Lazy Laos

Laos was next up to bat for the All Star Southeast Asia Team; we had planned a week here before completing the circle for some beach time in Thailand. We landed in Luang Prabang with the intention of staying a couple of days and soaking up the rich cultural and spiritual mainstay of the town. After haggling a decent rate with the shady guesthouse manager at around 21h00 on a Sunday night (one still has a leg to stand on as it is not exactly high season in these parts and one can always walk down the street for a better deal), we settled in and then headed out to explore the town and get a bite to eat. There we found the streets were still active and we are able to get find a decent restaurant and ask where we might be able to catch the monks on their morning alms route. It seems monks are partial to an early kick off and so I set my alarm for 05h20 and hit the hay. 

Watching the monks making their way in a long line down the street is quite an experience and they don’t seem to mind the many tourists taking hundreds of photos of them as they accept the offerings of the devout. Luang Prabang is a spiritual place and I really enjoyed exploring the town. And just as much as some tourist experiences can cost a huge amount, it was great that two of my best so far have been free: experiencing the monks on their morning route; and taking a couple of drinks and finding a good spot on the rocks to watch the sun set over the Mekong River.

Moving on to Vang Vieng was an entirely different experience - what a party town. The people are incredibly friendly and everybody there seems hell bent on having a massive party. Although it does not share an even remote likeness to that of a certain small town in the Eastern Cape I called home for four years, I couldn’t help feeling like there was something incredibly familiar about the atmosphere there. A thoroughly enjoyable place and I’m glad we rented a couple of bikes and managed to explore the beautiful surrounding area. Tubing down the river and stopping off at the bars along the way lived up to it's reputation for entertainment.

Vientiane wasn't much more than a chance to recuperate from some intense travel and late nights and look forward to Thailand. 

Monks on their morning alms route. 

Youngsters seemed to be in a more brilliant shade; elders less accentuated

It really is a sight to see them cruising the streets

Pha Bang - a temple in the Royal Palace grounds in Luang Prabang

The sky was a strange hue the whole time and there was ash falling, making for a unique sunset

Youngsters bringing up the tail

Setting birds free at Phu Si - a temple high on a hill in Luang Prabang

Exploring a cave in Vang Vieng

The "Blue Lagoon" was at the bottom; the cave was a short hike up a hill nearby

Kara enduring my Tour de Laos / Southeast Asia / everywhere intentions

Another cave exploration yielded a less appealing swimming opportunity

View from our balcony

Tubing in Vang Vieng. Great fun

The rest of Vietnam

The rest of Vietnam

After an incredible introduction to Vietnam staged by the country south of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), I was excited to see what the north had to offer for the remainder of our stay. I was warned about the more hostile approach to tourism and the pugnacious nature of the people in general. I was in for a pleasant surprise once again.

Treating ourselves to a ‘cheapish' flight rather than sitting on a bus for 19 hours (if all goes well which it is wont not to do in these parts whereby 19 hours becomes 26 hours) turned out to be a fantastic choice. Hanoi is an intense and happening place; the streets are bustling and the pavements cluttered with scooters, informal restaurants, children, dogs and tourists. Our initial stay was short, as we intended to make our way to Ha Long Bay for a couple nights’ stay on an eco island. Again we were warned about scams and copy cats, but it seems we managed all right and went with a reputable company based on online reviews and a recommendation from an American I met at my tailor in Hoi An. He said the food and experience overall was great, and our experience reflected this. The weather however did not play its part and short of torrential downpours, it was the major downer of the trip. We made the most of it nonetheless.

Back in Hanoi we decided to try some new accommodation as it seemed our previous hosts were indifferent to our business and presence at all really. We’d travelled with a British couple we’d met back in Nha Trang and agreed to team up for the Ha Long Bay leg and the accommodation in Hanoi in an effort to use our numbers to help with bartering better rates. Turns out this is a very effective means of persuasion and despite the reduced rates on a decent hotel, the people were the nicest I’ve met so far. So eager to please and assist wherever possible. People can really make or break experiences - true of anything really.

On our trip to the eco island where we stayed

We got to paddle between the limestone islands

View from the bow of one of our boats

View of our bungalows on our private eco island for two nights

Drinks at sunset at a beach we hiked to on the other side of the island

Our beach bungalow

We visited a cave that was a hospital and training area during the war 

The exit from the cave

The easier part of our cycle tour

View along the cycle tour route

View from the deck of the beach bungalow

Cong Caphe - I thought of it as Hanoi's version of Wolves back home

For a non-coffee drinker I found myself drinking a lot of coffee

The Ho Chi Minh Museum

Everybody for themselves is the norm

Some contrast to the usual architecture