So now it’s time for my update on Laos. Which is (dad)
pronounced Lao. They do not pronounce the ‘S’. Laos was most defiantly my most
favourite place in this whole trip. The country is just so beautiful. And untouched
as well, it is the least westernized country that I have visited on my world
trip so far. And I think that this is what I wanted to see. Unfortunately we
only had a week in Laos, but still, it was my best week.
There was a lot of travelling done in this week, long
stretches of travelling but the scenery was
sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful that it was the best journey
that I have ever taken. I was like a child with my nose pressed against the
window and my jaw slack and catching flies.
We started our journey in Vientiane. I did not really do
much here because I was crippled with a migraine. We then got on a bus for an 8
hour bus trip to Vang vieng. Which was a tiny town that focuses on outdoor
tourism. They have lots of trekking, cycling, kayaking and tubing tours. I however
just chose to walk around and just look at the beautiful mountains that rise
out of nowhere.
The next day we had a 10 hour (I think, could have been longer)
journey to Luang Prabang, now this was my fav journey. The scenery was
outstanding, I cannot describe to you guys how breath-taking it was. I wanted
to get out the bus and just spend a few days walking the route rather than
skipping by in a bus! I have taken some photos but they don’t capture it. We stopped
at the top of a mountain for a toilet break, and I, after never getting out at
any other break, got out to look. They also had a block of toilets with views
over the mountains here. God, it was so beautiful. I also saw the biggest
wasps. They were, no lie, as big as my pinkie finger.
When we got to Luang Prabang I loved it there
too. It was just sooooo beautiful, they had a mountain in the middle of the
town with a temple on top of it. I was so eager to climb up this mountain that I
set out before the rest of the group to visit it. I took a brisk walk (brisk, I
was that keen) to the centre of the town where I realised that I had forgotten
my purse, and it was 20,000 kip to get up the mountain. Disheartened I thought I
would take a tuk tuk back to the hotel quickly and grab my purse before I jumped
back on the tuk tuk and into town. I managed to find a tuk tuk driver that did
not know where my hotel was. He picked his wife up and she looked at the map
and hotel card I had shown the driver. Now this map is very easy to follow, it
was in Lao and it just had the hotel highlighted and the place that he picked
me up (because that’s where the night market was). Failing this, on my journey
from the hotel I turned right out of the hotel, turned right at the next road I
came too and followed that road until I reached where he had picked me up.
It was not hard at all, and took me 5-10 mins max to walk
there. It took the driver half an hour to get me home. I think I done a short
tour of the town, seeing many monasteries and temples. The whole time I had his
wife staring at me. When I finally seen the hotel I broke into spontaneous clapping
which the couple found extremely funny. Any way by the time I got back to the
drop off point the sun had set and I had missed my chance to climb the
mountain.
However I still enjoyed the night market that was very cheap
and FULL of hand made goods. There was also a food market at night. They had a
buffet that you could fill your plate up with delicious food for less than a
pound. You could then buy a huge chicken on a stick for less than a pound, my food
bill came to £1.70. Needless to say I ate there the next day too. :D
I also visited some waterfalls then. I technically went with
the group, but when the girls stripped of and where just taking pictures while
they flipped their hair back I decided it was time to ditch in favour for some
exploring. I found a little island that was surrounded by the water and as I waded
across I noticed that there was a fine layer of mud that settled on the rock
and when you trod there you left footprints. I had lots of fun with that. When I
was done I sat for a while on a bench that sat in water so my feet where cool,
and I read.
When I was done with that I explored further up. I found the
most amazing waterfall. When I seen it I went back down to the hair flicking ‘babes’
and demanded they went higher to find that waterfall, I couldn’t let them miss
it.
From luang prabang came, possible the worst stay that I have
done, we journeyed down the river, actually I mean up, up the river for 11
hours and stayed that night in a homestay again, this one had no electricity
and I shared my bed with fleas. I actually didn’t sleep that night.
We hopped back on the boat for another 11 hour boat journey,
and this day we hit Thailand.
Flash forward past a boring town at the border of Thailand to
my birthday. This day I woke up to my tour leader Quan (pronounce Quin)
shouting at me that everyone is waiting for me and we were leaving, I jumped
out of bed and flung the clothes on that I had thankfully left out the night
before. I managed to leave some knickers and a wash mitt for an unfortunate
cleaner though. Ohh and a pair of socks I think, because I COULD NOT find mine,
and had to go barefoot in my converse (something I hate doing). Then whilst on
the trip to Chiang Mai we went over a bump and my phone dropped from my lap,
smashing its screen. Thanks phone, how
many time have an I dropped you!!
When I got to the hotel I went to change clothes and found
out that my suitcase was soaked on the bottom half from all the rain the day before,
meaning my half my clothes where unwearable. Huffing and sighing to myself I reached
into my day bag and found it infested with ants, because I have SUCH luck. I went
out and set my bag to be washed and I separated all the wet and dry clothes.
lunch form my bday, Tom Yam
However my night ended on a high as I actually went out with
the group for food and Quan had brought me a birthday and the guys in the group
sung to me. Thanks guys :D
The next day we got a night train to Bangkok and so ends my
tour. Actually it ends tomorrow but there is nothing in the world that will
make me have food with my tour mates, they may have sung to me for my birthday
but otherwise I was largely ignored because people formed other groups so I am counting
it ended now. I also have a room to myself so that helps me avoid them.
I would also like to say that I have been told that my nan
has managed to walk to the end of the path outside the house. I want to see
this myself so I think I will put a bar of diabetic chocolate on her fencepost
and tempt her outside. Hahaha, in all seriousness, well done nan!!!!!
Also forgot to mention I had a friend one night. mr lizzy liked my slurpie and I could hear him all night.
Chow Guys Xx
