May 16, 2005 - Around Louang Prabang

The hottest day so far in Laos if not SE Asia and we decide to hire bikes and see what exists in the Louang Prabang vicinity. A bad move which is easily identified by the heavy panting after little more than five minutes. The intention was to cool down with the wind draft but today the wind was non existent and we felt like we were on fire. Anna decided she couldn't go on after we reached the first temple Wat Pra Tard Kong and so I was left to ride around my own. I should have probably gone back as well because by midday the heat was...

May 15, 2005 - Koung Xe Waterfalls

Anna reporting: Today's goal was to beat the heat and our first effort was to get up super early (for us). By 6.45am we were sitting in the grounds of a temple that is set on a hill in the centre of the town. There were 250 steps to the summit and even without the hot sun we were pooped by the time we got to the top. Fortunately we had the place to ourselves and spent an hour taking in the view and chatting. As the first worshippers started to arrive laden with flowers and incense for the Buddha we left and went for breakfast. Danny gave...

May 14, 2005 - Louang Prabang

A day of sight seeing around the historic town of Louang Prabang (LP)in excessive heat and blazing sun. We should have started earlier as by 10am it was steaming and we were sweating before we even got to the Royal Palace, only a ten minute walk from our GH. The Royal Palace didn't look very grand espcially when compared to those in Bangkok and Phnom Penh but the interior was very interesting and is preserved to show how the palace looked during the monarchial reign. The bedrooms of the King, Queen and and their children are on show and...

May 13, 2005 - Louang Prabang

Today we had planned to catch the boat down to the next village so that we sould make our way to Louang Prabang at our leisure over a couple of days. Nice idea. The boat would not run unless there were 8 passengers or we paid $60 dollars. Reluctant to pay such a lot for a two hour journey that was worth $5 we turned to plan B. We rushed to the bus stop and caught the same bus we had taken back to Udom Xai. More cargo this time, including a monk and a very frail old man who didn't look fit enough to travel and reminded me how lucky I am...

May 4, 2005 - Luang Prabang - Biking, Hiking, and the Tomb of Henri Mouhot

For our last day in town, we booked a tour with Lao PTM Adventures. We've had some bad experiences with other tour companies, so we tried to ask all the right questions before signing up with PTM. On the plus side, there were nice looking mountain bikes lined up in front of their office. Helmets and lifejackets were inside. In this part of the world, it's reassuring to see some concern for safety. On the minus side, their sales staff didn't speak English very well, and they didn't have any printed information about their trips. Our rough...

May 3, 2005 - Luang Prabang - Around the city and out to the falls

Early in the morning, we packed up our things and headed to the airport to catch our flight from Vientiane north to Luang Prabang. The Wattay International Airport isn't the most modern, but we were relieved that they have adopted x-ray scanning for both baggage and persons boarding planes. Never mind the fact that we spotted one of the people behind the baggage scanning machine taking a cat nap. There was also a sign that read, "Please show your weapons." The plane ride itself was uneventful and afforded us the opportunity to catch our...

May 3, 2005 - M: Traveller's Nirvana in Luang Prabang

After eluding the Thai scammasters several times in crazy-paced Bangkok and the also crowded Chiang Mai, our pulses have cooled down as we reached the spiritual heart of Laos: Luang Prabang. Coming into this trip I had doubts about the wiseness of venturing beyond the safe, tourist-savvy Thailand and into the unknown Indochina. Thank goodness, "the rewards of of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor". I found that tourist savvyness sometimes means that the locals are savvier than you (to put it nicely). Laos is the home...

May 3, 2005 - Welcome to the PDR Laos

Said a sleepy goodbye to Gower at 6am and then went straight back to sleep, got up about 9.30am and finished off the packing which hadn't been done due to the storm & headed off to the Post Office to post what I'd bought at the market and other little things. This took a little longer than anticipated so got a Tuk Tuk back to Julie's, grabbed my bag and went straight to the airport with no breakfast. Only took about 15 minutes to get to the airport where my bags were screened at the entrance! Then a first happened, literally no queue at...

Apr 30, 2005 - Arrive in Luang Prabang (Laos)

quote of the month so far 'same-same, only different'. After a night at the Thai-Laos border, we set off on our two day journal down the Mekong River. An amazing experience-lots of locals panning for gold and fishing, the kids run out to greet you and generally spectacular scenery. The boat was not exactly built for comfort but this was a bonus as it meant you milled around and met loads of people. At the minute we are travelling around with four others who we met the day before we got the boat. Luang Prabang is fairly small and not too...

Apr 18, 2005 - Luang Prabang

Initially, I considered myself fortunate that I was able to grab the front seat of the Hiace van that was to take us to Luang Prabang. Certainly, I had room to move, ready access to the air conditioning and a seatbelt that actually worked. However, a bus trip is still a bus trip, and in South-East Asia it would seem that buses don't leave until they're full. We went from guesthouse to guesthouse, and back again for over an hour, all through Vang Vieng until we were able to find that one body to fill the final seat in an already packed...

Apr 14, 2005 - Laos - Pakbeng & Luang Prabang

Sabaidi!!! We've survived to the most beautiful two days on a slowboat ever. I say 'we have survived' because it was very tough to be sitting for hours on end on a wooden bench (we couldn't feel our arse at the end of the day), but the landscapes we've seen. WOW!!!! It was simply wonderful. The Mekong is amazing! There were the greenest mountains, the smallest villages with tilted bamboo houses, the most impressive cliffs, the browniest river I've ever seen!!! It was breathtaking. I'll never forget this trip as long as I live. I can't wait...

Apr 12, 2005 - Luang Prabang

Our backsides need a rest! Three days in LPB was just what we needed and luckily for us it is lao new year so the streets are filled with people throwing water at us- nice and refreshing even if we do go through our (limited) clothes! This is a world heritage site and the town is full of history- lots of temples, a palace, lovely buildings etc. Easy to walk around and lots to see. We attended a cultural performance one evening and thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Our next stop is going to be Phonsovan.