Monday 1st March
Having explored the chaos of Vang Vieng and spending an extra day so that Elliott could rebook his kayaking trip, we soon became tired of the continuous episodes of Friends and Family Guy that played all day and night in the bars and cafes that line the town! For just a few pounds we booked a bus ticket to the town of Luang Prabang, described in the Lonely Planet as 'enchanting and diverse'.
The journey was even more breath taking and the elevations even higher as we travelled for 8 hours along mostly Tarmac road, with both tourists and locals packed on like sardines! Along the isle of the bus small plastic chairs seated the petit locals, who seemed to be so use to the journey were able to fall asleep, with one girl using my arm as a headrest! :o)
We stopped at a half way point for a toilet and food break, I spent most of my time running around trying to get away from a huge wasp with a local chap looking at me like I was nuts! I think he thought I really needed the toilet, so helped wash down and prepare the toilet for the crazy lady running around outside...yes the wasp followed me in there too. I went to the toilet with my eyes shut holding my breath...as if that was suppose to help! The minute I finished I threw myself out of the toilet and ran off trying to signal some sort of thanks to the guy that helped me! I soon bumped into Elliott that was in the process of trying to chat up a girl so I tried to keep my calm and not look to paranoid that the wasp was following me!
Anyway, after a long, hot and sticky journey we eventually reached the bus station at Luang Prabang, Elliott had been sat next to a German girl on the bus that had been living there for a few months and gave him some good advice about where to stay and how to get into town. With a cigarette hanging out of her mouth she some how seemed like a hardened traveller, I asked her what she was doing for work. She explained that she had been doing some administration work for an Eco Discovery tour operator. It was at this point I new I was getting closer to the Eco Discovery I had been looking for.
After a short journey in a tuk-tuk van we arrived, true to the word of the Lonely Planet, at a charming town nestled in between the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers. At this point a French/America called Leandra, who had taken a liking to Elliott :o) joined us as we explored a quiet street of B&Bs. After thoroughly searching all the options we went for a guesthouse that was tucked away down an obscure, quiet lane-way, still near all the tourist essentials and the Mekong River, for just £7 per night for a double room!
As we sat down to dinner that evening in a beautiful quaint open-air cafe beside the river, we found out that Leandra was a very bright cookie. At only 23 years old she was a Harvard graduate and a math’s genius, and was in the process of undergoing some sort of research in vaccinations. After trying to explain the chemical and mathematical equations of how vaccinations work, we soon brought her back down to our level as we struggled to work out the bill divided by four! :o) Elliott has a cracking sense of humour for any situation and on queue made everyone laugh; I think that's what she really liked about him, he always puts a smile on everyone's face! (oh and just in case Elliott reads this...'and also because of his pure wit and intellectual conversation' ;o)!'
Luang Prabang was a true delight, a refreshing change from the chaos the ‘Ibiza’ of Laos (Vang Vieng). We spent a few days exploring the area on bikes and also hired a tuk-tuk to visit Tat Kuang Si Park, approximately 30km from the town. In all honesty I don’t think any one of us was truly prepared for just how spectacular this area was!
As I laughed and joked with Jonny, Elliott and Leandra as we haggled with the tuk-tuk driver and paid our entrance fees to the Park, we turned a corner through a wooded path and stumbled upon a true serendipity, I was speechless! I had never seen anything like it, perfect turquoise water pools and cascading waterfalls right in the heart of the jungle! I was mesmerized, thinking perhaps I should pinch myself to make sure it was real not a dream!
We thoroughly explored the area climbing the steep hills to embrace the spectacular views across the Park and waterfalls, stopping off to take a dip in each of the pools of course! Jonny and I left Elliott and Leandra to get to know each other while we went off to explore a bear rescue centre near the entrance of the Park.
The centre was small but well maintained, allowing you to see some of Laos’s most endangered species and learn about the threats to their precious habitats. The centre is run by an English couple; Jude and Jane who were very passionate about their work, providing excellent enrichment for the animals and jobs for the local people. They work every hour God sends on the project and clearly hold it very close to their hearts, truly inspiring! The conservation work is better known as the “Free The Bears” campaign, a charitable trust that needs all the help it can get, please see http://www.freethebears.org.au/web/Help-Us .
Having explored the serenity of Kuang Si Park we made our way back to Luang Prabang for a quick bite to eat and mooch around the night market. Every night the main road closes to the traffic and the town is transformed into Aladdin’s Cave. Streets of traders gather to sell souvenirs to the tourists, not the usual rubbish, a market full of cultural delights; beautiful pashmere scarfs, handcrafted jewellery, chessboards, ornaments etc a true testament of their incredible talent.
The next day I decided to continue my quest to find the Eco Discovery adventure I was looking for, to my delight, lined along the street of Luang Prabang a handful of shops advertised their ‘green tour credentials’. However, upon further research and contrary to my initial impression, Luang Prabang was not the perfect location! Although culturally diverse, the villages involved in the eco tours have heavily deforested their immediate surroundings. The travel adviser in the Green Discovery Office advised a trip up to Luang Namtha, further North of the country, to embrace both culture and pristine forest. So after a good persuasive chat to Jonny and Elliott we all agreed the next adventure was Luang Namtha :o)
