Corona 🦠 update: while we were waiting for our gate to open, right next to Krispy Kreme was a table set up to receive the cruise ship guests 😐. But we are reading that the number of new infections is now on the decline. We are still being cautious (neurotically washing/sanitizing our hands and wiping down our phones and tablets and other publicly used surfaces), and feel great, so no worries!

And on to our first stop in Laos!

FIRST LOOK

So, by the time we got here, it was pretty dark, but we were immediately comparing to Cambodia and the first things we noticed as we taxi’d to the hotel and hunted for dinner on foot were:

▪︎Nicer roads - it’s so smooth and silent! No rattling of car or brain parts.

▪︎Also silent because there is no honking \240So much less risk taking by the driver, and there were proper lanes that all drivers seem to be in agreement about boundsaires and direction 😛

▪︎Modern high rises and cleaner, wider spaces and roads in general. Definitely way less parties and trash littering the place. And no city stench.

Don’t know if this is special to our limited first hours in a small area, or if this is general what we will see everywhere in Laos.

Dinner

We walked around the main roads to get a feel and when we got to the end of the well lit parts, we turned around and ended up at a Japanese restaurant called Tokyo Ramen Torimaru. It was yum.

▾ But I wouldn’t know about the beer because:

Headed home for our full day of plans tomorrow.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #krispykreme #donut #japanese

We started with a free breakfast at the hostel. Mine was a western sandwich, nothing special, and Stefan tried something called the Laotian Style Sandwich.

▾ Never mind Stefan, note the cute minions decor in the corner.

SIGHTSEEING

We decided to find transportation to start at the north-most site and work our way down.

▾ We used a ride service app called Loca. I think their code might be missing a rounding function for the fare.

Pha That Luong

This is regarded as the national symbol and considered the most important national monument. It was originally built as a Hindu temple in the first century, but rebuilt several times. Sounds like a common occurrence in this part of the world. It was repeatedly plundered and destroyed by the Burmese, Siamese, Chinese, Thai... at one point it served as a Khmer temple. It was reconstructed after WWII.

The monument is surrounded by a lot of other temples and structures.

▾ Of this one, Stefan brilliantly said “It’s so Asian”.

But at least he immediately made a few attempts at recovery.

▪︎“No, that’s what I was about to say”

▪︎“Like the multiple roofs is what little kids would draw”

▪︎“but that’s silly because we are in Asia”

And I’m asking him now if there are any other last minute defenses I should know about, and he’s thinking really hard, but now the moment has passed, and it’s too late.

So many Buddha’s and just as many chicken on the loose.

▾ Just inside this gate, we tried our first snack off the street! We totally forgot to ask what it’s called, so until we figure it out, we are calling it Laos poffertjes lol.

We think they are made with eggs, corn, and chives, and you have the option of sprinkling powdered sugar on top. And I forgot to take a photo when we got ours, and one remembered halfway, sorry 😐.

And this one had so many illustrations that look like stories.. I wish we could understand them!!

▾ Play video’s

▴ Don’t know if you noticed the indication that the USA donated, but maybe it’s due.. Laos might be the most bombed upon country ever - we read something via Google that describes it as if “a plane-full of bombs every eight minutes for a decade, and you bet the USA was a part of that.”

And, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I really can’t help it. Every time I’ve seen a reclining Buddha this trip, Ali Wong’s voice immediately plays in my head: I don’t wanna lean in. I want to lie — down ——.

We made our way down to the China-Laos Friendship Monument. We think it’s all Ming pottery? Which is I think also what inspired the Dutch Delft blue.

😱 I JUST REALIZED STEFAN DIDN’T SHARE A BITE OF HIS BREAKFAST so now I don’t know what a Laotian Style Sandwich tastes like!!!

We keep walking south, stopping at anything we spot.

▾ I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, but the lack of alignment/symmetry distresses me a little. I wish I hadn’t noticed.

Patuxay Monument

Also known as the Victory Gate of Vientiane. It resembles the Arc de Triomphe, maybe because Laos was at one point a colony France. It actually remains incomplete because of the country’s turbulent history.

We thought it very funny that there is a plaque on the wall that says, “From a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete.”

▾ I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

▾ On the way to the top:

▾ At the top:

▾ Doesn’t something still feel misaligned? Is it just me??

▾ At the very very top:

That Dam Stupa

Try to remember that not everything is pronounced the way it looks, especially when it is transcribed to English 😉.

And unfortunately, this is the inspiration for Sefans new favorite (dad) jokes.

▸ (It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s) stupa maaaaan!

▸ For Dutch friends/family: Make sure to walk on the stupa.

▸ He also took the opportunity to shimmy and sing: stupa trooper 🎶

And when I told him to stop?

▸ You’re stupa. And constupated.

Nobody laugh. It will only encourage him.

LUNCH

We’re famished at this point and making our way to our chosen lunch spot.

I had been seeing this everywhere, but without the distraction of monuments and stuff, I finally registered these massive tangles of power lines.

▾ Museum or culture hall? Can’t remember, but it’s pretty and modern. Directly across the street was the former building, less modern, and in disrepair 😔.

And finally some food and air conditioning!!!

The hotdog was okay, but that salsa next to it was OMG.

And the fish and Chilean tacos were 🤤.

Sisaket Temple

We headed back to the room. Stefan is templed out from Siem Reap, so he took a break to rest, and I headed back out to check out Sisaket Temple.

I do wish I could pay for a guide everywhere I went, sometimes Wiki’s don’t have the most interesting details. But budgets are a thing.

The best part that I hadn’t seen at any other temples - hundreds of mini Buddha’s.

There were four sides of this surrounding the sim, the center building of the wat.

RIVERSIDE

Next stop is the Chao Anouvong Statue which was erected in recognition of the leader credited with laying the ground for modern Laos. In terms of battles against neighbors, he mostly lost, but many credit him with preventing Laos from becoming absorbed into the Thai nation and remaining its own.

His full name according to Wiki?

Somdet Paramanadha Parama Bupati Somdet Brhat Pen Chao Singhadhamuraja, Somdet Brhat Parama Bupati Brhat Maha Kashatriya Khatiya Adipati Jayasethha Jatikasuriya Varman, Angga Penh Brhat Yulumanaya Maha Negara Chandrapuri Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Visudhirattana Rajadhanapuri Rama Lan Chang Krum Klao

His arm points towards Thailand (haven’t fact-checked) and can only guess at the significance.

▾ And happened to spot this and Google Maps tells me it’s the Presidential Palace.

The statue is at one end of a very nicely landscaped park, also with the same name. By the way, Stefan has rejoined me at the statue.

And we keep seeing different forms of recognized partnership or friendship between Laos and other countries.

▾ This one recognizes a loan from South Korea to help with some kind of development project? along the Mekong River?

We kept crossing back and forth across the big street to check out what’s going on by the river and what’s going on by the park. And he keeps leaving me behind when I don’t cross fast enough. What’s the point, boo? You have to wait for me anyways..

▾ And we got our first glimpse of the Night Market.

▾ We intended to watch the sun go down by the river, but ended up turning our backs to watch this happenig at least two spots along the river.

I can totally see my mom here. And I would totally join her.

▾ And more friendships with countries and organizations. Stefan thinks Laos is that kid that everyone used to bully but now wants to be friends with.

▾ And Stefan’s height always makes selfies a challenge so we just did a video this time instead.

▾ After walking past many options and confirming on some blogs that this is where the locals eat, we decided to sit for dinner here. We had noodle soups and cucumber salad. By the end of this trip, I have a strong belief that we will have had every possible noodle soup that Laos has to offer.

We walked back home along a lively, lit street to see if our eyes could drink in more. The weather here has been amazing - not humid, not dry, not too hot, not cold. All is well in Goldilock’s world.

▾ And the exploration paid off! Found a very suitable dessert on the way home.

Stefan noted that if he ever dared to use that much butter at home he would never hear the end of it. It will still be true when we get back home.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #snack #monument #temple #buddha #hindi #friendship #gate #latin #chile #views #river #riverside #market #victory #aerobics #park #pancakes #dessert #butter #burnthecouch

Stefan had some kind of pork sandwich, which he did share a bite of this time 😉, and I got a fruit yogurt.

Back at the hostel, Pipi the ambassador kept us company while we waited for our transport to Vang Vieng.

A few things we missed in Vientiane that I would really have liked to see is definitely the Buddha Park and maybe the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, but they were out of the way and not a logistical dream, so we’ll just have to come back!

TRANSIT

So after much debate and hemming and hawing about cost and value, Stefan and I managed to agree not to use a private taxi, but to spend a little extra on the VIP bus, and ruled out the normal bus (those plebs).

We bought our tickets from the hostel reception yesterday and were informed that we would be picked up at 9:30 by a van to be transported to the bus station, where we would transfer vehicles and be on our way by 10:00.

Can you sense it? The series of unfortunate events?

We rushed through breakfast because I underestimated how long it would take me to pack, and then we quickly rushed back to the hostel with drinks in hand.

I managed to dribble just a little bit of coffee into my shirt, but it was white, so it might as well have been a lot.

We sat ourselves down on the outdoor patio to try and reclaim some zen. We’re right on time, it’s just before 9:30, NBD. \240Stefan resumes reading, I resume journaling.

It’s 9:45, so Stefan does a sanity check with reception and we are told the van had arrived early at 9:12. Me: 😱

BUT it was full on its first pick-up, so it’s coming back for the rest of us. Me: 💆🏻‍♀️

It’s 10:03, so I go and do a sanity check with reception because this is when the actual transport leaves the station that we are definitely not at. The receptionist assures myself and others that don’t worry, it’s coming, and picks up the phone to do their own check.

I should have waited just a liiiittle but longer because literally one minute later, a van arrives and stops in front of us. Woohoo!

Everyone’s luggage is loaded on top of the van. Me: 🤨. But it’s fine, it’s fine! It’s a short ride to the bus station.

We squeeeeze ourselves in, there is exactly enough seats in this van for the rest of us who need to get in. I get the b*** seat in the last row, and Stefan ends up in the row behind the driver with his knees poking the front passenger seat.

We’re all joking about what a tight squeeze this is. Ha-ha-ha, and the small talk commences and someone says it out loud - it’s tight, but at least it’s a short ride.

And then yoga guys says - I believe this is taking us all the way.

And then someone else says - did you guys book the VIP bus?

And we all say - yes, yes we did.

And then yoga guy says - I think the VIP bus means we get AC.

And then we all sit in silence, digesting our new reality, but still skeptical.

And then the driver makes a stop at a gas station and every single person is hopefully looking around for a bus. None sighted. Someone takes advantage of the stop and uses the restroom and then everyone piles out either to do the same, or just get their shoulders out of their neighbors armpits for a second.

We all pile back in, and try to be good sports. There are some introductions happening since it’s gonna stay a bit cozy for more than a few hours.

And then the driver stops again! And there are a row of buses! And there is a murmur of happiness and relief and all is right in the world! But the driver, he does not let us out! He loads something into the trunk, gets back into the drivers seat, and we are off.

We are bumping along, and more than a few times, my bottom completely leaves my seat as we fly over potholes the size of yo mama. My neighbor on the right side is most definitely suffering brain trauma as his head hits the low curvature of the van ceiling. And we realize, yup this is it.

▾ For solicitation of your full sympathy, our situation for the next 4.5 hours. By the way, Stefan is 202 cm or 6’7”.

Lol. To be fair, we heard at some point, that there is an actual VIP bus, but it got cancelled and this was the solution so we could all keep our schedules. And the ride wasn’t as bad as it sounds like it should have been. My (male) neighbors smelled like flowers, freshly showered, and my super power is falling asleep whenever, wherever, which is an excellent way to pass the time.

Things always seem much greater in magnitude in the moment that they are going wrong, but we realized when you’re traveling for this long, this is not the worst thing that can happen.

▾ We did stop for a break once where we got to try some new sticky rice treat (no, it’s not a popsicle).

Another silver lining - no more hemming and hawing. We are now convinced that cost/value is exactly right for private taxis for all other road-trippy leg of our traveling. Good to have some decisions out of the way.

LODGING @ SERENE PREMIER HOTEL

Remember when I compared Vientiane to Cambodia and talked about safe drivers and nice roads? Well it was a special case. It’s mostly just like Cambodia. We arrived in Vang Vieng rattled (literally), but alive. and miraculously, so did our luggage. I guess we shouldn’t doubt - they do this for a living.

Also, we got locked out of our safe in the room, and the WiFi was terrible, and the shower wouldn’t drain (so much that the floor would flood).

Just giving you a full picture. But honestly, we overall did have a good day.

The WiFi made us laugh. The password is “senere123”. We’re not sure if it is intentionally cryptic or if it’s a typo when they picked it, but we’re not going to ask.

And our first venture out was beautiful!

FIRST LOOK

We read about a “secret” lagoon (there are like 5-6 well-known ones that are always sold to tourists as part of the adventure packages), and it’s only a ten minute walk, so we decided to try and check it out. The park that it’s in was closing with an hour and a half, so we were hoping that we would have it to ourselves.

And we did!

That cave in there is pretty deep. We swam part of the way in, but it’s deep and we don’t have any proper fear or experience, so we decided to acknowledge our frail human-ness and not risk being the tourists who were never seen again.

This is probably not an accurate first impression. Vang Vieng is known as the adventure capital of Laos, and caters to backpackers. Its nickname is V-town. I think that says it all lol.

But it’s still mild compared to the popularity I saw in Thailand two years ago (and again, the cancellations due to Corona 🦠 doesn’t hurt in regards to crowdedness), and it’s undeniably a beautiful and more untouched place!

DINNER @ HAPPY MANGO

But their decor inside suggest that they are trying to rebrand to Thai Cuisine Restaurant? But their menu still says Happy Mango. I don’t know I’m trying to be helpful but I’ll probably just stop now.

▾ Duck wraps.

▾ Deep fried fish in chili sauce. SO GOOD.

▾ The popular local beer.

▾ Monster.

We walked around a little after dinner, heads swiveling to take in the sites, when our attention is brought frontward by a bearded tattooed top-knotted American approaching us as he shouted, “godDAMN you’re tall!” And then just after passing, we heard him add, “JESUS!” 😂

We got distracted by a night food stall, of course.

▾ Yet another thing I don’t know the name for. But always good to end the night on dessert!

We ended up at the pooo only to decide it was too cold to go in, so after sitting there for an hour using the towel as a blanket we went back to our room to call it a day.

GOODNIGHT

Or good morning? We had settled into bed with the lights off and had started snoozing when Stefan and I started laughing at the same time. We both randomly heard a rooster in the distance and thought what a confused rooster it might be. Haha funny and went back to bed.

And then we woke up at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, ... to I don’t know how many roosters and how many dogs having some kind of Pitch-Perfect stand-off. I think the roosters probably stopped when they’re supposed to start.

Hopefully tomorrow, the little things also go smoothly. 😅

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #snack #blue #lagoon #bridge #flower #thai #dessert #secret #chile #views #river #riverside #market #duck #park #fish #pancakes #beer #pool #butter #burnthecouch #vip #stickyrice #rice #fruit #pork

Today is our full day in the adventure capital!

We realized as we sat in our packed tuk-tuk that this was the first time we were doing something with other people! We were happy and then realized it is mostly a group of older French people who are probably not interested in saying hello to us. But the feeling is mostly mutual 😜.

We did make friends with a young Swedish couple, Hedwig and Manfred. Yes, like Harry Potter (Stefan is thrilled, you’ll understand better if you read Phnom Penh). They are taking a six month break to travel after finishing high school, and no they don’t know what they want to do with their lives, but they will figure it out when they get back! Americans are doing it all wrong.

Tubing + Cave

We got to a tiny cave that was mostly filled with water, so we tubed part of the way and walked where there was little or no water. The water is cold. I did figure out that if I just hook my feet under Stefan’s tube, I had to do very little work and could just enjoy my surroundings 😬.

While we were tubing, our guides’ helpers were busy making a fresh lunch of fried rice and grilled veggies and chicken.

▾ Oh yeah, this is how we tubed in/out of the caves - by pulling on ropes. Definitely not a “natural” experience, but fun to do it this way.

▾ And one of the hardest things of my life not playing with (or feeding) these things!

Flora and fauna along the way.

Elephant Cave

Our next stop after lunch is this cave turned temple!

▾ Can you see why it is named what it is!

It might be hard to spot, but on the right side about halfway down, there is a small elephant-looking chunk of cave standing on the same ledge as that golden Buddha plaque.

▾ I’m fighting it, but it’s no use. Her voice is in my head again (did you read Vientiane?) and I might have said it out loud:

I don’t want to lean in. I want to lie — down ——.

Kayaking

And then The Best part of the day. There were some small rapids which were so fun to navigate - we got pretty good at it by the end. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it white water kayaking, but now that is definitely definitely something I want to try.

By the way, that French group seemed to think we all signed up for the kayak version of bumper cars, so we tried to stay ahead of them. Contrary to what the video clip shows you, I promise I did put in some work!

▾ Play video

While we were kayaking, we passed some tubers, another popular activity along this river, and our original plan. Some years ago, 20 or 30 people died from alcohol related accidents so it’s much more regulated. Right now is the dry season and we didn’t see the tubes moving much. There were a few bars that were open, some with hammocks that looked like they had potential, but we couldn’t tell from the kayaks. But from what we did see, we’re glad we changed our plans.

Blue Lagoon

Our last stop. I can’t remember which # lagoon this is, but it wasn’t so bad! There wasn’t a crowd in the water and it was a lot of fun watching people jump from the tree, or swing into the water.

▾ It definitely looks higher right when you’re about to jump.

We had a few beers, chatted with Ninon from Belgium, and Hedwig and Manfred also joined after they finished the zip line part of their deal. Hedwig is super smart and so well informed - she is 20 and I have so much admiration and respect for her intelligence and the way she carries herself!

We all headed back into town, and ran into them two more times. It’s a teeny tiny place.

Our confused tuk-tuk dropped us off on the wrong side of town, but like I said teeny tiny place, so we just decided to walk because the charades weren’t going well.

But we were so hungry. So we had moar pancakes! The first one in Ventiane is still the best, but this one is still good - bananas + honey.

And the most delicious sandwich, but also the most difficult to eat.

We went back to the hotel and opened the curtains right on time for sunset! Then like old people, we napped.

NIGHTLIFE

We woke up, hungry, so left in search of some local food stalls. And the nap hasn’t made us any younger, apparently. We turned the corner to see the lights flashing and the base pumping and British people shouting at the road side pool of a hostel, so we scurried into the first decent looking quiet restaurant for dinner and didn’t make it the night market food stalls.

Side note - I’m finding it refreshing to find British people be the ones being shat on for bad manners instead of the usual American targets.

But we had the best lime lemongrass chili fish dish at Corner Hanoi. I feel like I’m saying “best” a lot, but I mean it every time. So I guess most things are just getting better and better. The side was supposed to be morning glory but they ran out and we never figured out what they gave us, but it was yum.

▾ I forgot again about the picture, so here’s one not for the gram.

We went out for drinks, because hey, we’re in V-town. Here’s a hot spot called Sakura - two vodka shots for a free t-shirt.

▾ Play video

We ran into the Swedes, here. “Run into” in this case means we spotted their backs and creepily assessed from different angles if it was them before I decided that was enough and we should just say hi and worst case we’re wrong.

We had a round of shots like proper partiers and then moved on to the next hot spot Viva Pub where we lost track of time, so we never made it to the “secret” bar we all read about called Room 101. Although I’m not so sure how secret it is when there’s a sign over a doorway that announces its presence.

So we had our final beers at Viva, and said goodbye and made our way home. If we are to take drunk-Stefan’s word for it, my BAC level increased during this walk because I was fine when we left the bar, but slurring by the time we got home.

We don’t need to take drunk-Stefan’s word fo anything 😊. Good night.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #snack #blue #lagoon #cave \240#elephant #buddha #secret #bar #jump #pub #views #river #riverside #park #pancakes #beer #kayak #butter #burnthecouch #dog #puppy #jump #rice #fruit #tubing #sandwich #nightlife #tuktuk

But the main dish which ended up disappointing was the “Pork Stew with Slightly Bitter Edible Leaves”.

We got to the top, and Louth indicated it would be good for the car to take a rest, so we decided it’s a logical time for lunch.

▾ We had the best (I mean it) noodle soup to date here. The view is not too shabby either.

We also passed by construction and massive signs promoting a new rail that’s coming up and a friendship between China and Laos. We think they are building a new rail that crosses their shared border. We’re also beginning to get a sense that China’s got their hands all over Laos’ economy.

FIRST LOOK

We’ve arrived!

We were inside the center of the city of Luang Prabang just as the sun was setting, which made for a beautiful introduction: the last light was hitting all the greenery and flowers decorating every doorway, and the strung lights were just coming on.

By the time we dropped our bags off inside our room and came back out to see where we are, it was dark, but lively.

Dinner

We ate at Coconut Garden. The best thing about it was the decor.

But this was the first time we decided to splurge on food and maybe we should not have. Regret is a strong word when you’re trying to be adventurous so it’s always a risk you won’t like what you pick, but we are more and more convinced that if we want really tasty local cuisine, it’s true - find the cheapest place where you don’t see a single Western.

But this was the first time we decided to splurge on food and regretted it.

▾ We had “river weeds” which is very standard here. It’s like crispy nori strips with sesame and maybe a teeny bit more bitter than regular seaweed. I want to take a whole suitcase full back, but we can’t always get what we want.

▾ Luang Prabang sausages are also a thing here. We went with the pork one. I really liked it, but Stefan not so much. It doesn’t have the sausage texture you’re probably used to - it’s more crumbly like a meat ball. The sauce is delicious. Couldn’t tell you what’s in it.

▾ But the main dish which ended up disappointing was the “Pork Stew with Slightly Bitter Edible Leaves”.

I don’t know why. It grew on me, but only a little. It was a bit salty, and indeed something slightly bitter that takes a bit off the salt. I’m not describing what I didn’t like about it - just trying to give you an idea. I really don’t know why I didn’t love it.

After dinner, we walked around a bit more and marked some spots on my map to come back to.

LODGING @ VILLA MEUANG LAO

It’s a guesthouse and we were so iffy about it because we decided it’s time to be mindful about our lodging budget, but so far, it’s very comfortable. We opened the door to our room to find ourselves in the family deluxe with three beds, which is not what we reserved, but there was nobody at reception... 🤷🏻‍♀️. Tomorrow’s “worry” it shall be.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #taxi #views #river #riverside #mountains #limestone #taxi #burnthecouch #sausage #night #market #pork #stew #lights #bar #noodles #soup #scenic

▾ We found a bamboo bridge! Kom maar, come on, let’s go across it together 👯‍♀️.

▾ Play video

And on this side of the Nam Khan River we just crossed, there are lots of workshops you can participate in (jewelry making, wood carving, cooking), and a cheap ass noodle shop (Stefan’s words).

And of course we ate there even though we just had breakfast and it’s not lunch time yet.

▾ Crispy pork with rice and Khao Soy (marinated spicy pork noodle soup) are two of the very common local dishes.

And once again, we’ve decided that there is no point in trying to look up the “best” food spots (unless you want Western food, then maybe). The cheap ass noodle shops are easily the tastiest.

We cross back over because we don’t see much to explore on foot. It might be nice to come back with bicycles to explore the less dense part of the village that is more removed from tourists’ radars.

And we wander some more.

We found ourselves accidentally in a temple complex after climbing some stairs. They are so peaceful.

We are starting to notice that all the ones we’ve walked by here have these drums.

Spotted this sign, and wondered if they are selling beer items and soap items, or if they are selling local beer scented soap. We didn’t try to find out, it’s funnier to wonder.

We found our way into the tiny, but very charming Riverside Park.

Another bamboo bridge!

▾ And I am in love with all of the flowers here, but when I saw these ones, I freaked out. I MUST HAVE THEM.

And we head onto a different road, and find rice snacks baking in the sun!

▾ Also, we’ve seen this enough times that we think it’s quite intentional - maybe offerings? This time it’s a small thing of rice, other times it’s small pieces of fruit, and they are always at an entrance to a temple.

And now we are thoroughly sweaty and we decide to take a small break from the sun. I think I already mentioned that Laos used to be a French colony? Well, there are lots of cafes and bread shops on the main streets. Whether that is a result of the colonization, or a more modern thing to welcome the loads of French visitors, I’m not sure. But either way, they are very cute.

▾ This one is called Le Banneton.

And I am so glad we stopped for a break and stayed put because we got to learn about a custom that hadn’t popped up on our radar!!

▾ At 4:00 and 16:00, monks at all the temples are playing the same rhythm on those big drums and small tambourines. This happens roughly every 14-15 days only when the moon is full!

▾ I didn’t want to be intrusive so I kept the video short, just enough to remember the sound. Play video.

I think the local who shared this with us also said that the drums are special for the full moon days, but the tambourines are played everyday. In the old days, there were no phones or alarm clocks, so the people would rely on the monks to mark parts of the day.

SUNSET @ MOUNT PHOUSI

And now for the planned part of the day - sunset at Mount Phousi! It’s a bit early, but we’re counting on crowds and I want to be there early enough to sit and have an unobstructed view.

So we start making our way to the scenic climb (there are other faster routes with fewer stairs).

▾ Found a monkey on the way.

We start the climb up.

▾ Buddha’s foot 🦶.

▾ And I finally found a way to take a selfie without being the one with the bigger face!!! Stefan never takes it because he’s bad enough at regular photos 🤪.

The sun sets over the Mekong River.

▾ Of all people, Stefan is the one who informed me that this, right here, is the Instagram money shot for sunset.

I have a little to say about how social media impacts tourism, specifically, and I sure have a whole lot more to say about tourists’ behavior, which encompasses the former. I’m not trying to be that person who rants about topics like this, but I hope you’ll read just a little bit because it has become more and more important to me the more I travel (and learn).

I think in this age of mass distribution of information, social media has helped to wildly popularize travel and backpacking. One of the side effects is this end-all, be-all approach to documenting these travels with “the perfect shot” of those who want to share their travels.

I am also guilty of it, but I want to hold myself and my circle of friends and family to a higher standard and ask you all to be vocal to others, as well! The documentation should be a reflection of the experience, but I’m observing now, that the documentation is the experience replaces the experience - I’m not convinced that there is an experience for many.

Without judgement, I am truly curious to ask others who have the money-shot, miraculously with no other tourists in it (were you lucky? or did you rob someone else of their experience by pushing your camera in front of them?), do you actually remember the experience? Do you remember the moment? What did you feel when you saw this beautiful sight? What have you taken away from it?

I hope I am wrong, but I have a feeling, that many, if they are being honest, would shrug their shoulders at these questions and reply, “idunno.”

I don’t think social media is the cause of bad behavior, but I do think it exacerbates it. I hope since travel is more global, maybe we can also leverage social media to help educate each other on the growing importance of ethical and moral tourism.

Lol, I’m not done, but I am for now. There’s more at the end if you want to read what I wrote when I was less level-headed because I think I had just been slighted by a ride tourist.

▾ We also took a peek at the other side, at the Nam Khan River - also beautiful when the sun goes down.

▾ This is a bit of the temple that’s on the hill! That golden part is flooded with lights (we were blinded as we walked past them right when they switched on, on our way down). And from below, it can be seen for miles.

More color of the sky - so many in one night.

We took one of the shorter routes down because it spits you out right into the Night Market and close to the food section!

Never turn down dessert.

/

ETHICAL & MORAL TOURISM

For context, I was reacting after our sunset experience on top of Mount Phousi.

I have to say, we saw some pretty rude behavior. There were people who were there before us, and we were two hours early, only to have others noisily clamber in just as the sun starts setting, and perch themselves all up in those poor people’s space, or have their cameras literally a foot (30 something cms) in front of a stranger’s face.

And actually the bigger deal is that this spot is the most sacred for the locals of this town. There is a dress code (posters all over the city) and there is an appropriate way to behave, like not screaming profanities no matter how casual your conversation is.

And yes, I’m allowed to say ALL of this stuff. Just because I make mistakes and I’m not perfect and sometimes I am ignorant, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care about what I have learned along the way and things I know are not cool. And it does NOT make me a hypocrite. I think this fear of being called a hypocrite keep us from speaking up sometimes. And if anyone calls me a hypocrite for it, I’m gonna tell them that’s a cheap argument and if they’re not capable of having a more intelligent dialogue with me, then shoo fly don’t bother me.

Let me climb up a little bit higher onto my high horse because I can’t let it go, and I have to express some of the thoughts.

If this is your last day and you’ve traveled oh so far, or it’s your 30th wedding anniversary, or woo it’s your bachelorette, and you just HAVE to get this photo or sit in that spot, but somebody got there before you, it doesn’t excuse bad manners. If it was that important, then you would have made time for it, or prepared for it better. Or maybe something happened that you couldn’t help. Guess what? It’s still not an excuse to drop your manners. If you are a guest or visitor somewhere, and things aren’t going your way, really consider what your intentions and motivations are when you are ready to rationalize or justify your bad behavior. Because this is not you “seizing the day because yolo”. It’s you being an entitled little brat.

I’ve heard some people say - whatever, I’m spending my money and they make a living off of it. This is rationalizing. This is one of the ways an entitled brat thinks.

To be clear, nothing personally happened to us here. We got our nice unobstructed view, and with the exception of one guy who was constantly on his phone, watching videos with the volume turned up, keeping the ringer on max volume, there was nobody in our immediate vicinity behaving badly.

But we saw and heard so many little displays of disrespect just on this little hill, and almost daily since we started traveling.

There were many moments where we wanted to politely inform, without judgement, because I do want to come from a place of non-judgement. I am still learning how to be an ethical and respectful tourist. But we held back because maybe they just didn’t know. But even ignorance as an excuse has its limits.

There are people who maybe don’t know that a harmless display of skin in Western countries, is hugely offensive and a corrupting force and example for youth elsewhere. And maybe these people missed the signs that are posted (everywhere) in this town. But if you did even some basic research on what to do, which people must have because how else do you find out about the Instagram worthy places and shots, it’s all over the internet, too. Cover your shoulders and cover your knees.

It’s not just locals, it’s how we treat each other. Any time we’re coming from a place of entitlement, it’s not pleasant for anyone nearby, and I also think this is why a lot of times there’s such a disdain for tourists by tourists. We need to learn and respect boundaries instead of using others’ bad behavior to enable our own.

Or even if you see locals doing something, take a second - it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay for a visitor to do it. If you’re not sure, just don’t do it.

I think most people are reasonable, but sometimes we need a reminder to pause and think for just a second before we realize how ridiculous we are being sometimes.

And this is definitely not a generational thing. We saw it from younger people, our peers, people older. It has nothing to do with being a millennial or a baby boomer.

It has everything to do with making an effort. Everyone still has responsibilities as a tourist. Just because you’re on vacay does not mean everything goes.

Personally, my most important learning is that my fun and holiday is NOT the first priority. The priority is recognizing that I am a visitor and making even the minimum effort to educate myself about the culture of the place I am visiting, and then to make sure I have fun without crossing boundaries.

You might throw your socks on the living room floor after a work day because you don’t feel like making the effort, but would you do that at your in-laws? Maybe you would at your bff’s or parents’, but the point is, you behave better where you feel like you’re a guest. It should matter even more across cultures where misunderstandings can hold more gravity.

Sometimes we’ll get it wrong, but we’ll learn, but at least try.

If you actually read all that, lol thanks ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ and feel free to disagree and definitely let me know. Like I said, I want to keep trying to learn also.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #views #river #riverside #mountains #sunset #burnthecouch #sausage #night #market #pork #stew #lights #cafe #coffee #temples #noodles #soup #scenic #cinnamon #bbq #tourism #ethics #bamboo #bridge #workshop

KUANG SI WATERFALL & PAK OU CAVES

And now for our all day, adventure thing for this city - waterfalls!! We found our driver, Chanti, via fliers he had posted all over town. His offer was 100,000 Kip (about 10 USD) cheaper than Louth offered, so we went with him.

▾ But another apparent method of transportation that we, unfortunately, do not have the license for is:

Another win for Stefan and his stupa Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings references. Universe, why are you encouraging him??

Anyways, back to the transit method we decided was the next best thing.

Chanti is a former monk, so we had some fun learning moments with him on the drive (I’m not fact checking anything, so keep that in mind 🙂 when I share), which was very scenic, at least when I was awake.

We learned a lot of little tidbits about his former life and also about trying to “make it” in Laos. For the latter, there is a sense of how much your daily life and the quality do your life is affected by your government’s policies and political motivations.

Here, you have to pay the government if you want to be legally employed. Many jobs also go to the Chinese because of political and economic agreements. The economic agreements are mutually beneficial, but it seems like it will be years, decades, before the Laos labor force gets a shot at participating (please remember, I am only getting details from Chanti, and I am not fact checking). Chanti seemed to hint at corruption, which is also never good for wealth distribution for people struggling at the bottom.

He also said that to be a UNESCO Heritage site, which Luang Prabang is, certain requirements must be met and maintained. This is something I will probably look up later because it sounds so. wack. For example, he said that monks from all over surrounding towns must join the monks here for morning alms (a religious procession where the people give offerings), so that the volume of monks is “enough” to justify the cultural recognition.

Some things we learned about monks from Chanti, so again, grain of salt!

▸ They can leave the “service” only twice - the third time is for good and you will never have a shot at monk-hood again. And there is no guarantee for acceptance - if you’re all tatted up, you won’t be able to re-join.

▸ They are not allowed to do anything with women, including learning with them, which limits their education opportunities. There is specialized education for teachers who will educate monks.

▸ They sustain their bodies on the daily offerings of the locals people (so imagine, when they take an offering and give to another local in need, it is truly an act of compassion).

▸ They are also only human. Chianti’s brother was a monk who was addicted to meth. He’s okay now! But it took a lot of family intervention. This used to be an epidemic in Laos, but is now much more rare.

Chanti is definitely an entrepreneur and business man, which colored our interactions with him, not sure if in a positive or negative way, but in terms of his service, we would definitely go with him again.

Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center

It’s about a 45 minute drive, and before we trek to the waterfalls, this bear rescue center is on the way!

▾ Play video

▾ This one is a little weirdo. Or maybe he’s working on his down-dog, bicycling his feet, flexing one \240at a time, breathing in-out, arriving to his mat... but doubtful. There’s probably food in there or something. Play video

These bears are called moon bears ❤️, but there are a few other kinds in the area.

▾ I was lucky enough to spot a special addition to their diorama, I think it’s called the white face bear - it’s blinding, really. Play video

They are rescued from poachers who are want to sell them to evil-doers that farm their bile for who knows what it doesn’t matter. A few of the bears we saw were rescued en route from poachers to the farmers.

Waterfalls & Trekking

And onwards! In the dry season (which is now) you can take a hiking route or the curated route. Since we wore our hiking boots, we decided to put them to the test.

▾ Our first sightings of the falls. Heart- stopping.

And then we trekked some more because we wanted to see the source! By the way, they all call it trekking here, so that’s why it’s sweeping into my vocabulary, but it’s just hiking.

▾ No, this is not an accidental share of dead leaves.

Okay, pause. I need to spend a few totally, completely inadequate (understatement) words to describe our hike. It’s freaking magical. Like imagine a movie or animation where you’re entering a rain forest and the sunlight is filtering through and hundreds of butterflies are going in and out and around you, and their wings are catching the light here and there, and it’s silent and peaceful, and there is a slight breeze rustling the huge green leaves. Except it’s real life!! WHAT.

▴ Also, I’ve been dying to use this emoji, and it’s the appropriate moment to inaugurate it into my Frequently Used.

WHY do these up and down arrows look uniform on the keyboard, but not in practice. Why ▴▾ is this happening to me.

▾ Anyways, here are some also inadequate photos to help your imagination. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR EARTH YOU GUYS.

▾ This tree knows what spooning is all about. Such a lucky little spoon.

And we are at the source! Lol it is still pretty, but the view of the falls is much prettier. Our hike here, btw, had this ridiculous incline. My nose was practically touching the ground. My Gluteus Maximus is on fire, but this gives me license to eat whatever the hell I want in whatever quantity I want for the rest of the trip. Fine, rest of the day.

And there’s also a spring nearby, so we went hunting for it, and came across some locals hunting and gathering.

In my head, I’m a graceful gymnast.

And we leave the distraction and continue our way through nature.

▾ Please feel free to cool the air around me, your princess, Stefan.

Cave

And arrive at a cave! There was a nice man who did have us pay a very tiny entrance fee and then armed us with minion costumes AND two apple bananas!

▾ Play video

This was a super cool experience. It wasn’t at all like the tubing where there were lots of man-things and man-presence to help out visitors. It was slippery and no hand railings, and dark but only the things on our heads, and no signs for directions (but it’s small enough that you should be able to take any detour and still figure it out). There was one section I was on my hands and knees to crawl through, which Stefan opted out of understandably. You definitely get out of this, what you allow yourself to!

———

Stefan: Look! There’s a bat!

Me: *gasp* Where?! *shines light right on the tiny bat*

Stefan: Aw! Stop! You’re hurting it!

———

I did forget that bats do not like lights. I am very sorry.

▾ Play video

And then we continued in search of the spring.

And what a welcoming sight after so much sweating and hiking.

Spring Well

We were greeted by a fun challenge - see the carrot(s) at the end of the stick?

▾ Play video

One of the locals claims he can cross and back while balancing three cans of cola on his chin. But he was in an accident and “hurt his leg”. Lol jk we believable him - if I lived here, I’d probably splash around in the water every single day, too.

There’s also a swing-y thing to jump into the spring.

And I would like to share the funniest “exclamation” of fun, “wee”, that has graced my ears.

▾ Play video

Wasn’t it so meek and unconvincing? 😂

And here’s the video to go with it, to convince you he is having fun. You have to listen very carefully for it.

▾ Play video

We’re famished at this point and our clothes need to dry off from our failures (and we owe beer to the locals living here according to the rules) so we sit down for some food.

I guess the water is clean enough to wash food in it? Whatever the case, we ate the food (crispy pork with rice), and we feel fine..

Unfortunately, we have to pull ourselves away from this peaceful place (we actually ran into yoga guy from the VIP bus), since it’s getting late and we still have Pak Ou Caves to hit.

▾ My Jean shorts are nowhere near dry by the time we’re ready to hike back (what an arrogant silly idiot I was thinking it wouldn’t be necessary to strip down to my bathing suit, which I already had on), but what are boyfriends for.

On the way down, in the interest of time, we decided to follow the curated route instead of the hiking route, but honestly, there was enough terrain and knees to chin that this would have also been a fun way to go up!

▾ And then we found the waterfall had taken over the real route, so I guess that’s how everyone ended up with no choice but to get into nature.

We came down on the opposite side from where we went up, and the views were slightly different and I couldn’t help myself and the camera came out.

We swam a little, it was freezing!! And it was so gorgeous I looked at Stefan with puppy eyes and we decided BAH the caves are on the opposite side of town, and it’s now late afternoon, why not just stay and enjoy the falls until we’re ready to leave them behind.

There are some areas that are permitted for swimming, and some where it’s not clear. It’s possible Stefan and I were swimming in a small area where it is not allowed - we hopped in to join two others who were already there, and made an assumption.

As soon as the realization of the possibility occurred, we immediately stepped out feeling very ashamed and embarrassed and sorry, and I really hope nobody followed our bad example. Like I said in yesterday’s entry, sometimes we’ll get it wrong, but I will definitely remember this and be more vigilant the next time I find myself in a new place. The falls are considered a very sacred place, so to the credit of other swimmers, we saw they were in the area where swimming is clearly permitted. (This area was not visible to us until we had walked a little down hill from our possible misdeed.)

By the way, I think I already mentioned that China is hugely involved in Laos’ economy. Chanti said (I did not fact check) that China is currently trying (very hard) to build a dam somewhere that would cause these falls to dry up. What?!?!??? 😭

Again, I don’t know the details, but go now, I tell you, NOOOW.

Treats on the Way Back Home

One of the views that bring me so much calm are the layers and layers of mountains! I tried to drink them all in on our way back home.

We made a stop for Buffalo ice cream on the side of the country road! I am becoming increasingly lactose intolerant as I get older (not that it stops me from eating a pint in one sitting), and my insides are not up in arms after this treat.

▾ I had a really hard time choosing from the flavors and out of the two I really wanted, I picked black sesame.

▾ But then, I turned around and Stefan had bought the other one - lemongrass! It sounds weird, but it was GOOD. Misunderstanding or sweet boyfriend?

OH, I almost forgot - these cones are made out of sweet potato!!! They are the best cones I’ve ever had. They actually taste a little like corn and the sweetness is very subtle and doesn’t overpower. So crunchy.

To make it, they leave the sweet potato dough or whatever out in the sun to dry and then shape it in the oven. 🤤 it was so good with our scoop of black sesame and lemongrass.

Hmong Village

So this one was definitely a misunderstanding. I thought Chanti had said monk village. Wrong. It doesn’t even make sense - monk’s live at temples, Brain.

We saw how cotton is turned into thread and how traditional textiles are made.

▾ Play video

We also walked through the village. Not gonna lie - it felt a little bit like a trap. It’s always nice to learn anything about where I am and the people who are there, but the experience felt so contrived, I couldn’t feel any connection to the people or the sights or the experience, or even to the factual information Chanti was sharing as we walked together - there are three main ethnic groups that make up the Laos people.. I am from.. the respective religions are..

The path that we walked was lined with tables of hand-made souvenirs in front of family homes, and as we got near to each home, children (they look younger than 7), presumably from that home, would come hastily running from their sometimes rambunctious play with other children, and their demeanors would quickly change to mournful and sad - can you please buy something so I can go to school.

They don’t owe me anything, of course. I have no expectation that they oblige me in sharing their culture and way of life, which is why I am so honored when they do give me a glimpse. But I think when I’ve felt this way in the past, people have shared with only the intention to welcome and be open and take pride in their backgrounds, stories, or heritage, etc.

What are these villagers’ expectations of me, if I accept the opportunity to walk on this path they have paved for road side stops by tourists, and is it justified or fair?

I don’t doubt they are need, and I wish I could make a difference for everyone who asks, but I just could not connect, and realistically, I cannot give money to everyone who asks, and I also don’t believe that is always the best way or the responsible way to help.

I’m still figuring out how I feel about encounters like this.

Dinner

Back in town, we got cleaned up and headed out for a “splurge” dinner at Lady Bouaphan of gezpacho with river weeds, lime chicken burger, green curry gnocchi, and mango passion fruit meringue. All were great, and dessert was amazing - Stefan paused 🥄 after every bite 🥄 to say 🥄 something 🥄 nice about it 🥄.

Our walk back home had a moment of cuteness overload. We walked a different route and ended up passing by local families eating together outside, and one child shrieked (with delight) at Stefan’s height (recurring theme, but doesn’t get old) and clung to his leg and rode it, and then another one or two joined in, and they were just high-pitched laughter and giggles that are totally breaking the quiet dark of the night, and more toothy-smiles and jumping beans around his knees for the next few meters until he had doled out enough high fives to satisfy them.

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#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #views #river #riverside #mountains #sunset #burnthecouch #waterfall #pork #rice #bear #rescue #coffee #monks #dessert #fusion #scenic #spring #cave #tourism #ethics #cotton #buffalo #icecream

There was a small space to the left where some others were sitting to avoid this light. I wasn’t sure if it was someone’s roof or something, so I decided to avoid it in case it wasn’t actually harmless, but of course it’s possible they knew something I didn’t.

▾ Thankfully, the lights shut off with plenty of time left to enjoy the ascension!

And on my way back through the main roads in town, it seems so quiet and peaceful...

... but only because that’s where the locals are not!

They were already setting up in the dark when I was heading out. A few locals throughout the day have indicated that they have breakfast at dawn, lunch by 11:00, and then siesta during the hottest part of the day. And their next meal is when the sun goes down.

When Stefan is ready to detach himself from the bed, we head out to Two Little Birds Cafe, and it is as cute as it sounds. They use locally sourced ingredients and strive to avoid single use plastics.

We make some vegan choices, but regret it lol. I think this is a typical experience for me when trying to eat vegan food out - it is sometimes amazing, but many other times, bland so it always feels like it’s going to be a toss up. I actually like Stefan’s choice, but he finds it lacking.

By the way, we are not vegan. It’s not (yet) a realistic lifestyle change for us to completely cut out meat and dairy. I mean, have you seen The Netherlands in Google images? If it’s not windmills and tulips, it’s cows.

Right now, our approach is to cut down at home, and allow ourselves to abandon these rules when we’re traveling, or in social gatherings.

If everyone cuts down a little and works towards a realistic goal, we can have a huge impact together with those succeeding in a 100% plant based diet (if you’re one of these, I seriously admire you) 😊.

We walk around a bit more to hit some streets on the map that we haven’t meandered through yet.

▾ It’s not a Pisa lean, but it’s still a cute little lean. Or is this more of a caving in down the middle type thing? Seriously, so many ruins and slope-y streets and higgledy-piggledy buildings in our daily sights that it’s hard to keep perspective sometimes.

To be honest, I am also templed out at this point. I still think they are so impressive and still want to peek at everything, but only with a head swivel and as much as an owl can do, and only as we keep on walking.

Then we decided to check out this place that is an all-in-one shop that has been all over our research and others’ recommendation. Yoga studio by morning, chill open space hang out by day, candle-lit dinner spot and popular bar at night, Utopia.

We experienced only one face of it, what they call their “zen garden by day” and I had a very good tuna melt sandwich because nothing is zen if I ignore my hunger.

▾ Play video

This is probably not the greatest thing if you’re a germophobe, and maybe in this coronavirus time, we should all be, but I thoroughly enjoyed the vibe here.

Minus the guy who kept touching Stefan as he crept inch by inch closer into our space to get the perfect picture of his girlfriend facing the river sucking her cute little straw in her cute little coconut STOP TOUCHING HIM HE’S MINE AND GET YOUR CAMERA OUT OF OUR RIVER VIEW BEFORE I MAKE IT A PART OF OUR RIVER VIEW. Gnash gnash. Gnarl.

Z e n .

The menu here has a cute note to remind you to be chill (not like me up there).

You are in Laos PDR, which affectionately stands for “Please Don’t Rush”. Embrace it, you have no choice. A wise Lao man once told a tourist - why is it that you are the one with the watch but I am the one with all the time?

Cheesy, but you get the feel.

We continued our walk back to our lodging on a road we only ever drove on because it is so picturesque with all the lush greenery and vibrant decor exploding out of the shops and homes and I wanted to be able to stop and smell the proverbial roses. And take a picture.

And finally back on the main road, a sight I’ve seen and probably shared a million times, but no matter what time of day or how tired, it always looks so gezellig amd cozy.

And then we decide we’re gonna enjoy our last sunset without competing for it, so we found a quiet empty little place right by the Mekong. I promise I had my phone down most of the time, and took only these few photos for the 1 hour duration of our stay here 😬.

And the last must-try on my list because I am so deprived in the Netherlands.

The answer is no 😜. But I still love you, Luang Prabang.

//

#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #streetfood #views #river #riverside #mountains #sunset #burnthecouch #sausage #night #market #pork #stew #lights #cafe #coffee #temples #noodles #soup #scenic #cinnamon #bbq #tourism #ethics #bamboo #bridge #workshop

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#travel #holiday #vacation #southeastasia #laos #buddha #buddhism #tourism #burnthecouch #ethics #monks