The flight from Mandalay through Bangkok to Vientiane wasn't too bad. Much like the rest of my trip through Myanmar, all the tourists try to help each other out (since there is really very little current guide book information as the country is changing at such a rapid pace). We all traded currencies as we all head into different countries to avoid the high money changing rates at the airport. Had time to kill between flights so grabbed a delicious bowl of Thai chicken green curry Bangkok. The change from little villages in Myanmar to the loudness of Bangkok was actually quite jarring. Arrived in Vientiane late, but got my Visa on arrival so didn't need to stay in the airport.
Spent the next day sleeping in past 4 or 5am for the first time in two weeks (no monks chanting or early buses to catch). Walked around Vientiane and up and down the Mekong River. But this city doesn't have much to do. Lots of NGO workers and creepy dudes looking for Asian women (one at the airport last night that I watched walk up to all the women traveling alone kept trying to share a cab with me, but I didn't want him know my guesthouse). May have to do with the fact that Soukxana Guesthouse where I am staying is right across the street from the nicest hotel in the city. They all seem to sit around drinking and talking about how awesome they are. I am sure you can imagine the face I give them as they are talking. Lots of restaurants for Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, French, and Italian food when all I want to try is Laotian food. Found a bit at the night market, but the street stalls here don't have seats (you have to take the food to go), which is half the fun. Oh, and lots of shopping here... And everyone knows how much I despise shopping. It is raining, but I just pop into coffee shops to enjoy a delicious Lao coffee whenever it was a real downpour, which never lasted long.
I wanted to like Vientiane, but just didn't. It is hard coming from such a wonderful Myanmar experience where life is relaxing and the people were so quick with a smile to a city where everyone is so serious looking, people speak less English, and are not horribly friendly. But one of the bonuses of traveling alone and having no set plan is that if I don't like somewhere, i can just pick up and leave. Looked up the destinations of the local buses and just pointed to somewhere south about 6 hours away called Thakhek in southern central Laos that is suppose to be a more sleepy town with caving and trekking.
Thakhek has very few tourists and is a good little town (the center of town is a small few block of a few shops). It is in a thin strip of Laos, with Thailand right across the Mekong and Vietnam a motorbike drive away. Laos is proving to be far more expensive than I thought, and people are not very helpful at times. Booked a $15 room at Southida Guesthouse in the center of town that is cleanish with only a few bugs, one block off the Mekong River. Ran into a Japanese businessman that was on the bus with me who had helped me negotiate with the tuk tuk driver and we went to sit by the river. We joined a couple sitting next to us, and as luck would have it, they were just the right people in town to know. He is an ex-military mountain ranger from the German army turned teacher and she is a native Laos, Vietnamese/Chinese woman he married. They own Mad Monkey Motorbikes and rent motorbikes and do tours of the area. We drank beer Lao and ate a lovely dinner of noodles and papaya salad, watching the twinkling lights of Thailand across the river. A mini carnival was across the street with a bouncy house slide and kids throwing darts at balloons. The couple invited us to their house/shop and we stayed up talking and playing with their very friendly yellow lab, Lucky, who sits by my feet and rests his head in my lap so I will continually pet him. The power goes on and off in this town pretty often since apparently they are all running off one small cable, but who cares... we have a bouncy house slide! They offered to give me a motorbike tour in the morning and said they would only charge me for the bike and gas, and not the tour. I said that would be okay, as long as they would make some money.
They took me to a wonderful dinner at their favorite restaurant and then we met up with a few other guys from Germany and a local guy and had more Lao beer on the roadside tables along the Mekong. They offered me a ride further south and I am sure it would have been fun, but I decided I should start the long bus ride north. The Mekong is looking pretty full, and some roads are washing out already. The north is full of narrow mountain roads, and I hear they can get dangerous in the wet season.
The next morning I got up to try to catch the 5:30am bus to Vientiane and then start heading further north. Of course, the local buses leave on their own schedule, so we didn't leave until after 7am. We creep along through the small. Towns, stopping at each so the driver can try to find more passengers (as if people might have been late for a bus that is over an hour and a half late). I have to remind myself that I am on vacation, and it doesn't really matter if I don't make my destination. At some point, some woman says something to me in Laotian and sets her little boy almost in my lap and leaves the bus to go buy food. Not that the kid wasn't cute, but glad she returned! It starts to rain and the bus starts leaking through the roof. Ah, travel days...
Had to go back through Vientiane and I have to say, the people I interact with are again, not very helpful and out to take advantage of tourists. But switch bus stations and spend the next four hours drinking and eating random meat on sticks with the mechanics and bus drivers who invite me to sit down (thankfully, not my bus drivers, as they are drunk when I leave). One had sliced his finger pretty bad, so I did my best to fix it up with my first aid kit. The sleeper bus wasn't too bad, although made for people much shorter than me.
Thought about stopping in Vang Vieng, but I heard the town was full of drunk tourists looking for drugs and intertubing down the river (apparently 14 tourists died last year). So headed straight for Luang Prabang. Already liking it here and found a nice guest house for $13 (although I may try to talk them down a buck or two since I will likely stay here for at least 5 nights). Finally had a hot-ish shower and now off to explore!
Love,
Betsy
Walked around the small town (told the total population is around 10,000). Saw the noodle factory and stopped for these fried batter things made with coconut milk, scallions, and a small chickpea bean in the center and topped with chopped peanuts and a tamarind and fish sweet and sour sauce from a roadside stand for four for 10 cents. Met a French guy who was here in 1997 and in 2006. Interesting to hear how it has changed. He also had a local friend with him from Mandalay who had interesting conversation about the country and tips on where to stay and where there was a free shuttle to the airport once I return to Mandalay. We all had a delicious dinner at a roadside stop I had found exploring the town earlier. The local man said I found a good place where the food tasted like his mother's cooking. There are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in this area that are delicious to try. I think my favorite is the dragon fruit that is bright magenta, even on the inside (stains your fingers with the color), that has way more flavor than the typical white ones. Topped off the evening with local rum made in town and fruit juice.
Took a two day trek through the mountains to a little tribal village with two really nice Italian guys and a local guide. The first day was really rainy, so it was slow going as everything was really slippery (passed the Scottish ER nurse coming down who said one tourist had already broken her leg and they had to splint it with bamboo). But the scenery was so green and beautiful and I love seeing the rice fields and water buffalo. We reached our home stay at a small village of about 900 people to a wonderful home cooked lunch. We all just talked into the night, listening to the rain fall.
In the morning, we woke up early and headed next door to the monastery. Instead of other towns I have been in where the monk processions go around town collecting alms, all of the village women come with flowers and food and the monk comes out and they all put their offerings in a basket. Sadly, I didn't get many photos because my camera lens was foggy inside the camera from all the moisture. I was afraid I would have to buy a new one in Bangkok, but my awesome guide had a great idea to put it in a bag of rice. It drew the water out in a half hour as we ate breakfast, and good as new! Later we walked trough the town. We all took photos, mainly of the cute kids who love seeing their picture in the camera.
Hiked back down the mountain to Hsipaw and tried to wash all the red mud off myself and my clothes and said goodbye to my new Italian friends who caught the night bus. Ran into the French guy again and we went back to the same restaurant, and the family was happy to see us. They took us out back to the garden and let me try all different kinds of fruit from their trees. They made us a special plant an root drink that was suppose to be good for high blood pressure and vision. They invited us into their home next to the restaurant and we had a lovely chat, even with the language barrier. The woman was 62 and her husband was in his 70s and was a retired police officer. We headed back to the hotel to bring the woman some French perfume that the French guy brought and ran into the Scottish woman and a woman from Holland and brought them back to the restaurant for the delicious traditional Myanmar fish soup. The family sat with us, gave us treats, and then put the anica face paint on all of us (and ground some as a present for the Scottish girl who wondered where to buy it). We took a picture and said goodbye, and they said we were family and that we must come back to visit.
The next morning, we all were on the same bus to Mandalay. The tour guide from Mandalay booked a shared room for Sarah, the Scottish girl and I at the good hotel, Royal City. He is so kind and is always treating us to things, even though we both would rather pay. Mandalay is really hot! Sarah and I wandered the city looking for yummy street food. We visited the Mahamuni Temple, a gold pounders shop where they make the gold foil that people rub on the temples, a workshop where they weave the silk traditional clothing, and a working Monastery where many monks come to learn to be monks. Sarah laughs when she sees how many do the "What are you?" stare or walk up to me and speak to me in Burmese (a monk at the monastery actually stopped in the middle of his prayer studies to ask where I came from). We ended with a trip to U Thein bridge, an old teak bridge over the river and relaxed, watching the wooden boats pass, kids jumping into the river, and many people walking the bridge as the sun set. We tried more street food, including the fried crab that I had wanted to try.
The slow local boat from Bagan to Mandalay was fun. Downstream, the other direction, it takes about 15 hours. But heading to Mandalay takes 2 days. We left Bagan at 5:30. Watched the sunrise over the Arewaddy. The boat is full of mainly older women, two 16 year olds, and a couple adorable small children, and the cutest pudgy, smiley baby. Everyone takes very good care of me, sharing food and buying me treats. I played with the babies and kids and made paper fans out of the Lonely Planet pages I was finished with to help us all try to cope with the hot sun and humidity. When a vendor didn't give me my change after buying a pineapple, the older women used hand gestures and their very expressive eyes to let me know I needed to go get it back (I had chalked it up to a $4 learning experiences and was going to let it go). It helped knowing they had my back, and the change was given back without question.
We stop at lots of small villages along the river as the boat loads up. Some villages are right on the water and you can see they make ceramics or floating huts and some stops seem like empty fields or jungle-ey forests, but the loud boat horn has people running out of seemingly no where to catch or greet the boat. The bottom of the boat is full of rubbish (empty bottles, plastic, cardboard) being taken out of the villages and the top is where we all hang out. They have the tourists area with plastic chairs.
The boat set off again around 5am. Bought a coffee and watched everyone wake up. Some of the older women decided they were going to do my face like a Myanmar woman. They hand grind this wood to make this yellow stuff to paint their cheeks and forehead in designs with a fine brush. They have me sit down and all take turns making the designs. Much laughter and smiles had by all. My area has turned into the kids play area. I remembered the little bag of super balls and tops that are in my backpack for kids to play with (although in a place full of cheap toys made in China, my toys are not that interesting). I give each kid a toy and we play with them on the boat deck. We only lost one overboard (toy, not child) and the kids climb on me and chatter away at me in Burmese and I just nod my head in agreement. I have to say, Burmese children may just be the cutest kids ever... maybe even cuter than Vietnamese kids :) I have a picture of one if my favorites on my camera that I will download when I get home.
I love Bagan. Staying in Nyaung U, the town nearby. Very relaxing and enjoy watching life. Mix of old and new, as there are farmers with ox and carts carrying loads, old trucks, new cars and motorbikes, older women carrying market purchases on their heads, men in traditional longgyi, and a few teenagers in western jeans. The temples are fantastic and everywhere. They say there are 3000-4000 in this area alone. My horse and cart driver took me to some really great ones (one even with bats hanging from the large Buddha statue). Each temple has a key master to let you in, and you have to wander around looking for him at the smaller ones with no people. The bigger ones have guides, and there are young trainee guides who just graduated and have to practice before becoming a real guide. They showed me around and taught me a lot, an then you give them feedback at the end. One had his teacher with him, who filmed us so I might end up in some video for Burma tourism.
Morning was spent negotiating a ride to Mt. Popa, a temple with monkeys up in the mountains. Found a ride for me and 3 girls from Spain. Spending the day with them made me glad to be traveling alone, as they talked non-stop, didn't pay much attention to their surroundings, and were dressed in short shorts and skimpy tanks which would be like showing up to your friend's church in night club attire. The locals interaction (and cost of things) with us was very different than when I am alone. But the weather was cooler, the view was pretty, and the monkeys were entertaining when not being aggressive and trying to steal bags.
The sunrise was rather overcast, but there was a cool breeze and it was beautiful to see the sun rays cast light over the different temples. Spent most of the day eating fruit ice cream to cool off and jamming out to local Burmese music, and talking to locals at the local tea shop. They taught me several Burmese phrases with lots of laughter at my horrible pronunciation. Saying my goodbyes as tomorrow I have an early departure (5am) on the local slow boat up the Arewaddy River to Mandalay that supposedly takes two days and stops in lots of little villages to pick people up and drop people off. Then trying to head north for trekking through villages outside of Hsipaw (I have been given advice, which I will follow, on where not to go due to safety issues). No Internet for at least a few days.