9/14/10 (sapa)

Sapa – Ha Noi

It was a twenty-four hour world wind into and out of Ha Noi. We arrived at 4:30am on the night train from Sapa and hopped into a taxi for our hotel. Unfortunately, they were fully booked from the night before so we had to wait till the morning before we could check in. Luckily they arranged for us to stay at a nearby hotel for a few hours so we can get some sleep. Both Jon and I woke up with sore throats and body aches. Not a good sign. As soon as we checked into our original hotel we went back to sleep with hopes of kicking our cold. We pried ourselves out of bed for lunch and it was the only time Jon left the hotel. I was in desperate need of more contact lens solution and wanted to purchase it before we left town since I was concerned it would be hard to find later on our trip. It was no easy task and with both of us feeling worse as the day went on I decided to venture out on my own in a taxi to find what I needed. Luckily some internet research helped and I quickly found a store that had some. We debated going out to dinner but it seemed to require more energy than we could muster. We had a 6:30am flight to catch the next day and rest seemed more important. With the dark shades drawn again we went back to sleep awaiting our 3:30am alarm clock.

9/9/10 - 9/13/10 (sapa)

Sapa

It was going to be hard to top our experience in Halong Bay but we might just have done it during our five day visit to Sapa. Sapa is located twenty minutes south of the Chinese border and resides in the Northwestern corner of Vietnam. It is at the highest elevation in the country and enjoys the coolest climate. The climate is what enticed us to extend our time in this beautiful mountain town. I wouldn’t categorize Vietnam as overly hot but the humidity is off the charts in Ha Noi. After a few stationary minutes outdoors, your perspiration builds to the equivalent of a thirty minute workout in most of the United States. 

In a valley surrounded by mountain peaks is the town center that very much reminds me of a North American ski village. The main streets are lined with a multitude of restaurants and guest stays. We arrived on the night train to Lo Cai and coordinated via the Pinnochio guest stay for transport to Sapa. The assent took an hour as we wound through the rice terrace hillside. We arrived at the Pinnochio at 8:30am and were promptly greeted by five, overly friendly H’mong tribal women as we exited the van. Their famous last line from our time in Sapa was, “you buy from me later, okay?” After checking in, we settled into our room and got some additional sleep. The overnight train never seems to allow for enough. Later that day we explored the quaint town which was bursting with hill tribe people in traditional clothing. We had worked hard in Thailand and Laos to see this traditional dress and if we would have known it was this easy in Sapa it would have altered our efforts. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon taking in the breathtaking views as the clouds descended along with the sun to cover the surrounding mountain peaks in eventual darkness. 

The next day we woke up early and decided to make a change in accommodation. The Pinnochio was located on the main strip in this ever expanding tourist stop. The dark side of the Lonely Planet effect is that once a town is “on the map”, there is no going back as these destinations eventually over expand with more restaurants, tour operators, and accommodations. Travel homogenization occurs as bus load after bus load of Westerner gets pumped into what the Thai’s like to call “same, same but different.” The irony is the charm that originally put this place on the map is stripped away in the name of modernization as these remote towns are transformed from a self sufficient ecosystem to one dependent on tourism. Sapa isn’t quite there yet but well on its way and the Pinnochio is surrounded by construction of new hotels in a constant battle to build higher for a better mountain top views. The jack hammering construction was amplified by the narrow streets and Annie and I decided for our sanity that it would be a good idea to relocate to a more tranquil part of town. We moved to the Fansipan View based on a recommendation from a friend and it turned out to be wonderfully quiet and modern.

Over the next two days we took advantage of the wonderful trekking in the Sapa area. The trekking leads you through limitless rice terraces down into the valley of the winding river. The scene was spectacular as the rice fields were golden brown and ready to be harvested. Along the trail you can visit many of the local tribal villages. We were able to get up close to the various H’mong and Red Zhao and many of them were more than willing to guide us along our journey given the fact that we buy some of their goods. We were able to explore several villages, waterfalls, and a bamboo forest. The trekking was some of the best we have done on our travels and we enjoyed wonderful weather for those two days.

The next day Annie went on a tour to visit a local market that was run by the flower H’mong tribes people as I laid low to work on a handful of projects. On our final day, the town was without power. I woke up early to photograph some of the villagers and then Annie and I spent the rest of the day buying some souviners and relaxing at local bakeries awaiting our departure on the overnight train to Ha Noi.  

Sapa was a wonderful and relaxing experience where we enjoyed some of the most spectacular sights from all of our travels, met many interesting locals, and added to an already amazing time in Vietnam. It was tough to leave the cool climate and beautiful scenery that we had enjoyed so much from our extended stay in this mountain side village. 

9/6/2010 - 9/8/2010 (ha noi)

Ha Noi - Halong Bay - Sapa

One of the main recommendations people gave us was a stop at Halong Bay. Halong Bay is located in the northeastern corner of Vietnam on the Gulf of Tonkin. The Bay is famous for its 2000 plus rock formations that rise out of the water to create breathtaking views. It can be difficult choosing a boat, which in Vietnam is called a junk. I think everyone in Vietnam has a part time business of selling tours for the bay and all for vastly different prices. You can easily be on the same boat, eating the same food and have paid $100(US) more than your fellow travelers, so you have to be a little cautious about your purchase. Annie and I spent a good amount of time in Ha Noi meeting with different tour operators and settled on Ethnic Travel based on a Lonely Planet recommendation. Ethnic Travel focuses on more remote locations and tries to steer clear of upwards of 500 competing junks on the bay. That was enough of a selling point for us and we negotiated a killer deal for a two night, three day tour. 

We started our journey in an oversized van with only the driver, guide, a French couple, and ourselves. It was heaven, not being crammed in like sardines. The trip was relaxing and we made one stop in a ceramic village for some tea. When we arrived in Halong Bay, things quickly picked up as we were engulfed in a sea of backpacker tourists. Our guide joined up with a Spanish couple and escorted us to our junk. The junk was a modern two level craft that resembled an oversized tug boat including old rubber tires hanging from the sides. The first level was the sleeping quarters and the second level was an open air dining area. The top of the boat had a sun deck with mast and sails. We settled into our quarters and then joined the group for a fresh seafood lunch and were on our way. The bay didn’t disappoint in natural beauty as we coasted by hundreds of limestone peaks. We sailed for several hours as Annie and I got acquainted with our traveling companions, Stephen and Caroline from France and Victor and Martha from Spain. Later in the day, we stopped in a small fishing village and took a water taxi through the village to say hello to the locals. The taxi looked like a large upside down turtle shell and was piloted by a young Vietnamese girl. The fishing village consisted of many floating houses connected by rickety wooden docks. It would be a very unique way of life. As the sun began to set on the day, the captain parked the boat in a quiet cove and we spent the next hour taking a refreshing swim in the emerald waters of the bay. Many of us jumped off the second story while admiring the high flying acrobatics of our captain as he preformed his best Olympic diver impersonations from the high sun deck. After our swim we enjoyed more fresh prawns and some lively card games before retiring for the evening. 

On our second day, we ate breakfast at 7:30am and then stopped at the Surprising Cave. We were very surprised at just how big the cave was in the middle of a large limestone island and its peak offered some spectacular views of the harbor. We then returned to the Halong harbor and got back on the van to venture east to a more remote part of Vietnam called Bai Tu Long Bay. The trip was an hour and a half. We boarded a much more basic boat and set sail for Quan Lan Island. During the afternoon, we stopped for lunch and then spent the next few hours kayaking and swimming. We were surrounded by limestone rock formations and the only other inhabitants were local fisherman. In the late afternoon, we arrived at Quan Lan Island as the bronze sun illuminated the pale white sand of this remote locale. We loaded all of our luggage into a tuk tuk and were on our way to stay with a local family for the evening. With no tourists in sight, we made our way up the narrow sandy road of this former military island. We stayed with a retired fisherman in a very luxurious home stay and enjoyed a very large dinner and many ice cold beers. We had many laughs as we taught our charismatic Vietnamese guide Quan, American slang. 

On our final day of the tour, we woke up again for a 7:30am breakfast and then cycled 15km to a small beach near the northern harbor for one final swim. We boarded our final boat for the two hour return to Bai Tu Long harbor and enjoyed one last look at the spectacular scenery. When we got back, the van picked us up and took us back to Ha Noi where Annie and I caught the overnight train to Sapa for some mountain trekking. For me, the tour to Halong Bay was one of the most enjoyable things we have done on our trip with many elements aligning including weather, food, company, and sights to make for an outstanding experience.

Halong Bay High Dive from Annie Lin on Vimeo.

Toured Halong Bay in Vietnam and our boat captain took our camera on a dive from the top deck of our boat.

9/3/10 – 9/5/10 (vinh)

Vinh – Hanoi

Good morning, Vietnam! And what a morning it was as we were jolted awake at 5am by a loud bang. It sounded as if the train hit something but it was just the train stopping at the Ha Noi train station. As we exited the train we were accosted by taxi drivers and were they aggressive. We were duly warned by fellow travelers but many of the drivers grabbed my arm which took me by surprise since in other countries they will follow you but not make any physical contact. After we located a reliable taxi driver we headed off to a hotel recommended by our friends, Pete and Danielle. Unfortunately, the hotel was full and after traveling for 24 hours we were too tired to think. A guy approached us about his hotel and presented a business card with a name of a hotel in Lonely Planet. We were skeptical it was the actual hotel but since he offered us a good deal we decided to take our chances. The hotel turned out to be a small family run place centrally located in the Old Quarter of Ha Noi.

After a quick nap to refresh ourselves we walked around to familiarize ourselves with the city. It was crazy. There were motorbikes, bicycles, and cars everywhere and everyone beeped their horn constantly. We thought it was bad in Bali but the Vietnamese took it to a whole new level. Each night I counted my toes to make sure I still had all ten. The constant stream of traffic and beeping doesn’t stop regardless of the time of day. There doesn’t seem to be any traffic rules but it is a system that works for them and eventually traffic does move along.

To take a reprieve from the frenetic streets of Hanoi we treated ourselves to a matinee movie one afternoon. There weren’t a lot of choices so we settled on the movie, Salt. It was entertaining though a bit over the top in terms of dramatic effect. Overall, we give the movie a C. 

We also visited the major sites, including the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. The Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius and noble scholars from all over Vietnam came to study here. We weren’t able to go into the Mausoleum to view Ho Chi Minh’s corpse but it was an impressive building even from the outside. They strictly enforce the boundary surrounding the mausoleum and anyone caught passing the line was asked to immediately step behind the line again. When we first arrived at the mausoleum we weren’t sure where to go so I walked to a guard to ask for directions. He didn’t even allow me to walk up the steps to the mausoleum to speak with him. We visited Ho Chi Minh’s humble home, which gave us a glimpse into his simple lifestyle.

Another highlight was the water puppet show. The puppets are carved from water-resistant fig tree timber, which are then attached to long poles floating on water. The puppeteers stand in water behind bamboo screens orchestrating the show. The show depicted scenes from legends and though it was in Vietnamese we were still able to understand the story. It was amazing how graceful the puppets moved on water and there was even fireworks for special effect. The band using traditional instruments provided a nice compliment to the show. It was one of the more enjoyable things we had done in Hanoi.

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.