009
Vang Vieng,
Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wait, tubing? Yes, possibly one of the coolest things in Asia! We arrived in Vang Vieng a few days ago and hit the tubes the very next day. You rent a tube from one company (they have a cartel on it!) and they drop you off at the farm where we are staying and you simply get in the tube and float all the way down the river (not the Mekong - not sure of the name!). Along the way there are many bars blaring out music and many people trying to drag you into the shore (literally - they throw out a stick which you grab and then get pulled in!). It is the best day, with massive mountains all around and music to float by, all topped off by alcohol and great food. For our food, we spotted a bar with no westerners on and stopped by, no English menu, and not much English spoken, we ordered what we thought was enough for 4 - turned out it was enough for about 7and was probably the best food we've eaten so far. However, I'm still not sure that I'm not sick from eating straight after being in the river!
Although i didn't partake (Jonathan definitely did, many many times!) there were some very cool (although scary looking on the safety side) swings and zip lines across the river. Jonathan definitely has the bruises and the cut toe to prove his courage!
After having so much fun and seeing the hostel we are staying in, we have decided to volunteer here for a week and in doing so knock Cambodia off our travel list and go there after Japan (together with Vietnam among others!). We are staying on an organic farm about 3 miles from Vang Vieng where they grow among many other things mulberry trees, so they make amazing mulberry pancakes in the morning and shakes too. They have pigs, chickens, loads of dogs, and goats. On our first day, i was taking a walk around the farm and saw lots of little piglets running around. I never realised that piglets are very similar to puppy's; very playful and very inquisitive too. After one came up to me the others realised that i was OK and followed suit. You cant stroke them though or they sequel and jump about a foot off the ground!! After this experience i was walking some more and saw an open shed with a local inside bottle feeding some goats - only a day old. They are absolutely adorable and Ive fed them a few times since, very cute indeed, finding their feet and squeaking!
So i should fill you in on whats happened since Chaing Mai...
We left Chaing Mai on a bus for Chiang Khong, thinking that we wouldn't have time that day (despite leaving at 6am) to cross the border into Laos. Luckily we tested our luck and made it over (despite meeting others who didn't even try to cross that day and said we couldn't etc). We were so chuffed as we paid less for the government bus (instead of the VIP one), had a really good bus, and made it over the border, so saving a nights stay. It was my first ever land border crossing and was pretty cool having to get a boat across the Mekong to get to Laos.
As we were wondering the streets to find our guest house, a German guy popped out of a bar and said they were going to charter a boat to Luang Prabang and did we want in? In the trusty Lonely Planet, they warn of the slow boats to Luang Prabang being totally over crowded, with up to 100 people on the boat! Of course, we wanted in!
The next day there were 12 of us on our little adventure and unfortunately no captains who spoke English. In comes Dirk, friend of the first German, who is fluent in French. There was one local who spoke Laos and French, so all the negotiations were done in French and hard bargaining occurred...
The Crossing into Laos
thanks Dirk!!Jonathan had to for some reason lie to the authorities about how many people were on the boat (only supposed to be 10) and had to keep miss counting the passports to confuse him!!
However, we set sail with our non English speaking captain and we were all so so chuffed at our fortune. I have to say we had such a nice journey along the Mekong, watching the fishermen, women panning for gold etc. We stopped over night in pakbeng and the next day set sail again for 10 hours (7 hours on the first day). This time, stopping at a local village and also the Buddha caves, very picturesque.
I have to tell you, if you've been to New Zealand but not to Asia, and we all know New Zealand is beautiful, you will be gob smacked by the landscape here, it gives NZ such a run for its money! Its crazily beautiful here and we are loving it!
We have taken a day trip to the waterfall too, in Luang Prabang, really blue water which we swam in, a beautiful day trip. Luang Prabang by the way is the nicest city we've been to in Asia so far, its UNESCO listed as a world heritage site and you can tell why. On our last day we got up very early and watched the Alms giving ceremony for the monks. We brought some rice and fruit and the sat at the side of the road. The monks come along and you give them each a piece of fruit etc into their big bowl. The poor family's also sit along the road with empty bowls and the monks give them back some of their food, very touching to see. That evening they had a special festival too.
We followed the locals to a small Wat and watched them all chanting and lighting candles, very beautiful with all the temple lit up by candle light. We then went onto a larger Wat where they had a candle lit procession where you hold incense sticks and candles - the incense symbolising your mother and father and the candle yourself. There were 2 locals who gave up their incense, candles and flowers to give to us! Amazing, and really sweet of them. We were the only westerners there and it was such an amazing experience.
So now we are living on a farm, as i said teaching the kids English. We had our first lesson this morning and another this afternoon of over 30 kids, all screaming and running around, not understanding a word!! It was very tiring, but great and so lovely when every single one of them came up and hugged us at the end shouting 'kop jai la lai' (thank you very much!). How could you not fall in love with kids like that?!
We are hoping to feed the animals too around our teaching and Jonathan will hopefully help build the mud house they are building on the farm. But, we will not be leaving Vang Vieng before another day of tubing! .
Me on our boat
