Category: Laos

Another Lazy Day

Another lazy day on the island. We opted to hire some kayaks but had a devil of a time finding someone to rent us one. At one place, we were told we could get one if we came back in an hour or so, as the owner was returing from a month long stay in Luang Prabang.

We killed the time on the hammocks, then hired the kayaks. Took a while to get the hang of it, and it was still hard work. We stopped for a swim and rest, then made our way back the long way.

It started to pour rain as we ate dinner, so we ran back to the bungalow to hide out for the night.

Laos By Bike

We left a note for Lucio, hired some bikes, then headed to breakfast at our usual place (good food, terribly slow service). Justine and Beck were there, so we joined them. When we were nearly finished, Lucio joined us.

After breakfast, Lucio hired a bike and joined us on a tour of the island. We crossed the bridge to Don Khon, and paid the toll. The first stop was the waterfall – more of a steep section of the river, but very powerful. They probably ought to harness the power to use for the island, which currently runs on generators, which generally shut down at about 10pm.

We sat in the shade by the waterfall when I heard a “hello”. I’m pretty used to the locals yelling hello, so I was surprised to see our tuk-tuk driver from Pakse, Mr. Luey, when I looked up. He’d come from Pakse with a Thai family, to give them a tour of the island.

We headed to a beach near the waterfall, where we met an English guy, called Jack. He was interested in seeing the dolphins as well, so we hired a boat and the four of us ventured out. The fresh water Irrawaddy dolphins popped up a few times, but never too close to the boat. The Cambodian side of the Mekong was pretty clouded over and gray so we asked our driver to take us back. We got caught in the rain regardless, but it was a nice reprieve from the heat. We headed back by bike to the bungalow. Had a quick shower, then grabbed some dinner at an Indian place Justine and Beck had recommended. Pretty lousy food, sadly, so we must have ordered the wrong dishes.

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.