Last day in Hanoi

Today (Tuesday, 30 January) was my last day in Hanoi. This morning I went and applied for a Cambodia visa. $25 and I picked it up the same day! Quick, easy, and cheap. I could have gotten it at the border but it was cheaper here and less fuss later. Didn't do much else other than hang around the hostel.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, 31 January) morning I'm taking the bus to Ninh Binh, Vietnam which is about 90 km south of Hanoi. Ninh Binh is on the train line and I would prefer the train, but the local bus so cheap and easy and it saves me from having to make two trips to the train station and leaves me more freedom. The buses leave every 10 minutes so I can leave whenever I wake up. I'll be in Ninh Binh a few days exploring the sights before heading further south to either Hue or Hoi An. I like Hanoi a lot but I'm ready to move on.

Halong Bay

On Saturday (27 January) morning four of us from hostel - Carolyn and Sally from Brisbane, Australia, and David from Canbarra, Australia - took a taxi to the Hanoi bus station around 7 AM where we met Jean from France. Then we immediately boarded a bus to Hai Phong near Halong Bay. Once in Hai Phong we all jumped on separate motorbike taxis - for some reason I didn't understand - and rode to the pier where we bought boat tickets to Cat Ba Island. Then, strangely enough, we got put on another bus and taken to a different pier to board the ferry. Once on Cat Ba Island, the main island in Halong Bay, we where put on a final bus to Cat Ba town. The driver of our chartered boat met us where the bus dropped us off in the middle of the beach side road (and the only road) in Cat Ba town.

We paid the boat driver $30 each for 2 days and 1 night of cruising around the bay including all meals and the use of kayaks. Then we boarded the boat and set off. The weather was already looking better than it had been in Hanoi (it had been cloudy since I arrived in Vietnam), and the remaining the clouds looked as if they were trying to clear up. We ate a great seafood lunch on board on the way to our first stop. After cruising through some stunning sea scapes, we arrived at our first stop of the day, a big karst island with a cave in it that you can hike into and several bolted, overhanging climbing routes. David and Jean climbed several of the overhanging routes there, but the routes were out of my league and my lack of climbing equipment, uneven numbers, and 9 months since I last climbed kept me content to just kayak around the islands with the girls.

After spending the afternoon there, we cruised into a secluded bay that evening and anchored for the night. After a great dinner, we hung out talking and drinking on the top deck of the boat and fell asleep there under the clear, star-packed sky to the gentle rocking of the boat. It was a little chilly that night reminding us that it was actually still winter. We all agreed it had been a fantastic day.

The next morning (Sunday, 28 January) dawned bright, clear, and warm-ish. We ate breakfast on the way to another bay where David and Jean were planning to do some deep water soloing (rock climbing with out ropes where you jump into the sea if you fall or at the end of the route). Unfortunately the tide was way out and the water was too shallow for most of the routes. So after following them around in a kayak for a while and deciding they weren't going to be climbing much, I left them to go paddle around the bays.

There was a cave in one of the larger karst islands that the driver of our boat pointed me towards that I set off for. I expected to be able to paddle into the cave a little ways and then come back out. Once I entered the cave I could see that it kept going for a ways and also that the water mark was near the roof - meaning you couldn't enter the cave at high tide. After about 60-75 meters the cave opened up into a secluded lagoon, where I found the Aussie girls swimming. The lagoon was completely sealed off from the outer bay. The only other exit to the lagoon was through another shorter but still shallow cave on one side of the lagoon. So the lagoon would be completely sealed off - and us sealed in - at high tide. It was pretty freaking beautiful, surreal, and cool. After swimming for a bit, we kayaked off towards the other cave exit at which point a small tourist paddle boat came through the other cave and ruined the secluded feel of the lagoon. That exit led to a larger bay that was also either sealed off or a really long paddle around so we ended going back through the way we came in. We got back to the boat and watched David and Jean climb a steep, overhanging route right over the cave entrance and above the only water around that was deep enough. Then we set off back for Cat Ba town eating a fantastic lunch enroute.

We got to Cat Ba town early that afternoon, checked into a nice, cheap hotel over looking the bay and then went to use the internet and walk around. There wasn't a lot happening in Cat Ba town so after dinner and a short walk, we hung out on the balcony of the hotel talking for a couple of hours.

The next morning (Monday, 29 January) we slept in, ate breakfast, and rented some motorbikes to tour the island for a few hours. They only had 'semi-manual' transmissions (gears but no clutch) and I had been hoping for fully automatics, but I got the hang of it soon enough. The girls on the other hand, who were driving motorbikes for the first time, were a bit scary to watch - in fact one of the girls fell over going very slowing around a gravel covered turn but was unhurt. It was a great way to see the beautiful island. I wish we could have spent the whole day driving around but we were heading back to Hanoi that afternoon. So we returned the bikes, ate lunch, and then started the journey back to Hanoi - bus, boat, bus, bus - arriving back to the hostel around 7:30 PM. We ate dinner later that evening and then hung around the hostel looking at pictures of the weekend. It was really a fantastic weekend and will be remembered as a highlight of my trip.

Back in Hanoi

My night train from Lao Cai (Sapa) arrived back in Hanoi on Friday (26 January) morning around 6 AM. I walked by Hoan Kiem Lake on my way to the hostel to see the lake shore packed with pre-dawn exercising Vietnamese doing all kinds of strange - or maybe just foreign - stretching. Back at the hostel I had a couple of hours to kill before I could get a bed and a few more hours sleep. Although I slept well on the train I was still really tired. But by the time I finally got to lay down I was too awake to sleep so I decided I should do some sight seeing. I walked around Hanoi's Old Quarter that morning which was really interesting and bought some thongs (sandals) for a couple of bucks - I could finally find some in my size, although none of the street vendors had them, only stores.

My next destination after Hanoi was to be Halong Bay on Vietnam's northeast coast about 2 hours due east of Hanoi. Halong Bay is famous for its ~3000 Karst (steep limestone) islands that jut right out of the sea. The most popular and practical way to see Halong Bay is by package tour from Hanoi. But I despise package tours and avoid them like the plague. Unfortunately there are few alternatives for seeing Halong Bay and doing it independently usually proves to be more expensive and frustrating than its worth. So with this in mind I went by several travel agents in Hanoi on Friday (26 January) to compare prices. Then I went back to the hostel to ponder my options and ask some other travelers what they had done. As it turns out an Aussie guy, David, was considering trying to get a group of people together to charter a private boat to Halong Bay. But nothing was planned and I was looking to leave in the next day or two so I wasn't overly optimistic on that option. Whereas the package tours leave every day and could easily be booked the afternoon before.

Later that afternoon I went to pick up my visa from the Burmese embassy. Then back at the hostel a BBQ in celebration of Australia Day was just getting under way. The roof top of the hostel was packed and it was good fun. Later that evening David found me and told me a private trip to Halong Bay had been booked and they were leaving early the following morning at 6:45 AM. Perfect! The early start, however, didn't stop me from celebrating Australia Day and going out until around 12:30 AM.

Hanoi to Sapa

Tuesday (23 January) night I went to eat at a good Indian food restaurant near the hostel with a group of people from the hostel before catching my train to Lao Cai, Vietnam on the Viet-Chinese border. My 'hard sleeper' was quite comfortable and I got some good sleep even though we arrived in Lao Cai, Vietnam at 6 AM on Wednesday (24 January) morning. When I exited the train station in Lao Cai I saw someone holding a sign with my name on it and it took me a second to figure out how this could be! Then I realized that the hostel in Sapa that I reserved a bed at had sent someone to pick me up (actually to pick a group of people up). It was about a 45-minute ride to Sapa from Lao Cai and we arrived to fog, drizzle, and cooler temps.

The weather was really uninspiring. Two girls who had been on my train and who were staying at the hostel in Sapa also had already booked a trek and left for it soon after breakfast. But I was happy not to be going out in that weather. All the trails were really muddy too. Eventually I took a walk around Sapa town which has a pleasant lake in the center. The drizzle stopped and the fog lifted a little so I attempted to walk up hill on the edge of town for some views. But the small residential dirt alley I needed to follow to exit the town had an unexpected obstacle. I got cornered by 3 medium to large growling dogs and they chased (more like escorted) me back down to a main street where I 'tucked-tail' and walked back to town. That little confrontation really got my adrenaline flowing and made me glad that I had gotten the rabies vaccination a couple years ago. A one point one of the dogs was only a couple inches away from biting into my calf. I had my backpack off and was ready to club him. Thankfully that wasn’t necessary.

I didn't do much the rest of the day other then sit around the cold, unheated hostel. A swiss guy who I had met at the hostel in Hanoi was also staying at the hostel in Sapa, so at least I had someone to talk to.

The next day (Thursday, 25 January) was another uninspiring weather day. Actually it was worse than the previous day because the fog didn't lift the entire day. The whole town was socked in. I did manage to walk up Ham Rong Mountain, a small park on one edge of town. I spent a couple of hours walking the paths of the park, which was set on the top and sides of a small hill, before heading back to the hostel. It was a really neat little park and it would have been really cool in clear weather. More lounging around the hostel and in cafes in the town, and finally we took a minibus back to Lao Cai and boarded the night train back to Hanoi. Sapa was really a dissappointment due to the weather and I think it would be beautiful with clearer skies.

Hanoi, Vietnam

On Sunday (21 January) I tried to get a handle on Hanoi. First I walked by St. Joseph Cathedral which is right near the hostel and took a gander inside. Then I walked around Hoan Kiem Lake, in the middle of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, and about a 5 minute walk from my hostel. The lake really reminded me of Green Lake in Seattle. Then I just walked around the areas south of the lake for a couple of hours. I had a difficult time trying to find a cheap place to eat lunch. Unlike Thailand and Laos, there is a shortage of cheap restaurants in Hanoi. And I'm discovering that I don't really care for Vietnamese food all that much, especially not street food. That evening I went out to dinner with a bunch of people from the hostel (not impressed by the food)and then a few of us went to a bar for a few hours.

On Monday (22 January) morning I went to the train station to book my train ticket to Lao Cai, the closest city on the train line to Sapa, a popular city in the hills near the Vietnamese-Chinese border. For less than $12 I got a 'hard sleeper' on the night train leaving the following night. I had lunch at a nice but cheap restaurant with a couple people from the hostel. After lunch I went to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum which was interesting but depressing. Then that evening the hostel had a little BBQ which was fun, but wound down early. A bunch of people from the hostel were heading to Sapa that night. It was a pretty mellow day and I didn't do much 'sight seeing'.

On Tuesday (23 January) morning I took an exciting motorbike taxi ride through the crowded streets to the Burmese Embassy. I filled out the short application, provided the $20 fee (obtaining the $20 was a hassle though as no body wanted to change money from Dong to Dollar, only Dollar to Dong and the embassy wouldn't take Vietnamese Dong), and was told to come back in 3 days to pick up the visa. It was almost too easy. I think that is the cheapest visa I have ever gotten and I'm glad I don't have to give the horribly oppressive Burmese government any more money than that. Then I went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex and walked around the grounds. The Mausoleum itself was closed though so like with Lenin in Moscow, and Mao in Beijing, I missed seeing the embalmed body of a 'great' leader..... I did wind up in the Ho Chi Minh Museum by accident but didn't spend much time there as I wasn't in the mood. I ate lunch at the same place as the day before, then headed back to the hostel.

One thing I really don't like about Vietnam is that absolutely everyone tries to rip you off when they give you change. You must always count your change and 9 times out of 10 you have been given the incorrect change!

Crossing the streets in Hanoi is really a hair raising experience too. It really takes a leap of faith.

My train to Sapa leaves at 9:15 PM tonight and I'll be there for a few days before coming back to Hanoi. I may or may not have internet access there.

Good Morning Vietnam!!!!

I know, not my most original blog title, and maybe a bit too cliche, but it is my first morning in Vietnam so I guess its appropriate.

I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday (Saturday, 20 January) evening around 7 PM. The 24-hour bus ride from Vientiane was okay. I didn't sleep well and we spent 7 hours sitting at the border (from about 2 AM to 9 AM), but I've certainly had less pleasant experiences on my trip.

It has been raining lightly since we crossed the border into Vietnam after such fantastic weather the entire time I was in Laos (perhaps due to the mountain range running down the western side of Vietnam trapping the weather). It was still raining when when we arrived in Hanoi. I checked into the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel and then went and walked around a little before meeting some people from the bus ride for dinner. None of them are staying in my hostel though. The hostel is like stepping into a hostel in Europe. It definitely doesn't feel like Asia in here. Its really, really nice and has a good hostel feel. And so its priced accordingly. $6 for a dorm bed which is what I pay for a shabby single room in Bangkok. There is cheaper accomodation around the corner, but I think I'm going to stay here anyways.

I haven't seen much of Vietnam yet, aside from out the bus window and a little of Hanoi on foot, but I think I am really, really going to like it here. I'm thinking I'll stay the entire 30-days that my visa is valid for. Its really different from Laos, really different from Thailand, and ever so slightly similiar to China, but not really. So I guess that would make Vietnam unique.

I don't have a guidebook for Vietnam yet, so today I am just going to go wander around Hanoi. My hostel is in the perfect location in the heart of the city. I'll make some trips out of Hanoi up to Sapa and out to HaLong Bay before heading south.

My next trip

Premature? Perhaps. But this happened on my last trip too. I started planning my next trip while I was still in the middle of my current trip. And after talking to other travelers I've found others do the same thing. I'm still really, really excited about my current trip and don't want it to end (in fact I'm not even thinking about 'the end' yet). But I know it will end at some point in the future, and I guess I need something to look forward to in the long term. So about a week ago I came up with an idea for my next trip. I wanted to write it down so I don't forget about, or neglect it.

I really like these 'overland' trips and have been traveling via ground transportation whenever possible for my entire trip (aside from 2 notable exceptions that I couldn't get around). In fact I really go out of my way (and sometimes at great cost) to stay on the ground. I've been planning on going to South America for my next trip but I was thinking I would have to fly down to Chile. But now I have come up with a better idea. Traveling overland from Seattle (or maybe even Alaska) down through Central America (including possibly Baja, Mexico first) and all the way down the western coast of South America to the southern tip of Patagonia in Chile. That is as much 'planning' as I have down right now, and I'll save any further planning until much later. But it gives me something 'adventurous' to think about as I feel there is not much 'adventure' left in the southeast asian backpacking circuit. I'm definitely going to learn some Spanish before I tackle this trip though....

Too Long in Vientiane...

There really isn't a whole hell of a lot to do in the capital city of Vientiane, Laos. At least that is my feeling on this place as of yesterday afternoon.

When I arrived back in Vientiane on Wednesday (17 January) afternoon, I had a few things I wanted to see, but nothing that would take up nearly 3 days. I couldn't leave for Hanoi, Vietnam until Friday (19th) evening because my Vietnamese visa wasn't valid until Saturday (20th). I stopped by the morning market to look for some sandals, but surprise, surprise my feet are too big and they only carry 'Lao' sizes. After lunch I went for a walk along the Mekong but it really isn't a very impressive waterfront. Just a big, dirty river fronted with a big, dirty river bank packed with makeshift restaurants. Didn't do much that evening.

On Thursday (18 January) I had a couple of 'big' sights I wanted to see and a full day to see them. The first was Pha That Luang, Laos' most important national monument. It was actually quite a small temple, but pretty nonetheless. Its a good thing it took nearly an hour to walk there from my guesthouse otherwise I would have only spent 15 minutes of the morning sightseeing.... Then I went back to my guesthouse to book my bus ticket to Hanoi, Vietnam for the next day. After lunch I treated myself to the best back waxing I've ever had. $7 and an hour later and my back was as smooth as a baby's bottom. That is as metrosexual as I get.

Then I took a tuk-tuk to Wat Sok Pa Luang, famous for its herbal sauna and cheap massages as well as being a fairly large temple with ~95 resident monks, alter boys, and nuns. As I was walking around the outside of one of the temples, a table full of young monks waived me over. I sat there talking to them for a while before they gave me a little tour around the temple compound, ending at the sauna. It was a good experience for both of us I think. They wanted to practice their english and I got to hang out with some monks.

Then, apparently not quite satisfied with my daily pampering, I took an herbal sauna and got a massage ($4 total). It was my first paid/professional massage ever, and it was pretty uninspiring actually. The flirty, large, female manager was talking to me in the sauna asking if I wanted to have a man give me a massage. I said I preferred female, and then she said something along the lines of, "oh really I thought you were gay". I told her that I was sorry to disappoint her and that I was straight. And she replied, "oh its not sorry for me, its good for me you know, but sorry for my gay friend, he wanted to massage you. He thought you were gay." Then I said, "well I definitely want a female masseur now." So I got a female masseur, after more convincing, much to the disappointment of the openly gay masseur that sat there and watched the whole time (along with the large, manager woman). It really wasn't a pleasant experience overall and its no wonder I went so long before getting my first massage. The masseur talked to her friends the entire time and even took a phone call. Not real professional, at least to me. Then I went back to the guesthouse well after sunset.

Today (Friday, 19 January) I actually have really nothing to do. So I'm not sure what I will do with myself for the better part of a day. I leave at 5 PM this evening for the 24-hour bus ride to Hanoi, Vietnam. I'm really looking forward to Vietnam, but my 3+ weeks in Laos have been fantastic.

Ban Hat Khai, Laos

When we arrived in Ban Hat Khai, Laos on Monday (15 January) afternoon I'm not sure any of us were prepared for how the next couple of days would unfold. It was really a tiny village and nobody spoke English, at least not much English. I for one, was expecting a small town, but this was definitely just a village. Finally we got the point across that we want a place to sleep, a 'home stay', and then that we wanted to go see the Tad Xai waterfall the next day. So after a couple of hours of hand gestures and broken english, some paperwork, and some traditional ceremony that involved taking some shots of Lao-Lao (Lao whiskey), we were all settled. We were taken to the home where we would sleep, fed lunch, and then shown around the village. The village was really cool and people just went on about their (seemly quite comfortable) lives there. We stopped for a bit to watch some of the local boys play Kataw, which is a cross between volleyball and soccer where a woven rattan ball is kicked and head-butted back and forth across a net. Yvo and I joined in for a bit but were absolutely terrible.

Then we went back to the house and Yvo and I went with the head-of-the-house down to the river to 'shower'. Since the river was quite dirty we felt just as dirty upon returning to the house as we did when I left. But that's how the locals shower so that's how we showered (for a day at least). Then we were served dinner. The meals were edible, but I wouldn't say tasty. We passed the time that evening playing cards with our host. As silly as it sounds, we felt that we were overcharged for accomodation and food and our only consolation was that the money stayed in the village.

The next morning (Tuesday, 16 January) we woke up early, had breakfast, and then took a motorized wooden canoe - which sat uncomfortably low in the water - up the Nam Mang to the start of a trail. We walked a couple of hours through some jungle before arriving at our destination, Tad Xai waterfall. The falls themselves weren't that spectacular but the pool into which they fell provided a beautiful, large, deep place for swimming. We had an excellent time swimming, sitting under the falls, and jumping off the 12 to 15-foot high ledge from one tier of the cascades into the pool. The best part though was not seeing anybody else there. The guides had brought another barely edible meal for lunch so I stuck to eating sticky rice (sticky rice was served with all the meals). After lunch we walked the 2 hours a different way back down to the village.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out not doing much of anything. We moved to another home for the evening, I presumed, to spread some of the comparative wealth around the village. That night after dinner we had more rounds of cards with the locals, at the request of our host from the previous night who came over to hang out. It was really good fun and the loser of each game had to take a shot of horrible tasting Lao-Lao. Pride was not the motivating factor in these games not to loose...

We woke up early again the next morning (Wednesday, 17 January) and I had to catch my ride back to Vientiane without having a chance to tell the others goodbye who were going on down south and still packing up when I left. But Yvo, Helen, and I made plans to meet up in Ko Chang, Thailand at the end of February. So I arrived back in Vientiane Wednesday morning, stopped by the Vietnamese embassy to pick up my visa, and checked back into my dorm room. Once again traveling solo... again.

Vientiane, Laos

When I arrived in Vientiane, Laos on Sunday (14 January) afternoon I had a slightly difficult time finding a cheap guesthouse. The guesthouses are all spread out and there is no main street for guesthouses like there has been in the other cities in Laos. Finally I found a guesthouse that looked more like a hotel but actually had 3 dorm rooms. I happily took a dorm bed, but paid the same price I had paid for my own room with bathroom in Vang Vieng. At least it was fairly nice and clean.

Then I went out for lunch and as I was paying, I heard someone call my name. It was Yvo! Yvo, Helen, and the Israelis had once again surprised me and changed their plans. They should have been in southern Laos by now, but they were still in Vientiane. Talk about a roller coaster with all the splitting up and reunions! They had decided to slow down their trip a little bit since they were feeling rushed and spent an extra day in Vientiane. They were planning to go to a national park near Vientiane the following day for a few days. Since I had no plans whatsoever I decided to join them. Apparently there were still some good times left to be had with our little group. Then we all went to use the internet for a while, eat dinner, and watch a movie in a bar/restaurant. Yvo had been wanting to see the new James Bond movie since we were in Nepal and he finally bought it in the market in Vientiane for $1.50. Cheap, cheap!

The next morning (Monday, 15 January) I woke up early because I needed to go to the Vietnamese embassy to apply for my visa before I met the group at 10 AM to go to the bus station. The visa application process was easy enough, but much more expensive than I was expecting. The Vietnamese visa cost $50 here in Vientiane compared to ~$35 in Bangkok. Damn! But I couldn't have gotten it in Bangkok since you have to know the exact date you want to enter Vietnam when you apply for the visa and I just now figured that out. I needed to come back to the embassy in 2 days to pick up the visa. That was fine since I was planning to go to the national park for a couple of days and then come back to Vientiane.

I still had some time before I met up with the group after applying for the visa so on the way back I stopped by Patuxai, roughly translated means 'Arch of Triumph', a big Vientiane landmark. And like its namesake really resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, although up close it is quite ugly. The French really left a cultural impression here in Laos.... I went up to the top for some mediocre views, but Vientiane is so flat all you can see is rooftops and palm trees. Then I met up with the group and we got a tuk-tuk to the bus station and then a bus to Ban Hat Khai, a small village on the edge of the Phu Khao Khuay National Protected Area about 2 hours east of Vientiane.

Vang Vieng, Laos

I arrived in Vang Vieng, Laos on Tuesday (9 January) afternoon to fantastic weather. The minibus ride from Luang Prabang was really, really beautiful. The road wound through some fantastic karst mountains. The mountains were completely blanketed in trees. It seems as though the cliff faces have to be overhanging not to be covered in trees and its amazing on what a steep slope the trees grow. Once in Vang Vieng I checked into some of the best value accomodation in Laos. A big, clean room with attached clean, hotwater, bathroom was just $3.

After checking in, I went for a walk around the village. Most of the village lies on the east side of the Nam Song (Nam = river). There are a few guesthouses and bungalows on the quieter, west side. I was over on the other side of the river looking at some bungalows (thinking I would move over to them the next day) and watching the sunset over the mountains when I ran into an Aussie couple - Jess and Gavin - that I had met on the bus from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang. They invited me to have dinner with them and some other travelers they had met that evening. That worked out perfectly since I was new to town and hadn't met anyone yet. So that evening I met up with the Aussie couple and eventually 6 other travelers - 9 total - for a long, relaxing, fun dinner.

The next morning (Wednesday, 10 January) I met up with Fraujke, a Dutch girl, who I had met the previous night at dinner. After breakfast we bumped into another Aussie couple that we had also met at dinner the previous night. They were going toobing down the Nam Song (river) that day which is the main highlight of a trip Vang Vieng - everyone goes toobing in Vang Vieng. So we joined them, and 3 more people they had met, for a little fun in the sun on the river.

Being the semi-professional river toober that I am, it would take a lot to surprise me, but the numerous river side bars complete with zip lines and huge rope swings, was definitely something I haven't seen on the rivers in Texas. One bar had a sand volley ball court which was a lot of fun. The same bar had a really high rope swing - the highest I have ever been on. So in a nutshell toobing down the river was a total blast. Too fun, it turns out, to leave time to get to the take-out in Vang Vieng village. We had to catch a tuk-tuk (taxi) about 2/3 of the way down as the sun was setting behind the mountains and we were getting cold.

As I was waiting for everyone to meet up for dinner that night, guess who I saw strolling down the road? Yvo (as in Yvo and Helen, my friends from Holland who I met in Nepal and have been traveling on and off with)!! It was a huge shock as we had parted ways in Nong Khiaw and I hadn't expected to see them again for at least several months. It was a very happy reunion, to say the least, in large part because it was so unexpected. That night we all went out for dinner - the old group and the new group - and afterwards to a bar. All the bars in Vang Vieng shut down at 11:30 or 12, so it takes some effort to stay out too late. Since toobing was so fun I had no qualms about another day on the river the following day with my old pals.

The next day (Thursday, 11 January) Yvo, Helen, the Israelis (Bat-Shahar and Michal), and I hit the river. It was another fun day. The previous day we hadn't made it all the way the river so today it was my mission to make it all the way. But its difficult with all the riverside activities distracting you... Nevertheless we made it down to the take-out before sunset. That evening was another fun dinner and then to a party at an outdoor bar. It was a fantastic day.

On Friday (12 January) we had plans to go visit a nearby cave, Tham Jang (Tham = cave). After many delays, and 3 hours after Yvo and I woke up, all the girls were finally ready to go. A couple of Aussie girls we had met on the river the previous day made our group 7 people. The main cavern of the cave was fairly cool, although nothing like the cave in northern Thailand. There were nice views at one point as a hole in the wall of the cave opened to the outside and afforded views over the village, river, mountains, and valleys. But by far the coolest part was at the base of the mountain, below the main entrance. A crystal clear, spring fed river flowed out of a small opening, perhaps 8 feet in diameter. We all new from our bibles (Lonely Planet guide book) that you could swim up this river deep into the cave, so we gave it a go. Out of perhaps 10 people (we ran into some Aussies I had met 2 days prior) that got into the water, only 3 of us made it to the end where the cavern narrows to a close. (surprisingly all the girls turned around early......) The water was deep enough the entire way that you couldn't touch the bottom, aside from the occasional ledge. And after maybe 40 meters you needed artificial light (holes in the ceiling and walls provided enough light for the first part). But I had my trusty headlamp, and with that on my head, we swam our way upstream deep into the cave. By the time we reached the furtherst point we were at least 120 meters in and with headlamp off it was pitch-freaking-dark. It was a pretty surreal experience and I can't really describe it well. There we were, just three of us swimming up a river in a small cave with just one headlamp between us into the unknown in the middle of Laos. We had the reassurance of our friends on the outside and the current constantly wanting to take us down stream. After perhaps 30-45 minutes the expedition team emerged victoriously into daylight. What a blast! Another group dinner that night and to a bar afterwards. And another hell of a day in Vang Vieng, Laos.

The following day (Saturday, 13 January) my original group was leaving me again. Yvo, Helen, and the Israelis were heading down to Vientiane and the following day on to southern Laos so I wouldn't see them again for a long while. So that morning we parted again and again it was sad. I was staying one more day in Vang Vieng and had no plans. I was solo once more and all the other people I had met in Vang Vieng were heading north to Luang Prabang that day. So with not much to do, I decided that toobing would be a good way to spend the day and meet some people. It was fun, but not nearly as fun as the other two days of toobing. I stopped and played volley ball for a bit and for some more rides on the really high rope swing (at least 20-25 feet at the top of the first swing). That evening I watched a couple of movies in a 'movie bar' and went to sleep early for the first time in a while. There was another party at a bar but I didn't feel like going.

The next morning (Sunday, 14 January) I caught the bus south to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.

Luang Prabang - last day

On my last day in Luang Prabang (Monday, 8 January) I wanted to walk around and really see the city since I really hadn't seen much when I was hanging out with my friends. I went to several wats including Luang Prabang's most impressive wat, Wat Xieng Thong. Luang Prabang is a really great city with some fantastic architecture. The French sure left an impression here. There are tons of wats for such a small city; sometimes one right next to another. One of my last stops was the Royal Palace Museum complex. I didn't feel like going into the museum so I just wandering around the pleasant enclosed grounds. I spent the rest of the day checking travel agents trying to find the best deal on the bus ride to Vang Vieng. Unfortunately they all charge the same $10, which is up from the $6 quoted in my guide book! Laos is really getting expensive. I would never pay that much for a 5-hour bus ride in Thailand. Then on the way back to my guesthouse I walked up the large hill in the center of the city called Phu Si. Actually I only walked half way up (to the ticket booth) since I had been to the top last week when I was here and I didn't feel like paying again or dealing with the crowds. There were still nice views from half way.

I ate dinner in the night market for the second night in a row. You can fill a plate with rice, noodles, and vegetables for $0.50 and get a $0.30 fruit shake. It may be the best deal in Luang Prabang. I had 4 fruit shakes today which ties my record...

I'm ready to head to Vang Vieng tomorrow morning and I feel that I have finally seen Luang Prabang. I booked a seat on a private minibus because it was only a dollar more than the public bus and is 2 hours quicker. Go figure.

Muang Ngoi Neua to Luang Prabang

The boat ride down the Nam Ou from Muang Ngoi Neua to Nong Khiaw on Sunday (7 January) morning was uneventful but beautiful again; the landscapes consisting of jungle covered karst with the blue Nam Ou carving its way through. We arrived in Nong Khiaw about 11 AM and had planned to take a bus half way to our next destination of Phonsavan. We discovered that instead of making one connection to get to Phonsavan it was going to actually take 2 or 3 connections and as many days. I wasn't interested in 'village hoping', but Helen, Ivo, and the Israeli girls were. Instead I decided to go back to Luang Prabang and then head south to Vang Vieng. So the time had unexpectedly come for the group to split. I had been traveling with Ivo and Helen off and on since meeting them in Nepal (over a month now) so it was a bit sad as we got along so well and had a lot of fun together.

John, Tom, and Soon were all going to Luang Prabang too, but I got on a less crowded bus (actually the buses are open-air, covered pickup trucks with a bench on either side, called Sawngthaews) leaving a little later. So I didn't find them upon arriving in Luang Prabang. I was once again traveling solo, which was fine and a good change of pace for me. It was difficult finding a cheap guesthouse for one person in Luang Prabang. The cheapest I found was $6, which is a lot compared to Thailand; Laos is supposed to be cheaper. I found one place for $4 but it was a shit hole, so I sucked it up and took the $6 room with a view of the Nam Khan (river). Luang Prabang sits at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong. I - as well as others I have talked to - have been pretty amazed at how expensive Laos is, Luang Prabang in particular. Every thing we had heard before was that Laos was cheap, cheap. But I have found it to be as expensive as Thailand and at times as expensive as Bangkok. Hopefully it will be cheaper in Vang Vieng where I'm going tomorrow.

Muang Ngoi Neua, Laos

Our boat pulled up to the shore of the small, riverside village of Muang Ngoi Neua around 4 PM on Thursday (4 January). Ivo, Helen, and I found a couple of bungalows overlooking the river for $1.50 each. Which, while cheap, had to be negotiated down from $2, now the going rate for riverside bungalows in Muang Ngoi Neua since it has become a tourist destination. When my current guide book was published 2 years ago, most of the bungalows were in the $0.50 to $1 range. That is what tourism does to a village I guess. The bungalows are very basic, but fine for a night's sleep. Hammocks on the balcony from which to admire the view were nice. As we were walking back to the main street and we ran into our Israeli friends, Michal and Bat-Shahar. They had arrived in Muang Ngoi Neua the previous day becuase their bus arrived in Nong Khiaw early enough to catch the last boat to Muang Ngoi Neua the same day. We had arrived in Nong Khiaw too late the previous day.

While we were talking to the Israeli girls and making plans for the next day, a couple of guys that were on our boat walked up and asked if anyone wanted to go for an over night trek the next day through some of the local hill tribe villages and jungle covered karst (tall, steep, limestone mountains) landscapes. We had already made tentative plans for our group to go on a boat trip the next day to see some villages, but I decided the trekking was more what I was looking for. Ivo wanted to go to, but Helen wouldn't let him (glad I'm traveling alone so I can make my own decisions...). So Ivo, Helen, and the Israeli girls decided to stick with the boat trip plan. I joined John (from Israel) and Tom (from England) to try to organize a trek. We found a 'trekking company' (one of the few in the village) that would take us trekking for $18 for 2 days (all inclusive). While we were negotiating a Korean woman, Soon, came up and was also interested in trekking so she joined us. After some discussions over dinner (we had about 11 people for dinner with my original group) the 4 of us decided we would strike off on our own, sans guide, as its supposedly easy to trek on your own in this area (many villages and villagers take the paths daily).

The next morning (Friday, 5 January) after leaving my big back pack under Ivo and Helen's care, I met up with John, Tom, and Soon in the village market for breakfast and to stock up on some food for the trek. We planned to stay with a village family that night who would cook for us so we only needed food for lunch. We took a digital photo of the sketch map on the wall of the tour agency, which served as our map. About 9:30 AM we were off. We made a stop by a cave after about 45 minutes. It was pretty cool and we explored the dark passages for a few minutes. The cave kept going deeper but we didn't have the proper equipment to go any further. We passed a village or two and relied on asking the villagers we saw along the way for directions. This worked out fine for a while. At one point we were following a guy for probably a couple of hours and arrived at what we thought was the village we planned to stay at for the night. It turns out he wasn't going to the village we wanted to go to, even though when we asked he nodded yes. So he walked us an additional hour and a half to another village, which again wasn't the village we wanted. But by this time it was getting late (~5 PM) and we had been walking up and down hills the last half of the day so we decided to just stay there for the night. We went up and met someone who looked like a village elder (big, fat, smiling man sitting in front of his house). Toya, his name we later learned, seemed pretty happy to meet us. With no one in the village speaking English and a couple in our group knowing only a few words of Lao, it was an interesting stay. Toya had a young boy - one of many children that had gathered around us - show us to a home where we could stay for the night.

When we were invited into the house I was got a laugh from the family when I took off my shoes, as the floor inside was dirt. There was lots of sitting around staring and smiling at each other. We tried to think of ways to entertain the kids. Hand games, digital pictures and videos, headlamps, sparklers (which Soon had been thoughtful enough to bring), and a glow stick (which John had brought) were all big hits with the children through the course of the evening. The family fixed us up a pretty good meal, by village standards, of rice, dried pork, minced pork, and some green, leafy vegatables (maybe morning glory?). There were no bathrooms in the village (not even holes in the ground), but it was comfortable enough for a night - and apparently comfortable enough for them for a lifetime. They actually had a light bulb attached to some power source - that didn't put off much light - which they must save for special occasions as the kids stood around staring at for a while once it was turned on. The very pregnant Mama, didn't skip a beat and was cooking, cleaning, and climbing ladders the whole time. The father, Papa, ate with us while the rest of the 5 remaining children and wife sat quietly around the fire. Once we were done eating it was their turn to eat. Papa and Mama had 10 children, 5 of whom stilled lived there, and one in the oven! Things shut down early in the villages and by 8:30 PM we were all laid down for the night.

At some ungodly hour the next morning (Saturday, 6 January) the roosters started their song and dance and didn't stop. The one right next to the house was alarmingly loud. About 2 hours of restless 'sleep' later - and after hearing the family moving around for at least the last hour - I got up and discovered it was just after 6 AM. No reason to waste the daylight I guess.

After a breakfast of the same food as dinner we gave the family some money and were off. We had quite a discussion on the appropiate amount to give. We didn't want to offend them by giving to little, but if we gave too much they might be expecting visitors in the future to give the same or more. We just wanted to do the right thing. We decided on $1 per meal and $0.50 for sleeping which appeared to be the going rate for things in the villages. So that was $2.50 per person and $10 total (100,000 Lao Kip) which is a large sum of money to a villager. We couldn't really tell if they were happy or disappointed as they showed no emotion. Papa showed us the way out of the village and down the trail for about 30 minutes to the first fork. The trail the the next village was easy enough to follow but quite over grown in places. I don't think it gets used as often as the other trails on the 'normal village circuit'.

Two hours later we came to the village of Ban Kiua Khan where we had intended to overnight before getting 'side tracked'. All the children from this village gathered round to stare at us too even though it was our impression before we left that foreigners where not an unusual sight in this village. From this village the path was straight forward enough as we had a good sketch map. 4 hours later, 1 hour of which we spent walking along and through a stream winding through a tight ravine, we arrived at the river side village of Ban Hat Saphei; our final destination. We walked down to the river bank and fortunately caught a ride quite easily back down river to Muang Ngoi Neua for $1 each. So instead of paying $18 each for a guide, we each spent less than $5 for 2 days of treking with extra adventure for free! As we were pulling up to Muang Ngoi Neua we saw Ivo, Helen, and the Israelis sitting on the river bank. Good timing.

After checking into another bungalow, Tom, John, Soon, and I went for a big lunch. Later my original group of 5 went out for dinner while Tom and John stayed at the bungalow and Soon disappeared. Then we ended up playing cards in Ivo and Helen's room until about 10:30 PM. On my walk back to my bungalow that night I must have been the only one awake. The village was strangly quiet with only the occasional rabid-sounding growling dog. We decided to leave the following morning as there wasn't a lot to do in the village and we felt we had gotten a taste of village life. I actually wanted to stay one more day, but I wanted to stay with the group more. Tom, John, and Soon were also leaving. So the next morning (Sunday, 7 January) we all boarded the boat for the trip back down the Nam Ou to Nong Khiaw.

Boat to Nong Khiaw, Laos

We were a bit rushed catching the boat from Luang Prabang on Wednesday (3 January) morning, but ended up waiting about 45 minutes once we hurried to get onboard. The boat was much smaller than the one we had taken from the Thai border to Luang Prabang. But there were two boats full of people heading to Nong Khiaw so I suspected the water was too low for a larger boat.

The scenery was fantastic and I was happy I had chosen the boat over the bus. But we kept making several annoying stops. I think we made 3 or 4 'toilet' breaks in just over an hour after going about 2 hours before the first break. No one could figure it out. Then the boat broke down. After probably 2 hours of the driver and various passengers working on the engine, the driver flagged down another passing boat also heading up river. More work commenced, before our driver told us we would have to get into the other boat and pay that driver $5 to take us the rest of the way (we had already paid an exorbitant $10 for the boat ride). No one even considered paying as we knew this was just another scam. I think travelers are getting more scam-savy these days. We stood our ground and paid nothing. We left the original boat and boarded the new boat and continued up river. The last 1.5 hours were in the dark, under the full moon. Although we missed the scenery, it was a pretty surreal experience to be cruising up the Nam Ou (river) under a full moon in a narrow, open air, wooden boat. It was a bit scary too as the river was low and we had been avoiding rocks all day long and they were harder to see at night. Eventually we arrived in Nong Khiaw. I gave the driver a left over $0.70 bottle of whiskey from our New Years party (we had also finished a $0.50 bottle of Lao-Lao rice wine New Years Eve, supplemented with many, many $0.80, 650-ml bottles of Beer Lao. Can you say "cheap alcohol"!) which he was happy to have. We checked into the first guesthouse we came too, which turned out to be a good one ($3 for a room).

The next morning (Thursday, 4 January) we had a few hours to kill before we took the boat further up river to Muang Ngoi Neua at 2 PM. We wandered around the village for a bit looking and being looked at. It was a nice little village with lots of things going on and villagers going about their lives. We only saw the occasional transitting tourist, such as ourselves.

The hour long boat ride further up the Nam Ou to Muang Ngoi Neua was also fantastic. We had to get out and walk about a 20 minute section due to low water but finally we arrived in the geographically isolated river village of Muang Ngoi Neua. Because the village is isolated from the surrounding cities by a steep mountain range and the river, there were no cars there which was a nice change of pace.

Luang PraBANG, Laos

New Years Eve (Sunday, 31 December) Luang Prabang, Laos was a blast. We started out early drinking and playing cards on the balcony of our guest house. It was really, really fun. Then we headed up the street to the Hive bar where we saw many other travelers from our boat ride. To make a long story short we had a blast drinking, dancing, etc. Of course I ran into the 4 Canadians that I keep running into! Got home 'early' around 2 pm and was the first one back to the room. The rest of the group stayed out later. It was really fun sharing a room with such a good, fun group of people.

We all slept in on New Years Day (Monday, 1 January) of course, then went out for an afternoon breakfast. We had planned to take a taxi to some local waterfalls but by the time we were all ready to go, it was too late.... So we made plans to hit up the waterfalls the next day. That evening we all went out for Lao BBQ. It was the kind of place where you cook all your own food (lots of vegetables and 3 kinds of meat) over some coals at your table. It was good fun and delicious. And cheap; with drinks I think we paid $2.50 each. It was a late and long dinner so we all headed back to the hotel after we were through.

On Tuesday (2 January) morning we had made plans to meet our ride (hired taxi) at 11 am to go to the waterfalls. But there was some issues at our guesthouse and we had to switch to another one. About noon we were finally off. After about a 45 minute ride we arrived at Tat Kuang Si (Tat = waterfall). Before you reach the actual falls walking from the a parking there are two other attractions you pass. The first is an enclosure for orphaned and rescued Asiatic bears. Those are some amazing creatures and move around and climb trees like they were half monkey. Then there was another large enclosure for an orphaned and recused Asiatic (?) tiger. The tiger was amazing and actually a bit scary when growling. I've never been so close to one and all that seperated him from us was a chain link fence. Pretty cool. Finally we arrived at the falls. There were lots of fantastic falls and pools filled with amazingly blue water for swimming in. We hiked up to the top of the highest fall, then went for a swim at the lower pools. It was really beautiful there. Back in Luang Prabang we went to the night market for eating and shopping on our last night there. Got a tee shirt for $1.50. Met some other people for a drink later, then headed back to the guest house.

On Wednesday (3 January) morning part of the group split up. Nicole (the Aussie living in Bangkok) was heading south, while Ivo, Helen, Michal, Bat-Shahar, and I were heading to the northern Lao town of Nong Khiaw. Michal and Bat-Shahar were taking the cheaper transport option, the bus. While Ivo, Helen, and I were taking the more scenic (and more expensive) boat up the Nam Ou (river).