'Glory days' long gone - Tubing in Vang Vieng

  As late as last year, Vang Vieng was a party destination for the mostly youth-centered travelers in Laos. Alcohol flowed freely (sometimes literally), drug use was rampant and, combined with the number one activity in town – tubing on the river (think booze shacks, water slides and zip lines)– the results were disastrous. People died – sure, mostly out of sheer imbibed stupidity (but then who hasn't had a stupid moment), and the authorities and a curfew cracked down on the party scene. Less partying meant less interested tourists, so businesses suffered.

  Some of the vivacious atmosphere remains, although on a pretty limited scale. Biggest reminder of the past just may be the bars with Friends reruns on TV. But we heard that the appealing beauty of the area now draws a somewhat more reasonable crowd, and decided it worthwhile to stop in for a day or two, on our way south.

Bungalow with a view

  I've described Laos as gorgeous but the landscapes here are almost uncontested. The clear waters of the river (not the standard brown) in a superb setting and the muggy heat invite to spend time in the water. So... we went tubing. 

 Mostly responsible tubing, as there are still a few bar stops on the way as you leisurely flow with the current. We checked one out (as well as a random grandma & grandpa place), purely out of curiosity, of course. And... people still seem to go crazy. Maybe just not as many of them and not to the same extent. 

Bar on the river

In case you need to refuel

 After half a day of baking in the sun, we joined a group of some of those more reasonable travelers for a late dinner. Great conversation, some surprisingly good pasta and an even surprisingly better mojito later, we called it a night. A spectacular storm then lulled us to sleep.

  After a long, overnight bus journey, we reached Pakse amid torrents of rain. Weather permitting, stayed tuned for scooter diaries part 2.

Lil rickety bridge

Nong Khiaw, Muang Ngoi Neua and Bday Non-Celebrations

  Let's do the simple math. You have an enlarged version of a pick-up truck, with side wooden benches and, if you're lucky, a tarp over your head to help out with any occasional rain. It's driving over roads that barely qualify as asphalt. It is full to the brim. Two people leave, four more get on. Those four are monks, who cannot sit next to women, lest we tempt them with our lustful ways. What do you get? One huge mash-pit, minus the heavy metal music.

  And then it started to rain. A standard these days, it rains at least once a day (or night). At least not for very long, and the heady temperatures return to normal-er proportions. And the vegetation? Lush green, and no longer parched for water.

  We got off in Nong Khiaw, ridiculously tired after a mere three hour ride, only to have our jaws drop open. For the first time ever, I visually confirmed the existence of such a phenomenon as a karst. It is a limestone mountain, prone to sinkholes and caves. Dramatic and simply majestic, especially when set again a green and blue background. We found a bungalow with a cozy hammock, right over the Nam Ou river and a prime view of the vistas. And... we did nothing else.

Some use these as "decoration"

Duck laap, Lao specialty

  The lazy spree continued as we moved an hour north to the vehicle-free Muang Ngoi Neua. A small village accessible mostly by boats, I thought it the ideal spot to spend another birthday. Despite warnings of persistent leeches, we (ok, I) were determined to persevere. It was even more quiet than Nong Khiaw. No banks. No internet. Only that comfy hammock mattered. And Pawel. And ok, Dexter. I was catching up on Dexter. And evenings by candlelight. (We heard there was no electricity at certain times – not true anymore, times are progressing, but candlelight still fit the occasion.) How different from last year, when I celebrated by a bonfire with friends and family. But just as unique and just as appreciated. Just not sure how I feel about the crazy jungle bugs, even being a nature girl.

"Downtown" Muang Ngoi Neua

Little saleslady.  And she was persistent!

Yup, that's how I spent my bday

  But back to (still!) our reality. Another pick-up ride. This time P started learning yoga poses on his own, so uncomfortable were the seats. Quick night in Luang Prabang and we were off to party-central (at least, in the past), Vang Vieng. 

Wild, wild East, Lao-style

  Burma, for us, was all about the people. Laos, on the other hand, impresses with its natural beauty. Remnant of the old wild wild West, SE Asia style, Lao fulfilled every notion I had of stunning Asian scenery. Unlike its neighbors, more than two thirds of the vegetation is still untouched by man. Imagine: green forested mountains, drastic limestone cliffs, muddy rivers that act as major water arteries for transport (and really life in general), and impenetrable-looking jungles, where wildlife still roams uninhibited (unless, of course, it becomes dinner – snake soup, anyone?). Feeling inspired?

  Such beauty still remains, but not for lack of trying. Despite increased ecotourism, more immediate concerns displace the need for nature conservation. Interest in Lao's natural resources from the big neighbor up north promotes deforestation and illegal logging while raising the quantity of exports, for instance. Infrastructure is improving – great indeed for any developing country, but little notice is paid to how it affects those landscapes. People supplement the meat part of their diet by hunting. I suppose every nation must forge its own way, first most keeping its citizens' welfare in mind (especially given the level of poverty here), but some thought into conservation is necessary, especially if tourism is in the future plans. Most would agree, though. The time to visit this charmingly sleepy country is now. Laos is so laid-back, I noticed that even the dogs don't bark.

  Granted, something else might deter the travel-prone falangs from visiting Lao. As the U.S. waged war in Vietnam, it led parallel but secret military efforts in Laos, trying to stop the spread of the big bad red scare. Let me quote some statistics to at least marginally illustrate the air-bombing campaign that took place between 1965-1973:

• U.S. planes flew 580,344 missions and dropped 2 million tons of bombs on the east and northeast provinces
• a planeful of ordinance was reportedly dropped every 8 minutes, more than during WWII
• almost 30% of the bombs did not detonate on impact, leaving the country strewn with unexploded ordinance
• despite the clearance rate, it's approximated to take another century to make the land safe

Can you imagine the human toll? Even so many decades later?  What a legacy.

  On that cheerful note, the murky brown waters of the Mekong greeted us as we crossed into Laos. Snag-free processing at the border added shiny new visas into our ever-expanding collection. As everywhere in Lao, no mode of transportation leaves until it's full to the brim, so we waited a few more hours than expected for our 2-day slowboat journey to Luang Prabang to begin. Hotel tout warning for the overnight stay in Pak Beng: so-called guides try to scare some unaware falangs (foreigners) into more expensive accommodation with stories of theft in the budget places. In our case, completely unfounded. We heard the journey often turns into wild parties, but most of our fellow passengers were disinclined to do anything more than stare at the beautiful scenery. We conformed, the elderly people that we are, and after two days on the boat, a side to side lilt to our step carried us to a hotel in Luang Prabang.

No more wooden benches

Anyone need a truck?

It gets even better. Stay tuned.

  A World Heritage site and, some proclaim, the most beautiful city in SE Asia, Luang Prabang definitely merits the praise. French influence is visible in the architecture and cuisine of this decidedly charming town. There's little noise, not too much traffic and even if the steamy heat discourages walks that last longer than an hour, it feels right to spend a lazy afternoon by the Mekong, observing as life slowly rolls by. We spent two. Regrettably, we failed to visit the nearby waterfall, touted as the most impressive of the area, as we thought we'd be back for more later on.

  And so we moved a couple of hours north, once again by another entertaining form of transportation (highlights of our journey?), first to Nong Khiaw and then to Muong Ngoi Neua.

On the road again...

Scooter Diaries - Northern Thailand

  Chiang Mai, and its old city in particular, is an engaging metropolis with a decidedly relaxed vibe of northern Thailand. It consists of a mix of glamorous temples and Western comforts of every whim. A grand cuisine frontier, it impressed us most with the staple product of the region – mmm mmm, coffee. After a month of the instant stuff, we shamelessly imbibed on the delicious caffeine beans.

  Many people use Chiang Mai as a base for exploring the region, whether by elephant, raft or scooter. We chose the latter method as most efficient. We made home at the Banjai Garden Guest House, warmly welcomed by the hospitable owners and little frolicking kitten named Catty. From our pretty plant-encased balcony, we planned our course of action for the upcoming weeks.

  After much thought and months of 24/7 togetherness, we decided to grant each other the gift of independent travel experience and split up for a few days. I started out for the little visited but cozy towns of Phrae and Phayao. In Phrae, I met language teacher Priwan and stayed for a few days at her traditionally – Thai teak home. She took the time to show me around town. Most notably, she invited me to a Buddhist monastery, where a happy monk tied white strings around my wrists as a form of blessing for wisdom, health and peace of mind. It was a touching experience, as many other places we visited perform superficial blessings only for donations. I spent the evenings relaxing either in solitude and listening to the insistent drones of the cicadas or in warm conversations about life with Priwan, all while indulging in her truly delicious vegetarian fare. She finally drove me to the bus station, where I boarded a van bound for Phayao. The town itself has little to offer to an attraction-motivated traveler, but the views over the lake, especially at sunset, and the food were pretty superb. After taking care of some necessities, such as a hair cut, and the ensuing lost in translation hilarity, I went back to Chiang Mai, proud of my snag-free travel skills but happy to again meet up with Pawel.

Phayao

  In the meantime, P rented a scooter and put almost 1000 kilometers on its meter while making an extended loop of the Golden Triangle area, a region where the three countries of Laos, Thailand and Burma intersect. 

  I then joined him in Chiang Mai and after taking barely more than two shirts each to minimalize the weight, we set off for the visually-inspiring drive around Mae Hong Son province. In four days, we covered over 600 kilometers, sometimes slowly puttering uphill on first gear, on steep and winding roads through rice paddies, jungles, hills and pine forests. One word – stunning. With the approaching monsoon season, it rained every night. Every day then rose cooler, making the drive through the increasingly luscious surroundings even more pleasant. It was a great life on the road, stopping where convenient (so in towns of Mae Cham, Mae Hon Son – my favorite, and Pai), striving to discover that cute little bungalow for the night or that tasty next meal, our biggest immediate concerns. I highly recommend it.

  For the final time, we came back to Chiang Mai, said goodbye to our faithful scooter and set off for Chiang Rai. Its grandest attraction – Wat Rong Khun, a contemporarily-designed Buddhist temple. Created by an unconventional visionary, its white-washed facade is impressed with silver glass, creating a dazzling effect to the eye. A bridge, alongside impressions of reaching hands, leads to the wat itself, where unusual modern wall paintings show scenes of the cycle of rebirth that involve, for instance, the Twin Towers, the Terminator, Harry Potter, Neo from Matrix or Freddy Kruger. Despite the unusual thematics (or maybe because of them), it's pretty extraordinary.

Wishes! We left one, too

Coin wishing well

And then we hitch-hiked a ride back into town

  From Chiang Rai, we took a 6 am morning local bus to Chang Khong, from where we crossed the river, thus arriving at the Laos border. Next mode of transport – the two day slowboat trip to Luang Prabang on the mighty Mekong.