9/2/10 (ba na hin)

Ba Na Hin, Laos - Vinh, Vietnam

Coming off of what felt like a real life pirates of the Caribbean cave adventure, we were energized for our long travel day and excited to move on to Vietnam. The local transport picked us up at 8am in front of our guest house. The transport consisted of a mid-size pickup truck with a covered roof to create an enclosure for the passengers and a place to stack luggage up above. The pickup bed was half filled with boxes containing supplies for the local village shops and the bed was lined with 50lb bags of rice stacked three deep. The driver helped us load our luggage onto the roof and secured it with a bungie net and we squeezed ourselves in the back among the locals and were on our way. The transport was cozy, filled with supply boxes, rice, and ten natives. As we progressed along our route, things quickly got cozier and at our journey’s peak the truck was loaded with twenty passengers bursting from the truck and the bumper held a full-size motor bike. It was like nothing I had ever experienced as my body was contorted in every imaginable direction for our two hour trip. A lady in her early seventies, 4 feet tall, and limited on teeth kept me warm as she sat on my feet for the entire ride giving me a smile from time to time as I wiggled my toes. 

When we arrived at the Lak Sao bus station, we coordinated our trip over the Vietnam border to Vinh. The bus wasn’t leaving for another two hours and Annie and I decided to venture out for some lunch. Lak Sao is a small transport town and the only reason to visit is if you are coming or going. After stopping at the local bank, they recommended the only one restaurant, which in fact was the name. While in Lak Sao, we probably ate more dirt than lunch from the dust clouds stirred up from the hundreds of swarming motor bikes. Our second bus from Lak Sao was larger and fully enclosed. When we originally boarded it was a lot more spacious but just before departure, the locals slid open the windows and began to deposit large supply boxes of food into any remaining space making things much more confined. The trip to the Vietnam border passed quickly as we ventured through the rising mountains of the region. When we arrived at the border, it felt nearly abandoned and we had to exit the bus and walk our way into Vietnam. The procedure was fairly painless as the immigration officers scanned our luggage much like any major airport. The sprawling immigration area is on a relic hilltop fortress from the by gone Cold War era.

The drive toward Vinh was incredibly beautiful as we twisted our way down through the mountains and back into the countryside. After a short transfer to a new bus we passed through hundreds of rice fields as the locals worked feverishly to harvest their crop. The sun was setting and the bus stopped often to squeeze in more passengers and avoid the local herds of cows. It was picturesque and both Annie and I commented on how nice it would be if would could stop to take some photos. After an hour on our new bus we arrived at Vinh and navigated our way to the local train station. Things were a little busier than usual because this day was the Vietnamese Independence Day, 65 years ago Ho Chi Man helped liberate Vietnam from the French. We lined up an overnight sleeper train that left at 9pm and would arrive in Ha Noi at 5am. At the train station, we met some nice locals who took us to a local restaurant for dinner and got us situated with some beer and food and before we knew it, Annie and I were compressed in our cozy sleeper bed looking forward to getting back to a big city in the early morning. 

8/31/10 – 9/1/10 (vientiane)

Vientiane – Ban Na Hin - Ban Kong Lo - Ban Na Hin

Our adventure to Ban Na Hin actually started at 11pm the previous night. Earlier in the day we contacted a hotel in Ban Na Hin to ask about weather conditions and room availability. Mon, the owner, mentioned that she was also in Vientiane and would be heading back to her guesthouse later that night and offered us a ride that was slightly cheaper than taking the bus. We were tempted since there was only going to be four of us in the minivan and we would arrive directly at the guesthouse. Leaving in the middle of the night did seem strange and we didn’t know her at all but we agreed to take her up on her offer. Her son-in-law was supposed to come pick us up at 1am but he ended up arriving at 11pm. Soon after we were on the road I laid down on the seats to sleep. Jon tried to get some sleep but the bumpy roads and Loas music were too much for him. He ended up staying up for the entire trip and I guess we had an adventurous ride. There were several sudden stops as cows meandered on the road and because of poor streetlights the driver didn’t see the cows until the car was fairly close. Jon said he saw a calf that must have just been born bewildered by the car lights and honking horn. What a way for the baby cow to be introduced into the world.

We arrived at the guesthouse around 4:30am and were shown to our room. It was pitch black and we had no idea where we were. We had to trust Mon we were in the right town and guesthouse. The only reassurance I had was that the lady’s name matched what was written in the guidebook. We were exhausted and immediately feel asleep.

After a few hours of sleep we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. Mon mentioned that there was a couple going to the Kong Lo Cave in half an hour and suggested we join them. She was taking them in the minivan that she just bought. We were still tired from our trip and decided to go the next day. We came all this way to visit the cave and didn’t want to rush the experience. Then we started to get a weird feeling about Mon and throughout our time at the guesthouse. We just felt as if she was always up to something. Or maybe she was just trying to be a savvy businesswoman.

We spent our first day exploring the area and relaxing at the guesthouse. The center of town was 800 meters from where we were staying. It was a small town with only a few guesthouses and a taxi stand where people waited for songthaews to take them to the next town. There was no timetable of departure times so people just waited around until their ride came along.

Our cave day turned out to be amazing. We caught a songthaew and met an English couple who were traveling for a year. The ride to the cave was spectacular. The mountains reminded me of the Grand Canyons due to their majestic scale. There were rivers and lakes where people fished, bathed, and swam.

When we arrived at the cave we strapped on a life jacket and our torch. We took a small wooden boat to get to the entrance of the cave and then hopped on a small motorboat. We had two guides – the one in the back operated the motor and the one in the front watched out for objects that may hit the boat and directed the guy in the back on when to shift the direction of the motor. The river that runs through the cave is 7km long and it is literally pitch black without a torch. The inside of the cave is huge up to 100m in width and height. After traveling for half an hour we got off the boat to admire a few limestone formations. Then it was another half an hour to reach the other end of the cave opening. Seeing the light at the opening has a Shangri-la effect since you are in the dark for a long time. On the return trip back I decided to switch off my torch and enjoy the cool, dark tunnel-like cave. We traveled a long way to reach the cave and it was well worth it.

We spent the evening relaxing at the restaurant and met Franco, an Italian engineer working in Laos. He spent 11 years in Taiwan and gave us the names of pizzerias to visit in Taipei. Jon is very excited about visiting Taipei.

8/29/10 – 8/30/10 (vientiane)

Vientiane

After a good night’s sleep to rejuvenate ourselves from our bus trip we set out to find a more wallet-friendly hotel. A hotel we visited recommended their sister hotel that just opened a month ago called Mixay Paradise. It was a lot cheaper than the hotel we stayed in the previous night so we decided to switch. Pink was their color of choice as our walls and curtains were all pink. We also noticed an overabundance of staff who were eager to help with anything you may need. There were two guys whose job appeared to swat at the flies. To our surprise we ran into the Swiss guys we met on our boat ride to Muang Ngoi and they were also staying at Mixay Paradise.

We explored the surrounding area and had lunch at a Scandinavian bakery that also had a branch in Luang Prabang. Vientiane being the capital is a bigger than Luang Prabang with more of a big city feel and modern buildings. It possessed a French colonial influence but didn’t have the old world charm of Luang Prabang. During our stroll around town visited every bookshop within a few kilometers of our hotel hoping to exchange two books. Unfortunately we had no luck but instead gained another book, the Lonely Planet guidebook for Vietnam.

One night we visited the Lane Xang Hotel where the Loa National Theater held nightly performances of traditional dance and music. It was held in a huge dining hall and there was a big group of Vietnamese tourists enjoying the show. The dancers wore traditional costumes and their dance style is very similar to Cambodian music videos we saw on our bus trips around Cambodia. In between the dance performances there were singing. The Vietnamese tourists really enjoyed the singing and at one point a man took a flower from his table to present to the singer and then was encouraged to sing on stage with the female singer. Another highlight was the 16-year old girl who contorted her body into all different shapes. I think she has a bright future with the Cirque de Soliel. The evening ended with a man who did all kinds of birdcalls. Apparently he is the only performer with such talent among the six million Laos.

On our last night in Vientiane we had dinner with a Swiss couple we met on the same boat ride. We ran into them at Vang Vieng but didn’t get to hang out with them and coincidentally saw them again in the lobby of our hotel. They were also staying at the popular Mixay Paradise. We joke that Jon found Swiss Kyle since Niels, the Swiss guy, looks like our friend Kyle from back home. We had a great meal with them and swapped funny travel stories. It was a nice way to end our trip to the capital.

8/26/10 – 8/28/10 (luang prabang)

Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane

Getting sick is never fun especially when you are traveling. Everything seemed fine when we arrived in Vang Vieng. But the next morning Jon woke up with an upset stomach that took him out of commission for the day. We are not sure exactly what caused it but we think it was a tuna sandwich he had for breakfast before we boarded the bus to Vang Vieng since we both have had the same thing the last few meals. We were planning on tubing down the Nam Song river, a popular activity among the backpackers but it was raining throughout the day so I guess it was a good day to get sick.

We stuck to our original plan of staying in Vang Vieng for two nights since Jon was feeling well enough to walk around and eat some food the following day. We boarded our bus in the afternoon headed to Vientiane. The bus ride to Vang Vieng and then to Vientiane was windy and slow but the view was often spectacular. There were acres of green rice paddies and some of the most magnificent mountain ranges we have seen yet.

The bus ride to Vientiane seemed to be going smoothly until we heard a clank on the side of the bus. It sounded like a rock had hit us. The bus driver stopped and his assistant hopped out to see what happened. There didn’t seem to be any reason for alarm as we continued on the road but at a much slower pace. Then all of a sudden the driver stopped the bus again and more people got out to examine the exterior. We were then told the bus was broken and we would have to wait an hour by the side of the road before another bus can come pick us up. People were on their way to Bangkok, Hanoi, and Chiang Mai and were likely going to miss their connecting bus. There wasn’t much we could do except wait. The other bus did finally show up and we all hopped on for the hour ride to the capital city.

We arrived in Vientiane at 7pm and were dropped off near the guesthouses. About a block away was The Pizza Company, a popular chain in Asia and we decided to grab dinner before looking for a place to stay. After a very full meal we settled into a hotel.

We felt fortunate that is was our first transportation hiccup considering how many planes, boats, buses, trains, and other modes of transportation we have been on during our travels.

8/23/10 – 8/25/10 (luang prabang)

Luang Prabang

Over the last few days we immersed ourselves into the quaint town of Luang Prabang. It is a beautiful town filled with old French colonial building and because of the strong Western European tourist presence there are many cafés and restaurants serving European cuisine. There is something peaceful about the town despite the number of tourists and travel agencies selling tours. Maybe it has to do with the laid back culture. The night market is the most serene and quiet that we had ever been to. It is very orderly and the shopkeepers aren’t constantly harassing you to buy something. Pretty much everything shuts down around 11pm and even our guesthouse asked us to return by midnight each night. Since we are not heavy partygoers it’s perfect for us.

Each day we plan small outings but always make sure to return during the middle of the day when the humidity is at is worst to enjoy our cool room. One of the first things we did upon arrival was visit the Vietnamese embassy to apply for a visa. We still haven’t decided how we are going to get to Vietnam.

We also visited the Dara Market, which consists of small stalls selling clothes, shoes, electronics and everyday necessities. We found a pair of trekking shoes for Jon but then decided to hold off purchasing them since we are not sure if there will be more trekking opportunities in our future. As our traveling fund dwindles we have been more conscientious about big purchases, which to us is anything over $20USD. If only we were like this from the beginning of the trip we could be traveling for another six months! Lesson learned.

One of the other things we have realized is that we have become fans of used bookstores. I feel like there is so much history on the shelves. I imagine most of the books come from travelers and wonder where the books have been. If only the books could talk. There are two used bookstores along the riverbank and one offers movie screenings in the evening. We have stopped by each day to check out what’s playing but unfortunately, it’s something we have already seen.

One of the days we rented bikes from our guesthouse to go wat (aka temple) hopping. They only had two bikes for rent. One was pink with hello kitty and the other one was silver with flowers. We tried to lower the seat on the hello kitty one but the lever was broken which meant that Jon had to ride it since it was too tall for me. At first he was resistant to the idea and I couldn’t help but giggle when he got on the pink bike. I think he looks great in pink. It was the first time we rented bikes and though it doesn’t allow us to go as far as scooters it was still liberating to be on our own.

After many boat rides and our very strenuous bike ride around the small town we rewarded ourselves with a Lao massage. Now that Jon has gotten a taste of the massages he has become a big fan of them. I have to say that the Lao massage was very much like the Thai massage and use the same techniques. After our bodies were contorted in all sorts of directions our muscles felt looser and we walked with a bit more pep.

A highlight of our time in Luang Prabang was observing and participating in the alms giving. Each morning at 6am all the monks from the various temples walk in a single file line along the streets to receive food from the locals. Each monk walks barefoot carrying a metal bowl with a lid. Most locals give each monk a small handful of sticky rice though we have also seen some give snacks or sweetened sticky rice wrapped in banana leafs. The monks also get other types of food from the local community. At 5:50am the street is lined with people sitting on bamboo mats with their container of sticky rice. The women wear skirts that cover their knees and both men and women wear a sash across their body. It is a religious ritual that has attracted many tourists. We talked to several people about the daily practice to learn the do’s and don’ts. On the first day we observed the ritual and took photographs on the side. There were about two hundred monks that walked passed the street where our guesthouse is located. It is a very quiet process and the tourists are warned not to interrupt the monks with their photography. The next day we made arrangements with a lady who owned a restaurant near our guesthouse to have a basket of sticky rice for me to contribute. A sound on the gong signaled that the monks were on their way. I sat on my mat with my basket ready to go while Jon took photographs. I was nervous giving out the rice since it’s really sticky and you use your fingers to scoop the rice and put it in the monk’s baskets. At one point I had to flick my fingers to get the rice off but it landed on the ground instead of in the basket. I felt bad but the monks smiled so they must have known it was my first time. After the ritual everyone picks up their mats and empty baskets and goes about their daily lives. There is something humbling about sitting on the ground handing out rice. Such a simple act yet so powerful. It is something I will remember for a long time.

8/22/10 (nong khiaw)

Nong Khiaw - Luang Prabang

Nong Khiaw is a beautiful riverside village surrounded by steep limestone cliff faces. The scenery is dramatic and I woke at 5:30am to shoot a time lapse of the morning sunrise. The mountains on this day were in a sea of white cloud. Since I was up, I tried to make the most of it and worked for the next thirty minutes to capture some of the texture of this sleepy village as it came alive in the morning light. It was amusing to watch the local girls who must have been in their early 20's exercise along the bridge that rose high above the Nam Ou river and connected the adjacent banks. The exercise consisted of one lap from end to end along the concrete bridge showcasing a combination of slow jogging, skipping, and stretching. The only sounds were that of the rushing river below and the hum of faint boat engines. Since I was nearly across the bridge, I  decided to visit the ticket office. The prior day, we had put our names on a list to charter a boat to Luang Prabang and we needed seven additional passangers to meet the minimum and have it be affordable. I was happy to see two additional names on the list and added to our party of three, we were halfway there. The day looked promising.

I returned to the bungalow to shower and pack. It was nice to have hot water since many of our recent showers had been cold. Annie and I checked out and met with Rick, our new friend from San Diego and made the trek to the boat dock. We arrived early and enjoyed some local pancakes that reminded me more of a pumpkin bread slathered in honey. Within twenty minutes of our arrival, four French tourists trickled in to join our boat and that meant we had nine, this would be enough to negotiate a deal for a boat. We all purchased our tickets in a chaotic burst and were told the boat would leave at 11am. Just before 11am we all lugged our bags down a crumbling concrete staircase to a narrow dirt path that led to a wobbly wooden plank and onto our boat. The locals enjoyed watching the big falang balance forty pound muddy suitcase in each hand along this treacherous path. Fortunately, I didn't slide into the river but came very close. Just before departure, we were joined by two additional Swiss travelers making the final total eleven. 

The boat was identical from the prior day. There had been rumors of individual luxury seats but instead we settled for wooden planks for our six hour voyage. The scenery was again spectacular as the limestone mountains rose sharply along the winding river banks. The trip went fast as we enjoyed a conversation with Rick and two Swiss travelers all the while, crunching on some fresh sunflower seeds. I vastly enjoy the smooth ride and fresh air of the boat from our more common bus trips.

Twenty five kilometers north of Luang Prabang, we stopped to visit the Pak Ou Caves. Pak Ou has two caves located on a tiny island and they are famous for the many standing budda statues that decorate the interior of each cave. The upper cave was pitch black and we needed a torch to view the hundreds of small Buddhas showcased within. After our short caving experience, we quickly descended to Luang Prabang. We arrived at the small harbor and were greeted by the usual circling pack of tuk tuk drivers eager to provide transport for a large fee. We passed by the drivers and were on a mission to locate the guesthouse our friends Pete and Danielle from New Zealand recommended. On the map, it looked like a short distance from the harbor to our planned accommodations but in reality turned out to be a long walk under the humid late day sun. We searched for nearly a half hour and were unable to locate the guesthouse. In Luang Prabang, you can feel the heavy influence of the French as much of the colonial architecture remains intact and many of the street corners are lined with cafes selling fresh baguettes. There were no shortage of restaurants and guest houses in this quaint little town. When we finally gave up on our search for our planned guesthouse we were fortunately surrounded by several others to choose from and quickly decided on a spacious unit with air con, internet, and hot water. The trifecta for $15(US) per night. 

After unpacking we set out to explore LP and quickly oriented ourselves to the layout. Our guest stay was in a very convenient location and we wandered to the main strip of town that was lined with boutique gift shops, massage parlors, and a multitude of restaurants. The town has a comfortable feel and was packed with many travelers. We soon ran into several friends we had met along our travels in Laos and spent some time catching up before enjoying some local Laos food at a restaurant along the main drag. After dinner we returned to our guesthouse feeling excited to explore this beautiful city and happy to have a cool, comfortable bed to return to for a much needed night's rest. 

8/21/10 (muang ngoi neua)

Muang Ngoi Neua -  Nong Khiaw

I woke up early to catch a sunrise over the beautiful limestone cliff faces in this remote village. It is probably one of the more scenic locations we have visited in a long time. The town consisted of a small path from the dock that intersected with the main road. The path was lined with rustic bungalows and open porch restaurants overlooking the rapid waters of the Nam Ou river. Our group, that had made the boat trip the prior day had agreed to meet at 8am to decided whether to move south or to spend a day enjoying the town. We were hoping to stick together in order to maintain a large group that would possibly be needed to charter any upcoming boats on our way to Luang Prabang. I was feeling undecided because I enjoyed the area for its beautiful and remote appeal but was also looking forward to some of the modern conveniences that Luang Prabang had to offer. Most of the group decided to stay and trek up the local mountains and that put me in a tough spot since I was without hiking shoes. We decided to join our new friend Rick from San Diego for the journey to Nong Khiaw, the next town south to see if we could then catch the larger boat to LP. At 9:30am we boarded the aging teal long boat for our one hour trip to Nong Khiaw. The ride didn't disappoint as we snaked our way through the remote countryside. The river banks were lined with steep limestone mountains covered with freshly cropped lush green jungle terraces as the brown waters of the Nam Ou raced below us.

Most of the boats require a minimum of ten passengers when making the longer trips. The distance from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang would span six hours and we needed an additional seven passengers to make the second leg of our journey on this sunny Saturday morning. When we arrived at the dock in Nong Khiaw, we quickly visited the ticket office and were informed that the boat to LP had no other passengers for the day. We could wait to see if our fortunes would be better tomorrow or take a minivan to LP that would take four hours and would leave later in the day. Nong Khiaw was a more populated town than Muang Ngoi Neua but is equally beautiful. The town had a large bridge connecting the two shores and rose high above the Nam Ou. The river split the dramatic mountain range that rose up along the river banks. On the dockside was the local town where most of the natives went about their daily tasks and across the bridge on the adjacent shore was for the travelers and offered several guesthouses, bungalows, and restaurants. Our friends Pete and Danielle from New Zealand informed us that this river trip along the Mekong was the highlight of their trip six months ago. Based on their recommendation we agreed to join Rick in staying one night in hopes of finding some additional passengers for the boat leaving tomorrow. 

Annie and I wheeled our luggage up the muddy river bank until it met the semi-paved road that led to the bridge. It was very hot and and after making our way across the bridge, Annie explored several options for accommodations. We settled on a bungalow next to Rick that cost 30,000kip ($3.75US). The bungalow was an elevated bamboo hut with a bed, fan, and shower and not much else. You could look down at your feet and see through the cracks in the floorboard all the way to the dirt ground. The last two nights have been out of the ordinary from our standard accommodations and I enjoyed the rugged nature of these bungalows. 

We relaxed the remainder of the day and ventured out in the early evening, near sunset to capture some photos of the beautiful terrain. While we were shooting pictures, a heavy rainstorm quickly moved in and chased us back to our bungalow. Later that night we met up with Rick to visit the local Indian restaurant and had a delicious meal of naan bread, vegetable curry, and several Beerlaos. We were optimistic that several friends from Muang Ngoi Neua would catch up to us tomorrow and that would allow us to charter the boat and make our way to Luang Prabang. 

8/20/10 (muang khua)

Muang Khua – Muang Ngoi Neua

A lady at the guesthouse suggested we arrive at the docks by 8am to see if we can share a slow boat with others heading to Muang Ngoi Neua. At around 8:30am the locals started arriving though we didn’t know where they were headed. We checked in with the guys running the boats but no one was headed our way. After waiting another half an hour we started to worry that we would need to come up with plan B or C. Then one of the guys said there were seven other people who were going down to Muang Ngoi and he was going to get them. We were in luck! Long and behold we see Fabrice, the French guy we met at the Thai/Laos border walking down the street with a girl. Long story short, there were seven people at his guesthouse going in the same direction as us. They came down to find out who the other two people were and he was just as surprised to see us.

We all hopped into the slow boat with our luggage and off we sailed down the Nam Ou River. On the boat was a Chilean couple, four people from Switzerland, Fabrice, and us two. It was a beautiful sunny day and the scenery was magnificent. Huge limestone mountains and rolling fields lined both sides of the river. We sat on wooden plank so our bottoms were sore but the fresh air and view made up for the soreness. Small villages were scattered along the river and we stopped at a few of them to pick up more passengers. I am not sure how the locals know if there is a boat since there may not always be one everyday. They must phone ahead to find out since they are at the bank ready to hop on the boat when we arrive.

After four hours on the boat we arrived at Muang Ngoi, a quiet little town. We all settled into our guesthouses. Jon and I decided on the guesthouse closest to the dock since we were only planning on being there one night. It was the most rustic place we had stayed at with bamboo walls and wooden planks as floors. But it was also charming in its own way. There were mosquito nets above the bed and Jon looked as if he was in a cocoon when he laid on the bed.

We joined a few others for lunch at a restaurant next door. It had a beautiful view of the river and there was something peaceful and serene about the village. During lunch we found out about a cave a couple of kilometers away and a few of us decided to check it out. Jon opted to relax on the hammock outside our room. When we arrived at the cave we were told that we had to pay 10,000 Kip to enter the cave, which was only $1.25USD. Fabrice arrived before the rest of us so he had already checked out the cave. He said it wasn’t anything spectacular so half of us decided to turn back around. There was thunder in the distance and I decided it would be safer to go back before the rainstorm hit us. 

After a cold refreshing shower, we met the gang at the same restaurant for happy hour. The sun was just setting and emitted a reddish-orange hue over the mountains. We didn’t do much research into Laos and were pleasantly surprised at the amazing scenery surrounding us. Over a Beerlao we started talking to Rick, an American who lived in San Diego. He had been traveling for a few months and was on the same path to Luang Prabang. He was also looking to leave on the slow boat tomorrow.

For dinner we ventured to another restaurant and met Penny, a twenty-two year old Laos entrepreneur. She owned a guesthouse, which some of the people from the boat were staying at, as well as the restaurant. Her goal is to build a restaurant near the guesthouse and make enough money so she can retire at twenty-five. She was spunky and ambitious and we all took a liking to her. Jon read somewhere about a falang roll, which was banana and peanut butter rolled in sticky rice cut up into sushi pieces. Falang refers to westerners/foreigners and we often hear Thais and Laos use the word.

After a full meal, we headed back to the bungalow and snuggled underneath our mosquito nets just before the electricity went out at 10pm. 

8/19/10 (udomxai)

Udomxai – Muang Khua

Udomxai was a dusty desolate town with not much going on and we were excited to be heading closer to the river. As usual Jon waited by our suitcases while I went to buy the tickets. I was concerned about having our suitcases on top of the bus in case it rained and crossed my fingers for good weather. Once we settled into our itty bitty seats I bought breakfast for us. A lady was selling sticky rice inside a tube of bamboo. I was intrigued and bought one to try. I had a hard time figuring out how to get the rice out of the tube and was told to peel back the bamboo. It was hard to peel the bamboo since the rice was so sticky. I broke the bamboo in half and peeled the top layer off to use as a makeshift spoon. We were the only tourists on the bus and the couple sitting next to us were intrigued at my method of eating the rice.

Promptly at 8:30am the bus left the station and we chugged along the road following the river. All was well on the road and for a moment we were secretly smiling that there was no Laos music over the speakers. But our peace and quiet was quickly replaced by Laos music and of course we just happen to have sat right next to the speakers. We tried to stay positive and enjoy the beautiful scenery. About half way to Muang Khua the bus stopped at a village where women dressed in traditional village attire swarmed our bus to sell vegetables. It was a great photo opportunity but we realized they didn’t like their pictures taken. Or didn’t mind their picture taken if we gave them money. We decided to put our cameras away and enjoy the interaction between the locals.

When we arrived at the Muang Khua bus station a look of fear spread across Jon’s face. He thought what we were looking at was the center of town which didn’t have much. The station consisted of a small building with a Laos man who didn’t speak much English. We didn’t even see any houses. We were trying to figure out if there was a boat that would take us to the next village on the Nam Ou River. Luckily a shopkeeper came to help us. He explained it was too late to take the boat and we would need to spend one night in town and directed us to a guesthouse close to the river. He told the tuk-tuk driver where to take us. I squeezed in the back with the locals but there was no room for Jon. He was fine standing up on the back of the truck but the driver insisted that he sit in the front. The driver was a funny man and used hand gestures to make sure we didn’t get out of the truck before our designated stop.

We checked into our guesthouse, which offered modest accommodations. We grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant along the river and were surprised at how expensive it was. And when we say expensive we mean $4-5/dish, which by Laos’ standards is very pricey. Muang Khua is a small town and we learned most of their items came from Udomxai. Then we walked to the river to arrange a boat ride. We were told that it would cost 1 million Kip to charter a boat for the two of us and then it was bargained down to 700,000 Kip (roughly $88). It was an exorbitant amount and all we could do is hope there were other tourists/locals who were heading down river tomorrow.

As we walked back to our guesthouse there were ducks and pigs on the side of the road. It was like we were in the middle of a farm.

8/18/10 (luang nam tha)

Luang Nam Tha - Udomxai

We had a short transport day ahead of us and woke up at 6:30am. If we got up early enough, there would be hot water for a shower at our guest stay and Annie jumped in first. Once I showered we checked out and went to the main street to find a ride to the bus station. We immediately met an eager tuk tuk driver and Annie went to work haggling with him. When we had an agreed price, we located a fresh baguette at a nearby restaurant for breakfast. The tuk tuk driver picked us up and we made the five minute drive to the Luang Nam Tha bus station. We are starting to get off the beaten path while in the remote Laos countryside and this was evident from the selection of ragged buses on display in the large muddy depot. Annie grabbed our tickets while I helped some locals load two bags of rice onto the roof of an ancient bus. It was unordinary to see the locals loading their motorbikes onto the roof of the old buses. We grabbed two seats in the rear of the bus and were on the road by 8:27am. We were under the impression that the trip would be two and a half hours but learned in reality that the it would take four. We had hoped to catch the 11:30am bus from Udomxai to Nuang Khua. We had heard that the trip along Mekong river from Nuang Khua to Luang Prabang was beautiful and were eager to get our boat trip underway. Since our bus would be arriving after 11:30am, we would have to catch a bus for the second leg of our trip on the following day.

The bus ride was typical of Southeast Asia, bumpy roads, load Asian music, hot, and uncomfortable. The nice thing is that the mountainous scenery in Laos is spectacular. The mountains are etched with vibrantly green rice paddies highlighted by lone bamboo huts along the horizon. The mist in the mountains had yet to burn off from the day's sun and I was pleasantly surprised at just how scenic the drive was. At 1pm we arrived in Udomxai. Udomxai is a transport town that houses many Chinese workers who are contracted labors in the area. It is the hub to further allow you to explore the more remote mountains of the north or make the turn off to the south and head to Luang Prabang. When we got off the bus we visited the local tourist information center to make sure we had the correct travel details for tomorrow's bus schedule and then visited several guest stays to find a spot to rest our heads. Annie visited five before settling on the Lithavixay Guest House based on a Lonely Planet recommendation. The place was good and had free wifi. We ate at a local restaurant and then took a nap for three hours.

Transport days can be a drain and we were surprised at how long we slept. Since there is not a lot to do in Udomxai, Annie and I decided to work on some upcoming articles for the blog and spent the next several hours on this task. At 8:30pm we went out to explore the area to find some food and stumbled upon a small restaurant along a side street that had good food for very reasonable prices. It was funny to see the entire staff mesmerized by the local Asian soap operas as we ate our dinner. When we returned to our guest house, I worked on getting the Cambodia recap video going while Annie read. We felt a little guilty that we have not done much while in Laos but are hopeful things will pick up as we make our way to Luang Prabang.