Thank Buddha for ginger gravol. Kaje and I just got off a bone-rattling journey from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, our current location. For six hours, we drove at a death-defying speed in a "VIP" van packed like a sardine can along switchbacks, with goats, cows, pigs, chickens and children all over the roads and often narrowly missed. There are kids playing everywhere in Laos, including right on the roads, and they are one of my favorite things about this country. They run out to the road and wave and yell "Sabaidee!!" and have the brightest smiles. You'll drive by them when they're riding their bikes and they wave so enthusiastically that they get distracted from riding. I love them. Actually, I feel like a bit of a creep cause I can't stop staring at them, especially the little girls, and taking their pictures. And the monks too. I almost re-sprained my ankle the other day cause a bunch of young monks walked past and I fell off a curb trying to get their picture. I haven't considered at length what kind of trouble I would get into for kidnapping one, but alas I have no room in my backpack. If I were male and about thirty years older, I think this behaviour might be considered a problem...
Last time I blogged seems like ages and ages ago. From Bangkok we took an overnight bus to Chiang Mai, where I woke up to find that I had developed a serious, serious set of cankles. Kaje did a bit too, but I looked like I had elephantitis of the lower legs. Thankfully, they subsided after a couple days and I was saved the humiliation or torture of wearing long pants in this g.d. humidity. From Chiang Mai, we took a slow boat to Luang Prabang. The slow boat is a two-day journey on a big boat down the Mekong. It was a terrific way to see Laos, and was a lot of fun. We met lots of backpackers before and on the boat, and by the time we got to Luang Prabang it felt like we knew every backpacker we passed. Things got pretty rowdy on the boat though, to the point that people avoided staying at the same guesthouses as people from our crew. They kepy us entertained for two long days, though, so I appreciated their company. I always marvel at the drinking stamina/tolerance of Brits, Aussies, and the Irish...We did our best to keep up the first couple nights, hanging out in Luang Prabang's bars until they closed at 11:30 and then going to one of the few places allowed to sell booze after closing time--the bowling alley. That's what happens when you tear down Victoria's only bowling alley, people. I have to go to Laos to get my bowling fix. We bowled the first night among Thai locals and Lady Boys (soooo sweet...there was some disbelief among the men that this girl was really a boy, but it's all the knobby knees and the hands and feet...anyway, this ladyboy came up to me and grabbed my hair and compared it to a blonde streak in his/her hair. So sweet). That night, I only made it until 2am though. Kaje continued partying while I went home and nursed a fever. Obviously, when you get a fever somewhere like this, it's cause for concern. I laid there assuming the worst--malaria, dengue, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis--and wondering if cankles is a symptom of any of the above. Turned out it was just a run-of-the-mill cold, which is less dramatic but better, I think, for the outcome of this trip. The second night bowling, we weren't allowed to bowl because Bronwyn, a girl we'd been travelling with until today, got in an altercation with a bowling guy and called a girl who wanted to bowl with us a hooker, resulting in the people who ran the bowling alley stating that they hate white people (awwwwk-wwaaaaard....). Kaje was also going around smashing "cheers" with her beer bottle (Beer Lao...good stuff...and that's coming from a non-beer lover) and others' to the point that she smashed it and was banned from using bottles. Suffice it to say...no more bowling for us in Laos...
While in Luang Prabang, we took refuge from a torrential downpour and had our first traditional Lao massages. Mine was a touch disappointing, to be honest, cause the guy was waaaaaay too gentle. I kept wanting to say, "Come on, dude. Massage me like you mean it!" but he didn't really speak English so I just lay there doing mathematical calculations and figuring that it didn't matter if it was super gentle cause I could get ten of his massage's for the price of one of my RMT's massages at home, so what the hell? I kind of think doing math (and financial math no less) kind of defeats the purpose of a relaxation massage, but it was somehwat enjoyable none the less.
The day after our second night at the bowling alley, we managed to drag ourselves out of bed and get ourselves a tuk tuk (NOT a good idea when hungover) to a nearby waterfall, which was gorgeous. We hiked to the top, which was nothing short of challenging after a 4a.m. night, but it was well worth it.
My affinity for monk stalking got an excellent outlet this morning, when we got up and participated in the monks' collecting alms. At 6:00am (took the night off from bowling in order to make it up for it), there were hundreds of orange-clad monks walking in a procession down the streets, collecting their food for the day. We bought and gave them some bundles of rice in leaves and then just watched. Some of the monks here look not a day over 8, but apparently they have to be at least 14. I'm not sure if I believe it. Anyway, they're adorable and I'd probably kidnap one of them too if I could.
I adore Laos. The people are lovely, the food is terrific, the scenery is lush and green and beautiful. I wish we could stay much, much longer!!
I've decided to try and start writing shorter blogs more often because I've been trying to write this blog for days and get it all down and every time I sit down at the computer I feel overwhelmed and my mind goes blank. So from now on you can expect more regular, shorter blog posts...If anyone is reading...
Tomorrow we're doing the famous Vang Vieng tubing experience, which many a backpacker has raved about, some saying it was one of the best days of their life...we'll see...
Chels
RETRACTION: Please note that my blog of Sunday, October 19th contained an inaccuracy. Kaje would like me to clarify that she was neither gloomy nor miserable upon arriving in Thailand. The part about my gloom and misery, however, was entirely accurate.
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