For more pictures click album 1, album 2 and album 3
Katrine and I had extremely high expectations about Laos. A majority of the people we have met, who have travelled in South East Asia, had already awarded Laos with the 'Best Country Award'. Like with a movie that has received an Academy award, you obviously have high anticipations about a country that has received so much praise from fellow travellers. It can be a bit unfair, I guess, to go to a place having too high expectations. This will surely make it harder for that place to redeem. This was the case of Laos.
We crossed the boarder from Thailand into Laos by boat crossing the mighty Mekong River. On the other side it was all pretty chaotic, with lack of information and people running wild with our passports going crazy when we were asking politely to get our passports back. Our initial plan was to take the 'slow boat' down the river, all the way to Luang Prabang, a two day journey. But we changed our minds when we found out that we could go by bus instead, and arrive the same night. At least that is what we were told. When we first asked it was a nine hour bus ride leaving 'now'. Then someone told us it was 11 hour, leaving 'soon'. Asking a third person, we were now told it was a 12 hour bus ride arriving at 11 p.m. It ended up 13 hours on the bus, arriving Luang Prabang (LP) at two in the morning! And just to make it even worse the bus driver stopped around seven kilometres outside the city centre, where some of his friends (at least we assume they were) were waiting for us like blood hounds to take us into town for 10 times the tourist price (meaning 20 times normal price). And when we got to the city centre everything was closed, or rather barricaded. Luckily we were a good group of people travelling together. We had met five cool Chilean guys on the bus from Chiang Mai a few days earlier, whom we were to stick with fro the 10 days or so. The eighth member of the group was a guy from South Africa. Like restless zombies we roamed the dark streets of LP for more than two hours, knocking on the doors of more than 20 guesthouses before someone would let us in. By that time we were seriously considering sleeping outside one of the wats (temples). The first 20 hours of our Lao experience had been everything but great. We hoped for better days ahead, and fortunately they were. LP presented itself from a much better side the next day.
We crossed the boarder from Thailand into Laos by boat crossing the mighty Mekong River. On the other side it was all pretty chaotic, with lack of information and people running wild with our passports going crazy when we were asking politely to get our passports back. Our initial plan was to take the 'slow boat' down the river, all the way to Luang Prabang, a two day journey. But we changed our minds when we found out that we could go by bus instead, and arrive the same night. At least that is what we were told. When we first asked it was a nine hour bus ride leaving 'now'. Then someone told us it was 11 hour, leaving 'soon'. Asking a third person, we were now told it was a 12 hour bus ride arriving at 11 p.m. It ended up 13 hours on the bus, arriving Luang Prabang (LP) at two in the morning! And just to make it even worse the bus driver stopped around seven kilometres outside the city centre, where some of his friends (at least we assume they were) were waiting for us like blood hounds to take us into town for 10 times the tourist price (meaning 20 times normal price). And when we got to the city centre everything was closed, or rather barricaded. Luckily we were a good group of people travelling together. We had met five cool Chilean guys on the bus from Chiang Mai a few days earlier, whom we were to stick with fro the 10 days or so. The eighth member of the group was a guy from South Africa. Like restless zombies we roamed the dark streets of LP for more than two hours, knocking on the doors of more than 20 guesthouses before someone would let us in. By that time we were seriously considering sleeping outside one of the wats (temples). The first 20 hours of our Lao experience had been everything but great. We hoped for better days ahead, and fortunately they were. LP presented itself from a much better side the next day.
Group shot from our first night in Laos. At least we all look happy...
The UNESCO-protected World Heritage City of Luang Prabang is truly beautiful and charming. The old city, were we were staying, is built on a peninsula with the Mekong River making a natural moat around the city. French colonial architecture mix nicely with traditional Laotian and Buddhist architecture. In the middle of the city is a big hill. If you climb the steps to the top you will be rewarded with a beautiful wat and a spectacular 360 degree view. And if you are there at the right time you will witness one of the most magic sunsets you can imagine.
The first day was spent biking and walking around the city center. On the second day we (the Chileans, Mr. South Africa and us) went to Pak Ou, around 25 kilometers upstream the Mekong River. Pak Ou is a holy place and famous for its limestone caves filled with Buddha sculptures.
For 'good luck' you can buy different birds and animals and then release them. They will most likely be recaptured soon after, and then resold to other tourists.
Later that same day we went to see the amazing waterfalls of Tat Kuang Si. As I wrote in an earlier post, for a waterfall to impress a Norwegian it has to be pretty spectacular, and this one certainly was. The river system of Tat Kuang Si consists of a series of smaller waterfalls and pools and one big waterfall at the top. The pools and waterfalls look almost artificial and the colours of the water are verdiris green and clear blue and turquoise. It was the perfect place to take a dip, although it was a bit too cold to really enjoy it... The park also has a rescue center for bears that have been confiscated from traffickers and poachers.
The pools and waterfalls of Pak Ou look more like a man-made amusement park than a natural river system. Every morning in Luang Prabang the monks walk through the city collecting food and other things from the locals.
The following morning we left the South-African guy behind and caught a minibus down to Vang Vieng. When we arrived at the bus station the bus guys tried to disregard all physical laws and squeeze way too many people into one minivan. It took us almost one hour of heavy verbal arguing, and not until 'chica' (Daniela, the Chilean girl) physically pushed one of the local guys into the minivan they understood that we wouldn't fit. Well done chica! Once on the road it took us about seven hours to get to Vang Vieng (VV). The extraordinary nature of Northern Laos really unfolded as we moved southwards. The scenery in VV was also truly spectacular. Our room only contained a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net, but we had a magnificent view of the river and the mountains, and it was cheap!
Vang Vieng is more or less famous for one thing, that is the activity of tubing. For you who aren't familiar with the Laotian Tubing, it means floating down the river on an inner tube only conveyed by the current of the river. It may not sound very exciting, but all the 'watering holes' along the river don't only make sure people aren't dehydrated. Most of the bars attract the 'tubers' with free shots and some serious water activities, or they simply throw the 'rescue line' in your head... Some people, or should I say most people, tend to get a bit too drunk and start acting like Supermans and Catwomen, which often end up in bad injuries. A few people have actually drowned, and believe me, the river is not that vehement... Anyway, it was fun and the water wasn't too cold once you got used to it. Another strange Vang Vieng feature is the 'Friends' restaurants. These restaurants are showing the TV series Friends non-stop. I'm sure Jennifer Aniston and her colleagues receive a large sum in royalties from these places; or perhaps not... It isn't a bad idea though, but I wish they had a Seinfeld and a Simpson restaurant as well.
One classic example of a wannabe catwoman without the power of a super hero (pic 1); one guy who actually hold at least one of superman's powers (pic 2); and a water slide that doesn't require any super powers at all.
Our last stop in Laos was its capital, Vientiane. We only stayed here one night, so we didn't see too much of the city, but honestly, I don't think we missed out on anything extraordinary. Sitting on the river front watching the sun set behind the Mekong River one last time was very pretty though. All things considered, Laos was alright. It didn't live up to our expectations, which probably was too high in the first place. It was more expensive than what we've been told, the people were a bit reserved and didn't speak much English, and we had some awful restaurant experiences. However, the natural beauty and the good times we shared with our new friends surely made it memorable in many good ways as well.
One classic example of a wannabe catwoman without the power of a super hero (pic 1); one guy who actually hold at least one of superman's powers (pic 2); and a water slide that doesn't require any super powers at all.
Our last stop in Laos was its capital, Vientiane. We only stayed here one night, so we didn't see too much of the city, but honestly, I don't think we missed out on anything extraordinary. Sitting on the river front watching the sun set behind the Mekong River one last time was very pretty though. All things considered, Laos was alright. It didn't live up to our expectations, which probably was too high in the first place. It was more expensive than what we've been told, the people were a bit reserved and didn't speak much English, and we had some awful restaurant experiences. However, the natural beauty and the good times we shared with our new friends surely made it memorable in many good ways as well.
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