The early morning call blasted Toby out of bed like he had been shot from a cannon. Our driver was already waiting at reception but we managed to delay our departure long enough to scoff down breakfast. At 6:15 we motored out of the parking lot and hit the road to Chiang Khong. Toby curled up on the back seat and was soon fast asleep. Being so early there was not much traffic on the road. In fact I saw more dogs than cars. They seem to enjoy sitting in the middle of the road and appear to be watching the parade of cars as they pass them by. A quick blast from the horn soon reminds them of where they are. I thought all of the world's Indian Myna birds had congregated at Lucy Street however there were plenty of them perched on power lines as we sped by.
Over the course of the trip our driver who is about my age dropped a couple of unwanted SBD’s. The smell was so rank that it brought tears to my eyes. Toby just slept blissfully on unaware of the sensory assault on my nasal passages. Needless to say I did not bother to tip him. It was a simple process to clear immigration in Thailand. We then spent 40 baht on a boat ticket and were soon crossing the Mekong River into Laos. Our Shompoo Cruise guide was waiting to greet us and gave us the necessary immigration papers to complete. The process was quite easy. You handed over the necessary documents with a passport photograph through one window. You then waited for them to call out you name at the other window, then hand over $US30 and presto you have a visa to enter Laos.
A hot lunch was served right on midday and consisted of rice with curry, soup, chicken barbeque in pandanus leaves and steamed Mekong fish. I am not a big fan of chicken but these bite size pieces were delicious. Later in the afternoon our cruise stopped at a local village. They explained that the thatched houses do not have windows as it keeps evil spirits out. We also visited the local primary school which had two teachers. The children have only the bare essentials, no uniforms and earthen floors. It is our first hot day and I was glad to be back on the river catching the cool breezes and feeling like Huckleberry Finn. Only difference is that we can access a cold Lao beer.
The boat docked at Pak Beng just before 4:30pm. Prior to disembarking we backed a couple of basic needs into our day packs as we are leaving our main luggage onboard. It was only a short walk uphill to our overnight lodging, the Monesavanh Guesthouse. Toby is happy because he has a room to himself tonight. The upstairs rooms that have been allocated to us are exceptionally clean but the main bonus is that there is a small balcony overlooking the main street. After settling in we ventured up the main street to determine which establishment would win our custom for dinner tonight. Toby was already hungry so we tried a Laotian pancake from a street vendor.
Retraction notice: While sitting on the balcony Toby confessed to being the perpetrator of the SBD’s that permeated the confines of our taxi. My apologies to the poor driver who must have suffered as much as I did. Dirty little bugger!
Dinner tonight was at the Steak House directly opposite our guesthouse. The steak dinner was average due to the fact that it was only just warm. It must have been sitting in the kitchen for about ten minutes after it was ready. I did have some fun though as all the restaurant guests started to panic when a large grasshopper flew in. It did not take me long to catch it and then pose for photographs. I scared one girl when I touched her back with the grasshopper’s legs. Her scream brought tears of laughter to Toby’s face. I set it free by casting it over the balcony into the night. The only problem was that attracted by the light he returned and met an untimely death when he flew into the overhead fan.
Friday 1st November – Pak Beng to Luang Prabang
Up nice and early for today we are covering 180km along the Mekong River. The river boats are apparently the only means of transport in this area as there are no roads. It is overcast today and is decidedly cooler. Every now and then there are small villages perched high above the river. Goats can be seen grazing near small sandbars while fishermen try their luck for the giant Mekong catfish which can grow up to 200kg. It is a peaceful mode of travel and gives you time to unwind and relax.
After another superb lunch with the highlight being grilled pork mince on a lemon grass skewer we stopped at the Pak Ou caves. The caves hold over 4000 carved Buddha images with some dating back seven centuries. The first cave is more of a rock shelf overlooking the Mekong and the small village on the opposite bank. This cave holds the most images and the more important carvings. The second cave is reached after climbing about 250 steps. It is a much deeper cave and typical of most limestone caves. There are the resident bats and some stalagmites and stalactites. The last part of the journey was spent on the prow of the boat and all too soon we docked at the Luang Prabang port which is on the edge of town. Our verdict was a positive thumbs up for this easy paced trip and I would recommend Shompoo Cruises as a company offering a mid range tour.
Most of the guesthouses in Luang Prabang are within walking distance of The Mekong River and the night market. The two star Singharate Guesthouse is costing us $US30 a night and is located two blocks from the river. Toby and I were a little hungry so it was off to the night market for some street food. We settled on a couple of baguettes which were washed down with fresh fruit smoothies. The cost was 25000 kip each which equates to about $3.50. Toby bought himself a couple of T-shirts from the market which were reasonably priced. Most of items for sale did not interest me so my Kip stayed in my hip pocket. I did part with 21000 kip at a supermarket for three stubbies of dark Beer Lao lager. Back at the hotel I thought I would watch some local television but alas there are no soapies for me as the television refuses to turn on. A quiet beer and it is time for bed.
Saturday 2nd November – Walking and Waterfalls
The room is nice and dark so I did not emerge until 7:00am. Toby on the other hand has taken advantage of our late program and has decided to sleep in. The balcony is the place to be and a great spot to relax watching the street scene unfold. It is an overcast sky this morning with a touch of fog. Hopefully it will be like yesterday and burn off before lunch to reveal a bright blue sky.
Breakfast on the balcony and then a short walk to the river for a coffee was an ideal start to the day. At 11:30am we boarded a mini bus for a 25km drive to the Kuang Si waterfall. The cost was 50000 kip for the bus and 20000 entry fee to the waterfall. The falls themselves are fantastic as there is a large main fall that then cascades down weathered limestone rock into a number of swimming pools.
The water is a milky blue and is reasonably warm. I suckered Toby once again by splashing him as he tip toed like a little girl into the water. He responded by missing me completely and wetting two girls and their expensive camera. If looks could kill Toby would be a dead man! All of the pools were surrounded by dense rainforest but there was enough light to warm the swimming areas. The Inala in us came out when we spotted the rope swing that beckoned us to attempt a dive into the pools. It was a couple of metres above the water and Toby put in a fair effort with his feet first entry. I managed to get a fair amount of air but my head first entry went astray. My upper body strength was not sufficient to produce the entry required for a dive. Instead I scored a perfect ten for failure when I landed on my side with a sickening thud. One dive was enough for the old fella!
There was also an enclosure for endangered Black Asiatic Bears that have been rescued for rehabilitation. They are beautiful animals and they appear to be healthy and happy in this environment. Hopefully, the donation that Toby and I made will go a small way in helping these wonderful animals. The sun did break through and it has turned out to be another beautiful day.
Back at our guesthouse we have been requested to change rooms. It has turned out that the water outlet in the shower is not draining properly and was in danger of flooding the room. Our new room is better as the air conditioner is silent and efficient. The television also works with the added bonus of HBO movies, news and sport all in English.
At 5:30pm it was time to hit the road and catch the Luang Prabang sunset from a small hillock behind the night markets. Too old, too slow as we missed the sunset and had to be content with the twilight. To compensate Toby suggested a foot massage do I readily acquiesced. The massage cost 50000 kip ($7) and wasn’t too bad considering that the masseuses were barely teenagers. The evening was finished with an Indian curry which receives the Michelin rating of 6.5 out of 10.
Sunday 3rd November – Back on the Elephant
Back at the guesthouse we rested up to escape the afternoon heat before heading off on our Lonely Planet walk. It isn’t a long walk but you can easily spend a few hours by exploring the different temples and stopping for coffees at one of the many riverside cafes. We climbed up the many stairs to
It was still too early for dinner so another massage was in order. My neck muscles were very tight so a 60 minute head and shoulder massage should have been what the doctor ordered. The discount price of 38,000 kip ($5) should have been refunded as the young lady who was massaging me did a poor job. I heard her mobile go off a few times and even though I was laying face down I could tell that she was replying by text with one hand. Toby reckoned his massage from a young man was spot on.
Monday 4th November – VIP Bus to Vang Vieng
Our time in Luang Prabang was excellent and we could have easily spent more time here as there are plenty of activities on offer. It would be a good base to contemplate a two or three day trek in the nearby hills and jungle.
I woke up this morning with a touch of diaorreah and after my effort can understand why it is colloquially known as the “squirts”. With a long bus journey in front of us I did not want to be caught short so I popped a couple of Imodium. At the bus terminal I could feel my insides cramping so I made a mercy dash to the squat toilet.
Our 288km bus trip to Vang Vieng departed at 9:30am and as soon as we left the city precinct it became the long and winding road (a great song). It was continuous curves and sharp curves as our bus snaked its way over countless mountain ranges. I really appreciated the great scenery as it was impossible to concentrate on something mundane as reading. At 12:30pm the bus stopped for a toilet break and as if on cue my stomach cramped again. Another 2000 kip for use of a very clean squat toilet and another large donation from me. To play it safe I swallowed another two Imodium. A lunch meal was included in our ticket price but there was no sign of the bus stopping for lunch. Eventually the bus came out of the mountain ranges and onto a narrow fertile plain. The road was still windy but the bus was making better time. Our lunch stop finally occurred at 2:30pm and it was good to get out and stretch our legs. The food was a basic meal with rice and stir fried vegetables which tasted fine. The trip finally came to an end when we arrived at Vang Vieng at 4:00pm. After 6 hours travelling on windy mountain roads I am feeling queasy from all the motion. It would be definitely worth taking a couple of Kwells for anyone undertaking this trip. At the bus terminal I pre-purchased our onward bus tickets to Vientiane.
Our room on the 4th floor of the Vilayvong Hotel ($US30 night) has a great balcony that gives us a great view of the river and the nearby limestone mountains that surround this town. The room is large and clean with a television and mini refrigerator. Unfortunately the power point for the fridge is broken and the air conditioner is in need of a service. I’m in need of an early night so after a hamburger I left Toby to his own devices.
Tuesday 5th November – Ballooning and Tubing
At around 11:00 we headed down town to begin our tubing experience. There are plenty of you tube videos which highlight the boozy nature of this experience. There has also been some bad press ad a few drunken backpackers have been killed. After paying our 55,000 kip ($8) each we boarded a tuk tuk which took us a few kilometres out of town. The water was clear and flowing at a nice steady pace. We had not gone more than a few hundred metres when the first of the bars beckoned us. The
Back at the guesthouse Toby has succumbed to the effects of the day and crashed relatively early. I had a relaxing afternoon on the balcony and enjoyed the scenery in the evening twilight.
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