http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_of_Jars
We left the next morning for Luang Prabrang. The bus ride took about 5 hours up and down and around and back and forth in the mountains. The driver had to be going at least 50-60 mph at times. It wasn't that bad and the views were amazing. Luang Prabrang is a great city. I spent 2 days and 2 nights there. Our guesthouse was right next to the Nam Khan river and only 2 blocks away from the Mekong. The first night we went out on the town. I ended up staying up so I could watch the Colts lose the Superbowl. I still cant believe that. We walked around a lot and just enjoyed the town for its peace and quiet.
We left for Vang Vieng on Tuesday morning. It was another 5 hours over the same roads south to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is a party town. Its famous for is called "In The Tubing". Basically you rent a tube, some people don't, and go 3 KM north of town and tube down the Nam Song River back to Vang Vieng. All along there are bars playing loud techno and pop songs. Each bar has either a swing or zip line that you take to the river below. So really its just an excuse to great really drunk and float down the river. We did that Wednesday. Yesterday I started a 2 day trek. This was one of the things I had planned on doing when I came to Laos. First we climbed a mountain that took about 2 hours to go up and down. We ended up at a waterfall that flowed into a cave where we ate lunch. Next it was up into a valley where we walked past an old village. Some local farmers still use it when they grow rice. Next it was up another mountain. This one didn't take as long and wasn't as high. The end up that trail ended up at a cave where we walked into with flashlights because it was so long. The last part of the leg took us along a river and through a Hmong Village. That was a highlight to see local villagers. I took a video of a cock fight that local kids were participating in. When we got to our guesthouse we had to cross a river. The boat had countless holes so the villager had to paddle real fast. It was amazing because I watched all the villagers use this boat throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening and they all had to bail water out while crossing. A couple of times one or two had to jump out before it sank. I dint know why they just didn't fix it. This morning we got up and started the kayak portion. It was nice to just be able to float down the Nam Song River. The first stop was up and over a ridge to a cave. We got to walk all the way through it to the other side. During the rainy season you cant because it fills with water. The next stop was at a Mulberry farm. The farm uses the leaves for tea and makes various Mulberry dishes. It was really good tea. The final leg took us to another cave. This was what I wanted to do for awhile now. There was a stream flowing through it. We hiked through it and through the water. Our guide caught a bat with his hat as it clung to the ceiling. I had never see that before. It got to a point where we had to crouch down so we wouldn't hit our heads. At the end we had to squeeze through a tiny hole, barely big enough for us to fit through to get out. Awesome! We then had lunch and paddled the rest of the way down the river to Vang Vieng. I'm so glad I did the trek. Its one of those things I will always remember. Tomorrow I am leaving for Vientiane, Laos. I'm going to just try to get a bus out right away to Savannakhet, Laos which is about 7-8 hours south. If not I will leave the next day. I don't know how long I will be in Savannakhet. I'm going to try to be to Cambodia by the 18th no later than the 19th. Here are pictures so far of Laos and a couple of videos. Cheers.
J
No comments:
Post a Comment