The Journey Through Laos

The flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Luang Prabang, Laos only took about 75 minutes.  The ticket was a little more than I felt like spending and I even seriously considered taking a bus but after speaking with a group of people who had just taken the reverse route, they said if they had to do it again, they would’ve opted for the plane vs. the THIRTY-FOUR HOUR bus ride from hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3cbKKf37Mg

Great video!

We landed in Luang Prabang around 11:30 AM and hopped in a tuk tuk (a unique looking trike-taxi vehicle common in SE Asia) destined for the Soutikone Hotel on recommendation from our good German friends, Michael and Daniel, who had arrived the day before.  A pattern had started to form where I’d always be a day behind these guys when coming to a new city, they’d already have scouted the hotels for me, scoped out the activities that were a must do and even reported back with reviews on the restaurants and bars in the area.  It worked perfectly.  We soon settled into what we thought was their hotel but as it turned out, was the one next door which ended up working out just fine in the long run. 

After unloading our belongings, Keith, Kyle and I headed to a nice little eatery situated overlooking the Mekong River and enjoyed a fantastic lunch along with a couple of locally brewed beers.  After our meal, we decided to go for a walk through town.  Luang Prabang was a relatively small city, a population of just over 70,000 people and the quiet, laid back atmosphere presented a stark contrast to the chaos that was Hanoi.  Kyle, not being much of a crowd person, was overjoyed with the drastic change.  We made our way through the village and stumbled upon the old presidential palace and compound, which had been turned into a museum.  There was a section of the compound that housed about half a dozen cars and a boat, all but one having signs stating they’d been gifts from the US Government, a couple Lincolns and a couple Cadillac’s.  How generous!

After walking around for several hours, the boys and I met up with Daniel and Michael for dinner along another riverfront restaurant.  The temperature was great with a nice breeze coming off the water, the food tasted spectacular and we spent the next hour or so enjoying conversation with one another.  We squared up on the bill and picked up a few drinks at a small corner market before taking a leisurely evening stroll through the night market where the guys picked up a variety of gifts and trinkets for friends and family back home.  The last stop of the night was at a bar owned by some Australian guys in an almost hidden location.  The place was bursting at the seams with people but still maintained a very chill atmosphere.  We indulged in a variety of beverages and enjoyed a ton of laughs with everyone as I spent nearly an hour indulging in one of my favorite pastimes, telling embarrassing/hilarious stories about my dear friend Kyle.

Schauen Sie sich diese gut aussehenden Herren!

The next morning, I had both Keith and Kyle as well as our German friends Michael and Daniel meet us in front of our hotel at 9:30 for breakfast.  I had spoken with our front desk the night before and arranged for four motorcycles to be brought to us for use throughout the day, one for each of us American boys and one to be shared for the others since Daniel insisted he sit behind Michael, for whatever reason….!!

The days journey was going to consist of a roughly 25 mile ride through the rolling Laotian countryside with the endpoint being a spectacular series of waterfalls and swimming areas we’d heard was a must see place while in town.  As a side note, a fair amount of the people reading this know my good friend Mr. Kyle Green very well, however I’m sure a substantial amount of you don’t.  When it comes to two wheels (and in many instances four), Kyle is quite accident prone.  I’ve never seen him ride a motorcycle and not crash.  I’d asked him earlier in the trip how he felt about the possibility of riding one if we came across a place where we thought it’d be worth it to which he’d replied that it was perfectly fine and he felt much more comfortable on a bike than in years past.  Regardless, I didn’t want anyone getting hurt so I took the lead and set a nice, easy pace for the ride up. 

In about an hours time, all five of us made it to the waterfall in one piece, I couldn’t believe it!  We parked the bikes and made the half-mile long trek through the wilderness, stopping at an Asian black bear sanctuary along the way.  There weren’t many people around as it was still relatively early in the morning, which made it feel like we had the place virtually all to ourselves!  The next four hours were spent swinging from ropes swings and jumping off trees into the crystal blue water while relaxing in the sunshine, a really incredible afternoon. 

Keith standing next to my bike so he looks more manly!

Stunning waterfall!

We made our way back to our motorcycles around 4:00 PM just as the sun was hitting that level where the sky starts to turn a little pink in color as the light reflects off the clouds.  I had rented a much larger motorcycle for myself and at a certain point in the ride, I just wanted to get on it and took off from the rest of the guys figuring they couldn’t get lost since there was only one road into town.  With the wind blowing in my hair, I winded through rice fields and meandered effortlessly along the river.  After about 15 minutes I decided to pull over in a nice area to take some pictures as well as give the guys an opportunity to catch up.  Within a few minutes, Michael and Daniel caught up to me and I assumed Keith and Kyle would be right behind.  I waited, and waited, and waited…and waited.  The joy I was having soon turned into panic as I knew there was no way they could be that far behind.  Without a doubt, I knew Kyle had crashed and was only hoping he wasn’t seriously injured as I could give a rat’s ass about the bike.  Minutes seemed like hours until finally I heard the faint sound of a motor coming in the distance.  Soon, the blurry sight of a man on motorcycle came into view in something that resembled the scene from Dumb and Dumber when Jim Carrey comes riding in on the little motorbike, wobbling as it backfires.  As Kyle got closer, I noticed him dangling his left arm somewhat limp and I was nervous to see the damage. 

He pulled up, hopped off the bike and assured us he was fine.  After further inspection, he ended up lucking out.  A couple of scrapes on his arms, a little gash on his hand, and what would end up being a football sized bruise on his hip, the bike thankfully taking the majority of the impact.  We putted back at a snails pace to our hotel to take showers and a well deserved lengthy nap.  After we woke, we headed out for a relaxing dinner with just the three of as and Daniel as Michael wasn’t feeling to well.  On the way home, we stopped by a storefront on the recommendation from Daniel and Keith, Kyle and I booked an all day excursion to an Elephant Sanctuary for the following morning roughly an hour outside of town.  The night ended early as we all agreed a solid night sleep was a must. 

The next morning as we were waiting for our driver to pick us up from the hotel, we ran into Michael and Daniel and said our goodbyes as they were headed to their next destination, which as fate would have it, we’d be once again be a day behind and surely meeting back up with each other.   Soon, our tuk tuk chauffeur arrived to take us along with a few other Americans, surprisingly.  Sixty exceedingly bumpy minutes later, we arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary. 

Quick note:  I’m going to make an attempt with the best of my abilities in the following paragraphs to express just how incredible, moving, and special this day was for me.

We walked up to the main area of the sanctuary around 10:30 in the morning and were sat down at a table to learn the history of how this amazing place came to be.  A German couple, on holiday nearly ten years earlier had been on a trip to Laos when they had discovered that elephants had been used for centuries in the logging industry.  The elephants first started working at around the age of 7 and worked till their mid to late forties hauling timber through the mountainous terrain.  During this time, they were treated extremely well, according to our guide, because they were so valuable to the locals livelihoods.  Once the elephant reached the age where they could no longer work as hard, they were either released back into the wild or more frequently slaughtered for their meat because the cost of feeding them an average 500 lbs of food per day was just impossible with the meager wages the local people earned.  Feeling a moral duty to protect these magnificent animals, the couple, over the course of a few years, secured a large piece of land from the Laotian government on a long term lease basis and began purchasing elephants from the loggers for the equivalent of 20-30k US a piece.  Currently, they have saved over 10 elephants with new ones being added every year.  Elephants can live up to 100 years and they were determined to have them spend their retirement relaxing in the forests, socializing with each other while also keeping them stimulated by having them interact with tourists for a maximum of 5 hours per day, a few days a week.

The particular time of year we visited was low season and there were only around 20 visitors who had come to the sanctuary the day we came.  Our first hour was spent getting a chance to meet the group of elephants that’d accompany us throughout the day and learning the commands they’d grown accustomed to over the years.  We learned how to tell them how to lift there leg and help lift us onto their backs as well as the obvious phrases to get them to walk, stop, turn right, turn left, and let us back down, each of us getting a turn to take a stroll with them around a small area.  After we had practiced, the mahouts (elephant trainers, each assigned to a specific elephant) placed saddles on their backs for the first part of the trip.  We climbed onto a platform where Keith and I were loaded onto an elephant together while Kyle was given a larger elephant to himself.  The first ride lasted about an hour, meandering through some forested areas, wading though a 5-foot deep stream, until eventually ending up back where we started for feeding time.  We were each given the opportunity to purchase a bundle of bananas and I quickly purchased the remaining stock they had as I felt these guys deserved a nice treat!

Trying to get up!

Having a drink while getting carried through the river!

Feeding time!  I was told to stop giving bananas to mine since I bought so many ;)

After the feeding, the saddles were removed and we were instructed back onto the elephants, this time, each of us got to have one by ourselves.  Keith, Kyle and I hopped on our elephants with the mahouts behind us and headed towards a deep part of the river.  My elephant carefully stepped off an embankment and within 40 feet, she was up to her neck in water.  The next 30-minutes played out like something from a dream.  We splashed the remaining areas of the elephant that were still out of water and scrubbed them with brushes we’d be given which they seemed to absolutely love.  The elephants would suck up water with their trunks and spray them in the air in a display of friendly gesture.  As I stood their, smiling, laughing and looking at my two close buddies, taking turns watching each other leap off the elephants heads into the Mekong River, I felt as if time froze.  It was truly, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable and moving moments I’ve ever had.

Following what seemed like an eternity of pleasure, our elephants, Keith, Kyle, and I, made our way back to the main area of the sanctuary.  I gave my elephant a big hug and thanked her for a day I’ll surely never forget! 

Kyle getting ready to jump!

We got in the minibus with the rest of our group and headed back towards town and after a relaxing dinner with just the three of us, we headed for bed.  Rising early, we made our way via taxi to the bus station and embarked on what was advertised to be a 4-hour ride to the small southern city of Vang Vieng, Laos.  We boarded the bus and according to our tickets, I was to sit next to Kyle with Keith being right behind us.  Within minutes, I realized the agony I was about to endure with Kyle and I both being big guys and the seats being designed for people no larger than a small child.  Keith on the other hand, found it amusing as Kyle and I began to sweat on one another since he was sitting next to the only vacant seat on the bus.  I began attempting to bribe him to switch me spots and when money proved ineffective, I tried death threats.  He seemed content with watching me suffer and I’m not sure why, I’m such a caring individual and never find amusement in my friends misery.

Thirty minutes into the bumpy, windy, humid bus ride experience, I was trying to find way to kill myself when we made a sudden stop in a small village.  I gazed patiently as the bus doors opened and a smirk began to creep onto my face as a Laotian woman and her 3-5 year old son stepped on board.  I knew they only had one place to go.  The moods of all three of us quickly went 180 degrees as Kyle and I began laughing and Keith's unrelenting smile turned upside down.  I was pleased, very, very pleased, however the best was yet to come.  As we made our way through a series of Laotian mountain ranges, the roads were becoming increasingly more windy and bumpy when I heard Keith say from behind me, “In case you guys were curious, the lady next to me is vomiting!”  Kyle and I lost it and were soon reduced to tears!  I couldn’t have wished for anything better to make my bus ride more entertaining!  Over the course of the next several hours, the ladies vomiting continued, much to Keith’s displeasure.  We attempted to take a few photos of the events as they were transpiring, note the small child in snuggling with old Keithy-poo!

He looks thrilled...

Even more thrilled.....

For what was scheduled to take 4 hours, we finally arrived in Vang Vieng just over 7 hours from our time of departure.  I’ve realized just about every company in all modes of transportation aside from flying are terrible at estimating actual travel times.  Once in Vang Vieng, we made our way to the center of town to a hotel recommended by our German friends who once again had arrived the day before.  After checking in and saying hello to Michael and Daniel, we went for a little stroll around the small tourist town to get our bearings.  Vang Vieng is known for its incredible karst cliffs, stunning scenery, and until recent years, a sleepy little town on the river.  The city has almost an eerie feel to it due to the fact that as you walk down the main streets, you notice bar after bar after bar playing either Friends, South Park, or Family guy on loop, 18 hours a day, much to the enjoyment of the comatose looking patrons who partake in the plethora of various drugs readily available on the back page of every restaurant menu in town.  While not my cup of tea, more power to those who’s it is.

Our first night was spent at a restaurant with the German’s and tippin’ back a few cocktails and setting our plans for the following day.  Michael and Daniel had rented motorcycles during the day before we’d arrived and said that they’d love to do it again and would be more than happy to show us the great places they’d already went.  We headed out for the ride bright and early with my fingers crossed once again that Kyle would survive the journey and we ventured through a series of small villages and towns along the way before coming to a place called the Blue Lagoon.  The name described exactly what it was and the boys and I spent the day relaxing, swinging from the rope swings and jumping from the tall tree branches.  One highlight of note was when a small child, probably no older than 8, had worked up the courage to climb up the high branch after seeing us do it only to be frozen with fear, unable to move for roughly 20 minutes.  Everyone, including his mother tried every tactic to get him to jump as it wasn’t nearly as safe to climb back down.  His sisters, Michael, and even myself climbed up to try and get him to jump with us but nothing worked.  Finally, after prolonged frustration, Kyle yelled to him “I’m coming up and if you’re there when I get there, I’m throwing you off!”  The poor child, petrified by the giant bearded man, waited anxiously as Kyle made his way up the branch.  With just a few steps to spare, the kid leapt off reaffirming all our beliefs that children are scared of him! We eventually made our way back to the hotel just before dusk, everyone managing not to get injured even though Michael crashed in a field, luckily no cuts or scrapes. 

Rope swing!

Love these kids!

King Karl!

End of a great day of riding!

The next few days were spent enjoying all of what Vang Vieng had to offer.  We embraced the crazy atmosphere at night, did the river tubing during the day and I even managed to run into a bunch of friends I’d met in various places of my travels.  

Enjoying some buckets!

Keith's feeling 100% here....

Before we knew it, it was time to go on to our next destination Vientiane, the capitol city of Laos.  Frustrated from the horrible bus ride days before, Keith, Kyle, Michael, Daniel and myself decided to buy out all 12-passenger tickets on a minibus so we could have the space to ourselves.  We left early in the morning on Saturday, April 7^th, the ride advertised to take only 3 hours and actually, after the first hour and half, I actually thought our driver was going to get us there on time.........

All it took was a giant pothole to send the left rear leaf spring snapping like a toothpick and shoving the tire into the back of the wheel well.  F*%*#ng peachy!

Splendid.

Notice the safety glasses and steel toed boots as our driver creates a new leaf spring!

We sat in awe as our driver took pieces of wood from a pile on the side of the road and worked on the car.  30 minutes later, with wood acting as our leaf spring, he gave us the thumbs up that we were good to go and we entered the minibus like idiots.  Luckily, we made it another 20 miles till he pulled into an actual auto shop.  2-hours and some metal fabrication later, we were on our way. 

Our stay in the capitol city lasted all of about an hour as we boarded a train, destined for Bangkok.  Laos had proven to be an incredible stop along my journey and it left me with memories I will never forget!