Its 9pm, raining properly here in Luang Prabang. Its interesting settling into a sort of mini life here, its such a chilled place, gentle natured softly spoken locals, a lack of “rush”  that you find in other south east Asian places, no tooring horns. But that said, the volume of Chinese people is a little offputting at times, they tend to be loud, block the footpath and like loud Chinese pop music playing. But they have the same right to be here that we do, they just annoy me a little.

Back to todays activities, early breakfast, we walk up through the temple, find a tuk tuk truck, negotiate a 500k kip return trip to Krungsi Waterfalls. Dale and I went there 3 years ago on the Intrepid trip with Naa, truly a magnificent sight. It’s  dusty and the road is crap but we get there. Old mates truck has dust all through the back, a hammock where he sleeps, we think he comes in early with goods for the morning local markets, tries to get a few tuk tuk jobs then heads home in the country. He’s a little weather beaten, smoke hanging out of his mouth, and has a warm smile. He’ll do us.

The crap road is made interesting by the poverty we see on the roadside, little stalls, rickety farm buildings, dusty roof tops and plants, roadworks, children playing, scooter riding locals and tourists.

Vans full of Chinese pass us, we hope it won’t be too busy by the time we get there.

60k kip each to enter, we bypass the slow line of chattering Chinese and ride up with a young Polish man ( Janus I think his name was ?). He put his mountain bike of a plane and is riding it through Thailand and Laos. He’s a serious cyclist.

We walk through the jungle, bypassing some more you know who people, and enter the park

Its also a Sun bear and Moon bear sanctuary  so we check them out.

We ease our way via the lower levels which is very pretty but the main Krungsi Waterfall is truly spectacular. A Swiss couple take some photos for us.

Coffee and icecream at a cafe to rehydrate and energise for the walk back. We talk to an American couple, they are Air BNBing near the buffalo dairy, they seem clueless on a lot of things, not enough time here to explain their ineptitude.

We meet Seamus & Ciara in the queue to get back to the car park, a young Irish couple from Dublin, 9 months on the road. I love talking to young people who have the courage and adventurous spirit to do this sort of thing.

The ride back is dustier, we stop for a pee on the roadside ( not the Navigator), coffee cycles through me quickly.

Shower and rest at home then lunch a Big Tree Cafe. Shopping, a massage to ease the aching back then dinner at a sort of Thai restaurant near us costs 215k kip ($7.40 each and that included drinks)

Sleep in in the morning.

Ciao from Laos

Pauolo

Slow start to the day, again. A little shopping and The Navigator is distraught, she lost her hat purchased from Chiang Mai. We look for table runners for our table at home, the batik Hmong designs are eye catching but we haven’t made a decision yet.

Lunch of sorts at Homs Home where Dave And Helen are camped, bread, cheese, honey and green tea, yum!

Three of us decide to get a tuk tuk to the UXO Centre. It’s the UneXploded Ordinance centre, hugely important work in the most bombed country ( person capita) on the planet. A plane load of bombs, every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day over 9 years (1964-1973) and 30 percent did not explode. There are still 30 million unexploded bombs, mainly cluster bombs in Laos and people are injured or die regularly. The UXO organisation are clearing 5,000 acres of land every year but are aiming to clear 100,000 per year. Australian is a major partner in this work. It’s a sobering reminder of how lucky we are in Australia.

Drinks are at a Big Tree Cafe, a leafy garden setting near the bank of the Mekong.

Dinner is at La Poppolo, a Lao Italian restaurant, great pizzas, nice vibe lovely staff.

Tomorrow we’re going to Krungsi Waterfalls, a truly spectacular sight.

Ciao from Laos

Pauolo

The Navigator is up early, three of them have booked to go to Mandolao Elephant Conservation Centre out on the Nam Khan River, they are going walking with elephants and seeing how the conservation bit works. I did this on the Intrepid trip 3 years ago and think it’s worth doing. I wave her goodbye, thankful for the solitude for a short time, don’t tell her I said that!!!

I have a late breakfast, then a short walk through the streets, then up to Viewpoint Cafe for an iced latte. It’s peaceful, except for the riverboats  full of Chinese tourists on short river cruises singing karaoke to loud Chinese music, obviously they are being plied with copious amounts of BeerLao because the singing is dreadful.

I find a massage place and get myself a foot massage, which helps my swollen feet and ankles a bit.

It’s been a tough morning so I return to our hotel to chill and read a book. The temperature is very pleasant.

The Navigator finds her way home, its been a epic day I think. I hear the baby elephant is a hit, their guide is a very impressive young Lao man from a remote village who has learned English by watching TV and going to where Helen and I were last night. Check the photos out.

Rest time this arvo, then dinner at Le ‘Elephant, an expensive (relatively speaking) restaurant but a western meal is nice after nearly 2 weeks of spicy Asian food and rice.

Ciao from Laos

Pauolo

A sunny morning, no Mekong haze or fog this morning, at least it was like this when we got up, which was a little late.

First stop was Wat Xien Thong, just up the street from us. Beautiful mosaic work and quite old. There are lots of Chinese people around, they are here in droves, and they speak loudly. We run into Helen at the temple, she’s contemplating the teachings of Lord Buddha on a seat in the shade when we see her.

Next, we walked to the Junction of the Mekong and had a coffee at the River Point Cafe, lovely view over both rivers, shady and seems a step up in quality. Of course the price reflects this a little.

The Royal Palace is a little but of a let down but might be we’re a little weary by now and a little less patient. We go inside but the rules are a little frustrating so we dontcreally see much.

A short, late lunch in an Indian Restaurant on the river then Its chill time for an hour or so.

Between 5 & 7pm Helen and I attend ” Big Brother Mouse” where holiday makers, ex pats etc come to meet locals and converse in English to improve their English up to conversational level.

It was started by an American philanthropist who we met there, he sold a publishing and travel business to sysrt this up. I had 3 Hmong boys, 16 and 17, from northern Lao villages, they live in dormitory accommodation, see their families once or twice a year. They are motivated to learn. The motto they have is “Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire.”

Dinner is at Riverpoint, the food is great

Tomorrow is Elephants, for some.

Ciao  from Laos

Pauolo

A lazy Sunday is on the agenda after over a week of heavy duty travelling and two lazy days of riverboat life with a mixed group of ages and nationalities.

The hotel has a very nice breakfast, we leave some washing to be done, issue some requests to our front desk regarding oil on the squeaky bathroom door, extra pillows and some milk for The Navigators cups of tea. She needs her tea before retiring at night and when she arises, otherwise…… things aren’t good!

We wander down a small ally towards the Mekong, and follow it along the river bank. We stumbled on Dave and Helen at a funky Cafe and decide on a coffee at Le Bennetton, down near our place. A quick check on their Air B&B called ” Homs House” which is very nice then a 5 minute walk takes an hour due to stops at shops and slow walking. A brief stop to withdraw 2 million kip in cash, but I feel safe with the equivalent of $140 AUD in my wallet. When we eventually get to the cafe it’s good coffee and French bakery stuff.

The cool morning is starting to warm up, its muggy so we decide to have a break and reconvene later at the Villa Santi Hotel bar  at 4pm.

The weather has cooled, and its pleasant at Villa Santi, Jo from the Phillipines, one of the ” boat people” is walking past, she joins us for a drink and a chat. It’s good to see young people make big life decisions like she has, she joins us for dinner in the local market area as well.

The local khao soi is good, but not up to the standard we experienced in Chiang Mai. We see more “boat people”, Reece from London, Sophie from Devon, Sanjeev from the USA, a blonde woman from the UK ( can’t recall her name) and some other young backpackers, all having a drink and enjoying the food. It’s a nice thing to talk to young people who have the courage and conviction to head off into the world into remote places ( like where we are), experience other cultures, food, people like the Lao people who are less fortunate than a lot of us. 

We wander back home via the river down the local market ally ways.

Ciao from Laos

Pauolo

Another early start this morning. We leave Pak Beng at 7.30am, but, not until we look over the misty Mekong with the jungle almost down to waters edge while scoffing down a very nice breakfast. The Sanctuary Pak Beng Eco Lodge is very nice, better than the place Dale and I stayed in a few years ago.

During breakfast, Telegram Sam is struggling to recall what day of the week it is, then the jam he liberally spreads over his toast reminds him of a flavour, something from his past, an obscure flavour from the history of his taste buds, “delightful!”, he says, Hbum bursts his bubble by saying its pineapple. We remind him, its OK, its a sign of early mental demise and he should start thinking about making his Tasmanian bolt hole more suitable for an ageing occupant. However his enlightening dissertation on the process of transpiration, while largely mind numbing in its complexity, does demonstrate he can find some of his brain cells at will.

It’s a chill morning on the Mekong, cool in more than the temperature variety. As we’re leaving Pak Beng an elephant wanders out of the jungle on the other side of the river at the Elephant Conservation Park. I missed it, the orders didn’t.

The kilometres melt away to the gentle throb of the diesel motor of our boat. There’s a quietness this morning that wasn’t there yesterday, people have settled into the slow pace, there’s no alternative options, we’re on the boat until we’re not.

We notice the boats owner/driver hands the wheel to his grandson while he takes a pit stop.

Lunch is early, its chicken, rice, a tomato sauce, vegetables and fruit. We are pretty well fed.

The boat is much quieter this afternoon, its so pleasant with the coolish humid air brushing past your face as the boat pushes on.

Pak Ou Caves is a busy place, a bit grubby, a bit disorganised, I’ve seen it before and the Navigator is reticent to climb the steps into the cave. Claustrophobia and the smell of stale urine might have impacted her decision.

Onwards to a village, where we walk from the boat over a jetty of bamboo, old air force metal landing pads, and stringy timber to get to the “Whisky Village”. We do the obligatory look around the shops and head back to the boat.

A short time later we arrive in Luang Prabang. The accomodation is very nice so we unpack, shower and meet the others for a dinner on the banks of the Mekong. A wild eyed beautiful Equadorean girl chats to us, she’s crazy, a higher being sent her to Laos, but not before she was beaten up in Thailand, but that was also part the grand plan for her, apparently! She was a few ponies short in the top paddock, but easy on the eyes.

We braved the night markets before returning to our respective abodes for a long nights sleep. Tomorrow is an easy day.

Ciao from Luang Prabang

Pauolo

An early start today, a pretty average breakfast at the hotel, we meet our driver and off we go, one other passenger picked up, a young Londoner backpacking the world after throwing in his job in the London financial world. His name is Reece.

At the border we’re met by the Nagi Mekong people, aggregated, stamped out of Thailand  put on a bus  in ” no man’s land”, we cross the Friendship Bridge No. IV into Laos. We go through the following steps;

1. Bags are taken through customs etc by Nagi
2. We line up at counter 1 to have our visa application taken, no questions are asked regarding our ppaperwork which confused us last night  but we’re 40 baht lighter when we leave the counter.
3. We go to counter 2 where we get our passport back with the visa stuck it.
4. Near the turnstile we hand over the $40usd, they have to be crisp unmarked notes and then  we’re given entrance to Laos officially.
5. Aggregated on to buses and taken to our boat on the river.

A small boat of chooks comes in and we hit the Mekong heading south.

The morning is cool on the water, sparkles bounce off the brown water, whirl pools toss bits of rubbish and bamboo around and life on the bank goes on. Buffaloes on the waters edge, gold panners, fishermen, children, the water must be too cold for them to swim though.

Lunch is a chicken curry with lots of rice and vegetables. Its pretty good.

We stop at a village, its very quiet, apparently it’s a Friday public holiday for this small regional under resourced school. We leave a surprise for the teacher, a heap of exercise books, pens, pencils etc etc, all stuff for learning.

We tootle on down the river reaching Pak Beng at 4.30, just in time for a beautiful sunset  with the Mekong snaking through the layers of mountains.

Our hotel is way better than I expected, not the one I stayed in 3 years ago. Nice rooms, views of the river, good dining room  and lovely staff.

We decided not to venture down the hill to the village of Pak Beng, doing nothing has made us very tired.

Ciao from Laos

Pauolo

Today we drive to Chiang Khong via Chiang Rai.

Currently, we’re sitting on our verandah at the Namkhong Riverside Hotel, right on the edge of the Mekong River. Its cool, we’ve just had dinner at a little local restaurant close by, 150 baht ($7.50 each inc drinks). We run into other people from Townsville doing the Nagi Mekong trip and a young couple from Holland on an adventure.

Over the river, in Laos we can hear a god awful karaoke, its a lot quieter in Thailand tonight.

We had a lovely breakfast in Chiang Mai before we left, Zang our driver arrived early, we said goodbye to the Elliebum staff and Gade who is the owner.

First stop is coffee and a loo break after the first mountain pass, at a hot spring area. Coffee is good  then 6 colourful buses with locals pull up. We move on to Chiang Rai, the White Temple, the Blue Temple and a black museum, then lunch at a funky leafy little place somewhere in Chiang Rai.

Onwards over more mountains before we come to the Mekong then Chiang Khong. Our hotel is the Namkhong Riverside, all rooms look over the Mekong.

We left at 9am arrived at 4.30pm, so a fair bit of travelling in our luxurious mini bus today.

Our border crossing paperwork is waiting for us, which we mostly get right but I think maybe some is not right. We need the paperwork , one passport photo, $40 USD and we should then be in Laos and then the boat heading south on the Mekong.

Thankfully all gummy bear residual effects have disappeared and we all seem ready for the next part of the adventure.

First thing I have to mention is my confession regarding ingesting, last night, a full gummy bear of the “stoner” variety, complinents of a friend, I should have known better, a half gummy is better for amateurs.

About 1am, I awoke, restless, trying to work out where the fish, elephants and camels had come from as they flew around our room, and why the curtains were pulsing like they were a lifeforce! I couldn’t walk straight, felt crook and fainty. It was terrifying. The Navigator chastised me, severely, for my error of judgement. Then hovered making sure I was still breathing, and asking questions, that I wasn’t in the mood to answer, plus I couldn’t work out where her face was to talk to her. It took until about 11am ( this morning) that I felt sort of OK. Maybe I should have smoked a reefer or two of Buddha Heads to do a clinical comparison, surely you’re meant to feel pretty good, I felt awful.

After workshopping the issue with Hbum when I finally made it down stairs, I’ve concluded she handled it ( gummy bears) way more maturally than me, with no real issues as a backlash, apparently.

I’m resting, the others head off to Wat Doi Suthep on the mountain above Chiang Mai. Great views from up there, the temple is about 700 years old, but I’m sitting in the hotel garden in the shade, sipping an iced latte.

The mission to Wat Doi Phra Sep is successful and they return mid afternoon in a red songthaew ( red ute taxi)

Late lunch before a decision about dinner is made. Bus for Chiang Khong tomorrow is confirmed and paid for 5660 baht ( about $67 /head) for a private mini bus strait to our hotel.

Dinner is at our hotel.

Tomorrow at 9am we head to Chiang Khong up on the Mekong near the Thai/Burma/ Laos border, are area formerly known as the Golden Triangle, formerly one of the major drug production capital of the world.

We’ve really enjoyed Chiang Mai, food has been exceptional, the shopping has hooked the Navigators attention as well as the other travellers I think.

Ciao from Chiang Mai

Pauolo

Righto readers, today was a slow one. Chiang Mai demands more time, theres no way we can fit the things in to get a proper bead on this place. Where we are staying, The Elliebum Boutique hotel is lovely, a quaint older style hotel, beautiful timber floors, nice rooms, sort of French colonial style,  with a nice little lawn fronting the street. The woman who owns it is here all the time, she has great staff with a welcoming feel.

Breakfast is really good. We take our time, we’ve got a bit of it ( time that is) up our sleeves. Hbum and I ingest our canabis sativa gummy bears, strictly medicinal. I think they work!!!

Dave better known as Telegram Sam goes off on a walk by himself, prospecting the Ping River, searching for long lost flora and fauna species, but finds himself ( for a short time he says) in an area where the massages may be a little more detailed than what they have on the board outside.

We, that is Hbum, The Navigator and I go in search of spiritual enlightenment at the Silver Temple. Which we find after a 19 minute walk, plus 30 minutes for looking in shops of the clothes and jewellery variety. Hbum is pissed that the silver temple only allows men inside, because women can’t become monks. I don’t think I’d become a monk, saffron doesn’t really go with my hair colouring.

The ladies are allowed in the gold temple just over from the silver temple, where a monk sits in consultation with Lord Buddha, dispensing sage advice, putting a little bracelet on your left wrist and smacking your head with a half arsed little broom like thing, all for a monetary donation.

Sounds like our Christian churches a bit I feel

A Bolt taxi gets us home for 92 baht.

We reconvene at our hotel after the morning activities.

Dave lunches at a little place over the road, 70 baht gets him a piece of fish, vegies and some spicy salad.

Dinner is back where we were last night, khao soi is king. We all try different desserts tonight, all up dinner cost is about 130 ($6.50) baht per person

Ciao from Chiang Mai

Pauolo