Laos Part 2

OK truthfully, there isn't much to part 2...

The day after we got back from the trek we jumped on a local boat heading down the river, back to Mung Qua, the first place we stopped after we crossed the border. The boatmen didn't even try very hard to make us pay more than the locals. I love Laos.

The ride took from around six hours as our narrow longboat packed with people and cargo (because no respectable Laos villagers goes ANYWHERE without at least one live chicken in a basket) motored down dozens of rapids and passed waving children playing in the eddies of the brown river. The sun shone, which was lucky because we often got splashed when going through rapids, and the day was very enjoyable.

Reaching Mung Qua after the last bus left to Udomxai, we prepared to stay the night. That of course turned into two nights. The small town is so picturesque clinging to the hillside surrounded by dense forest and jungle and set right next to the river that we decided to forgo the relatively touristy northwest entirely and chill out in Mung Qua.

The second day we went for a swim in the river, the favorite past time of seemingly everyone in town. Mostly we hung out with a gang of young boys 8-10 years old, but at sunset the river was packed with locals of every age and bother genders. Some bathing clothed, some bathing naked, some riding an innertube down the swift currents, and others playing in the wake of boats just passed.

The highlight for us was when we inevitably courted our cult following of the young boy gang. One boy climbed high onto the cables of the ferry bridge before plunging back into the water. Some shampooed their scalps before diving off of pilons. All of them jumped in together when the ferry bridge moved to bring a truck to the other bank.

By the end, we were on the shore surrounded by squealing young girls as well. After seeing one boy skip a rock, I followed suit as did Adrian. Soon I had devolved the grace of rock skipping into the maniacal chaos of mass skeet shooting.

Throwing one rock high into the air, a dozen other rocks were thrown by my young sages in an attempt to collide with mine. The mass heaving of rocks of course has an inherent mob craze feel to it and the children, and I, loved it. Then we practiced our Laos counting and their English counting, played a few other games, and I feigned throwing a couple of them in the river.

That may have been the last mentionable event to happen in Laos. Unfortunately the next day we arrived in Udomxai and were stranded there by the infrequent bus departures.

We spent one night back out in the fringes of Nong Khiew surrounded by giant limestone cliffs. That town was a bit more touristy then what we had become used to, but the scenery, and our journey to some caves that were inhabited by locals during the war, made it an enjoyable stop. Also, that was the first town to offer us Beer Laos Dark. Beer Laos is the ubiquitous brew in the country and is probably the best in SE Asia, but its still light. Beer Laos Dark is its seldom seen dark counterpart. It is delicious.

Then we went to the touristy town of Luang Prabang which travelers swear by. Because we are infinitely bored of temples, have already done the trekking, visited caves and waterfalls, and gone down the river by boat, the city offered us nothing but expensive prices. A day later Adrian and I said goodbye to our longtime travel partner, Sjoukje who would head east, and took an all day bus to Vientiane.

A small city, and the capital, Vientiane also didn't offer me anything of interest except one night of 6 trips to the toilet.

After crossing the border back to Thailand, and catching an all night bus back to Bangkok last night, I am here and healthy in this steamy metropolis. I will joing a CS meeting here in two hours, and Natasha arrives two hours later.

Tomorrow morning we have an early flight west to Myanmar (Burma) where we will spend one week before returning to BKK, from where I head south to Malaysia. I already bought my ticket to Borneo!

I've heard mixed details about internet in the nation of Myanmar, so if I don't update for a full week, and no one receives emails, worry not. I am probably just a new political prisoner and will be released heroically upon the popular overthrow of the ruling military junta. Hopefully before I am completely bald.