there and back to see how far it is: November 2010

27 November 2010

Viengxai Caves

26/11/10 We visited the Viengxai (meaning city of victory!) caves where the Pathet Lao Communist Party and many local people hid out during the bombing between 1964-73. Our guide hid in the jungle with his family!

People tended their crops in the fields by night and hid in the caves in the surrounding karsts during the day. For 9 years! One story we heard was that the airforce was not given specific targets but to bomb where there were ducks and chickens.

Vans Update

The dust is adding to the Era look quite nicely. Still pretty sweet :)

Morning Alms

24/11/10 Early breaky before the bus from Phonsavan. We saw the monks walking the streets and collecting offerings of sticky rice from the local people. They then returned the favour with a chanted blessing.

Plain of Jars

23/11/10 Said to be over 3000 years old, but still not clear what they were for. Probably graves or cremation urns... Cultural.

UXO

23/11/10 The North East of Laos was heavily bombed by the US throught the Secret War, as it was the HQ for the Pathet Lao Communist Party, as was much of the rest of the East of the country due to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. For 9 years the US dropped $2 million of ordinance per day on this area (that's 2 tonnes per person and more bombs than the whole of Europe saw in WWII). In Phonsavan we visited an NGO, MAG and took a tour to learn that Laos is still heavily affected due to Unexploded Ordinance (UXO). 30% of ordinance dropped never detonated, so bombs and bombies (from cluster bombs) still lie undiscovered in rice paddies, forests, villages and even school playgrounds :( It is keeping many people in poverty due to fear of farming and developing land. http://www.maginternational.org/

Bomb craters.

Bombie: about the size of a tennis ball, full of steel ball bearings and a fuse ready to be triggered.

Heading East

22/11/10 On the road, east to Phonsavan, making our way towards Vietnam. We've been completely blown away by Laos' landscape :)

Vang Vieng: what a pretty sight?

19/11/10 Went tubing on the Nam Song river...as you do. Its a bit like how we imagine "SPRING BREAK!!" Oooerr... Lucky we factored in a hangover day :) (with Family Guy and Friends on tap - ??!!!)

Vang Vieng: what a pretty sight

19/11/10 Bit of a random place. A town on the river surrounded by amazing limestone karsts. But overrun by a bit of a 'brits/aussies abroad' thing going on. Really glad we went, we had a lot of fun tubing but it felt pretty wrong to be there as the town seems to have lost its Laos ):

Cave inside one of the karsts.

18 November 2010

Pac Ou Caves

18/11/10 Took the bike again, and a boat across the Mekong to these caves in a Karst overhanging the river. The caves are home to hundreds of old, unused and deteriorating Buddha images. Pretty cool, but we think the numbers have decreased recently as the post cards and the real thing don't add up!

Tad Sae and Kuang Si

17/11/10 Hired a motorbike to avoid being bundled by tour companies and explore these two amazing waterfalls. They were amazing! Never seen anything like it.

Kuang Si. Sweet natural swimming pools (and a rope swing :)

Kuang Si. The main event up stream.

Tad Sae. Ventured up stream and found our own secret lagoon :) Dared each other to swim "but are there snakes in there?!" Still blown away by this photo :)

Tad Sae. Grace stole this idea from a German couple in Sri Lanka. Hair commercial or what!

Easy Rider. Sweet little Susuki, with gears and everything, even pulled a wheely. Headed home with the sun on our backs through mountains, rice paddies and villages.

Calling For Rain

We were drawn to this Buddha by his look of constant peace. I think if we wanted to find Nirvana it would be him we would look at.

Luang Prabang

16/11/10 Another one of those super nice places, with lush food and markets and you wish you could spend lots of money! UNESCO World Heritage Site (yup that nice)

Yummy night market, with buffet stalls, coconut cakes and Beer Lao. Yesssss :)

Guy with guitar mouth organ skills - sing song with lao lao :)

Wat Xieng Thong. What a good Wat. Sigh.

Slow Boat Down The Mekong

15/11/10 We took a Slow Boat from Hay Xai to Luang Prabang. It takes 2 days, but check it out! Way better than a bus, and loads of time to day dream and plan the days ahead...

Foe

Pronounced "Fur" and is our regular breakfast. Rice noodles in a stocky soup with veg and usually some pork. You also get a big plate of fresh veg to add as you like and table condements to season like chili, soy and fish sauce. Pretty lush :) And 5-10000 Kip (40-80p) which is good because we've been finding it hard work to fork out for meals since the super cheap India / Sri Lanka days.

My First Lao Lao

12/11/10 At the end of the trek we passed through another Akha village and lucked out as there was a wedding in full swing! PARTY!

Warm welcome and plied with Lao Lao (rice fire whisky). Just what you need after an 8 hour jungle trek! Soon pissed, woop! :) Man in hat is Lao's answer to Rodger Kilburn we're sure!

You've gotta dance at a wedding :) Speakers on overdrive as standard.

Andrew, Grace, JoAnna and Mr Mai. I think we should go now...

Lush :)

Back to Meung Sing. Good work :) Awesome 2 days!

Off to Sopee Khao and Back

11/11/10 We organised a trek from Meung Sing and set off with our guide Mr. Mai into the surrounding hills to explore the jungle and ethnic minority villages hiding within. We teamed up with Andrew and JoAnna and had an awesome time :)

Watch out for the spiders because they do bite.

Passed some schools on route. Crazy kids at break time, Grace skipped with them.

Arrived at Sopee Khao village for the night, right next to China and Myanmar. The villagers are Akha and there are only about 60 living there.

Lord of the Flies? These guys have no fear and like hunting, fighting and lighting fires. If anyone else is going, take some new tracksuits!

Introducing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and Slaps. The two top games on the streets of SK today...

Adopted local fashion for the cold morning.

Amazing wondering around in the morning, seeing all the everyday jobs. De-husking rice, spinning cotton, trapping n plucking birds...piglets and puppies everywhere. Set off early for the long ridge walk back down, these guys came to say goodbye!

Lush view when we reached the bottom of the valley and began the trek through rice paddies back to the road. Awesome :)

Muang Sing Nord Laos

10/11/10 We headed north to this wee town where the sun doesn't really surface until 9.00am! Misty and chilly in the morning but feels as Laos as we're gonna get!