Laos part 2

My next stop in Laos was at Vang Vieng.  VV is a small town surrounded by limestone mountains with the Mekong river running through it.  It is a beautiful and picturesque town. With the many activities for tourists and surrounded by mountains it reminded me of South East Asia's version of Queenstown, New Zealand.

Balloonists enjoy Vang Vieng from the air

I arrived to the news that the death of another tourist the previous week had caused all bars to be closed along the famous tubing route.  The mix of excessive drink (and often drugs) with an inflatable tire and the fast current of the Mekong river is always going to be dangerous. I was undecided if I was to do this activity, and was never going to drink to excess, I'm bad enough in water without any alcohol.

Making my way around the town I bumped into the girl from Hong Kong whom I'd had dinner with a couple of weeks back.  It is amazing how many people you continue to bump into on well trodden paths.  We had a great catch up over dinner and said over farewell, she was heading south and I was heading north.

With the full-on tubing experience no longer an option I pushed myself to try something new and took on a full tour trip with had caving, some tubing and new to me Kayaking.  Following my unsuccessful time snorkelling it was time for me to push my own boundaries in the water again.





The tubing was dragging yourself along a rope in a cave full of water.  It was great fun, quite easy and relaxing.  I was with a great group of 3 Danish girls, 2 Swedish fellas and a couple of Korean girls. The lads were a great laugh and more my age so we got on great.  The Korean girls didn't mix with us too well, although I think it was a language problem, the Danes were great fun.

After lunch the Kayaking began, I was the only novice, one of the Danish girls (Marie) choose to be my partner, something she probably now regrets.  We started well for the first few metres, before heading towards an overhanging tree.  Been at the back I was in charge of steering, but got confused as we headed for a tree I turned the wrong way and when Marie swayed away from the foliage we capsized.  Luckily we were quickly recued as we sped along the Mekong holding onto the boat.  Thanks to an excellent tour guide and us wearing life jackets the only downside from this was one lost flip flop (hers - not mine).  At least I got to test that the dry bags worked. 



The start of the kayak adventure - I think it was the tree in the centre of the shot we crashed into

I learned quickly and really enjoyed the 8km kayaking.  It was tough and I had to concentrate to avoid all the rocks, bridges, tubers and trees but we survived in one piece. I bought the girls a drink to apologise but Marie insists it was her fault which I went along with.

After today's exercise I had well and truly had earned a beer or two. I went to the lively bar in town tried a new beer (Namkhong), had three free whiskey and lemonade drinks, bumped into the Korean girls who again weren't up for much banter, had a night cap and slept like a log.



A nice change from Beer Lao



I was pleased I had pushed myself to try something new.  Once over I would have avoided kayaking for fear of the unknown, but hey I faced my fear, within 2 minutes we'd capsized and survived and then I could enjoy it. One thing this trip has taught me is to push my boundaries (within reason) and even if the worst does happen it might not be as bad as anticipated.  This is what is great about travelling it can remove anxiety from your life.

A great trip from Vang Vieng over the mountains to Luang Prabang and I managed to bag the front seat of the mini-van yet again.  Everyone else was complaining about the drivers speed and he hit too many potholes, but I could see how bad the road was and I thought he was an excellent driver.  The mini-van was 2 hours quicker than the bus, so they must have realised he would be quite fast.  Some people just like to moan.



Nice drive to Luang Prabang



Another sunset view this time from the mountain in Luang Probang a wonder down the night market and an early night as the rain started to fall.



Feeling on top of the world in Luang Prabang



Food at the night market



And drinks - I had number 12 with plenty of Laos whiskey

Having gone through wet season in South East Asia, it is ironic that the next day was wiped out by steady rain. I sorted out a couple of trips for following days, had a coffee, with the rain still falling the only answer was for a couple of beers.  My walk back to the guesthouse was in torrential rain, and lets just say I wasn't happy that the owner had locked the place at 21:40 as I had to hammer on the door whilst getting drenched to wake her to let me in.

The next morning wandering through the town I saw that the bamboo bridge had been partly washed away by the rain the previous night.  I had considered staying over the other side of the river so it was I good job I never.


You could walk across this bridge when I arrived in Luang Prabang

I took a tour to see Kuang Si Falls, which was great but was spoilt somewhat by having to share the minivan with 8 or 9 lads and lasses from the UK.  Up until this point I hadn't heard any swearing, but this short trip was littered with language that made it embarrassing to be from the same country.  Goodness only knows what the young Korean couple and a Dutch father and daughter combo must have thought.  The episode didn't make me want to come home in a hurry.


Waterfalls selfie

The waterfalls themselves were great and with the additional water that had fallen were in full flow.  I climbed the slippery 200m climb to the top where I didn't feel it was entirely safe, I was certainly not looking forward to the decent.  Talking with some other travellers they said it was easier to climb down the other side of the falls.  However this meant crossing the river at the top with just a flimsy bamboo fence to stop you from been washed over the edge.  Although it wasn't deep it was extreme enough for me.


Crossing the river at the top of the falls



The fence top left is the same fence as the photo above

The following day I took a trip out to an elephant camp.  I was just let loose wandering around the jungle watching them eat breakfast.  The only warning I had was stay away from the ones with tusks. Again not entirely safe most of them were wandering loose but I could get up really close.


Elephant selfie



My favourite elephant, a happy 'little' fella

My visit to Luang Prabang coincided with the film festival and also a celebration of 20 years of been a UNESCO town.  Plenty going on day and night.  I took in a fashion show and a concert by local singer Totlina.

Local fashion show

Totlina in action

I couldn't decide how to get to Thailand for my next stop.  Most tourists take the slow boat, but going up river it takes 3 days a 9 hour day, an 11 hour day and then a bus the next day.  It is supposed to be a beautiful trip but it took a little to long for my liking.  I decided on a night bus to the border, Huay Xai.  It is a 14 hour over night trip in a normal sitting bus.  I'm just about to get on the bus and must say I'm not entirely looking forward to it.  I will decide in the morning if I'm to stay in Huay Xai for a night although I'm down to my last 220,000 kip (£18) from which I will need to get a full day and nights expenses and a tuk tuk to the Thai border.  Banks here add 40,000 (£3.30) to each transaction you make so even though my bank (Norwich and Peterborough) does not charge on international ATMs, I still get stung.

My next blog will have details of my overnight bus where I'm hoping the bus isn't full, plus my first few days in my last country on this trip, Thailand.

Chilling out in Laos

After the minibus from Cambodia dropped us off we made our way to catch a rickety boat to the 4000 islands. I was staying on Don Det which is known as a chillout and party island.  I had accomodation booked, quickly checked in dropped my bag and headed for sunset side of the island to watch the sun go down whilst having my first ever beer lao.

Sunset on 4,000 Islands

First (of many) Beer Lao

The bar restaurant was a shack overhanging the Mekong River furnished with bed like booths, cushions and seats. I got talking to the owner, she was incredibly hungover from the night before.  It turned out by chance this place was the same place that I had been recommended for excellent Laos food.

After another glorious sunset where the clouds around the mountains lit up in pinks and oranges, i was well overdue a shower after a full day on the bus.  I went back to the shack for dinner asking the owner what was her best dish, didn't catch what said, but yes please. It was fab if not a little too spicy but was good to wash it down with more beer.



 Chicken Ka Pao (I think) - very spicy but great



Later a young couple who had travelled with me from Siem Reap joined me and a Belgium girl for a few beers. The couple were from Paris and the other girl Brussels.  We discussed at great length the current situation with both places following the recent attacks. As we discussed the owner got on one of the beds and slept her hangover away. We helped ourselves to beers from the fridge and woke her up to pay when we left, it is that sort of place.

The next day I hired a bike which must have been older than me and I cycled around Don Det and the neighboring island connected by a bridge.  I visited some great waterfalls, and then to a man-made beach in the middle of the river. Other tourists were swimming and frolicking in the river lagoon, I could only paddle as I hadn't brought any swimming shorts.  It was too far to go back and get them. Others were swimming in their shorts but i was worried about leaving my phone, money and credit card by the side.  Cycling was tricky and tiring, the bike not helping. During my ride a snake crossed my my path, he already had a small mouse in his mouth which I was thankful of.



Waterfalls in Mekong River



Beach for a cool dip in the Mekong river



That evening I enjoyed another great sunset and met a local guy and had a few cocktails.  It was a great night.  Don Det is a young travellers destination, very chilled with beautiful scenery.

The next day I caught a boat and bus to Pakse. It wasn't clear which boat to catch, and even less clear which connecting bus to catch.  I had no onward accomodation booked so I wasn't fussed of the destination, but hoped it was north.



Boat landing beach



I'd planned a big Friday night out in Pakse, but after a very spicy dinner (Chicken Lahp) and a long walk, abandoned it for a couple of reasons. I was feeling a little sick after dinner and also I didn't fancy the late night dark walk home, tuk tuks in Pakse are scarce particularly in the evening.

The next day I caught the night bus to Vientiane the Laos capitol.  I was a little worried as I'd been told that the VIP sleeper bus was a series of single beds (about 5ft x 3ft) to share with another passenger. Booking my seat earlier I choose one that had a empty seat (bed) next to me.

When i went to the bus station to catch the bus I discovered I was to have a partner sharing my bed. A bit of a lottery, but after a little sweat talking the office girl (who couldn't speak English), she changed my seat to a vacant double right at the front of the bus above the driver. As it turned out my original seat (bed) 38 was sharing with a lovely french girl I met earlier in the day.  She will never know it but I guess she was more pleased than I, that I managed to change my reservation.



My bed on the sleeper bus for the evening



I might have had plenty of room but I had a prime view of oncoming overtaking lorries flashing and honking their horns at us and first hand witness of crazy manoeuvres.  On top of that, the road was very bumpy, and with every pothole we hit I was thrust 6 inches into the air and landed with a thump back on the bed.  Needless to say my sleep was restless at best.

So I arrived in Vientiane with no accommodation at 06:30 on a Sunday morning.  Everywhere was shut for breakfast so I wandered the streets looking for decent digs in my price range. 20 mins later I found a cracking hotel for £8 a night and best of all the room was immediately available. A quick nap and I hit the streets of Vientiane.

This is a small place and I'd done most of the temples on day one and headed up to a Arc De Triumph like structure (Patuxai) with you could climb to the top for 25p. A few beers watching the sun set over the mekong, a quick bite to eat and I was done.  The sunset was made all thee more pleasant as I was joined by a couple of Lao girls who surprisingly were also on the beer.  I expected boyfriends to turn up and join them but it never happened.  I had great food and an early night.



Vientiane version of the Arc De Triumph





This guy handily pointing me to the nearest pub

Over dinner I met a guy from Switzerland and agreed to meet him for sightseeing the next day.  We caught a local bus to Buddha park for 12,000 kip (£1) return saving from the 70,0000 organised tour. Back in town we did the COPE museum which helps locals who still suffer from the USA bombing 40 years ago. Unexploded bombs still cause around 100 casulaties a year. 



This was the way in

Buddha Park Mega mix

I headed back to the Mekong river for another great sunset, tonight's bar had loads of groups of young Lao women drinking together and enjoying themselves.  I stayed for a few beers listening to the live band.  

Cracking sunset over the Mekong

The next morning i made a late decision to travel north to Vang Viang.  At the agency I booked the 10am bus at 08:50.  The lady said I would be picked up in a tuk tuk at 09:00.  I rushed back to my hotel, quick toilet stop, but was horrified that the flush didn't work in the shared bathroom.  Managing to sort it using the shower attachment on the side of the toilet, quickly packed my bag and back to the travel agency.  

The tuk tuk dropped me about 20 meters from my hotel door and I boarded the bus and waited for over an hour and a half for it to fill up before departing. I could have so much time for a shower and relax had I known. As I write this aboard the 4 hour bus in 35°C heat still in the clothes I wore last night, I must admit I feel a little sorry for the German geezer sat next to me.

Vang Viang was to be the latest venue of another not entirely successful water based activity, this time in a Kayak.

Siem Reap, Cambodia. Wat, Wat, Wat!

I arrived in Siem Riep expecting the temples of Angkor to be the biggest highlight of my trip. Still with a poorly stomach I decided no food, a couple of vitamin waters and an early night would do the trick.

It worked the next day I was feeling almost human again. I had three days left so headed to the temples and got a three day ticket which was the same cost as two one day tickets.  

Day one I did some really impressive temples but saved Angkor Wat until a later day.  I did what was described as the small tour and planned doing the big tour either the follow day or the day after.



The start of the temple ticking

Some of the temples on the small tour were incredible.  Mind blowing in fact. My favourites had Buddhist heads sculptured into the temple, at first it was hard to see but when you looked around they were everywhere.  Another temple I liked had trees growing through it, remarkably (and no doubt with a little help from restorers) the temples remained intact.



Temple with Buddhist faces

Temple with tree growing through it

Still feeling a little gentle I decided to try out a local restaurant that always seemed busy. Genevieve's restaurant was created by an Aussie in memory of his late wife employing locals with no skills, training them up to give them a chance in life. The food and service was immaculate. I went on tripadvisor to leave my review I was that impressed but I'd been beaten to it by hundreds of other customers that made it number one choice in Siem Reap.

A mate of mine was in town, but a combination of a bad stomach and a very early start to see sunrise over Angkor Wat I declined to meet him for beers, as I felt the inevitable would have happened.

The second day temple ticking was as good if not better than the first. Watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat was glorious, but as soon as the sun had made it light enough to get photos, it was then shining directly on the camera. People with decent SLR cameras were getting great shots, almost better than the naked eye, but my photos were average at best.



Angkor Wat at dawn

One of the temples you had to cross a lake

Cows cooling down from the intense heat

The rest of that day I must have visited 6 or 7 other temples all great, but by the end I was flagging and a little bit templed out.

After a busy day and a few beers down the aptly named pub street.  Battenbang tourist board should visit Seam Reap to see what a real pub street should look like.   To be honest I didn't really like it down there preferring to find other cheaper bars or find bars with live bands. 


This is more like it, Battanbang take note

I took it easy the next day, deciding not to rush too much and slow things down.  I found out that the water festival was on in town in a couple of days so I extended my stay to 6 nights. Other than for test matches I rarely stay so long in one place. As I mentioned in my first blog I now had time to do this if I wanted, I needn't rush as I've got nowhere to rush to. 

Still in take it easy mode I spent the next morning by the pool updating my CV.  I had almost made up my mind to try an IT role again, but talks with 2 people who were teaching in Cambodia and Vietnam.  One a retired Doctor who did it for fun, but still had a reasonable salary, the other about my age took it more seriously and made a decent living from it.  The Doctor had done the TEFL training the other lad had no qualifications.



Office for the day

I had been told and shown some great photos of Angkor Wat as the sun set making it a better light to get good photos. I used my final day of my 3 day ticket to go back and get one last glimpse of the magnificent structure in the late afternoon.



Angkor Wat in better light

That night I found a cracking little bar out the back of the night market, it was selling very cold reasonably priced beers and had a guy doing an acoustic set which was very good and relaxing.  I liked that bar and stayed until the music finished.

My final day was at the river festival, which is to celebrate the end of the wet season (not that you would have known it) where the river changes direction for 6 months of the year. I'd never heard of such a thing and was sceptical but research on the Internet confirmed this.  I think it is the only river (Tonle Sap) in the world that does this. 

The festival was boat races along the river with thousands of locals lining the banks cheering the rowers on.  Hundreds of food outlets, stalls and fairground rides made it great to see locals letting their hair down.


Water festival boat races




It looked like it was going to be a proper party scene down at the festival at night and sure enough it was.  Loads of bands and stereos lined the river banks with impromptu bars set up selling cheap beer cooled in ice baths.  I was told to watch out for pickpockets and trouble makers but been twice the size of any local I never encountered any problems.




Water festival party at night

It appeared I had messed up my itinerary, all the tour agents were only selling bus tickets to Laos where you had to travel 6-7 hours in the wrong direction back to Phnom Penh making it a 14-15 hour monster bus journey.  After a bit of research I cane across a company that took a near direct route across a new road, doing the journey to Laos in about 8 hours including my ferry across to my first stop in Laos on (one of) the 4000 islands.  Anyone doing Siem Reap to Laos I'd recommend Asian Van Transfer, the minibuses are OK the information and timings are excellent. Been a single traveller I got to sit in the front all the way which meant I could stretch out and relax.

At the border I had to pay $2 to get the exit stamp from Cambodia. Pay a $1 visa handling fee in addition to the $35 visa fee and then also pay a $2 for my entry stamp into Laos.  The $35 was the official price but the other $5 had an air of been unofficial, however not much you can say when you want to get in but still leaves a bad taste.

With another full page visa stamp in my passport I was in Laos, another new country for me.