Luang Prabang (and Kuang Si)

We were ready to leave Hanoi, but the wear of travel was starting to get to us. We'd been going for over a week at this point--this was our second flight in Indochina, and it followed that overnight train trip and the four-hour bus rides to and from Ha Long Bay. We'd already stayed in five hotels (not including the overnights on the boat and in the the train), and we were ready to be in one place for a while. That said, we were in awe of all that we'd seen, and we were only half-way through our trip. I thought about how I was happy to be traveling; I felt no pull for home.

I couldn't wait to see Laos; I'd fought to keep it in the itinerary. Well, "fought" is an exaggeration because Jay was on board, and Rick was happy to leave the decisions to us; but I would have fought had it come down to it. It was costly to fly there, with the alternative of a 24-hour bus that regularly took more like 72 hours. Rick hated propeller jets; to me, they were just another plane, and a much steadier one than I expected--I was thinking of the Cessnas I took around Nicaragua. Jay and I--probably especially Jay--were happy with how happy Rick was with the trip thus far, given that he didn't really know what he was getting into, didn't know what to expect. I didn't mind that he wasn't participating in the planning, because he wasn't complaining about anything but the conveyances. Jay was relieved that the flight hadn't been cancelled for rain (he'd read that they could be cancelled at the drop of a hat), and it was pouring it down pretty much all over Asia (it wasn't supposed to be, as our innkeeper in Luang Prabang told us; it was dry season). I was upset: we had two days in Laos, and it was raining?? Would we be able to see anything, do anything?

We landed, crossed the tarmac with airline-provided umbrellas, and got in line for our visas-on-arrival. It was a $hit-show, but I won't bitch about it here. We found a functioning ATM and were overcharged for a super-shuttle-type operation to our guesthouse. The hostess at the guesthouse was confused about us--for which we blame Agoda; when we'd booked through hotels.com or booking.com, the management got in touch with us to offer us a ride or make other arrangements (that was how I was reassured about finding am after-hours dentist in Hanoi). Agoda doesn't share contact information. Anyway, the confusion was resolved and we settled into our respective rooms. I cursed the rain.

By morning, the rain had let up slightly, i.e., it was still raining but not in sheets. We got a tuk-tuk (through the guesthouse) to the falls.

 The scenery on the way was stunning, and I was at peace with having come to Laos.

 


We stopped at the bear sanctuary at the base,

 
and then proceeded along the falls. It was raining, but my conical hat kept my head dry. The lower levels of the falls were so beautiful that we sort-of forgot that there was more to come.

When we saw the upper part of the falls--and I've already disclaimed, my camera just didn't capture the awesomeness of it--our jaws just dropped. It was like nothing any of us had ever seen. And I've seen waterfalls.

We climbed the tricky trail and explored the falls from the top.

Then we made the mistake (at my urging) to hike to a nearby cave, but we turned around, already covered in mud. Sadly, my camera battery died before I could take pictures of the surrounding mountains after more of the haze had cleared. It was just incredibly beautiful.

The descent was slighly less treacherous, but we took our time and marveled at the falls again from the base. Then, we came down to the lower falls, where you can swim. That morning, I'd read an article in Jezebel about how you can't tell ahead of time what will be a good or bad decision; there are too many unknown factors. You can only do your best with the information you have at the time, but the best way to make decisions, given this uncertainty, is to do you. It's to proceed in alignment with the person you are. I thought, it may be a bad move to go swimming in this weather; I'll be chilled, and that'll make my body more prone to a cold, and didn't some dude cough at me at breakfast this morning? But this goes back to who I am, and I am the person who swims in waterfalls when the opportunity presents itself. From that perspective, it was no choice at all; I went for a swim in the waterfall. And it was amazing. [Rick has those pictures, I'll post them when he shares them.]

That said, I was chilled for hours, and I did come down with a cold within days (from which I'm still recovering). But that could have happened anyway, and I know I would have regretted not swimming.

We tuk-tuked back and went to lunch, with the help of Happy Cow. I was freezing, shivering, and the restaurant hostess brought me tea that was off the menu (I'd checked for tea and opted out, seeing only Lipton), from their plantation. I ordered a seaweed soup, as well as a noodle dish with tofu. Jay did pretty well, too, but I think Rick's meal was disappointing. We just sat there for hours and warmed up, as it poured outside. Afterward, I thought I'd just crawl into bed, but the rain let up a bit and I joined the guys as they set out for a walk.

We saw some cool temples and neat views in general, and toward the evening, they stopped at a bar and I headed back to the guesthouse. Only I kept getting sidetracked along the way by charming alleys, stunning temples, and other beautiful things.

Just as I was definitively ready to head back--it was getting dark--I popped in for a closer view of the palace, and saw across the way that a ballet performance was about to start. So I watched it. I'd seen the full Ramayana stateside, and I enjoyed the Southeast Asian version of the scene presented. The costumes and voices were great.

They asked the audience to hold their photos until the end, but of course some didn't listen, and in fact stood up and blocked the view of others to take their pictures (I'm talking to you, Chinese tourists).

I was very close to the guesthouse, but I took the scenic route through the night market and a few alleys.

The guys and I went for a Happy Cow endorsed dinner.

The monks started their drumming at 4am, as they do, but I rolled over and went back to sleep. Later in the morning, Jay and I walked past the day market



to Phou Si, which we climbed.

 

 From there, we walked around town

 and to Visoun Wat.

 and then back to the murals near Phou Si.

That afternoon, we got to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, from which we'd explore Angkor.