Laos

Today is my last in Laos; Quinn is on a connection flight to KL right now before heading back to Singapore, and I'm hanging out for a few more hours until my train leaves for Bangkok. It's an overnight bed and I'll arrive in Bangkok around 6:30am. From there I think I'll bum around Khao Son Road for a day, then head to the airport and finally back to Singapore on Monday.

The trip to Laos has been quick and fun, but we really just scratched the surface of what it's like here. Eighty percent of the population lives off the land and the rest are in the cities -- Luang Prabang, Vientiene, and Pakse. From what I saw on the bus ride, their homes and villages don't look much different than those we saw in Cambodia, but they aren't living in poverty like the Khmers. It's comparable to the way the Native Americans used to live. I was hoping to have time for a homestay and actually live in a hill-tribe village for a night or two, but funds and time are short so it will have to wait until my next trip to Southeast Asia. (And believe me, there will be another!)

Luang Prabang was a delightful and charming place, and is a fabulous spot for anyone who just wants to relax and unwind. A real "tonic for the soul" as its been described. It's this small old-world town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), surrounded by mountains and lined by the Mekong River. An 1130pm curfew is enforced and all the restaurants, shops, and internet cafes close down before then. Honking horns and even talking too loudly are prohibited. The views there are gorgeous, and the shopping is amazing!! Artists from the area flock to the main drag to set up shop for the Night Market, a very charming (and peaceful!) market illuminated with Christmas Lights selling high-quality scarfs, blankets, slippers, fisherman pants, dolls, lanterns, and a myriad of other goods, made right in their villages and sold in the town.

Vang Vieng is a backpackers' mecca, and though it's filled with kids just barely out of high school mindlessly staring at a TV all day, it's quite a fun place! One of the times when I jumped into the river from a swing I sort of landed angled on my left side, and even now, a few days later, it still feels like somebody punched me in the side. At least it's not as bad as Quinn's battle wounds -- she fell into the river about two meters from the base of the ladder.

Instead of taking a bus all the way from Vang Vieng to Vientiene, which would have taken another eight hours or so through the mountains, we kayaked part way down the Nam Lik river. It was my first time kayaking and it was quite fun!! There was one set of rapids and Quinn and I did pretty well on them -- we were the only ones in our group to make it through, until the very end when we lost our balance and our kayak tipped.

So now I'm in Vientiene, and will be leaving for Bangkok in about four hours. I'm not going to do anything but bum around KhaoSan Road all day, and maybe do some more shopping. I'm getting pretty exhausted from traveling, but I think all I need is a day to not do anything and I'll be ready to get back on my feet. Quinn and I have had a busy busy week and a half, going from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Angkor to Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng to Vientiene, and every day has been hectic and full of activity. So it starts to get to you after a while and you get very exhausted. But it's fun, and exhilerating all at once.