1/25 - Pakbeng, Laos
We crossed the border/river into Laos in the morning. We had no trouble as a company had already gotten our visas into Laos and exit stamps out of Thailand. We did have to sit for a while waiting for the slow boat to take us down the Mekong River. We were on a two day, one night river trip to Luang Prabang, Laos. The boat ride was 7.5 hours on Friday. The mountains were beautiful and the river is brown but not as bad as it looked in Vietnam. I tried my first worm. It still had eyes but was nice and fried! still pretty nasty tasting! The locals were hoping on and off the boat and it was neat to see the edges of some of the villages. I think it would be cool to have hopped off for the night and stayed. Maybe another day! We are on a quick visit in Laos as we have some night trains and flights booked for the next few weeks. Yes, we have a plan!
1/26 - Luang Prabang, Laos
The night was nice along the river and was not so cold as the night before had been. We were at the boat at 7:30 to make sure we got good seats. The day before we had seats but everyone was walking by us and getting in our little area. We got good seats for the remaining 7 hour or so boat ride. The views were nice and I got a lot of reading done! Everyone was ready to arrive in Luang Prabang so it was exciting when we docked! We stayed at a hostel right on the Main Street. We headed to the beautiful night market. They had so many beautiful cloths and the colors were amazing! I only walked away with a beautiful pink pillow case that will go great on my brown couch when I get home! We went to this bar called Utopia which was located right on the Mekong River. We had a Beerlao and it was good. The craziest part was them using bomb shells as decorations in the bar. It was pretty surreal. Did you know that even in Laos there are bombs that have not gone off? We have been told to stay on the beaten path at all times. It is mostly local kids that think they can make a buck off the metal. Then, it ends up exploding. The country is trying to raise awareness but very sad that it is still happening.
1/27 - Luang Prabang
We had stopped last night to buy some fruit for breakfast. We had the awesome dragon fruit. When Jordan bit into the water apple, she quickly spit her bit out. There were worms and they were jumping worms. it made for a very funny morning! In the afternoon, we went to the nearby waterfall. It was about 45 mins from the center of town. It was beautiful. The blue, blue water, the terraces and the large waterfall were all just outstanding views. We hiked around and had about an hour to explore the area. We did not know to wear our swimsuits so sadly I was not able to jump off one of the falls. Maybe next time! When we got home, Jordan and I went on a run around the cute little town. It is the second most populist town in Laos and you could drop a nail and still hear it. The local boys were all playing soccer in a field and the sunset behind the mountains was great to see. The run is a pinky promise that Jordan and I have made with each other! There should be more runs to come! And we are headed to the beach for the entire month of February so better start running and looking good. We had a great dinner right on the river and just enjoyed the night!
1/28 - Somewhere along the route from Luang Prabang and Vientiane
We woke at 5:30 am to watch the Buddhist monks walk into town. They lined up by what appeared to be age and we, along with many others, filled their baskets with food (sticky rice, bananas and chocolate candies). It was neat to see and be apart of their culture. We went to the Wat Xieng Temple. The mosaics on all the walls were amazing. They have so much details and there is no shortage of Buddhas in any of these countries. I then had a back and shoulder hour massage for the total price of $6. I know it is amazing to think I am living the dream and can still be stressed out....who would have ever thought! Jordan got a bikini wax that turned into a Brazilian wax and was drinking a beer and laughing when we meet back up! The little surprises in Southeast Asia are the best! We climb to the highest temple in town, That Phu Si & Wat Tham Phu Si. The sunset was beautiful but there we a lot of old people blocking our views, bummer. It was still a great hike to the top! We had local street food for dinner and at 7 pm, headed to the bus station. We took a 10 hour night train to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. We got the VIP bus but it was still interesting. The bus is built for Asians and not people as tall as me! But I managed to fit. There were at least 4 people who got bus sick and were loudly throwing up. Yes, I had to put the ear plugs in! Nasty but all part of the experience!
1/29 - Vientiane
We arrived at about 6 am at the bus station. We arrived at our hostel and I think everyone was still up partying and the front desk man had to be drunk. We kind of checked in but went out for breakfast. Then, we headed to Lao Villa hotel for a cooking class. We learned to make three dishes including a papaya salad! I took good notes so hopefully can re-create something like them. The cook lady was nice but every fast. It will be fun to try and find a banana flower at the grocery stores in Houston! We headed back to the hostel and took a nap. Before napping, one of the Vietnamese ladies working at the hostel was talking to me. She was not the easiest to understand but she was just smiling. Then, she gave me a hug! What a wonderful surprise for me! So far from home and a lady that barely speaks English gives me a hug! It is the little moments in life that really mean the most! It made my day! We went out to play pool for the night. One the way home, Jordan and I were chasing the lady selling noddles from her cart. It was quite hilarious!
1/30 - Night Train between Vientiane, Laos and Bangkok, Thailand
We woke up for a run along the Mekong River. We had a local lunch and are sitting in a cafe drinking Chai Tea! We leave a 2 pm on a two hour bus trip to the border and then a night train to Bangkok, Thailand for the day. Then, another night train to Chumphon, Thailand and a ferry to the island of Ko Tao for some beach time and scuba diving!
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