South East Asia Wrap-Up...

Vietnam:
Vietnam takes a little getting used to, especially during the sweltering hot summer. After landing at Hanoi International Airport we took the 45 minute drive into the Old Quarter of Hanoi, already dripping in sweat. A sea of scooters zigzagged around our van, some coming straight at us driving on the wrong side of the road; it was like a mad swarm of bees. After arriving in the Old Quarter, the scooters don’t let up, but the beauty and nuances of the city begin to sink in.

We traveled from North to South during our three weeks in Vietnam, starting in Hanoi and finishing in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). This itinerary gave us different perspectives of the government affiliations, the people, the climate and the food. It appears the North still believes in the changing communist government and the messages they broadcast over loud speakers throughout the city, but as we moved south we met people, who whispered and looked over their shoulders, as they discussed their dislike for the government and the need for more rapid change. There is a lot of hope in the country as policies gradually shift and relations with the USA and the EU improve.

Almost frantic construction could be seen in nearly every town; hotels, business complexes and housing. However, the building of much needed infrastructure appeared to be lagging far behind. Those who suffered most, stripped of their nationality and heritage, were always close in the background; they scrapped by, trying to make a living for their family; that is if they were lucky enough to have a family. Many of those who ended up in “re-education” camps after the war are too poor to support a family. The government won’t allow them to work, give them a place to live, and many scrape by on the streets of the large cities. A lot of these people were once teachers, doctors, or other professionals, but they made a mistake in the eyes of the government—they fought for freedom.

Overall, our experience in Vietnam was a positive one, with some definite highlights in terms of sites, shopping and food. The fact that we traveled as a family—Bob, Teddy, Elise, Marc and I—made it an experience that none of us will ever forget. As a family, we also gained the respect of the Vietnamese locals, who smiled brightly when they realized we were indeed a family.

We highly recommend starting in Hanoi and finishing in Saigon. The route still goes from crazy to crazier, but at least Hanoi gets you ready for what is to come in the insane streets of Saigon.

Cambodia:
After finally escaping the chaos of Saigon, we were happy to land in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The vibe in the tourist town was a lot different than in Saigon or other parts of Vietnam. There will still people pushing product, such as postcards, tuk-tuk rides, or tours, but they were more laid back, without the in-your-face approach.

Tourists come to Siem Reap for one reason—to see the great Ankor Wat. We explored several temples during our time in Siem Reap including Tomb Raider, but nothing really compares to the vast structure that is Ankor Wat. The architecture and detail is incredible and then to think the imposing structure was built over 800 years ago. It is truly an amazing feat and well worth the time in Siem Reap.

Cambodia as a whole still suffers from the monstrosities dealt by its government, led by Pohl Pot in the late 70s and early 80s. Millions of educated and outspoken people were killed during the communist regime; ultimately leaving the country full of farmers and laborers. The lasting effects can still be seen. Their desire for education is seriously curbed by the lack of teachers at both the elementary and university levels. Additionally, without doctors, infant mortality rates are between 6-8% and prevention and treatment for common diseases is nearly non-existent. Further, lacking scientists and engineers, the country suffers from inadequate infrastructure and scientific advances. There’s no one to build much needed bridges, roads and power plants or direct them with agriculture advances, food preservation and distribution techniques.

We were personally touched by the people in Cambodia clearly trying to rise and get their country back on track. They all seemed to have hope. However, the poverty was like nothing we’ve ever seen—even in India. We would have loved to have adopted at least one of the poor children if we could, but that really only solves a small part of the overall problem.

The country has a long way to go, but we can do our part by visiting, and making donations to legitimate organizations such as Red Cross, Land Mine eradication efforts, etc. I know we’ll go back—soon.

Laos:
As soon as we landed in Luang Prabang we knew we were in for something special. The people outside of the airport didn’t seem one bit interested in us, or where we were staying that night; we even had to ask for a taxi ride into town. In Vietnam, and even Cambodia, we had hoards of people waiting for us outside of the terminal to give us cheap accommodations, taxi rides, or great deals on an all inclusive tours.

We were shocked at how reserved the people in Laos were, but we absolutely loved it. Of course there were a few peddlers along the main street selling jewelry and other handicrafts, but you only had to tell them No, Thank You once and they would simply move on and leave us alone. When we were looking for a ride to the local waterfall we actually had to find our own tuk-tuk driver to drive us the 60KM to the crystal blue pools in the neighboring mountainside.

As we traveled outside of Luang Prabang to the more remote sections of Laos, we felt like we were by ourselves in nature. There were very few tourists, no cars, and no motor scooters. Many times the only mode of transportation was by boat, bicycle or walking. We also had a very special experience helping out Roger Vanderbeek, whom we met in South America; delivering money for school to his adopted family.

Overall, Laos was an incredible experience and will not soon be forgotten. We hope the country can retain its relaxed, rustic and innocent quality for years to come.

Thailand:
As soon as we crossed the river from Huay Xin, Laos to Thailand, we knew we were back into a commercialized society. There was only one bank (no ATM), on the Laos side, but on the Thailand side of the river there were ATMs at nearly every corner, it had 7-11s, Toyota dealerships, and Internet cafés throughout the town. It’s crazy how two countries within such so close proximity can be so different.

After relaxing for a few days in northern Thailand (Chiang Rei and Chiang Mai) we headed south to the beautiful beaches of Koh Phi Phi Don. The tropical setting was a perfect way to unwind after several months of constant travel. August is the rainy season in the South, but we lucked out and had perfect weather. The beaches of Thailand are gorgeous and the locals need tourism dollars as they are still recovering from the Tsunami of 2005.

After several nights on the island we spent a few days in Bangkok before leaving South East Asia. We’re still amazed how much the city has changed. Our last visit was in 2001 and we found the city to be dirty, difficult to get around, and, worst of all, the child prostitution was rampant. Now, there is an excellent public transportation system, the shanties that riddled the city are gone, and the government has done a lot to curb the child prostitution. There are signs everywhere discouraging sex tourists, and that sex with under aged children is still a crime and will not be tolerated. This doesn’t mean the sex industry has gone away completely. However, the sleazy guys in alleys offering young girls to you as walk past seem to be gone or at least hidden very well.

Top Sites in South East Asia:
Ankor Wat, Cambodia—Words cannot do justice to this awesome architectural feat. I am truly baffled as to why this wasn’t named one of the Seven Wonders of the World…it truly is amazing. Absolute MUST SEE!

Halong Bay, Vietnam—this is another must see on any itinerary to Vietnam. Located two hours north of Hanoi, the sea of over 2000 islands is spectacular. It’s a surreal experience as you sail between the dotted islands on a junk boat. Stay at least one night on the boat. As you wake up to the islands surrounding you in the morning, you won’t regret it.

Shopping and Food in Hoi An, Vietnam—This was one of my favorite stops in Vietnam. Not only can you get suits, dresses, and shoes custom made for you within 24 hours, but you can try some of the best food in Vietnam. The local specialties Cao Lau (special noodles with spicy pork) and White Rose (shrimp dumplings) can be found on almost every menu. However, the best meal was at Café de Amis where the menu rotates every night.

Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand—this is a perfect place to relax and get away from everything. The remote island is accessible by ferry via Krabi and has some great beaches to work on the tan. The crowd can sometimes be a little young, and the bars tend to cater to the party scene. Try to stay at Bayside, which is at the end of the beach, and easy to escape whatever party—full moon, half moon, or backpackers—at Hippies. Make sure to catch at least one of the fire shows at the beach bars. Also, make sure to eat at Tuk’s BBQ along the waterfront. It’s definitely not fancy, just a few tables set-up along the ocean wall, but the BBQ chicken and corn is the best in town!

Northern Countryside of Laos—as we trekked through the rice paddies of northern Laos we were shocked at our calm and isolated surroundings. The only people we saw were locals as we walked through the village to find Roger’s adopted family. The experience of delivering the package made Laos special, but we were able to understand how Roger fell in love with this place.

Top Meals in South East Asia (in chronological order of visit):

Restaurant on Corner of Hang Buom and Hang Glay—Hanoi, Vietnam. We found this little place where the locals were eating—we had to try it. The restaurant is set out on the sidewalk where patrons sit on preschool sized plastic tables that disappear during the day. The kitchen was right on the street within sight where all of the meat was grilled. The place was so great we went back a second night.

Banh Mi—Hanoi, Vietnam. We had to walk in circles to find the sandwich maker on the streets of Hanoi, but when we finally found her we were ecstatic. The tasty grilled beef sandwiches, served on a fresh baguette, were glazed with a spicy sauce and topped with cucumbers and cilantro. Yum!

Mandarin Cafe—Hue, Vietnam. This restaurant recently moved to a larger location down the street. The building is slightly unfinished as the owner, Mr. Cu, plans to display his beautiful photography on the walls. There are books of photos that Mr. Cu has displayed in France and Italy. We even saw a few of his photos in Dalat.

Mermaid—Hoi An, Vietnam. We had a spicy beef pot that had the flavors I expected in Vietnam—they were incredible. It was almost like a curry and the sauce was excellent poured over a little rice.

Café de Amis—Hoi An, Vietnam. This restaurant had a fixed menu each night. We were able to order seafood, vegetarian or meat. Since there were five of us we were able to try all three!

Hong Phuc Restaurant—Hoi An, Vietnam. This place is known for its fish wrapped in banana leaves, which was incredible, but I really liked the spicy stir fried chicken. The blend of chilies, garlic, ginger and lemongrass was a nice blend on top of rice.

Hai’s—Hoi An, Vietnam. I was very comfortable at Hai’s from the moment we walked into the place. This was confirmed when I read the note on the menu, “No MSG and all vegetables are cleaned in purified water.” We didn’t have problems at any other places, but the note was refreshing. The chicken with rice was the best we had in Hoi An.

Lobster Street Side—Nha Trang, Vietnam. We had fabulous lobster grilled on the street with a tasty lime sauce. At 180,000 dong per Kilo the lobster was a real bargain. We sat on the street on the preschool table and chairs slurping every last bite of lobster out of the shell.

Pho 2000—Saigon, Vietnam. We only had what I consider to be excellent Pho in two places in Vietnam and this was one of them (the other was in a remote hillside village of Dalat). The simple, yet complex tasting, broth was exactly what I had been craving since arriving in Vietnam. It’s a large operation, but they’ve got the recipe perfect!

Chiang Rai Night Market—Chiang Rai, Thailand. This was the first place we had authentic, spicy Thai food. The food in restaurants was tamed down and catered more towards tourists than locals.

Cooking Class—Chiang Mai, Thailand. We learned how to cook up our own Tom Yum soup, green curry and spring rolls. Since we were cooking, we could spice it up to our liking—Yum!

Cabbages and Condoms—Bankgok, Thailand. We first visited this restaurant in 2001 and really enjoyed it. The tourists have definitely changed the food in this place, but if you ask for spicy they will fire it up for you, but you must insist. The garden setting is very nice with fans and misters running all the time.

Tuk’s BBQ—Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand. This guy on the waterfront grills up some mean chicken and corn. We frequented this place at least three nights during our eight on the island. The price was right, the food was fresh and we enjoyed it every time.

Don’t Miss these Towns:
Hoi An, Vietnam
Dalat, Vietnam
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Luang Prabang, Laos
Koh Phi Phi Don Island, Thailand

Not Worth the Stop:
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam—It is hard to say this historical city isn’t worth the stop, so check it out, but get out as soon as possible. The traffic, scooters and dense population make the place a madhouse. If you’re looking for the Saigon of old, where people meandered through the streets as women and men rode their bikes along side them, it doesn’t exist anymore. Saigon is now a major commercial city in a communist country frenetically fighting its way towards capitalism. If you stay too long it will either consume you or make you crazy… or both.

Udomxai, Laos—This is a passing point from Nong Kaiw to the Thailand border. The town sits in a small valley that is filled with smog. It’s best to keep moving through here without even one night in the smog filled town.

Best, and only, Brewery:
Le Louisiane. Nha Trang, Vietnam. This small little brewery is located right on the beach in Nah Trang. The microbrewery was a nice change from the typical lagers served throughout South East Asia.

Best Lodging:

Note: These are places we personally stayed. All prices are estimates at the time of our visit and are displayed in USD.

Also of note: Our accommodations varied throughout South East Asia. In Vietnam, we had a few beautiful rooms, especially in Hoi An, for no more than $25/night. In Laos, we averaged $4.82 during our twelve nights in the country. It would have been very difficult to spend more on a room in Laos if we tried. However, the rooms were sparse, some with an outhouse for a toilet and a tub of water for a bathing. It was all part of the experience.

Thanh Xuan. Hoi An, Vietnam. This beautiful hotel had a nice pool with a restaurant poolside. The stunning lobby with a miniature waterfall and Coy Pond would have been $300 in Hawaii, but the price was far less here. There was free internet in the lobby and Wi-Fi in the rooms. Double room: ~$18Bayside Resort. Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand. Each bungalow has a view of the water from a private balcony. It is a perfect spot to enjoy a beer in the evening. The buffet breakfast is superb. Private Bungalow: ~$50

Millennium Hilton Bangkok. Bangkok, Thailand—This brand new hotel along the riverfront in Bangkok is well worth the money. Make sure to check out the rooftop bar with views of the entire city. Double room: ~$100+

Dreams Hotel. Dalat, Vietnam. We felt right at home at the Dreams hotel. The proprietor understands quality and expects her entire staff to adhere to her high quality standards. They do not push travel services, will tell you when something is too expensive, and are very professional. The staff gives straight advice to help the traveler save some money. Double room: ~$20

Wat’s Up? Guesthouse Siem Reap, Cambodia. This fairly new place was clean and only a short walk from the main part of town; right around the corner from the Golden Banana Guesthouse. The breakfast is descent and is served on top of the rooftop veranda. Double room: ~$20

Good-Bye to Laos...

Huay Xai, Laos

July 23, 2007

N 20°16.589
E 100°24.645

We continued our journey west towards Thailand via a slow boat on the Mekong River. We knew the boat was going to be slow when we departed at 8:50 AM, but we weren’t expecting the ride to take nine hours. Lucky for us, we were at the boat early, and able to get one of the twelve cushioned seats instead of parking our bum on a wooden bench for the entire journey.

We boarded the simple passenger boat, number 44, at the end of the dock in Pak Beng. We climbed down a set of stairs and balanced ourselves as we walked, with our packs, along an unsteady, 12” wide, plank to the vessel. The blue boat with a basic tin roof measured nine feet wide and fifty feet long. The hard, wooden bench seats were three feet long and perpendicular to the sides of the boat. We managed our way to the rear of the boat and immediately claimed our semi-reclining cushioned seats. Straw mats were thrown about the vessel, allowing passengers to take a break from their seats and lie down, or maybe even mediate.

The cruise along the Mekong didn’t disappoint us one bit. The passengers were able to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views along the river as our driver dodged huge stalks of bamboo, tree branches, logs and other debris floating on the surface of the mud colored river. Corn terraced the countryside next to the river in abundance.

We stopped at several remote villages along the way to let passengers off. The small villages didn’t even have docks to accommodate the large boat, so the passengers would jump out near a clear patch along the shoreline and summon family from the village to retrieve them.

After a good nine hour cruise we finally landed in Huay Xai, grabbed our bags and headed to the first guesthouse we could find. We were both ready for a hot shower, food and a cold beer.

Laos overall has been a rewarding segment of our trip. The countryside is spotted with tourists here and there, but not like in Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand. Experiencing the untapped beauty in a scenic, serene setting is like nothing we have experienced.

The countryside is as beautiful as Nepal or New Zealand, but the fact that we were able to enjoy it nearly by ourselves was an unforeseen bonus. It was amazing to sit in a small little village, only accessible by boat, where running water, electricity, gas ranges and the internet and do not exist. The rustic bungalows had their charm, but the experience of the landscape made the lack of amenities completely worth it. In fact, a few days without internet access were actually refreshing!

Laos was definitely the cheapest country we’ve visited so far, where we averaged under $5 per night for a room (when you don’t have to pay for electricity it is a lot cheaper!), and around $15 a day for food.

The food, however, was not our favorite in Southeast Asia. In fact, I think I will be fine if I never have stir fried rice or stir friend noodles every again in my life. We did enjoy the sticky rice and enjoyed eating the food with our hands. Our best meal was probably the dinner we shared with Roger’s family in Ban Na. Kim and Em are excellent cooks and they really prepared a special meal for us that night.

The few words of Lao we did learn—"Hello", "Thank You" and "Thank You Very Much"—will be forgotten tomorrow as we head into Thailand and brush up on our Thai. At least we know we can order food!

Sawatdii Thailand!

Pak Beng After Dark...

Pak Beng, Laos

July 22, 2007
N 19°53.565
E 101°07.783

We discovered Pak Beng is a completely different town at night. Since it’s a major overnight stopping point for many local and tourist boats making their way up or down the Mekong the population seems to nearly double in the evenings. When we arrived, the only tourists in the town were us and a couple from England who dared to make the trip on the sawngthaew with us to Pak Beng.

Thinking we were still the only tourists in town we didn’t head out until 8:00 PM; figuring we could have our pick of any table at any restaurant along the street. However, we were surprised to find the streets lined with tourists wandering from restaurant, laughing and drinking Lao-Lao, or just relaxing on a patio sipping Beer Lao.

After a short stroll along Main Street we decided to give the one and only Indian restaurant in town a try. We had to sit off the street, inside the restaurant, since it was nearly full of diners; hindering any of the rare cool breeze from reaching us on the humid night.

After enjoying the Indian cuisine we headed back to our guesthouse, admired the views of the Mekong from the balcony and headed off to catch some sleep after another long travel day.

We woke around 9:00 AM and headed out to check out the town a little more and have our first cup of coffee in at least five days. The streets were again empty, all the tourists, including the English couple, departed on one of the boats that left in the morning to either Luang Prabang or Huay Xai (the border crossing into Thailand).

Lucky for us, we had the whole town to ourselves again, and plenty of time to explore the dusty, yet picturesque, river town.

You Go Pak Beng? I Go Pak Beng...

Pak Beng, Laos

July 21, 2007
N 19°53.565
E 101°07.783

Our goal for today was to get out of Oudomxay. After two days in the valley our throats were raw and couldn’t handle another pollution-filled day in the tiny town. We arrived at the bus station an hour before the 10:00 AM bus to Pak Beng, only to be told there weren’t any buses going to Pak Beng. We had a moment of shear panic, believing we were stuck in the town for another night, but quickly came to our senses and took control of the situation.

The ticket agent sat behind the counter breast feeding her baby and explained, “no more bus for Pak Beng today.” However, when Marc asked the driver of the Sawngthaew parked underneath the Pak Beng sign, he said “Yes, go to Pak Beng.” We went back to the ticket lady, still breast feeding; however, she wouldn’t budge—“no bus Pak Beng today.”

After getting the run-around for another ten minutes we discovered the bus we put our bags on was actually leaving for a town halfway between Oudomxay and Pak Beng, and the driver would most likely proceed to Pak Bang. Perfect, we figured we could catch a ride from there—anything to get us out of Oudomxay.

When the sawngthaew slowly crawled out of the bus station, there were a total of 27 passengers jam-packed into the truck. Five people in the cab, including the driver, 16 people crammed butt-to-butt on the bench seats, 3 people sitting in the middle of the bed on preschool sized plastic chairs, and 3 people standing on the bumper, holding on to the tailgate for dear life. I tried my best not to think what would happen if the driver rolled the truck with all this weight.

After two hours of the standard road torture (rain, wind, potholes, leg cramps, etc.) we made it to our halfway point. Everyone fell out of the bus, smiling and sorta congratulating each other on a trip well done, then slowly wandering off their own separate ways. Now we needed to figure out what bus may be going to Pak Beng.

It appeared there were at least six others on a quest to conquer the same route to Pak Beng. Locals and a few Westerners alike were standing around pointing at each other inquisitively, “Pak Beng, you go?” “Yes, Pak Beng.” “Pak Beng? Pak Beng?” “Which bus Pak Beng, Pak Beng?” “I go Pak Beng, you go Pak Beng?” It was the standard chaos.

After a good 20 minute Pak Beng inquisition, we all boarded yet another Sawngthaew and took off for Pak Beng. At this point we were pleased we didn’t just give up at the bus station and spend another night in Oudomxay; it appeared we were actually on our way to Pak Beng.

Shortly after taking off we stopped to pick up a Hmong family, a mother and her four children ranging in age from 6 months to 7 years. When they got in the truck the children were in awe of four huge, white, Westerners with pointy noses sitting directly across from them. As they sat speechless, the driver took off; zipping around corners at high speeds and tossing his passenger from side to side. Within minutes the entire family was vomiting from motion sickness; with the exception of the oldest boy.

At first the youngest girl barfed rice porridge all over her little brother’s shoulder and face. Next little brother spewed his lunch all over big sister and big brother. Then the mother finally got into the act and started vomiting off the back of the truck as she desperately clung to her infant; the sawngthaew continued at break-neck speeds. Then little sister started again… this time spewing porridge over the side of the truck and thankfully not on little brother again.

We felt horrible for the family. After barfing up their lunch, they sat still, without emotion, rice stuck to their faces and all over their clothes. After about an hour, the driver pulled over, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The family slowly unloaded, not a word to anyone, and solemnly walked off into a remote village.

Many of the Hmong still live in the remote hills in Laos and are gradually being forced to integrate with the lowland societies by the government. We could only speculate that this may have been their first ride in a sawngthaew, let alone a gas powered vehicle. Thus, completely understandable why they reacted the way they did.

We finally made it to the small village of Pak Beng, found a place to stay and strolled through the village. One main street runs through town and dead ends into the Mekong River. The name of the village actually means mouth of the Beng, since the town is right at the junction of the Beng River and Mekong River.

We plan on spending two nights here before taking a boat trip up the Mekong River to Huay Xai, and then cross the border into Thailand.

Just A Little Shit-Hole...

Oudomxay, Laos

July 20, 2007
N 20°41.289
E 102°59.193

We arrived in the dusty, hazy, town of Oudomxay, also spelt Udomxai, after our countryside visit. Dumped back into a larger city for Laos (Pop.: 80,000). Scooters, cars, piles of burning garbage, mangy dogs, and mud puddles lined the streets. The only redeeming quality of the town is that it’s surrounded by dark green mountains on all sides; unfortunately a perfect valley for the smog to come to rest.

I had a slight deja vu feeling as we walked down the muddy main street. Unfinished construction projects lined both sides of the street. Scattered about were rebar, bricks, gravel, and scaffolding, seemingly abandoned; surrounded by debris from the unfinished job and from the locals that have found a place to dump their trash. I’ve been here before, not to Oudomxay, but to neglected towns just like this in Vietnam, Nepal, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala… they all begin to look familiar. We lovingly call them our shit-holes.

We decided to stay two nights in this shit-hole to exchange money, update our blog, check email, and take a much needed break after a long travel day. We’ll be out of here tomorrow without a doubt.

Oudomxay will definitely end up on the towns to miss list on the South East Asia Wrap-Up. However, I’m sure we will look back fondly on this little town and smile; just like we have with all the others little shit-holes you’ll eventually stay in if you’re a traveler.

A Promise Kept...

Ban Na Village, Laos

July 18, 2007
N 20°41.836
E 102°42.307

We were lured to Northern Laos by Roger Vanderbeek, who we met in Torres del Paine National Park towards the beginning of our trip. Roger told us about the fresh air, the untouched, green countryside and about the beautiful people. We heard stories about the village of Ban Na and how the town had minimal electricity during his first visit, there wasn’t a single TV in the village, no cars, scooters or boats, and it was an area very few tourists had discovered. The picture Roger painted of the remote mountain village, surrounded by lush green rice paddies, sounded like a place we couldn’t miss.

Roger also told us about his adopted family in Ban Na, the owner’s of OBI Guesthouse (Obi is the boy in the picture below). Roger stayed with the family a few years ago and actually transported their son Aku to Luang Prabang for a hernia surgery that instantly relieved years of pain and only cost Roger a few dollars.

Our journey to Ban Na was more than a stay in the countryside, but we were delivering an important package from Roger to his family in Ban Na. The package contained enough money to send at least one of the kids to school for a year. This was at least the third time Roger has provided educational assistance to the family.

We walked to Ban Na yesterday to make sure we could find it and the family. We introduced ourselves to Kim, the mother of the four beautiful children, and told her we were friends of Roger. We let her know we had a package from Roger that we would bring back the following day and stay the night—we promised an early arrival.

We woke up fairly early and headed out with our daypack and slingbags for the overnight trip to Ban Na. We decided to keep our room in Muang Ngoi Neua to store our gear; we figured the extra $1.50 a night wouldn’t break our budget and would lighten our load for the trek.

We hit the slippery, single track, muddy trail at about 9:00 AM. We crossed two streams, checking our legs for leeches after each crossing. In some stretches the red, sticky, mud sucked at our feet. In others the mud was slick as ice, fresh from the overnight rain. We treaded cautiously through the jungle until we reached vast fields of rice paddies with ankle deep water (and more worry of leeches). After about 3 miles we came upon an open rice field with picturesque sandstone mountains covered with green trees and shrubs.

Little ladies worked in the rice fields, pulling out the clover in between the rice stalks. We weaved our way through the rice patties on the little levees, gradually ascending from one plateau to the next, until we reached the gate for Ban Na. We already knew the place we were looking for, OBI Guesthouse, was at the far end of the village.

We met Kim and three of the children—Em, Aku and Tye—under the canopy of the restaurant. The youngest child, Obi, was over at the new school monitoring the progress of the construction. Before delivering the package, we took another look at the sweeping views from the restaurant; the rice fields and mountains in the distance, spotted with little bungalows—used for shelter during the harvest—were breathtaking.

A few minutes later Marc pulled out a Ziploc with the envelope that read “From: Roger Vanderbeek” and handed it to Kim. Em came over to help open the envelope and pulled out the money. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. We could tell she was stunned. She counted it and fell to her knees, almost in disbelief. There was no question among the kids what the money was for—they were able to attend another year of school.

A little later we met Louie and Eve, a young Dutch couple helping with the construction of the school, and they told us about the conversations the family had regarding school the night before. We discovered there was some serious concern about money to pay for school for the older two, Em and Aku. The money from Roger immediately remedied their problem.

We spent the afternoon lounging around the deck of the restaurant, taking a break to check out the construction of the new school, and playing cards with Em and Eve. I learned a new game and tried to teach all of the kids the game of “Go Fish” before dinner.

We were treated to a special family dinner for delivering good news. Everyone gathered around the main course, roasted chicken stuffed with sticky rice, and put one hand on the tray. As we had our hands on the tray, the eldest family member, Kim’s dad, lead us in a type of prayer, Grace for Buddhists.

After the prayer was finished, we cupped our hands and waited for an offering from the eldest. We received a piece of chicken with a chunk of sticky rice. When everyone had a piece we ate it. Next, they normally serve Lao Lao to guests, but we were pleased to find out they didn’t have any in the town. (We didn’t want any part of that stuff after seeing the guys on the boat!) Instead we shared a Lao Beer, wished everyone good luck, and drank the warm beer kind of like a shot. We polished off the beer, grabbed the serving dish for another prayer, and then each family member started tying good luck strings on our wrists. We received an equal number on each arm promising us luck and prosperity in the near future.

Sharing a traditional Lao meal with the family was truly special as we rolled our sticky rice in our hands and picked at the tasty dishes in front of us to go with the rice. There were two types of soup—morning glory and mushroom—chicken in a spicy broth and a side of spicy morning glory. Everything was very tasty and we complimented Kim and Em on their culinary skills.

We felt we did our part in the good deed by delivering the money; however, we got the best end of the deal since we were able to meet the family and enjoy the beautiful countryside. The entire family is anxious for Roger to visit again, but they felt his presence as we passed through—apparently, just in time. Roger is known as PaPa to the family, but this time his kindheartedness came from the Buddha and brought the family the good luck they need to get through another year.

Life On the River...

Muang Ngoi Neua, Laos

July 17, 2007
N 20°42.573
E 102°40.446

The stunning views from the Vita Guesthouse made up for the sparse accommodations. We didn’t come to Muang Ngoi Neua looking for luxury, but instead we came to see the untouched countryside and enjoy life without scooters and cars—at least for a few days. Of course we also came here because we made a promise to our friend Roger.

Our room, or bungalow, sat right on the river’s edge with views of the mountains from every direction. In the afternoon we took advantage of the hammocks on the patio, enjoying the serene setting, with only a few sounds—the thup-thup-thup-thup of a boat’s motor and a rooster’s crow in the distance.

Our simple, bamboo thatched, bungalow was about 8’x10’ with a light bulb hanging from the ceiling by two wires; it worked between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM (as does electricty for the rest of the village), a double futon-like pad, a small table and a mosquito net—what else do we really need? The shared facilities had a simple squat toilet. The shower was a large trough full of water and a plastic scooper for dumping the water over your body. It didn’t get off all of the dirt, but it did cool us down a little bit at the end of the day, and if you scrubbed hard you came out cleaner than when you went in.

At night, mangoes from the tree over our bungalow jolted us out of our deep sleep as they fell on our tin roof with a thundering crash. The first one bolted me straight up in bed as it sounded like an explosion, but after the first two or three blasts I become used to them only waking briefly.

The silence all around us was so beautiful that we didn’t mind an occasional mango trying to disrupt our sleep. The sleepy village is definitely worth the visit to get out of the chaos of the larger cities in South East Asia.

Rolling With the Locals...

Muang Ngoi Neua, Laos

July 16, 2007
N 20°42.573
E 102°40.446

Today was a travel day; we knew it would be a hard one. We had to take a bus four hours to a remote northern village where we would then catch a boat. The boat would take us upstream on the Man Ou River for a little over an hour; ultimately reaching our destination, Muang Ngoi Neua. This is if everything went as planned, and as we know, the best part about a travel day is we usually get a good story, especially when there are buses involved.

When we arrived at the bus station we discovered the “bus” wasn’t really a bus, but a Sawngthaew, a common mode of transportation in Laos. Essentially, a pick-up truck whose bed, a Toyota sized bed not an F-150, had been converted into local transportation. Both sides of the bed are lined with wooden bench seats, about two feet wide, barely fitting my butt. Overhead is a makeshift “roll bar” covered with metal siding to protect the happy customers from the heat and rain. In addition, it may protect the occupants from being tossed into oncoming traffic if the driver loses control and hits one of the many 18” deep pot-holes that plague the “highway”. Additionally, the roof of the “bus” served as a luggage rack; where the happy customer’s luggage is securely tied down.

Fourteen of us, mostly locals, climbed into the bed, staked out our spot on the bench, and got comfortable for the four hour ride. Of the tourists, there was one American from Connecticut and two English girls, one of which looked ready for afternoon tea and crumpets with mum on the veranda. Her freshly applied make-up and cute little jean skirt grabbed more than a few looks from the locals and the Westerners.

A little over an hour into the trip along the serpentine road the UCONN guy made a desperate plea for the driver to pull over—I knew the look. Marc banged on the cab and got the driver to pull over. The guy jumped out the bed of the truck and high tailed it to the bushes where he proceeded to get sick. The guy was kind enough to hide what he had for breakfast to himself. We offered him some Dramamine when he got back in the truck, but he politely declined. I went back to reading my book.

Another hour into the trip I started to get a little headache, this is when we realized the guy across from us was carrying a liter of kerosene in a plastic bottle back to his village. The bottle was leaking and we could tell from the look on his face and his glossy eyes that he was pretty f’d up. We tried to convince him to get rid of the bottle, others were suffering at this point, but his family was dependent upon him—he couldn’t just toss it. Marc banged on the cab again for the driver to pull over—we at least wanted to put the stuff on the roof—but the driver told him to cover it in a plastic bag. It was a good thing we had natural air conditioning or all of us would have either had a gas high, or have been dead.

After huffing kerosene for four hours and taking a severe ass-whooping from the potholes we finally made it to Nong Khiaw; the village where we had to catch the boat. We now had a few hours to kill before the boat departed at 2:00 PM. We spent the time sitting on a restaurant patio that overlooked the river. We watched the local kids, with their baskets of soap, headed down to the Nam Ou for their daily bath. The younger kids would strip down, the older ones would leave on some clothes, jump into the water to get wet, climb back out to lather up, and then jump in again to rinse off. A few of the kids weren’t more than four, jumping into the Nam Ou without a life guard, or parent, in sight.

After the “bus” ride we were actually looking forward to a tranquil cruise up the Nam Ou. However, when we finally boarded the boat we realized we may be in for another adventure. The vessel was 3 feet wide and probably 20 feet long. It had a roof, but not much of a bottom, as the water splashed, our clothes got a little wet from underneath.

The boat, like the bus, had two long, hard wooden benches for people to sit. We had to sit off center to prevent from bumping knees with the person sitting across from us. The boat was fully loaded with 18-20 people, plus luggage. The boarding process was the normal chaos we have grown accustomed to from our travels in South America and now into South East Asia; just sit back relax, watch and laugh. There was a slight delay when two of the locals wouldn’t get on the boat. The lady, baby in tow, kept yelling at someone. We weren’t sure what was upsetting her, but she definitely was mad about something. When her husband and his buddy, or possibly father, got on the boat we realized what was upsetting the lady.

I could instantly tell both of the men were three sheets to the wind. They stumbled onto the boat as jolly as can be. The younger guy was resting his arm on the tourist next to him as he leaned over to argue with his wife. The other man fell down and sprawled out on a small open patch of deck near the driver.

Fifteen minutes into the trip, the older guy next to the driver, who must have been in his 60s, decided to lie down and try to sleep. We would tell the dreaded Spins had set in and he was in trouble. Sure enough, less than a minute later, he was pulling himself back up and over the side of the boat. His friend, directly across from Marc and I, was laughing at his buddy hurl his lunch and Lao Lao (rice wine) into the river and then asked the driver for a cigarette.

It was probably another twenty minutes into the trip when the guy across from us, probably done in by the smoke, was over the edge puking. Lucky for us, he was on the opposite side of the boat, and didn’t have to worry about the wind catching the remnants of the Lao Lao and bringing the chunks back into the boat.

After a few more minutes the young guy realized his buddy looked very comfortable and crawled to the front of the boat and passed out on his friend. The site of them curled-up and snuggling gave all of the tourists a good laugh. The two of them, were out-cold at 2:30 PM on a Monday afternoon and actually were still on the boat after everyone got their stuff and left, including the young guys wife and baby. I think it was a good lesson for everyone on the boat… stay away from the Lao Lao!

Another Hot Day in LP...

Luang Prabang, Laos

July 15, 2007
N 19°53.486
E 102°08.302

Today, our third and last full day in Luang Prabang, was spent seeing the sites we kept walking by our first few days, but consciously said we would visit on another day. Specifically, we didn’t visit any of the temples because the first day was too hot, I wanted to wear shorts and a tank top, not a skirt and t-shirt as required when visiting a temple. Of course, today wasn’t any cooler, but we didn’t want to miss the sites over something as silly as my clothing or sweltering heat.

After a cup of hot coffee and a light breakfast, our first in at least five days, we headed out to see the Royal Palace Museum, climb the mountain to see Phu Si and then, if I have my way, we can cool off with a traditional Lao massage at the end of the day.

The museum, located in the King’s palace, featured incredible gifts from all over the world separated into groups depending on if the country is socialist or capitalist. The gifts from the US include a small moon rock and a miniture Lao flag that went to the moon with Apollo 11, as well as a few small trinkets from John F. Kennedy—nothing as spectacular as the Buddhist sculptures from India or the painting from Nepal’s Royal Family.

After the museum we headed across the street to climb the 190 stairs to the top of Phu Si. The number of stairs reminded us of the Filbert Street stairs we tackle during some of our training runs at home; however, these stairs weren’t as physically demanding. I do have to say with the heat and humidity though; the stairs were as mentally challenging. After we climbed to the top of the mountain, we were afforded 360 degree views of the Mekong Delta, the Nam Khan River and the Laos countryside.

Not only did we have spectacular views, but we were able to visit the temple and pay respect to the numerous Buddhas—one for every day of the week. We really took our time strolling around the temple and working our way back down the steps. We really couldn’t move fast since the temperature was tipping near 100 F and the humidity from the rain clouds on the horizon made it feel like we were walking in a sauna.

It was about this time I convinced Marc the best way to spend the rest of the afternoon was to get a massage. I had a traditional Laos massage a few days ago and told him how relaxing it was; especially for only $3 per hour. Since we were together, we decided to bust-loose and splurge for the full two-hour massage; for a whopping $5.

Shortly after changing into the loose cotton pants and massage shirt, I realized why Marc agreed to the massage. Normally, he’s not real hip to getting a massage from complete strangers. However, there was no way he could resist laying directly under a fan for two hours in a moderately cool room.

I should mention, our Guest House, the only one available when we arrived, doesn’t have AC, only a ceiling fan. The fan, even at its highest speed, doesn’t provide a lot of relief from the heat and humidity. After checking the temperature in our room over the past few days we determined the average temperature was between 85-90 F; which doesn’t include the wind-chill factor from our shitty ceiling fan. Our only remedy is to take a cold shower at least three times a day.

Thus, the massage was the best way to cool off after another extremely oppressively hot day.

Tomorrow we leave Luang Prabang and start visiting some very remote villages in the northern part of Laos. Our internet access will be very limited until close to the end of July when we arrive at our first stop in Thailand, Chiang Rai.

Tuk-Tuk Knows Best...

Luang Prabang, Laos

July 14, 2007
N 19°53.486
E 102°08.302

During our walk the previous day we heard every tuk-tuk driver offer trips to the waterfall. “A must see,” they all said. I guess when you hear something enough times you start to believe it. So, we figured we had to see the much hyped waterfall. We negotiated a rate with a tuk-tuk driver who roamed around in front of our guesthouse and he said he would be at our place the next morning at 9:00 AM. Perfect.

Our tuk-tuk driver was waiting for us as we walked out the door at 9:02 AM. The plan was to pick up another couple and stop at a local village before the main event, Kwang Si Waterfall.

After our driver made a quick stop at the local temple for his daily prayer, we stopped at a small village where they sold handicrafts. The crafts were sold by young children most of them girls from 3-7 years. On a few occasions the young children were barely able to walk, too young to talk, but they were holding up the handicrafts and pushing them on the tourists.

Little boys ran around rolling bicycle tires with sticks, others pushing long sticks through the hard dirt; imitating their fathers plowing rice fields with their water buffalo and wooden plow. We thought of kids at home around their age; worried about getting the next Nintendo or PlayStation, not money for their next meal.

During our drive up the mountain to the waterfall we passed lush green forests, perfectly terraced rice fields up the side of the mountain and small villages with a dozen thatched roof houses and children running around naked. The countryside of Laos is different than Vietnam and Cambodia because of the numerous mountains which are visible from every angle.

We didn’t expect much from the waterfall. Yes, we heard it was a must see, but after waterfalls in other countries, including our own, we think we have seen the best of the best. We walked through the gates of the waterfall, a popular picnic place for locals (similar to the one in Cambodia), and headed out on the 10 minute trek to the falls.

Before we even reached the falls we came across a cage filled with Asiatic Black bears. The bears were saved from poachers who believe their organs have medicinal value. After we watched the bears play for a few minutes we walked closer to the falls; however, we didn’t get very far before we met Phet, an Indochinese tiger, also rescued from poachers. We loved the signs all around the tiger’s cage—“Danger. The tiger bites.” “Don’t put fingers in fence.” Uhhhh…. No shit!

We finally started up the trail toward the falls. We reached a small, crystal blue pool of water with a small fall trickling into it. “This can’t be it,” we said to each other. We kept walking and came to another pool of water, just as pristine as the first. Both of these pools were labeled “swimming areas” and there were several picnic tables in the area. The majority of the tables were still available since it was around 10:30 AM.

We kept walking up the path still expecting more. About 100 meters later, we saw the real waterfall, a 80 meter drop into another aquamarine pool. There were bridges stretched across the pool of water for optimal viewing and small foot-paths leading to the top of the falls.

We decided to follow one of the paths even though Marc said waterfalls don’t look like anything from the top—think about Nevada Falls or Vernal Falls in Yosemite. Yes, good point, but I was out for the exercise after a few days of being under the weather. Marc was right, the view sucked, we told others coming up, but they still had to see it for themselves.

After our climb to the summit of the falls we headed back down to one of the swimming areas for a dip in the water. The water was actually cool and Marc commented that it was the coolest his core body temperature has been in over a month. We stayed in the water for awhile enjoying the break from the humidity before climbing out to dry off.

We relaxed at the pool for several hours chatting with a couple that shared the tuk-tuk with us; a French lady and Swiss man. After several hours of relaxing and watching the local children play in the pools we were ready to head back to Luang Prabang. However, the couple was obviously very relaxed, still had at least a half a pack of cigarettes each to smoke, and were generally enjoying themselves.

At around 3:00, and down to their last 2-3 cigarettes, the couple decided to jump back into the water. We told them we would meet them at the park entrance—we were going to get a sandwich. We just finished our sandwiches when they finally exited the park to the relief of our driver, who was obviously ready to roll.

We made idle chit-chat with the couple before we arrived back in Luang Prabang. They asked to meet us for dinner, but we gave them a very non-committal response—not because we didn’t like them, they seemed like nice people, but after a day in the sun, and two packs of second hand smoke, we were ready to relax and cool off some more.

The trip to the waterfalls was definitely a must see in Luang Prabang; tuk-tuk drivers always know best.

Ahhh, the Sound of Silence...

Luang Prabang, Laos

July 13, 2007
N 19°53.486
E 102°08.302

It was 6:30 PM, 32 degrees Celsius and at least 90% humidity. It felt like it was only getting hotter.

Luckily, we didn’t have any “complications” with Marc’s passport and Visa upon entry into Laos. W didn’t even have to pay an extra “convenience” fee like in Cambodia.

However, after we struck-out at our first two picks for lodging we were scrambling. We looked around and saw we were just one of at least half a dozen backpackers looking for a place to stay for the evening. Unfortunately, I was getting a major rumbling down below and a there was an extreme sense of urgency. We knew we needed a room with a private bathroom (which is uncommon) for obvious reasons and it had to be least under $25 a night.

After wandering the streets of Luang Prabang for at least 45 minutes a young boy on a bicycle approached us, “You need room? $6?.” Marc asked him if the room had a private toilet and he said yes... that was all it took. We followed our young savior to the Kinnesy Guesthouse. Marc took a quick tour of the Spartan room and hollered out to me on the street, “This is where we’re staying tonight.” No air-conditioning, but it does have a ceiling fan, clean sheets, and a private bathroom with lukewarm water. Luxury!

Our first day in Luang Prabang was very low key. After waking up with a few kinks in my back and neck, I decided to take advantage of one of the several massage spas in the area. The average cost for one hour is around $3—very difficult to turn down. I went to the spa nearest to our guest house and told them I wanted work done on my neck and shoulders. Yes, we have been through this before in Vietnam.

I was pleased to discover the typical massage in Laos is similar to the Thai Massage where you dress in a little cotton suit prior to the massage. The massage consists of a lot of stretching; exactly what I needed after climbing the temple stairs in Siem Reap for a few days and frantically trudging around with my backpack the day before.

The best part of the whole massage was I didn’t have the uncomfortable feeling that I got from “Bob’s Place” in Vietnam. There was no need to clinch the butt cheeks or look over my shoulder and find a gnat with a towel over his head vigorously shaking my boot—all very legit.

The city has a unique layout centered between two rivers—the Mekong Delta and Nam Khan. We took a walk along the Delta side until we reached the round-about that took us on the Nam Khan side of town. We stopped on occasion to admire the vegetation and beautiful countryside in the near distance and just listen to the quiet.

The French, who colonized much of South East Asia, have a famous quote about the people in the region… “The Vietnamese plant rice, the Cambodians watch it grow, and the Lao listen to it grow.”

As we walked around today, we found the Lao people to be extremely laid back, relaxed, and without much outward emotion. A very nice change from other cities we have been in during the past month.