The Last Hurrah

In Laos right now. The Macau and Hong Kong officials at the ferry and airport terminals wouldn't let us through because we didn't have an exit ticket out of Laos. But we knew, as we've heard, from other backpackers that Laos doesn't care. After hours of dealing with Macau and Hong Kong officials, they finally let us through after signing an exemption stating that the airline was not liable is we would be extradicted out of the Laos upon arrival. So funny. We finally got to Vientiane and everyone at the airport was so laid back that they let us through without any question. We didn't need an exit ticket, after all. You could immediately feel the laziness in the air. There wasn't a rush to do anything. Peopl weren't running around yelling orders at others. It was quiet and calm. It was an international airport but it wasn't hustling and bustling like O'Hare... it was funny.

We walked around the city looking for accommodations and we went into a random guesthouse (Lovan) and the owner was just so nice he let me take a look at the cute little room, which I fell in love with. Then as Ellen and I were checking in, he immediately walked us up, with a pink towel with teddy bears for me in one hand and my bag in the other, opened the door, set our things down and said, "come down and check in whenever." So cute. It wasn't like in China where they demanded a 600 yuan deposit and your passport and you had to pay in full up front. When we were ready to check in, we found him sitting outside with some other guests and he gave us 1 form to fill out and let us put all the data in. I seriously could've been Miss Piggy and he would have never questioned me. We're also paying our 10 USD/ each for 2 nites when we leave. He's so nice.

We met a couple of German travellers who said that many times, people stay longer in Laos than they originally planned... just because everyone is calm and laid back and relaxed that you start developing that attitude. We would go to markets and restaurants and there weren't people heckling you to come into their store or restaurant like in China. We didn't here, "lady, missy, come to my store." In Laos, we actually heard, "madam, would you like to ride a tuk tuk?" (A motorized tricycle.) So cute and polite. I don't want to say that China is inferior to Laos, but Laotions seem much more civilized to Western standards than the Chinese. They're polite, modest, and humble. In China, I developed an anxiety... I just wanted to get out of that overpopulated country ASAP upon entering Laos, I immediately felt at ease.

Guidebooks have called Laos the "Sleeping Country" and we can see why. Everyone's sleepy. You have to wake the owner up of a store so that she can help you. Vendors are sleeping at their stalls. Workers are sleeping on plinthes at their worksite. Tuk tuk drivers are sleeping on the back of their tuk tuks. People are sleeping at the temples.

See the Sleeping buddha... if the buddha is sleeping, why shouldn't everyone else? Haha

See the monks on the back of the bus in Vientiane on a road by the Mekong River...

VANG VIENG: Vang Vieng is a small little town, about 3 blocks in diameter, full of backpackers all looking to do the same thing... trek, go caving, innertubing, or kayak. Apart from that there really isn't much to do. Today, when Ellen and I got in, we checked into a hostel... only 6USD/ nite ($3 each) and went to eat. All the restaurants are similar... beds and tables and pillows all facing several televisions playing DVDs of Friends episodes. I was in heaven and for more that 6 hours straight, Ellen and I lay there eating pizza, drinking Beerlao, and watching Friends. It was so funny. It was so relaxing. And it's a backpackers haven. After the hectic travels you take to get here... overnight trains and buses, no A/C, mosquitos, dusty roads, paranoia that your stuff will get stolen, being ripped off, restlessness...it offers all the comforts of home. Ahhhh....

Chillin' in Vang Vieng:

So many times, I just blurt out to Ellen, "I love it here." Cuz it's just a great place with great energy. Everyone greets you with a smile and "sa bai dee" (hello). No one runs you over with their cars or spits in front of you. There are western toilets. You can walk around in flip flops all day. I can't describe it, but it's so comforting and I love it....

We also went on a 2 day adventure of trekking, caving, and kayaking. We trekked up a mountain for a few hours before stopping by a little creek for lunch. Then more trekking and visiting little caves along the way. We had seen the "Unitdy Cave," "Elephant Cave," and the "Sleeping Cave." The trekking was pretty difficult with the heat and humidity. But the scenery was spectacular. It was a beautiful sunny day and the views of the villages and fields from the mountainside were worth the sweat. Then we had a delicious dinner riverside where we stayed overnight. The next day, we went kayaking for about 20 kilometers. So peaceful. The river was pretty calm without so many rapids. But Ellen and Alex, who were in the other kayak, managed to find a rock and flip their kayak upside down. It was on this day we saw the "Sleeping Cave." We had to swim in a dark and cold pool with sharp rocks inside a cave and flop around through slippery mud to see the depths of the cave. It was quite dangerous. All I kept thinking was, "don't think what is in this dark cold water. You'll be ok." But with a few bumps and bruises and Ellen's sprained midfoot we made it out ok. We had a Beerlao to reward ourselves:

LUANG PRABANG: We had taken a 6 hour bus ride up and down hills and mountains, playing chicken with oncoming traffic, in a bus full of backpackers, on a hot humid day with poor air conditioning. I was almost sick. But it was worth the whole trip. Luang Prabang is another town, actually a UNESCO Heritage City, protected and conserved for historical purposes. You see the quaint streets and the beautiful colonial buildings, but this is one city where the locals have clompletely exploited its label as a "Heritage city." The prices for accommodations and food are far more expensive than other places we've been. This morning we had gone to the main road to see the traditional procession of monks coming down the street to receive donations from the local people. Bus loads of Japanese tourists come out and sit on little stools, buying flowers and bowls of sticky rice from the locals to donate to the monks. The local people have completely capitalized on a tradition that doesn't seem as sacred and humbling as it originally probably was meant to be. Kinda sad.

Here is the monk processsion at 6am:

Other than that, we've shopped, seen some Wats or temples, and walked the small streets of the city. We've eaten some great food and drinking many a Beerlao. We also watched the sunset over the Mekong....ahhh, beautiful.

Laos has been completely relaxing. I initially loved the laid back attitude. But now, I'm ready for a new adventure. It's ok to be lazy once in awhile and so a week in Laos was about enough. But all this lounging will just make getting back into the stressful backpacker world that much more stressful.