Laos

Loas

Wed. Nov 21

Swim, breakfast, drive to Da Nang airport for flight to Hanoi, and then onto Laos.

Thurs. Nov 22

Bread and Breakfast in Luang Probang is cute but toilet fell off and motorbike traffic all night, so ear plugs help. ($40 per night) Guide pick up at 9am walk around the town to see temples (picture 4). One temple is enouph. Cute tourist town with lots of history on the Mekong River. There are 3 main groups of prople in Laos, the Loa Loum of the lowlands(55%), the Lao Thuang of the highlands (34%), and the Lao Soun hilltribe people (10%) , each with a different language and culture. 80 % of all the people are Buddists .
We drive 1 hour each way to see a huge waterfall (picture 5) with many pools of light blue water. The climb up to the top is difficult and I slip, further aggravating my injured knee. I am in a lot of pain and can hardly walk. I went to a local Dr. who gave me ointment and a wrap. I am at the internet cafe where the attendant is helping me download many pictures to this blog which are taking forever!

Fri Nov 23

8:30 pick up take 2 hour boat ride (picture 3) on Mekong river to see caves with 1000's of Buddas. The ride on the river was beautiful. Fertile land so no fertilizer is needed. Then swim and message, and dinner the very exclusive La Residence Phon Vao hotel with spectacular views, service, and food. You now where I am again, internet cafe which are everywhere.

Sat Nov 24

Go to National museum. Interesting glass mosaics. Then walk around the town, few hours on internet, then climb 400 steps to top of hill where 100 people go to see sunset. Picture 2 is of Luang Probang from the top. Walk around the Night Bazaar but worry about adding weight to my luggage.

Sun Nov 25

8:30 departure for 5 hr curvy mountainous drive to Vang Vieng. Pass many villages. See many small children bent over walking on the road with rice bags on their back and heads after helping their parents work in the rice fields. I bought pencils, sharpeners, paper, toothbrush, etc. and gave them to children along the way. After arriving in Vang Vieng, which is surrounded by limestone mountains, on the Song river, climbed 147 steps to see a big cave with Stalgmites and Stalagtites. This cave and others have been used by the local people as a shelter from invading armies (but they didn't have steps). "Quaint" town, duplex style hotel where the walls were so thin I could hear the man next door snore all night even with my ear plugs, and the sheets were so thin I slept on a towel. Food and servie was good. Bribe desk clerk at another hotel to swim in the pool, since that is the only exercise I can do due to knee injury. Not worth the 9 hours over two days to visit here. Would have been better to fly from Luang Probang to Vientang. However, Unbelievable blinding sunset with mountains behind the river.

Getting tired of hole in the ground toilets. Haven't figured out how to 'flush' it. There is a bucket with water but don't want to touch it since in the villages there is never any soap or running water in these bathrooms. I prefer the 'bush'!

My driver looks like he is 16 years old but is 29 and has 2 children. My guide is a 33 year old single female whose mother supported her and her 3 siblings by selling noodle soup. Her father died while being 're-educated' by the communists in 1976. The Loa people were controlled by the chinese for 10 years, the French for 20 years twice, and the Americans for 20 years, before and during the Vietnam war. They have believed in Spirits since the 14th century, were Hindus for 900 years, and Buddists for the last 400 years. There are 7 Buddas, one for everyday. Between the age of 10 and 20 children can become Novices, and live and get educated at the temple sites (shaved head, orange wrap). For many of them it is the only way they can get an education. At the age of 21 they can choose to become Monks. If a man becomes a Monk they believe it helps their parents go to heaven.

Upon entering many places, must take off shoes and leave them outside by the front door. Cleanliness is less then standard. Where the locals eat, no soap in bathroom and maybe a towel everyond shares since many eat with fingers. This includes the food servers, who touch the food with their hands and then everthing else.

Mon. Nov 26

Early 3 hour drive to Vientiane capital of Laos, with pop of 700,000 . Many wide boulevards, more developed. Spectacular sunset overlooking river with Thailand on other side. Looked like a huge orange ball dropping from the sky (picture 1). The afterglow continued for 50 minutes! Saying at very nice Hotel with big swimming pool. Early am pick up to airport for flights to Bangkok, and onto Chaing Mai, Thailand,