Posted by: Jonathan
We plowed further north in Thailand to Chiang Khong (8 hours from Chiang Mai) where we rested for a night before catching the sunrise over the Mekong river and crossing into Laos.
We plowed further north in Thailand to Chiang Khong (8 hours from Chiang Mai) where we rested for a night before catching the sunrise over the Mekong river and crossing into Laos.
The crossing was fairly straight forward minus the $1 bribe for crossing on a Sunday and the utter chaos of 150 people trying to see their passport as it was held up by the customs official with the newly stamped visa. The crowd was so deep and passports so small that only the first two rows could make out the name printed. Finally, a few travelers at the front began calling out the name, nationality, and anything noticed in the photo, including a hotness factor. The best part was the official handing them out would take a second look at the photo if the number was seven or above. This not only helped speed things up, but also added a slice of entertainment for the wait.
With 30 day visas stuck in our passports we hopped on a boat that pierced downstream on the Mekong river to Luang Prabang, arriving in a mere two days. As we boarded the boat (I was sporting the red and white from NC State) and made our way down the isle looking for a few empty seats, I heard the repulsive war cry "rah rah Carolina-lina." The hair on the back on my neck stood up and my eyes narrowed as I scanned the crowd for popped collars and croakies... The two recent Carolina grads, who were originally from a town near Wilmington (my hometown), turned out to be decent human beings after all. The slow boat was quite enjoyable as you watched the mountain scenery float by as the boat driver not only navigated the thousands of visual rocks but also the tens of thousands that lay only inches below the surface, lightly disturbing the placid waters, just daring a captain to make the oversight resulting in monumental consequences.
With 30 day visas stuck in our passports we hopped on a boat that pierced downstream on the Mekong river to Luang Prabang, arriving in a mere two days. As we boarded the boat (I was sporting the red and white from NC State) and made our way down the isle looking for a few empty seats, I heard the repulsive war cry "rah rah Carolina-lina." The hair on the back on my neck stood up and my eyes narrowed as I scanned the crowd for popped collars and croakies... The two recent Carolina grads, who were originally from a town near Wilmington (my hometown), turned out to be decent human beings after all. The slow boat was quite enjoyable as you watched the mountain scenery float by as the boat driver not only navigated the thousands of visual rocks but also the tens of thousands that lay only inches below the surface, lightly disturbing the placid waters, just daring a captain to make the oversight resulting in monumental consequences.
As the sun set on the first day of the boat journey we spent the night in a small secluded riverside town, as it is impossible to navigate the river at night. Upon returning to the boat in the morning the captain began collecting the tickets we were issued the previous morning when we paid for passage. As the captain neared our seats Jenn's pleading eyes met mine and I immediately knew she had "misplaced" her ticket. Not wanting to pay the 200,000 kip (about $26) for Jenn's second ticket to the same place, she stealthily hid out in the restroom. Once all the tickets were collected she returned to her seat and we were home free, or so we thought. It was just then that I noticed the deckhand completing a head count and reporting the total to the captain - Jenn's pretty little noggin included. The captain, perplexed that the tickets collected and number of passengers counted didn't match, demanded a recount. This rather simple task was derailed by six helpers counting (now multiple passengers were getting double counted and others missed) and reporting their number back to the captain who punched them into a calculator. The result, far worse figures than the initial count, prompting the captain to fall back on what he did best - driving the boat.
The ride was low key and relaxing until out of nowhere there was tons of shouting in Lao. The captain killed the power and was peering out over the river. The translation was made that the six week old puppy (whom everyone had grown attached to over the past 2 days) had fallen off the bow of the boat. The captain somehow swung the 175' boat (read swollen log) around (this model boat was before bow thrusters became a standard option), fought the current upstream through the rocks, spotted the puppy, turned the boat back around, and eased right up next to it so it could be plucked out of the water. Not to mention he also kept the boat from capsizing when everyone rushed to the same side of the boat to see/help the puppy.
Once the boat landed we searched out a hotel room and some food. We began with appetizers of spring rolls, then eased into rice pudding bites, and finished with a street stall buffet dinner. You load a plate with the rice, noodles, and vegetables that you want (piled as high as you like) and then hand it over to the cook who warms it up a bit before topping it off with your choice of meat or fish. You eat elbow to elbow on a 200 foot picnic table with strangers who, throughout your plate, become acquaintances or even friends.
The following day we met up with ten other travelers who we met on our two day slow boat and negotiated with the tuk tuk mafia (Jenn vetoed the scooter rental) for a reasonable fare to the Kouang Si waterfalls. The only fitting adjective for the falls that comes to mind (and yes, straight men can use this word on occasion too) is magical. Dense green jungle that clings to the mountain side as clear water cascades from one emerald pool to the next.
We spent several hours exploring the 100's of waterfalls, from swimming under them to jumping off them. We even found a rope swing and put it to good use.
On a side note, there were several sloth bears in a habitat adjacent to the park the waterfalls were in. The bears were rescued from poachers who sell them to bear farms where their gallbladders are milked for bile which is used as a remedy in Chinese medicine for most anything.
The city planner of Luang Prabang is a marketing genius. Yes, Wal-Mart may put up tempting end displays and a small isle of goodies you are forced to walk through to check out, but that is child's play compared to the "daily essentials separated by a market" technique incorporated in Luang Prabang. This is how the technique works: you take two things that are essential to survival, such as food and shelter, and separate them by a huge (four city blocks long) market overflowing with items so much so that everyone must walk single file through it.
The morning that we left town we awoke before sunrise and watched the giving of alms to the monks. Hundreds and hundreds of monks would walk single file through the streets where locals would sit on mats with containers of food and offer each a small pinch. By the end of the walk the monks food bowl would be overflowing and they would offload some of the goods to poor children who would sit on the curbs with cardboard boxes. Monks only eat one meal a day and they get this meal through the community who believe that they will be blessed for their generosity. As much as I enjoyed witnessing this, I was distraught by some of the other tourists who crowded the monks space, seeking close ups and using the flash up close - this is a time for the zoom lens and taking sniper shots so your presence doesn't take away from the event. Worse than that were the tourists who purchased overpriced sticky rice from street hawkers and tried to take part in the religious ceremony. On more than one occasion we saw/heard arguments break out between these tourists and street hawkers because the price climbed higher than originally stated for one reason or another - to say this detracts from the purpose of the event and ruins it for the nearby locals performing rituals and prayers to bless the food they are passing out, is an understatement.
Not only does the town pack action and adventure, it also has a very sophisticated side of cafes, cottages, and culture. Luang Prabang has seen a spike in tourism over recent years and continues to draw in more crowds as it was recently ranked the #1 city to visit in the world by a prominent London based travel magazine. While I did thoroughly enjoy the city, I can say that had I written the article I might have haded the first place ribbon to another. This is the first place we have been on our trip that the backpacks were outnumbered by roller suitcases. That is to say the average age of the visitor was of retirement age and the prices for everything reflected this.
Saying goodbye to Luang Prabang, we scooped up discounted seats to Vang Vieng where, to our surprise, we boarded the van to find it full of our friends from the slow boat.
Saying goodbye to Luang Prabang, we scooped up discounted seats to Vang Vieng where, to our surprise, we boarded the van to find it full of our friends from the slow boat.