Tripping over ourselves to escape the Vietnamese touts at the border we entered Laos in an agitated state - certainly not the ideal way to start a journey into a country whose catch-phrase is 'baw paang yang', or 'no problems'. But it didn't take us long to settle into the groove, and by the end of the evening it was beer and some delectable local fare by the Mekong in Savannakhet - minus the agitation. Ah Laos...super chilled, super friendly and super happy! 'SaBaiDee' is the welcoming and truly genuine greeting that resonates wherever you go, accompained with a generous smile.
We spent the first few days on scooter mission - about 440km in total - around Central Laos and some magnificent limestone karst topography. The Kong Lor cave was a highlight for sure. Tucked away at the head of a brilliant-green, fertile valley rimmed with limestone cliffs, the cave is only reachable by boat. It took us just under an hour to navigate the 7km cave which was monstrous inside. The river which flowed through it was at least 30m wide and the stalgtites and staldmites were equally impressive. Lit only by the lights of the boatmen it was an eeire feeling cruising through the darkness. We overnighted near the cave entrance with a local family, who treated us to a dinner of fermented fish and the ubiquitous sticky rice, which we both have become addicted to. Tackling the toilet just past the pig sty and next to the chicken coop in the rain at 2am did test my navigation skills.
Our chinese-made, dodgy looking scooter miraculously managed to ferry us through some atrociously potholed and mud-slickened tracks without punctures nor injuries over the next two days, and we passed through winding, mountain passes, riverside villages and searched fruitlessly for several caves which appeared to have been washed out in the wet season.
Buses are slow in Laos, with 100-200km trips taking up to 8-9 hours, but they are a reprieve from the speedy, suicidal Vietnamese drivers. So we bumbled our way to Vientiane, the capital, along with plenty of locals and the odd basket full of chickens. Vientiane has to be the most chilled out capital I have been to. Especially on the weekend, nothing moves very quickly, which means the best thing to do is chill out with a coffee and croissant, or a beer and some yarns. Not hard to do really.
We were in two minds as to whether to go to the infamous Vang Vieng, which is on the way to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang. We had heard horror stories of the shennanigans that go on there, but were intigued by whispers of it's beautiful surroundings. You see, tubing down the Nam Song is a VERY popular activity with the youthful backpacking posse, and some local entrpreneurs have hooked onto what gets them going. Simple equation really; float down river in rubber tube, stop at bars along the way, drink cheap booze, drink 'happy' shakes (mushies or something more toxic), and listen to really loud doof doof music. What! I hear you say....that doesn't sound too bad and certainly not below me or Costa.Yes, but literally scores of drunk and stoned english teenagers (stumbling,drooling, hollering and scantily clad) were wandering the streets totally oblivious to their surroundings and utterly disrespectful of the local people who have to put up with it 365 days of the year. Maybe I'm just getting old....rant over.
Instead, we hit the Organic Mulberry Farm, a great little co-operative that grows their own vegies, runs a free English learning school for the locals, and even makes their own goats cheese, mulberry wine and hibiscus teas...YUM! We spent a couple of days helping plant hibiscus trees, doing odd jobs, cycling to nearby caves and enjoying some of the best food of the trip so far.
The dengue fever returned to Costa in Luang Prabang, but it was no matter as it was a town to cruise in - pagodas, wats, riverfronts, waterfalls and relaxed markets. The return of the greeks health had us in search of a trek, and we were joined by Dan, Courtney, Anika and Dale on a 2-day hike and 1 day kayaking trip in the Nam Ha National Park, near Luang Nam Tha - but not before I was struck by a violent and horrendous case of the runs which I had to endure through an 8 hour bus journey on some inconsiderately bumpy roads....well off the happy scale I was.
The hike was great, if not soggy, slippery and muddy due to the constant rain. We were meant to cross the Nam Tha river on the second day, but the bamboo raft was no match for the rising torrent so we had to head back to the starting point, albeit on a different path. 'Baw paang yang' - as it meant more time with the Lanten people (check the photos). The kayak was fun, not much of a challenge in the voluminous flooded waters, but it's always good to be on the water and get a river's perspective. The north-west was even more laid back than the rest of Laos, and even had a wild-west quality about it, or like an Australian outback town but uncannily located in the tropics.
Onward and northward ... China is calling, but it's through northern Vietnam that we have to travel to obtain our visas in Hanoi. Three days by bus, boat and van through some of the most isolated parts of Laos and Vietnam was an adventure. In any 'western' country the roads would have been deemed impassable - but the improvisation skills and tenacity of the population here ensure anything is possible - and indeed it would seem so. A makeshift snorkel fitted to the bus on demand facilitated our passage through otherwise impassable waterways, dozers clearing landslides as they happen, and diggers literally 'towing' buses and cars through the swampy muck via a cable attached to one of their teeth...no OSH in this part of the world, just get the job done.
Our final days in Vietnam were spent on some seriously tourist trodden paths - Sapa in the highlands, Hanoi the capital, and Halong Bay on the coast. All nice enough but that's all I can be bothered reporting....to Hong Kong now to finally catch up with Jess.
