Catchphrase: Bigger IS better when it comes to supersoakers during the laos new year.
I was a bit devestated saying goodbye to Clare and Waz in Hanoi :( And maybe a little bit more than jealous... what's China got that i don't have, anyway?!?
Sapa happenings:
This place is gorgeous! Because we only had two nights to play with, we'd organised a two day homestay tour thang back in Hanoi. It was great! As soon as we got off the sleeper train at Loi Cai, they loaded us up and took us to Sapa. From there, a traditionally dolled up H'mong woman called Lan (she's the raddest thing ever) took us through rice paddies and villages for two days. It was stunning, especially once you lost the masses of local women trying to sell you jewellery in each village... so quiet and peaceful. Broken by Lan laughing alot. It was a bit fabulous :)
Tourism is big business here though, so everything's changing. Homestays - although you are still staying in a local family's home - are being converted to larger, more modern barns with western facilities and large dorm-like bedrooms. Also there are masses of market women everywhere, that constantly walk around selling wares from the baskets on their backs. It's always hard to say no, but made almost impossible when everything they show you is all handmade gorgeousness. It's completely unfair.
Vietnam/Laos border crossing happenings:
Also known as A RIDICULOUSLY HILARIOUS YET EPIC BUS RIDE.
We got it into our heads that from Sapa it was smooth sailing to go to the Laos border and then onto Luang Prabang to meet some good friends of ours. To Dien Bien, the last town this side of the border, it was 10 hours of windy hairpin turns, hit-your-head-on-the-roof bumpiness and spectacular mountanous views the whole way. It was a wild, wild ride. Made more themepark-ride-like by the amount of locals that kept throwing up constantly.
We stayed overnight in Dien Bien, and caught up again with a sweet as german called Ulrike. Actually it was one of the best sendoffs to Vietnam ever. We ending up befriending a group of cheeky local taxi drivers who plied us with tobacco and vietnamese tea all night. Vietnam rocked my socks. I can't wait to come back sometime really soonish :)
The bus to Laos was even wilder than the first bus. About a kilometer from the border the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, and then we found out that the road was actually being made RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. No seriously! The bus couldn't get through for all the heavy machinery and roadworks. So we walked to the Laos border... how rad is that?!? The bus eventually got through while we were doing official visa-ness.
More bussing, more hijinks. In the end it took us three days and something close to 30 hours bussing time (like hammer time except on the move) so we were pretty chuffed to make it to Luang Prabang, capital of funtimes.
Luang Prabang happenings:
We got to see Esther and Finn! They are pretty fabulous. And they took us to a pretty fabulous waterfall out of town, but not to where everyone swims... to the SECRET spot. Truely. It was the best day ever. When i get back i will show you photos.
I got sick guys! It was the least fun i've had yet! Imagine! I'm over the worst now but my stomach is still in an unhappy place. I blame the ice cold fruit shakes. They are pure evil. All four of us got sick eventually, but we were clever and staggered ourselves :) One of the perks of travel buds.
We arrived just shy of the most epic and awesome event EVER: Laos new year! Why is it so exciting? It's a free-for-all, everywhere/anywhere/anyone three-day water fight! As someone who grew up water-deprived in australia this is friggin awesome! Although lacking in supersoaker prowess, i grew up playing a shiteload of tombraider which i think helped :) Anyway there was no way to really prepare for the watery chaos that is Luang Prabang right now. It's one giant gauntlet of buckets, hoses and more recently talc powder. And everyone's so appreciative about getting wet because it's so hot! It's all fun and games.
Anyway that's where i'll leave you. Writing all of that made me realise that i WASN'T wet i AM hot and i don't even make MYSELF laugh anymore.
So long cherubs,
xxx mel
