Last nite I just rode in a bus down HWY 13 in Laos... aka the highway
where you have armed men with AK-47s with you on the bus to keep away
the bandits that try to raid it. Weee haw!!!! And on top of that,
it's the main highway north to south in Laos and it has many sections
that are washed out and deep with mud, but somehow our intrepid
driver managed to get us through. All the while listening to some
AWFUL Laotian music blaring at top volume (you know it Liz, it's not
as bad as that Peruvian stuff, but it's close!)
So I'm actually in Veng Viang, which is in north central Laos, and
surrounded by beautiful Limstone mountains that tower impossibly
steep over the town. I was hoping to rock climb here, but the rainy
season in Laos has just finished (but is starting in Thailand!) and
so all the routes are wet. Oh well, I'm going to explore some caves,
swim in the river and Tube Texas Style (like we do in New Braunsfils
(that's great spelling)).
It's hot as shit, humid, sweaty, but awesome. Since my last update
I've traveled by boat on the Mekong river for 2 days, stayed at a
guest house where Rats ate through a girls bag and walked across one
girls face (cadry you would have loved it!), and the walls were so
thin that everyone heard me and my roomie for the nites conversation.
Fortunately it wasn't racey!
I spend a couple days in Luang Prabang, the former capital of Laos,
where they had a massive festival for dragon boat racing on the day I
was there. Groups of monks and others, 40 to a boat, paddled down
the river and I think everyone from within 100km was there. Then a
few of us went to swim in this great waterfall nearby, where you
could climb up the cascades. It was a great adventure.
That nite we hung out in this little village, the only Farang
(foreigners) there, and ate food. Our Tuk-Tuk driver hooked us up
with his friends restraunt. We had spicey soup, fish and beerlao
(lots of beer lao, in fact I think that's all they drink here).
There was a band that consisted of a keyboard player and a guitarist
that would rock some Laotian dance tunes. So we got up and joined
the party (we being me, an Irish dude named Raoul, and Austrian gal
Elisabeth, and A Korean gal named Ji-Hyon). we danced, the Lao folks
danced with us, it was all pretty silly. Then we sat down and we
were told we had to pay 5,000 Kip to dance (and before you go, "oh
shit, FIVE THOUSAND to dance!", realize that it is 10,000 Kip to 1 US
dollar). It was all a little confusing, but Raoul and I said Okay
and went over to pay at the counter... except that there wasn't a
counter. The dance floor was clear except for 4 Lao girls standing
there with trays of Rice Whiskey and stacks of money. So the two of
us, our Tuk-Tuk driver and this other guy went up, bowed, gave them
money, were given drinks, they put these tassels around our neck and
the band kicked in a song and we started dancing. Then everyone
joined in, and the song basically said over and over "Sa Wa Di!",
which is "Hello", over and over. I think we were just welcomed the
their village.
So now I'm staying in a kick ass riverside bungalow for $5/nite (a
little pricey, I know, but it's worth it). And going to go find this
crystal pool where you can jump off a tree into it.
Hope all is well,
After this... I think Vietnam. But who knows, it's so cool here I
might stick around awhile.
Rock on
Craigo
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