Month: April 2008

4000 Islands

The three of us had coffee for breakfast, then headed by minibus to the 4000 islands. A fairly uneventful trip, other than the slow-seeming Lao man who tried to grab everyone’s bag so he could make some money for transferring it to the tuk-tuk. I had no bag, so it wasn’t a problem for me. We took a boat to Don Det Island, and the three of us went looking for a room. It had obviously rained a lot the night previous, and the roads were a muddy mess. I offered to watch the bags (and secretly pretend they were my own for a while) while the others searched for accommodation. Lena and I ended up sharing a bungalow because she was afraid of the animals (which entails everything from rodents and geckos to the pesky flies that were everywhere on the island).

The three of us took a walk and grabbed some lunch, meeting up with two girls Lucio knew – Justine and Beck. Lucio wasn’t intereted, so Lena and I headed out for a walk on the island by ourselves. We reached the bridge (once an old railway bridge – although I can’t figure out why you’d need a railyway line on two small islands) and sat there for a while. There was a fare to cross so we opted to wait until the next day to cross. We circled the rest of the island, before making our way back to the bungalows.

We grabbed Lucio and headed to a bar with a nice sunset view (we were staying on Sunrise Blvd.). Had a snack and a drink there, watched the sun set, then headed to the same restaurant we ate breakfast at, and had some dinner.

Pakse

The overnight bus dropped us off in the centre of Pakse. Usually you get dropped off in the most inconvenient of places, so that was sort of nice. Most people were heading to the 4000 islands immediately, but Lena, Lucio and myself were planning on spending the night so we went in search of a guesthouse. We found a decent one on the main road, and Lucio and I decided to share a room.

We met for beakfast, Lao coffee (with condensed milk, which is really quite good). Lucio was exhausted, but Lena and I were both interested in seeing the Bolaven Plateau’s coffee plantations and waterfalls. We asked in a few tourist offices, but they wanted far too much money. There was a cafe that supposedly had its own plantation and offered private tours for free. We headed there but, after our second coffee, discovered the tours were no longer offered. We asked a tuk-tuk driver what he’d charge, and bartered him down to a reasonable rate. We threw on our bathing suits and hopped on board.

Our first stop was a family-run tea and coffee plantation. We sampled some tea and looked around the grounds, but bought nothing. The first waterfall was across a valley, so we could get a nice look at it, but weren’t close enough to feel the mist or anything of that sort. At the second waterfall, our driver, Mr. Luey, joined us on the walk down to the waterfall’s base. The water was cold, but Mr. Luey stripped down to his underwear and hopped in. Eventually Lena and I relented and joined him in the cold water. It warmed up a little, but was still mighty cold, even with the air around us so hot. After the waterfall we headed for lunch and made our way back to Pakse.

In the evening I headed to the market to see if I could find some clothes, but the selection was pretty weak. We had dinner after that and spent some time on the internet before going to bed.

Loose Ends

John and I woke up early to meet Zarko and Joanna for an early breakfast next to our guesthouse. After breakfast we hit the bank, but the ATM was down. We took a tuk-tuk to the Cambodian Embassy and applied for our visas. Pretty painless, but they wouldn’t be available for pickup until 4pm in the afternoon, so we had a lot of time to kill.

The other were heading to the Tourism Office, and I was heading to the Tourism Police, but they were conveniently located next door to each other. We were trying to flag down a tuk-tuk when a Belgian guy working in Laos offered us a lift in his SUV. He was heading to Cambodia for the upcoming long weekend.

At the Tourism Police I filled out a form and was told to return at 2pm in the afternoon. The others were still in the tourism office, so together we made our way to an internet cafe, then headed across the street to Joma cafe for some breakfast.

Spent much of the day either on the internet struggling to get my pictures uploaded (still way way behind) or eating/drinking. A little before two, I gathered my things and made my way to the tourism police.

Met Lucio at the office again, as well as a few others who had been victims of theft in Laos. The bag of one Toronto girl had been recovered by some locals who were still in the office. She gave them a hung of thanks, but she was overall pretty upset. She lost a lot of money, apparently, and most of what she got bag was soaked – since they’d thrown the bag in the river. Thankfully she still had her passport – as she’s inclined to head home early instead of spending another month travelling. We tried to dissuade her from leaving, but she was pretty keen to get out.

After half an hour of waiting, I paid 10000 kip ($1.25) for my Loss Report, then headed back to meet Zarko, Joanna, and John. We caught a tuk-tuk to the Cambodian Embassy, grabbed our visas, then made our way back to the guesthouse for an early dinner (me) and drink (them). I bid them adieu a little before 7, grabbed a shower then caught a songthaew to the bus station.

Got on the bus to Pakse, happy that there was a tad more leg room to deal with. A German girl, Lena, took the seat beside me so I chatted with her for a while before going to sleep.

Probably Just What You’d Imagine I Am Doing

Not very many touristy things to do in Vientiane.  Spent the majority of the day between the Internet and eating with Zarko, Joanna, and John. 

Found a store with a large selection of music and dvds and I’m inclined to pick something up, but more inclined to wait until I get to Bangkok or China to buy anything, especially since I’m still bagless.  Ran into Thierry again, and met up with his friend Lucio who’d just had his bag stolen while biking around town.

Shopping

Woke up not feeling well at all. Summoned up the energy to head to the Morning Market, to do some shopping. A shopping day – if only Victoria and Gabriella could be here. My main concern was a charger for my camera. Had very little luck, with most people suggesting I go to Thailand to get one. They would point in the direction of Thailand as they suggested it. So simple.

Eventually I managed to find a universal charger that I pray won’t fry my camera. I looked for some clothes and a bag, but selection was limited, and my stomach really wasn’t feeling well, so I gave up and headed back to the guesthouse.

Spent most of the afternoon lying in bed, hoping to feel better. At about 6:30 I headed out to upload some photos, and managed to find a place with not too horrible a connection (or maybe I am just getting used to the slowness).

Everyone was going to meet up later, but everyone was also feeling a little under the weather, so things were pretty low key. In the end, I was going to meet John, Jazz, and Emma at a pub, but decided I wasn’t up to the task, and headed to bed quite early.

Vientiane

Had breakfast (yet another restaurant with “Friends”), then a shower (maybe the best shower I’ve had in four months) . After the shower I inquired about buses to Vientiane, and was told I’d have to wait till 1:30pm. Figuring I might have better luck at the bus station, I grabbed my stuff (much easier now that I am travelling light) and walked five minutes to the bus station.

Found a minibus that was headed to Vientiane in 5 minutes, so I opted for that one, and before I could get the change for my ticket, the bus arrived. Met three people on the bus, John,  Zarko, and Joanne.

In Vientiane, John said he had some friend’s staying at Joe’s Guesthouse, which was conveniently located across from where we were dropped off. John and I decided to share a room, and cut down on costs. I had a bunch of stuff I hoped to get done before the weekend, so my first stop was the Cambodian Embassy. When I got there, it was closed, so I had to wait about an hour for them to return after lunch. When they reopened they told me they weren’t issuing Visas in the afternoon, so I’d have to wait till Monday. Joy.

Next stop was the Australian Embassy, which caters to Canadian traveller’s too. I wanted them to make sure my Police Report was on the up and up, but there wasn’t much they could do. He told me I’d have to visit the Laos Tourism Police for a Loss Claim, and pointed me on my way.

By the time I got to the Laos Tourism Police, they were closing for the day, and shut down over the weekend. Quite convenient. At least I know I’ll be staying here until Monday.

Met up with John, Zarko, and Joanne, plus John’s friends: Jazz, Emma, Mary and Kate. I was the only non-Brit in attendance, but I think I managed okay. We headed out for dinner, but the place we’d chosen was pretty pricey, so we opted for a drink only. We were joined by Jed, an American from Duluth, who knew Kate and Mary. Eventually we headed to a nice Italian restaurant, as everyone was in the mood for western food. I had some pasta, which was pretty good, plus some garlic bread and a slice of pizza.

We headed to a Mexican bar that had some live band karaoke. Kate had some pretty good chops, and sung a few tunes. Everything closes early in Laos, so we were all back to the guesthouse by 11:30.

The Mountain Goats

Got up and had some breakfast (with “Friends”), then headed to the tour spot (still proudly displaying my sign) to depart for rock climbing. There were only two others in the group, Stefan and Magnus from Sweden, and our guide, Apple. Like me, Stefan and Magnus had tried climbing for the first time at Railay Beach, and loved it.

We took a tuktuk to the river, then crossed the river by boat to the climbing spot, None Cave – or, more precisely, the crevasse leading to the cave. We did four climbs there, then took a break for lunch. Stefan and Magnus were both pretty good at climbing, so we didn’t spend a lot of time waiting.

We had lunch next, at a bar near the river. Toobing is very popular in Van Vieng, and tourists float down the river, stopping at the bars (where kids throw ropes to pull them ashore) there for a drink, before heading onward. After lunch we headed to another section, to do more climbing. This one was not very high, but quite difficult – with one part that proved especially difficult. Magnus went first, and got stuck, then I had a go, and after a bit of difficulty, managed to get my way to the top. Stefan didn’t get past the difficult point either, and Magnus failed to complete on his second try either.

Our last climb was a doozy. An overhang, that might have been possible if it was at the beginning of the day, but by this point our muscles were exhausted from the previous climb. I had no delusions that I’d be able to do it, but I gave it a try.  We all took a couple of stabs at it, but none of us finished. Maybe in a few years, after some practice, I’ll go back and tackle it again. I think I may have stood a better chance in January, but having not been to the gym in months can’t help.

I met Magnus and Stefan for dinner later (“Friends”, but a different bar this time), but we were all pretty exhausted from our climbing, and decided to head to bed fairly early.

Travelling Light

In the morning I headed, with the owner of the guesthouse, to the Ponsovanh police station. I figured there’d be at least one person who spoke english, but sadly there wasn’t. Using the guesthouse owner (whose english was pretty bad) as an interpreter, I worked my way through filling out an Incident Report.

Headed back to the guesthouse after that, and then immediately to the bus station to get a bus to Van Vieng. My luggage has been reduced to a small backpack, and some plastic bags for my shoes, and my remaining clothes. Pathetic looking, I am sure. The trip to Van Vieng was not as windy as the one from Luang Prabang, and pretty much without incident. There was a young Lao boy in front of me who seemed quite content to spend a few hours playing peekaboo with me.

I checked into the guesthouse, and then went in search of some clothes and a new bag. Not much luck in either department, but I did buy a small lock, which will be handy on the rooms in Laos that can take a padlock.

As I was checking out rock climbing trips for the morning, two owners of a travel agency asked me to write their sign for them. I implored them to use someone else, as my handwriting is terrible, but they insisted. I thought the sign looked awful, but they seemed to think it was fine.

Van Vieng is 95% tourists, and this is reflected most clearly in the restaurants and bars that play either Friends (mostly Friends) or Family Guy all day. It’s actually not a bad idea, as you can sit and enjoy your meal while watching some tv. I’m just surprised no other shows are represented. The Simpsons or Seinfeld would do well, I think. I had dinner and watched a couple of episodes of Family Guy, then tried to upload some pictures, but the internet was far too slow. Eventually I gave up and did some reading, before heading to bed.

Plain of Jars

We got started a little late, but eventually we were on the minibus to the Plain of Jars, site 1. To get an idea of how small Ponsovanh is, my group consisted of the three people who were on the bus with me from Luang Prabang, the three who checked out the guesthouses with me, and then two who I hadn’t met before.

No one is quite sure what the jars are for, but they’re scattered around various sites near Ponsovanh. Site 1 is the biggest, with over 300 jars. Up to several metres wide, it’s thought that they may have been used as tombs, or possibly to store whiskey. Spring, the Korean on the tour with us, said they’ve got similar jars in Korea that are used as tombs/coffins. There was a man made cave at Site 1, so we stopped there, for a few minutes too. Nothing too spectacular.

We visited the Whiskey Village next, where they distill whiskey using rice, and water, and some big buckets. We all got to have a sip of the  whiskey, which wasn’t as good as the stuff I had in Luang Prabang.

Site 2 was more jars, and not any more interesting. We seemed to linger for a while, probably so we wouldn’t be finished the tour too soon. Certainly not because staying longer would enhance the experience.

Before Site 3, we stopped for lunch (noodle soup), then walked through a rice paddy to the jars. Site 3 is higher up, so the view was nice. There was some thunder and lightning, but thankfully no rain. I spent most of my time trying to take a picture of the lightning, but didn’t have any luck catching it on the camera. Our last stop was an old rusty Russian tank that had been blown up some years ago. My original plan was going to be heading to Van Vieng after the tour, but I decided I’d head their in the morning, rather than face getting into Van Vieng too late. This would turn out to be a bad decision.

At 7 I headed out to buy a ticket to Van Vieng for early the next morning, and decided to grab some dinner as well. My plan was to head back to the guesthouse and watch a movie on my computer, so less than an hour later, I headed back. Sadly, my plans were thwarted, as someone had stolen my computer. And my bag. And my hard drive.  And some clothes, and a bunch of other things that are mostly replaceable, I hope. Everything was locked up in the bag, and I can’t imagine how they’d know I had the computer, so I think some thief just broke into the right room and got a little closer to retirement. Thankfully he didn’t take the other bag, which contained my camera, photos, and a few other things that I’m quite happy to still have.

I headed to reception to see if they could call the police, but they closed at 8pm. The owner of the guesthouse didn’t speak much english, but eventually we agreed that we’d head to the police station in the morning.

Phonsovanh

I got to the bus station very early, and immediately grabbed a spot at the back, hoping the bus would be empty enough that I could lie down over all five seats.  As luck would have it, there were enough leftover seats that I didn’t feel too guilty taking up a bunch of them. 

The ride itself was bumpy, and winded itself back and forth through the mountains.  I couldn’t help but think of  New Zealand, with my waterbottle sliding back and forth on the dashboard.  The Laos countryside is amazing, and probably second to New Zealand, thus far.  I tried to take photos, but on the bumpy roads it was nearly impossible.  Riding shotgun on the bus was a guy carrying a kalashnikov rifle.  Apparently they’ve had problems with bandits on this route in the past.  I wasn’t sure if the guy toting Lao reassured me or worried me even more.

In Ponsovanh, I checked out a couple of places before settling on a room for the night.  I booked my tour to the Plain of Jars for the following morning, and grabbed some dinner. 

I stopped and checked out the MAG office, which is dedicated to clearing land mines in Laos (and elsewhere).  Laos is one of the heaviest bombed countries in the world, and there are still plenty of bombs and landmines lying around the countryside.  They were starting a movie on the project, so I watched that.

Heading back to my guesthouse, I ran into Louisa and Beth, who were eating dinner.  They were surrounded by two boys of about 8 years old, who were quite keen on having some of Louisa’s pizza.  Beth had already given them some salad.   They jumped back and forth and around us.  Louisa gave them the plate with the mushrooms she didn’t want, and the kids jumped in with gusto.  I didn’t get the feeling they were really starving, but who knows.  The kids didn’t speak much english, but enough for us to learn that their names were Chong and Do.  We tried to talk for a bit, but it wasn’t really getting anywhere.

We headed to another restaurant for a drink, and eventually ran into Chong and Do walking down the street.  I hollered at them to go to sleep, but I’m not sure they understood me.  Eventually Do mimed resting his head on the pillow and pointed off towards his house, so I think they were planning on going home anyhow.

Sleeping seemed like a good idea, so I bid Beth and Louisa (who were off to Vietnam in the morning) a good night, and headed to bed.