The line up outside of the one and only tubing office in town was huge. I guess New Year' eve day is a big day to tube. Most everyone that comes to Vangvieng goes tubing, at least for a few minutes. Mike and I ate lunch while waiting in line. We got our tubes and were on a tuk tuk with 6 others for the ride to the starting point 3.5km out of town. I brought a dry bag with me to hold my camera, $ and sandals while I tubed. I was blown away by the madness of the starting point. I knew tubing was a big party with many bars along the river along the way but wasn't ready for this. It was crazy, 4 bars right near each other, hundred's of drunk people, some jumping in the water from high diving boards,others on a swing or slide. It was chaos with a terribly loud dance music soundtrack. This wasn't my scene at all. Mike and I got in our tubes and began to float. Mike only lasted a minute until he was thrown a line from a bar across the river and was pulled in. I decided to keep going. I wasn't here to party, I was here to tube. I didn't want to get wasted at 3pm. I floated slowly past all the action watching the partiers.
The bars ended after a few minutes but then more appeared. They tried to thrown me a line to get pulled in but I just kept going. It was beautifully sunny day and the scenery was amazing as I floated slowly down the Nam Song river bordered by karst mountains. The river had it's slightly faster sections but sometimes was painfully slow. I almost felt like I was going backwards! At these times I would float backwards and paddle myself to get some speed. I was nearly alone on the river. Many people float to the first few bars, get wasted and then take a tuk tuk back to town, not even tubing much of the river. I wanted to tube the whole way back to town. The river was low and had its 'rapids'. Over these parts I had to lift my ass out of the water to avoid it being scrapped by rocks. After about an hour I passed a sign stating there was still 2km to go till town!
A lot of people kayaked past me which is a popular activity here as well. On one slow stretch there was a couple floating along, a solo woman and me. I ended up paddling near the woman. It would be nice to have someone to talk to while floating slowly along. Her name was Liu and she was from China, travelling around Southeast Asia. We held on to each other's tubes for the rest of the ride. We ended just as the sun was going down at 5.20 and it wasn't so warm on the water. We returned our tubes and then met up for dinner at 6.30. Liu was a nice girl and spoke good english. We went to a local Lao place for dinner where there were no other foreigners. It was New Year's Eve and I thought we would walk around for a while after dinner but at 8pm Liu said she had some work to do on her computer and went back to her room. Now what to do? I didn't care if I stayed up till midnight or not. I can't remember the last time I actually stayed up to see the new year come in. I went back to my room and watched Crank on my ipod. It was still a really fun New Year's with the caving and tubing.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Tham Jang
Today I was determined to go to Tham Jang,the nearby cave that was closed yesterday. Mike was busy but we agreed to meet at 1pm to go tubing. I walked to the cave at 10.30. This cave was used by the Lao to hide from Chinese invasion a while back. The entrance was at the top of a steep climb and afforded good views of Vangvieng. This cave was very tame and set up for anyone. It was tastefully lit up with orange,red and green lights and had a concrete walkway running through it. I was still impressed though as it had some very interesting formations. I can always be fascinated by cave formations and can't get enough of them. No two caves are the same. I definitely consider myself an amateur spelunker. I explored 25 caves in The Philippines alone, my total caving experience probably extends to over 50 caves. Sure, some of them weren't amazing or large but you can't always have it all! Swimming in caves is one of my favorite activities and Tham Jang wouldn't disappoint.
After exploring the upper cave I went back to ground level and just across a small bridge was a small crysal clear swimming hole that was part of the river running out of the cave. The guidebook said that is was possible to swim 80m into the cave and that's what I wanted to do. My only concern was what to do with my backpack. I got into the water and hid my pack as well as I could amongst some rocks. The water was cold at first but I quickly became comfortable in it. I put on my waterproof headlamp, purchased just for this sort of thing, and started swimming. The cave turned right and still had some natural light in it. The cave then turned left and entered the cave proper. It was pitch black but the water was so clear, I could see rocks jutting up from the cave floor that were possible to stand on. I rested on these as it was tiring swimming against the current. I only swam in for 5 minutes and then turned around. I wanted to go to the end but was concerned about my stuff. As I swam out of the cave I got some bewildered looks from some Thai tourists taking photos! My plan was to wait here, sitting on a rock in the water, until I found someone to join me in the cave or someone who could watch my stuff.
A heavily tatooed Italian couple, Luka and Simone showed up. I convinced them to swim into the cave with me. I had the only light and acted as our 'guide'. They were fascinated by the cave, as was I. It was really cool to be in the cave in the water. We swam right to the end. The water disappeared under the rock. I drank some of the water. It was very tasty and about as pure as water can get coming from an underground cave spring. I had no ill effects later. We swam out and Luka and Simone left. I hung around to dry for a bit. I met some friendly Lao people and talked with them and took photos. I made it back to Kangaroo just in time to meet Mike at 1. We walked into town to get our tubes. It was December 31 and apparently we weren't the only ones who wanted to tube today.
After exploring the upper cave I went back to ground level and just across a small bridge was a small crysal clear swimming hole that was part of the river running out of the cave. The guidebook said that is was possible to swim 80m into the cave and that's what I wanted to do. My only concern was what to do with my backpack. I got into the water and hid my pack as well as I could amongst some rocks. The water was cold at first but I quickly became comfortable in it. I put on my waterproof headlamp, purchased just for this sort of thing, and started swimming. The cave turned right and still had some natural light in it. The cave then turned left and entered the cave proper. It was pitch black but the water was so clear, I could see rocks jutting up from the cave floor that were possible to stand on. I rested on these as it was tiring swimming against the current. I only swam in for 5 minutes and then turned around. I wanted to go to the end but was concerned about my stuff. As I swam out of the cave I got some bewildered looks from some Thai tourists taking photos! My plan was to wait here, sitting on a rock in the water, until I found someone to join me in the cave or someone who could watch my stuff.
A heavily tatooed Italian couple, Luka and Simone showed up. I convinced them to swim into the cave with me. I had the only light and acted as our 'guide'. They were fascinated by the cave, as was I. It was really cool to be in the cave in the water. We swam right to the end. The water disappeared under the rock. I drank some of the water. It was very tasty and about as pure as water can get coming from an underground cave spring. I had no ill effects later. We swam out and Luka and Simone left. I hung around to dry for a bit. I met some friendly Lao people and talked with them and took photos. I made it back to Kangaroo just in time to meet Mike at 1. We walked into town to get our tubes. It was December 31 and apparently we weren't the only ones who wanted to tube today.
Tham Sang triangle
I came to Vangvieng to see caves and that's what I set out to do my firs full day there. I met an American, Mike, while having breakfast at Kangaroo and invited him along. We rented mountain bikes and were on our way. Our first stop was a nearby cave called Tham Jang. Oddly enough though, it closed for lunch from 11.30 to 1pm, and we arrived at 11.30. I will have to come back. We then proceeded to pedal 13km out of town on the road to Luang Prabang. It was hot and sunny. The road was smooth but had gradual up and downs that had Mike and I sweating buckets. We arrived at the Tham Sang triangle and parked our bikes. We could visit 4 nearby caves on foot.
The first cave, elephant cave, was small but had some buddha statues in it. Further away down a path through dried up brown rice paddies were Thom Loub and Thom Hoi. We went into Tham Loub first. It was a nice enough cave with some interesting and sparkling formations but we didn't spend too long in it. According to the guidebook, 3km into Tham Hoi next door was a underground lake. At first Mike and I weren't planning to go that far but as we started exploring the cave we though, let's go for it. The cave was large at times and other time we had to crouch down and walk through water. The cave presented multiple options sometimes and we choose the route that seemed most likely. A river at some point had run through the cave and we followed what we thought was its course. However, before we made our first choice of which route to take, we noticed bright orange spray paint on the walls marking the way. So whenever we had a choice to make, we always looked for the orange mark to solidify the correct choice. We always went the right way, though there was only a few times were we had to choose. The floor of the cave altered between flat and easy walking to shallow and slippery pits very hard negotiate to smooth river rocks, also not so easy to walk on. I had to be very conscious of every step I made. Mike's footwear was crap and he was slipping a lot more than I was.
The cave was a steady temperature of around 26C but the humidity must have been about 98%. Our bodies were covered in moisture and I was sweating a lot. Our amateur spelunking was true adventure. We walked 45 minutes into the cave. I don't think many people do this without a guide and I wouldn't have gone this far alone. We thought we should be reaching the lake soon but didn't see anything like it. We came to a large chamber that once had its floor covered with water and we thought that this might be the lake since water levels were low all around this area. After this the way became very tight and not as certain so we decided to turn around. I was proud of us for even coming this far. The way back was easier as we recognized the route we had come in on.
From Tham Hoi we walked to the water cave about 15 minutes away. This cave was a lot of fun. It had a river running out of it and the 'cave keeper's' who took your entrance money (most cave's cost $1.20 to enter unless there are very close, you only pay for one) had tubes at the entrance. Mike stayed outside to watch our stuff and I went in first. I sat back on the tube and paddled myself to the very low entrance of the cave. Once inside the cave there were ropes that I could pull myself along on. Since I was going against the substantial current, I would have been dead tired trying to paddle my way further in. I took the ropes to their end at a small rocky 'beach'. I got out here and put my tube on the dry land and walked further in on foot. I crossed the river a shallow parts until I came to a section of the cave where it was just a wide river. Going any further from here would be very difficult so I took the ropes back and let Mike go for his turn.
After this cave it was supposed to be a simple hike back to elephant cave, (Tham Sang) thus completing the Tham Sang triangle. Mike and I took a wrong turn or didn't take a turn and we were just casually walking shooting the shit and after a while realized we were going the wrong way. I thought we were going the right way because we were following the karst mountain were I thought elephant cave was but it turned out elephant cave was in a smaller karst formation not part of the central spine. We finally found our way back and began the 13km pedal back to town. We arrived just at 6pm. It was a great day of adventure and exercise.
I cleaned up in my room and then met Mike at Kangaroo for dinner. We spent the rest of the evening here.
The first cave, elephant cave, was small but had some buddha statues in it. Further away down a path through dried up brown rice paddies were Thom Loub and Thom Hoi. We went into Tham Loub first. It was a nice enough cave with some interesting and sparkling formations but we didn't spend too long in it. According to the guidebook, 3km into Tham Hoi next door was a underground lake. At first Mike and I weren't planning to go that far but as we started exploring the cave we though, let's go for it. The cave was large at times and other time we had to crouch down and walk through water. The cave presented multiple options sometimes and we choose the route that seemed most likely. A river at some point had run through the cave and we followed what we thought was its course. However, before we made our first choice of which route to take, we noticed bright orange spray paint on the walls marking the way. So whenever we had a choice to make, we always looked for the orange mark to solidify the correct choice. We always went the right way, though there was only a few times were we had to choose. The floor of the cave altered between flat and easy walking to shallow and slippery pits very hard negotiate to smooth river rocks, also not so easy to walk on. I had to be very conscious of every step I made. Mike's footwear was crap and he was slipping a lot more than I was.
The cave was a steady temperature of around 26C but the humidity must have been about 98%. Our bodies were covered in moisture and I was sweating a lot. Our amateur spelunking was true adventure. We walked 45 minutes into the cave. I don't think many people do this without a guide and I wouldn't have gone this far alone. We thought we should be reaching the lake soon but didn't see anything like it. We came to a large chamber that once had its floor covered with water and we thought that this might be the lake since water levels were low all around this area. After this the way became very tight and not as certain so we decided to turn around. I was proud of us for even coming this far. The way back was easier as we recognized the route we had come in on.
From Tham Hoi we walked to the water cave about 15 minutes away. This cave was a lot of fun. It had a river running out of it and the 'cave keeper's' who took your entrance money (most cave's cost $1.20 to enter unless there are very close, you only pay for one) had tubes at the entrance. Mike stayed outside to watch our stuff and I went in first. I sat back on the tube and paddled myself to the very low entrance of the cave. Once inside the cave there were ropes that I could pull myself along on. Since I was going against the substantial current, I would have been dead tired trying to paddle my way further in. I took the ropes to their end at a small rocky 'beach'. I got out here and put my tube on the dry land and walked further in on foot. I crossed the river a shallow parts until I came to a section of the cave where it was just a wide river. Going any further from here would be very difficult so I took the ropes back and let Mike go for his turn.
After this cave it was supposed to be a simple hike back to elephant cave, (Tham Sang) thus completing the Tham Sang triangle. Mike and I took a wrong turn or didn't take a turn and we were just casually walking shooting the shit and after a while realized we were going the wrong way. I thought we were going the right way because we were following the karst mountain were I thought elephant cave was but it turned out elephant cave was in a smaller karst formation not part of the central spine. We finally found our way back and began the 13km pedal back to town. We arrived just at 6pm. It was a great day of adventure and exercise.
I cleaned up in my room and then met Mike at Kangaroo for dinner. We spent the rest of the evening here.
Vangvieng
The minivan ride from Luang Prabang started out just as winding as the road to Luang Prabang from Luang Nam Tha. The forested mountain scenery was always something to distract me from the constant side to side turning. After about 4 hours the road leveled out and in another hour, I arrived in Vangvieng. I knew Vangvieng was a popular place and arriving a few days before New Year, might not have been a great idea. I thought accommodation would be hard to find, so I was going to stick with the first place I found, that was reasonable. I was going to head north out of town to an Organic Farm that I heard camping was maybe possible,but as I walked there I met a German couple staying there. They warned me that there was a tubing bar (more about that later) nearby that was very loud and they didn't see anyone camping. I heeded this warning and though I would take my chances in town. I got a mototaxi to a place in the guidebook near a bunch of places, at the other end of the action in town. I went to Vilayvong (formerly Le Jardin Organic) Guesthouse and asked for a room. They had 3 types available. The cheapest, for $6, was a tiny raised bamboo bungalow with private bath amongst the garden. The room was very basic but I liked the location and the price was very right. I'll take it! I've heard of many people being kicked out of their hotel the day before new years because of reservations previously made. Hell, it's happened to before! The owner who showed me the room did not warn me of having to vacate my room anytime soon, so I thought I would be safe and I was. No kicking out for me but another couple I met staying at the hotel did get the boot. I guess the dude liked me. The room was ultrabasic, I mean just a bed and cold shower and sink, though it did have a small porch. I brought in one of my porch chairs and asked for another chair, which I got, just so I could have something besides the floor to put my stuff. The owner was friendly and accommodating.
I've found the people in Laos very friendly so far. Many people flash a big smile after you catch them staring at you or if they want you to check out the goods/food they're selling. Beside my guesthouse was the Kangaroo Sunset bar, owned by an Aussie. I went there for dinner my first night but instead of finding an Australian owner, I was surprised to find an Irish guy, Paul and his Thai girlfriend running the place. They had taken it over for a year. I had green curry and it was delicious and super spicy. I walked into the main part of town after to look for Aaron and Laura. I walked around for an hour scanning every person in every restaurant like the terminator looking for them without any luck.
Vangvieng is a small town/village in an amazing location beside a river dwarfed by scenic karst limestone mountains honeycombed with caves. That's why I was here but many other people were here just for the party. The restaurants along the main road were mostly packed. I couldn't believe how many foreigners there were here. I saw foreigners and not backpackers/travellers because some of the crowd was older and definitely not backpacking around. There is a TV bar phenomenom in Vangvieng. Many places have a TV which could be an okay thing but the problem here was that they were showing only endless reruns of Friends! Some of the them showed Family Guy which was better but none of them showed any movies, which is more of what I would have been interested in. I was glad I was staying in the other end of town were it was much quieter.
I've found the people in Laos very friendly so far. Many people flash a big smile after you catch them staring at you or if they want you to check out the goods/food they're selling. Beside my guesthouse was the Kangaroo Sunset bar, owned by an Aussie. I went there for dinner my first night but instead of finding an Australian owner, I was surprised to find an Irish guy, Paul and his Thai girlfriend running the place. They had taken it over for a year. I had green curry and it was delicious and super spicy. I walked into the main part of town after to look for Aaron and Laura. I walked around for an hour scanning every person in every restaurant like the terminator looking for them without any luck.
Vangvieng is a small town/village in an amazing location beside a river dwarfed by scenic karst limestone mountains honeycombed with caves. That's why I was here but many other people were here just for the party. The restaurants along the main road were mostly packed. I couldn't believe how many foreigners there were here. I saw foreigners and not backpackers/travellers because some of the crowd was older and definitely not backpacking around. There is a TV bar phenomenom in Vangvieng. Many places have a TV which could be an okay thing but the problem here was that they were showing only endless reruns of Friends! Some of the them showed Family Guy which was better but none of them showed any movies, which is more of what I would have been interested in. I was glad I was staying in the other end of town were it was much quieter.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Luang Prabang - Tat Sae
I had a delicious breakfast at a cafe and then relaxed in my mansion of a room till I met Aaron and Laura. We shared a tuk tuk to Tat Sae waterfalls, 17km out of town. Tat Sae is similar to Kuang Si except the waterfalls are shorter and there are more pools. There was less water in general at Tat Sae, so the falls weren't as impressive. Some of the falls were completely dry but I can imagine in the rainy season it must be fantastic. There was less people here and it's easier to find a secluded place to swim. I walked to all the pools taking pictures and then swam for a bit. I'm happy I came to both waterfalls to compare them.
Back in town we ate at the night market again. I had a delectable grilled fish for $2. We walked around town looking for a bar we couldn't find. Luang Prabang, and I think most of Laos, has a curfew or 11.30. So when I walked back to my guesthouse at 11,the town was almost completely shut down. I stopped in Luang Prabang just to see these 2 waterfalls, and now that I have done that I was ready to leave.
My next destination was Vangvieng, 5 hours south of Luang Prabang. Unfortunately they screw you if you want to go there. A few places told me there was no local bus and I would have to take a more expensive minivan. The catch is you have to pay the full price going to Vientiene, which was 9 hours away while Vangvieng is only 5 hours away. I told the travel agent this doesn't make sense but he said that's how it is. I didn't like this, they are just taking advantage of people going to Vangvieng because they know it's a popular spot. Aaron and Laura bought their ticket at the same place as me so we could travel there together.
While eating breakfast the next morning, I saw Aaron and Laura eating at the same place. I said see you soon because I thought we would be travelling on the same minivan together but when I got to the station, they were no where around. Guess I will see them in Vangvieng.
Back in town we ate at the night market again. I had a delectable grilled fish for $2. We walked around town looking for a bar we couldn't find. Luang Prabang, and I think most of Laos, has a curfew or 11.30. So when I walked back to my guesthouse at 11,the town was almost completely shut down. I stopped in Luang Prabang just to see these 2 waterfalls, and now that I have done that I was ready to leave.
My next destination was Vangvieng, 5 hours south of Luang Prabang. Unfortunately they screw you if you want to go there. A few places told me there was no local bus and I would have to take a more expensive minivan. The catch is you have to pay the full price going to Vientiene, which was 9 hours away while Vangvieng is only 5 hours away. I told the travel agent this doesn't make sense but he said that's how it is. I didn't like this, they are just taking advantage of people going to Vangvieng because they know it's a popular spot. Aaron and Laura bought their ticket at the same place as me so we could travel there together.
While eating breakfast the next morning, I saw Aaron and Laura eating at the same place. I said see you soon because I thought we would be travelling on the same minivan together but when I got to the station, they were no where around. Guess I will see them in Vangvieng.
Luang Prabang - Tat Kuang Si
My mission this morning was to find another hotel. I got up at 9 and started looking before I had breakfast. I was finding the same story as last night except I finally found one place, in the back of a travel agency along the main street. It was called Boupha guesthouse. It was a little bit more expensive than the cheapie I saw last night that still had a room but it was worth it. The room was up on the second floor with 5 windows and a lot of natural light. The room was also gigantic, probably the biggest room I've ever had. It had 3 beds and a bathroom and cost $8. It was worth it for the peace of mind.
I checked out of my hotel and moved into Boupha at noon. I met Aaron and Laura at 1.30. There were 2 waterfalls near Luang Prabang I wanted to visit but it would a day to visit each one. Laura, Aaron and I shared a tuk tuk to Kuang Si, about 32km away. This spot was amazingly beautiful. A river cascaded into many different pools,colored turqoise and was surround by dense fores with big trees. I really liked this place. I walked to all the different levels of the falls taking pictures and then settled at a place to swim. Unfortunately, Aaron lost his wedding ring while swimming and they spent most of their time looking for it but with no luck. There was a really fun rope swing at the large pool where I swam. There was a lot of people there but they were spread out and it wasn't too busy.
It's kind of strange to see so many Asian tourists here. I don't see that in too many other countries but in Laos there are many Chinese and Thai tourists because it's so close.
Back in Luang Prabang, we discovered the night market. A local place with lots of good and cheap local souvenirs and many food stalls. We parted ways to clean up but met later for dinner. Aaron, Laura and I cruised the food stalls. There was barbecue everything - chicken breasts(heads and feet too!), pork, fish, intestines and some other weird stuff. There was also many veggie and noodle stands. I had a tasty chicken sub type sandwich and fruit shake for $2.
The main street is very touristy and popular. It's all guesthouses, restaurants,pubs, cafes, travel agencies and crepe stands. I'm still blown away by the amount of foreign visitors here. I never saw anything like this in Africa! I kind of don't like it so much. I like the less popular places but Laos in general has a lot of tourists. I will just have to get used to it for this trip.
I checked out of my hotel and moved into Boupha at noon. I met Aaron and Laura at 1.30. There were 2 waterfalls near Luang Prabang I wanted to visit but it would a day to visit each one. Laura, Aaron and I shared a tuk tuk to Kuang Si, about 32km away. This spot was amazingly beautiful. A river cascaded into many different pools,colored turqoise and was surround by dense fores with big trees. I really liked this place. I walked to all the different levels of the falls taking pictures and then settled at a place to swim. Unfortunately, Aaron lost his wedding ring while swimming and they spent most of their time looking for it but with no luck. There was a really fun rope swing at the large pool where I swam. There was a lot of people there but they were spread out and it wasn't too busy.
It's kind of strange to see so many Asian tourists here. I don't see that in too many other countries but in Laos there are many Chinese and Thai tourists because it's so close.
Back in Luang Prabang, we discovered the night market. A local place with lots of good and cheap local souvenirs and many food stalls. We parted ways to clean up but met later for dinner. Aaron, Laura and I cruised the food stalls. There was barbecue everything - chicken breasts(heads and feet too!), pork, fish, intestines and some other weird stuff. There was also many veggie and noodle stands. I had a tasty chicken sub type sandwich and fruit shake for $2.
The main street is very touristy and popular. It's all guesthouses, restaurants,pubs, cafes, travel agencies and crepe stands. I'm still blown away by the amount of foreign visitors here. I never saw anything like this in Africa! I kind of don't like it so much. I like the less popular places but Laos in general has a lot of tourists. I will just have to get used to it for this trip.
Christmas and the road to Luang Prabang
I returned from my 3 day trek on Dec. 24 and decided just to take it easy the next day. I slept in and had a big breakfast. I spent some time online and then had delicious indian food for lunch. I went for a relaxing massage for an hour. The massage place was a raised bamboo hut with 2 small rooms for herbal sauna. They started to get the sauna cooking when I arrived so it would be hot for after the massage. The sauna room was tiny with small foggy window. It was really cooking and after 20 minutes I had to take a break. I came out of the sauna drenched in sweat from every pore on my body. The only thing I wanted was a cool drink of water. What do they give me? Hot tea! I drank it and when back in and out a few more times. Now I was fully relaxed. I met Jenny, from our trek, for dinner. It was a quiet christmas night but enjoyable.
The next day I took a minivan to Luang Prabang. In a huge contrast with Myanmar, Laos has a variety of transport options between towns, where Myanmar had mainly the local bus and that was it. I opted for the more comfortable, slightly more expensive but faster minivan option, since it was a minimum 9 hour drive to Luang Prabang. Aaron and Laura, an American/Brazilian couple I met Christmas eve, where also on the minivan. Aaron and I shared the front bench seat. The road slithered its way through the mountains, hugging the cliffs. It was a very windy road with hardly any straight stretches but the scenery was nice to look at the whole journey. Once we arrived in Luang Prabang, Aaron, Laura and I shared a tuk tuk to the center of town. We searched for a while for a guesthouse. All of them were either full or asking $30US for a room! It was getting frustrating walking around carrying all my gear looking for a place. The first place we checked had a room, it was cheap but not very nice and we thought we would see what else was out there. That was a mistake! I ended up getting a room for an okay price but it wasn't worth the price. It will for one night though. Aaron, Laura and I ate a restaurant along the banks of the Mekong. There are many, many foreigners here. A lot of expensive, classy French restaurants. It doesn't even seem like Laos here.
The next day I took a minivan to Luang Prabang. In a huge contrast with Myanmar, Laos has a variety of transport options between towns, where Myanmar had mainly the local bus and that was it. I opted for the more comfortable, slightly more expensive but faster minivan option, since it was a minimum 9 hour drive to Luang Prabang. Aaron and Laura, an American/Brazilian couple I met Christmas eve, where also on the minivan. Aaron and I shared the front bench seat. The road slithered its way through the mountains, hugging the cliffs. It was a very windy road with hardly any straight stretches but the scenery was nice to look at the whole journey. Once we arrived in Luang Prabang, Aaron, Laura and I shared a tuk tuk to the center of town. We searched for a while for a guesthouse. All of them were either full or asking $30US for a room! It was getting frustrating walking around carrying all my gear looking for a place. The first place we checked had a room, it was cheap but not very nice and we thought we would see what else was out there. That was a mistake! I ended up getting a room for an okay price but it wasn't worth the price. It will for one night though. Aaron, Laura and I ate a restaurant along the banks of the Mekong. There are many, many foreigners here. A lot of expensive, classy French restaurants. It doesn't even seem like Laos here.
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