Luang Prubang

Donovan Writes: Sorry it's been so long since the last post. We've been busy having fun and internet was difficult in Luang Prabang. We ended up tubing again on our last day in Vang Vieng. Luckily, this time there wasn't any rain. I think we made the right decision after talking to some folks who weren't very impressed with the caves they visited. We decided to take the mini-bus (really just a minivan) from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang. It was about a 5.5 hour trip, winding through the mountains of Northern Laos. It was a gorgeous trip, and Jess took motion sickness pills so she could enjoy it too.

Luang Prabang is a quiet town on a peninsula between the Mekong and the Mae Kok rivers. Lots of great cafes, restaurants, and markets. Another popular night market on the main street kept Jess busy and kept me at the bar. There are also a number of day trips that are offered from the many travel shops. On our second day, we took a tuktuk to some nearby waterfalls - spectacular. The following day we did a kayaking/mountain biking trip. Our whitewater kayaking skills apparently aren't up to par. We capsized twice on the trip. The second time I wacked Jess on the head with the paddle. Luckily she was wearing a helmet. After a lunch at the guide's childhood home, we hopped on the mountain bikes and headed back to town. After about 15 km, Jess's neck was bothering her so she decided to stop and wait for the van. I continued another 13 km back to town. It turned out the van never came to pick up Jess, so she waited about an hour, and then decided to hop back on the bike and ride to town without the guide. She made it pretty close, but as she stopped the 5th person, hoping they spoke enough English to be sure she was still headed in the right direction, our guide made it back on a motorbike to pick her up (a lucky friend of the guide's got the job of riding the her mountain bike home). Slept well that night, although I think I was suffering a little from heat exhaustion.

Taking it easy the next day was a necessity, but it was difficult to stay cool, as they turn the power off for the entire city from 7:30 in the morning to about 2:00 in the afternoon on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (apparently they're making repairs to the power lines). No A/C, no fan, no breeze, and no fruit shakes made for a hot morning/afternoon. Overall, if it wasn't so hot, I think we would have loved Luang Prubang even more. On Saturday afternoon, we hopped on a plane bound for Chiang Mai, Thailand. Since I was sick over our anniversary and my birthday, we decided to splurge and stay at a 4-star hotel in Chiang Mai. Guesthouses are great, but after a month in developing countries, it was great to have a full shower and a pool.

Off to Pai and Mae Hong Son for some elephant rides, bamboo rafting, white water rafting, four-wheeling and sightseeing. Should be busy and eventful...stay tuned.