4000 ISLANDS

The 5 of us struggled a little to find a hostel due to the uneven number but Chris said he was okay to stay on his own, after all, a full room was $5. We spent the whole fist day lounging around and reading on the hammocks. Traveling wears you out. The guesthouse was really homely and the entire family took care of it. Right outside of our rooms the hammocks overlooked the river. The day was beautiful and the sunset was out of this world. Pink and purple tones that looked as though they had been freshly painted onto the sky.



At night, we went to the famous rasta bar, where pretty much everyone in the island ends up at. The main server (still not sure if he is the owner) was a lanky guy with rastas down to his hips, his eyes more red than white, and lets just say a very interesting smell. He was really friendly though and told me that he was originally from Austria but had been in the island for over a year and a half. Believe it or not, a lot of travelers get stuck along the way, and they never make it back.

The next day we went biking all the way to the neighboring island Don Khon. My bike didn't quite have breaks but that didn't seem to be a major problem as most of the land was flat. The pieces of land looked is if they were divided in little squares ready for them to grow rice, but there wasn't any for all we could see. Lots of locals were burning wood, giving of an eucalyptus scent. Along the way crazy Chinese tourists in tuk tuks were waving and taking pictures of us. We stopped to look at the remainders of the first railway in South East Asia, built because it was not possible to get through the waterfalls. At the end of the island, we got to see Cambodia across the water, but no Irrawaddy dolphins. On our way back, Claude and I helped a 6 ad 8 ytear olds to fix their bike (chain derailed). We also saw ducks going at it... normally I wouldn't care about such a trivial detail but it just so happens that 1) the female fought for the whole time 2) the shape of the male's 'organ' was just too funny, like a broken spring. Anyways... we ran into the motorbike crew from  Kong Lor and agreed to have a drink later on at rasta bar offcourse.

 That night it got packed, lots of people ordering "happy pizza", watching soccer and just having a good time. Its weird how a group of strangers can turn into friends in such a short period of time. We had a really fun night, lots of Beer Lao, crazy pictures and laughs all round. The lights went off at 3:30am but some of us were still sitting there. Eventually, they told us we had to leave haha.

On the last day all it did was rain non stop. The streets were  muddy and I saw people kayaking, poor souls. We went to another guest house ans spent the day watching movies. That night the girls and I had a lao BBQ  to celebrate our last night together.

KONG LOR

The night before i had bought a ticket to Kong Lor Cave without really knowing where the bus would drop me off. I just figured I would find out more when I got there... for starters, the "VIP" bus was full of locals and only two backpackers who did not speak any English. I never knew when I was allowed to get off to get food or if it was just a quick stop... as a result my lunch was a bag of chips.



The bus dumped me off in front of a huge rice field with beautiful mountains in the background, aka the middle of nowhere. I found myself on a dirt road but managed to find a guesthouse. I tried to ask for directions but they didn't speak any English and my sign language didn't help much. For all i could see, the whole town consisted of a dirt road with 2 hostels and maybe 10 houses. I had no idea of how to get out of there because there was no such thing as a bus station. Luckily I saw a white guy on the road and he spoke English! what a relief! him and his wife are doctors and they volunteered for a while but were currently traveling. Later in the evening we went to pretty much the only place you could get a drink at and I met a bunch more people, mainly because the whole restaurant consisted of one big table. There was a group of 7 who were doing "the loop" a 3 day motorbike trip around the region and a few more people who had arrived in a van. The next morning we all went to the cave together. We got into motorized canoes of 3 and ventured into the darkness. Khong Lor cave is one of the largest caves in South East Asia, it is a 7.5 km tunnel under the mountains. In the middle of the cave, there was a lit display of stalactites and stalagmites that made me feel as i was exploring another planet. The whole trip was really spooky, we even went through rapids in the darkness.

In the group of people i met, there ere 3 Canadian girls from Quebec, Claude, Freddie and Corrine and an Australian, Chris, who were all heading in the same direction as me. Their minivan driver had agreed to pick them up later that day so they let me join them even though the minivan was almost to full to take me. It dropped us of at an intersection an hour away, then we took a tuk tuk to Tha Khek, a night bus to Pakse, a second bus to 4000 Islands, hitched a ride to the ferry on a pick up truck and finally a boat to Don Det.

more pics at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151700164550476.472164.503055475&type=3

VIENTAINE

Capitals are always the hardest to get around and Vientiane is no exception. On our first day we took the sketchiest tuk tuk ever... not only was it half the size of a regular one, so our bags could barely make it in, but the breaks screeched as loudly as a little girl screaming for her life. It was quite the ride.... that night we went to search for a train ticket for Trav and stumbled upon the main night market. The highlight was to see families doing crafts for fun, teenagers doing bike tricks and lots of locals hanging out. It was very authentic.

The next morning we had a really good breakfast at a french bakery, followed by a day of random exploration of the city. Saw a couple of temples and some monuments and ended up at a huge mall, with multiple buildings. It was rather strange, as it seemed to be divided in sections of around 30 stores selling the exact same items... after looking at fake i-pads for almost an hour, Trav managed to find me a decent one for a pretty good prize, lets hope it lasts :p. We had lunch at the food court and later found out we had had bamboo and duck, making me realize that most times  we don't exactly know what it is that we are eating. On our way back, I took us through a slightly sketchy street... it was a walking labyrinth that seemed to have no end, but that is when you truly get to see the 'real' people and how they live. That night we went out to celebrate the end of an amazing trip together. We had Indian food for dinner and then went to a rooftop bar for drinks.

On our last bit of a day together, we managed to squeeze in one last temple. It was different from the rest, with hundreds of silver Buddhas incrusted in the walls and an army of golden life size Buddhas all along the surrounding. Outside the main temple walls there were lots of cheddies, which are really fancy graves. Had lunch and then rushed to the hostel as Trav was getting anxious to leave. We got al his stuff and waited for the bus downstraris.... the air was tense, neither of us said anything for almost the whole half hour that we were sitting at the lobby waiting... we had such a great time togehter, laughed uncontrollably, fought like sibiling, and shared the most incredible experiences in beautiful places that words and pictures fall short to describe. As I went back upstairs to our room I stared at the empty bed... its alaways hard to be the one left behind. Nonetheless, I have many more adventures ahead, im just glad that I got to share some of the journey with one of my best friends.

VANG VIENG

After a crazy but scenic bus ride along the mountains, we arrived to Vang Vieng. It is the complete opposite of Laung Prabang. It is made for crazy backpackers 100%… the main attraction is going tubing, which consists of hopping in a tube and being pulled into bars along the river by grabbing the floating bottles that are thrown at you. Free shots at every bar, and for every shot you take, they give you a bracelet, so you can imagine that some people get a little competitive. The town itself is filled with restaurants that have tables where you sit on a platform with cushions and watch non-stop episodes of Friends. I think we almost watched an entire season…

 

On the first night in town we were ambushed by a group of people who offered us free buckets, and so down and across the river we went to get our whiskey buckets with our newly met friend Lonnie, a global health professor from Seattle but living in Thailand. At 10, we switched bars to Smile bar, which also had free buckets. At around 11 the fire started, fire limbo! Other than the fact that they spilled some gasoline on me, it was all fun and games. Then the real party started and the dance floor was packed by 12. That’s when I met Bonnie, an Australian girl who I had way too much fun with. To me she’s what I call a free spirit, always smiling, dancing and  just enjoying life. We danced the night away and I got to the hostel at 3:30am….

 

The next day we stumbled upon a cave, we followed a random sign that took us across some rice fields and unto a rocky path where a guy gave us head lamps and guided us to a really long and dark cave. It was just so unexpected, he just took us spelunking! There was absolutely no one else there and it was wet and slippery. After about 15 minutes in, we got to a pool of water and he asked us if we wanted to go swimming… It was very random but good adventure J. When we came out we were covered in clay so we found a stream to clean ourselves. The day was pretty hot so I decided to go for a swim. Then out of nowhere came a huge angry bull who looked like he wanted to kill us. As soon as I saw it is ran across the stream. The look of confusion of Trav’s face was priceless, but he snapped out of it and grabbed all our stuff and hurried across the stream. But that did not stop the bull, I ran without my shoes and just a bathing suit on across the forest, until we got back to the rice field. There was a family working there, and I wonder what they though when they saw a girl coming out of the forest with nothing on … but I was running for my life haha so my bad…

The next day we took a truck up river with a contingent of Spanish speaking peoples. Luckily Trav is used to this by now, and sat quietly piping in with a “Si” or “Yo comprendo pero no hablo”. We got on tubes and pulled ourselves along ropes through a very low cave system before reaching the end and letting the current take us. We had lunch then began the kayaking adventure down river. Since it is now the rainy season the rapids were in full force and allowed for moments of minor excitement. The whole trip was laced with gorgeous views of the mountains surrounding Vang Vieng and ended at one of the tubing bars. Here you could buy drinks or take part in activities to get them for free. These included sling shot beer, where you take a sling shot and every time you hit a beer can…5 feet away….you are entitled to a shot. Also if you chose to take part in mud boxing a free drink awaits you after, but only if you fight one of the locals, Trav was the only one up for that. Needless to say he was quite muddy afterwards.

 

We got back around 5:30, and took a shower and fell asleep… woke up at 8ish and went out again to claim our free buckets once more. Bucket Bar then Smile Bar…. But this time, knowing more people I ended up staying until close… aka 3:30am but it was not over then… Reggae bar stays open until who knows when, so we continued the party there, with a pool table and silly push up games where I lost count after having to do at least 40 … I walked back around 5:30am in the pouring rain as the sun was slowly coming up behind the mountains.

Next day I had promised to meet my new friends at 11:30am to go tubbing… we rented the tubes and took a tuk tuk about 3km out of town. Got into a boat and crossed the river to the first bar. We were welcomed with free shots and bracelets… according to them its never too early … at every bar there are different games and things to keep you entertained: giant jenga, cards, beerpong tables, flipcup, ziplines into the river, slides, hammocks to take a quick break, volleyball, “mud sliding” and pretty much anything cool you can think off…  it was a fun day, but by 6pm I was exhausted so called it an early night. Next morning woke up with lots of bruises and little cuts that I hadn’t quite noticed the day before… they say that you haven’t truly tubbed if you don’t 1) get the marks to prove it 2) loose something in the river and so I succeeded I guess…

One interesting fact to note as we were leaving Vang Vieng the next morning is that every backpacker runs out of there as if they feared for their life. With the river and drunken madness it is no wonder 10 people die there yearly , I guess no one wants to belong to that statistic. 

LAUNG PRABANG

Laung Prabang is a beautiful city, its just like a French villa with its cobble stone roads, balconies, fresh baguettes and rustic restaurants at every turn. We got to town in the afternoon and ventured off into the night market. I have been to a hundred and one night markets but this one takes the first prize with its beautiful silk scarves, handy crafts, and curious items. All the vendors sitting on the ground and some were even asleep…

Laos has a completely different rhythm, everything is so laid back it makes you feel like time just slows down and you can truly savour relaxing. On our second day, Trav wasn’t feeling too well, he had been complaining for the past few days; fist the joint pain, then headaches, but that day he had a really bad fever, so we decided to spend the day reading at a rustic little café that had a mini library with book exchange and delicious chai tea. When the sun cooled down a little, we made our way up the 346 steps to the main temple. The way up was beautiful, with golden Buddha’s surrounded by vegetation. At the top, one of the best views I have seen so far, orange roof tops and lots of temples, green mountains in the background and the river encircling and containing the city.

The next morning Trav woke up with a rash. This did not seem strange since he had slept with a sweatshirt and covered in blankets in a country where the temperature does not go below 25 Celsius. So we thought it was a heat rash… but later that day when we were hanging out at our café, we ran into a couple of American guys and they introduced Dengue. Dengue is a viral infection similar to malaria in being carried by mosquitoes and is very common in South East Asia. There are no prevention methods or treatment but all the symptoms are just what Trav had, especially the give away of a rash, so we came to the conclusion that it was dengue all along … but luckily Trav is not in the 5% for which the disease is lethal and he is fully recovered now.

The next day we took a tour to go see the whiskey village, the Buddha cave and some waterfalls. The whiskey village is known for making rice whiskey, and it is probably the strongest alcohol I have ever tried, it was 50% , I could feel it burning as it made its way down. The interesting part is that they pickle animals and insects and put them inside the bottles with the whiskey. Snakes are used to treat rheumatism and pain, scorpions are used for power, bear paws for who knows what… we bough a bottle with a cobra in it, but by the time we decided to try it is smelled like rotting fish so we couldn’t finish all of it… but according to them you are supposed to eat whichever animal is inside. After that we went to visit a cave which is used for religious purposes. On the upper cave, they have an archway to do a cleansing ceremony and the lower cave is filled with hundreds of Buddha images, which grows each year as they celebrate. After lunch we went to the waterfall, which turned out to be surprisingly beautiful. It had hundreds of turquoise pools to swim in and a Tarzan-like rope to jump in. The main waterfall was about 100m tall, it had yellow rocks and lots of surrounding vegetation. The only downfall of this paradise were the “little fish” in the water who were more big than little and bit you very obnoxiously.

That night we had a Lao BBQ, in which you have a grill in the middle of the table and you cook your own meat, vegetables and eggs. It was really fun even though we had no idea what we were doing and Trav somehow put hot peppers up his nose … but all and all it was delicious.

NORTHERN THAILAND

CHIANG MAI

Trav was at the hostel when I arrived, what a relief. We were leaving for a 3 day trek the next morning with two more people, a Korean guy who didn’t speak very much English and an older Dutch man who was having the time of his life. The fist day we went bamboo rafting, which sounds a lot more exiting than it turned out to be. It was more of a meditative ride gliding through the forest. Our second stop was a waterfall where we got to swim and cool down for a bit. Then we set off through the forest, following our animated guide Machete. He was a short portly guy, with long black hair and a love for everything the forest can provide; whether it be lemon flavoured ants, liquorish tasting berries, making umbrellas, pouches, toys and hats out of leaves and making often stops to look for mushrooms. In the evening we got to witness a breathtaking sunset, it was as if the sky was set on fire and to further highlight the evening our guide offered us some roasted tarantula, which to me, tasted like BBQ Chicken. Latter that night we were invited to one of the houses in the community to witness an offering to the spirits. As we waited for the ceremony to begin, we were sitting around with some local men who offered to share their cigars with us, since we didn’t want to be rude we accepted. A puff of tobacco and tamarind, which left my head spinning for a good 10 minutes. When we entered the house, there were about 25 villagers there already (1/4 of the entire village). It was beautiful to see the sense of community as they prayed together and shared rice whisky. The night came and we jammed away with a guitar we found in the shed. What a night!

Our second day was not as exiting as the first, we walked around from village to village but this time it was only the two of us and we had a different guide who took a very long nap at lunch and kind off left us hanging... nonetheless he was very crafty and made us chopsticks out of bamboo and made me beautiful hair pin out of a red tree. When we got back to the village we were staying in out guide announced that 8 people were coming to join us tonight. As the voices approached we looked up and it was Steve and Liz…. What are the chances? Drinks, cards, guitar and lots of catching up.

 On the third day we did some trekking in the morning, the casual waterfall stop and then elephant riding!!! To be honest I didn’t expect much but it was a really cool experience; the way they walk, the way they grab bananas from you and wrap them around their trunk and how they breathe on you when they want you to feed them… to make it even better, we had a baby elephant following us every step of the way.

And back to town…. That night we treated ourselves to a nice Indian dinner, visited the night bazar, which had tons of handicrafts, and got well-deserved massages.

The next day we took a cooking course. I learned to make: pad thai, spring roles, pranag curry, cashew nut chicken and mango sticky rice. They took us to the market in the morning where we went “shopping” for the ingredients but in reality they just filled up our little baskets with the ingredients. The actual cooking part was really fun, and everything was portioned already, which made the process very efficient. At the end we got “chef” certificates. During the afternoon I went to the salon and got the best haircut I have ever had… head massage and everything you can think of included for $10… sigh … rough day I know. Went out for dinner with Steve and Liz to celebrate and say goodbye.

On our last day in Chiang Mai I finally went to visit Doi Suthep, Trav for the second. It is the oldest and most prestigious temple in northern Thailand. It sits on top of a mountain with stunning views of the city. A 300 step dragon staircase leads the way up to the golden temple. Around the temple, like in the others we saw in Bangkok, there are hundreds of tiny bells that you buy as a donation to the Wat. The way they glimmered in the sunlight, mirroring the massive pagoda in the center, was just what I needed to feel ready to leave.

PAI

After the 5 hour minibus ride to pai we were greeted by an older jolly man who offered us a place to stay. Pai was such a change of pace… the streets (and there are only 4 main ones) are lined with handmade crafts, leather items, and rustic little restaurants. Everything is so pretty and carefully decorated. The hippie vibe is out of this world. After we were all set up in our hostel the man gave us a ride to a place to eat on his motorcycle, I had the best burger in the world, no joke.

On our one and only full day at Pai we took a yoga class. The sole owner and instructor of the place was Mam, an older Indian woman. She was an incredibly interesting character; in her youth was a model and actress but got very sick and was unhappy with her life. Her parents forced her to move back to India but no one turned up to pick her up once her flight arrived. With no money and nowhere to go she ended up at an Asham where she ended up staying for 6 months. She found true happiness in yoga and developed a passion to help others. She moved back to Thailand and found the small town of Pai where she opened her studio and offered her services to the villagers, schools and hospital, promoting healthy living.  She told us that the most basic lesson is to live in the present. Forget about what has already past and stop concerning yourself with what’s in the future, live in the moment.

 

The next morning we took our trusty motorcycle (or mope-head according to Trav) and did the “southern loop” around the mountains. We went to natural hot springs in a gorgeous spa and resort, went to the Pai Cannyon which has stunning views all around, and passed elephants on the road.

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL

I am currently sitting on a slow boat in Lao, have been sitting here in this spot for mmm 8 hours and probably have 3 more to go… and yess the landscape is gorgeous, green mountains surround the river with small clouds lingering on them, fisherman lined up the river banks with their children running around and waiving, the light breeze cleaning our lungs from being in the city for so long. However, we have been traveling for WAYY too long and I think I’m staring to go crazy. Over the past three days we have been on the move nonstop:

1.     Bus from Pai to Chiang Main è 4 hours through the windy mountains

2.     Bus from Chiang Main to the Laos border è 6 hours

3.     Immigration process through long tail boat è 1 hour

4.     Random mini busses to meet slow boat è 30 minutes

5.     Slow boat day 1 è 7 hours

6.     Slow boat day 2è 11 hours.