Helloooo all! John has invited me to guest write on his blog or in other words he's just too lazy to write them all. This blog is about our travels in Laos!
I really didn't know what to expect from Laos, which is amongst the twenty poorest nations in the world. I had read time and time again that road conditions were awful, transport was slow and not to expect much in terms of accommodation. I was ready to leave Thailand but I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to leave it's luxuries behind.
We crossed the border from Thailand to Laos at Huay Xai (sounds like whay shei). The border crossing was relatively simple; stamp out, fill in a form, stamp into Laos. Although the actual border crossing was a bit strange, we had to cross the Mekong in a slow boat and as John said it felt like we were illegal immigrants sneaking into the country (but still fun!)
As I have mentioned already the roads in Laos are known to be in notoriously bad condition and transport is renowned for breaking down. This was something I was particularly fearful of as I can be victim to the dreaded travel sickness. At first I had hope that these claims had been over exaggerated but man I was wrong.
So far our journey time in Thailand had taken six hours. It was relatively easy and pain free.
The VIP night bus we payed for was small and cramped with people sitting in the aisle on rice bags or small plastic chairs and, of course, the bus broke down. Needless to say we arrived much later then the stated time.
But the views were simply amazing; we're talking like scenes from Lord of the Ring. It was amazing to wake up during sunrise and see the vast mountainous landscape overlooking the Mekong. So even if the roads were horribly winding with babies crying and people getting sick, it was a memory I wouldn't trade.
After our 21 hour journey we arrived in Luang Prabang bright eyed and bushy tailed and proceeded to haggle extensively with all the accommodation reps to get the best price for the the best quality….eh no we took the cheapest which was fine. Luang Prabang itself was just a gem. The French influence really shone through and the streets were lined with quaint little cafes overlooking the Mekong, bustling markets and beautiful architecture. It was easily one of my favorites places on the trip. Not too touristy but with still a lot to do.
After our journey we decided that we (myself, John and our new friend Phil) shouldn't waste the day and go to sleep but walk around the town and visit one of the temples. This temple was erected on a hill top and the views were stunning. All of which we enjoyed for max five minutes because we were sweating buckets after the 400 steep steps up in the heat. We were so embarrassed and convinced that everyone was staring that we had to leave. Unfortunately we didn't stay in Luang Prabang that long as we spotted a great bus deal for two days later and couldn't turn it down. I would have loved to have stayed for longer.
Next stop was Vang Vieng. The journey was six hours in an air-conditioned mini-bus. It sounds alright, doesn't it? I got sick three times. Horrible journey, breath taking views but winding roads with gaping pot holes up and down through the mountains. The local driver had a right good laugh at me so at least someone was having fun. We had heard so much about Vang Vieng. The ultimate party destination; tubing, drinking and baguettes!
Unfortunately we must have arrived at the wrong time of year as the tubing was practically shut down. Only the first three, out of say twenty bars, were open. The swings into the water were closed due to the unusually high number of deaths (15!) that year which is fair enough. But also the tubes were being charged at outrageous prices due to theft.
Along with all that the weather was terrible. It was overcast and cloudy and to be honest after about three days we were dying to get out of there. It really was such a disappointment. We were really looking forward to it and it was a major let down. I do think we were victims of bad timing. The worst thing about it was some of the other tourists - still desperately trying to keep the party alive. It was all just a little depressing.
Up next the capital, Vientiane. Okay so in our desperation we decided at 1:30pm to leave which left us with little options in terms of transport. But lucky us managed to find a VIP bus departing at 3 o' clock and paid the VIP price. There was a quick mention about a truck picking us up but that was the usual; the converted pick up truck would bring you to the bus station. So we're sitting in the back of this converted pickup truck thinking jeeze this bus station is far away…..five hours later we arrived in Vientiane!!! SHE LIED!!! I was disgusted….how could she LIE! (Like, no one lies in South East Asia…..)The VIP bus actually passed us on the way. After I got over the shock, the journey turned out to be alright! The constant flow of air actually helped with the travel sickness but I'm sure I swallowed quite a few bugs. Even with 16 other people (no I'm not joking) in the back of a truck and various bags of rice, it was kinda fun.
Vientiane is another very French influenced city teeming with cafes, bakeries and al fresco dining. It was quite a small city and no surprise that it is one of the smallest capitals in the world. At this stage after the disaster of Vang Vieng, we wanted rest and relaxation, somewhere we could regroup and plan our next destination. Vientiane offered simply that. It was perfect for us but I think 3 days in this capital is enough, without any major tourists attractions, most activities require a trip out of the city.
Due to the terrible road conditions and the delightful news that our friends Alastair and Sara would be in Bangkok(!), we changed route and decided to head back to Bangkok. So Four Thousand Islands was taken off the list which was a real shame. But it was great to be able to catch up with our friends from Taiwan.
Overall, I thought Laos was a beautiful country. Poverty is widespread but the people always seem to have a smile on their face. I would definitely recommend anyone to visit, particularly Luang Prabang! Make sure to take some earplugs, a travel pillow and perhaps some medication if your prone to travel sickness like me.
I hope you enjoyed my blog and I'm sure I'll visit again………when John gets lazy, which won't be long I'm sure.
