Pictures of a week in Laos

Last week we got to spend the week in Laos. (Pronounced "laow." The 's' is silent.) That was an adventure. First we drove up to the border. After spending the night in a hotel by the border, we crossed the Mekong River, took care of papers, and then boarded a bigger boat on the river.

Lonely Planet's map of Laos.

Laos was colonized by the French. You can see some French influence in the curtains on the boat and in Laotian architecture.

Because it is a landlocked country, the Mekong River is Laos's lifeline.

This boat ride was very scenic. On one side of us was Thailand, on on the other, Laos. After a few hours of sailing on the Mekong, we were deep enough into Laos that we could see Laos on both sides of us.











We stopped in a very small town called Pakbeng (see map). The town had one main road, one bar, and lots of children.

If you hire a tour guide and rush to see the sights and stay in a nice hotel where

 The kids were so adorable. A bunch of them just stood there and stared at us. They didn't understand us and we didn't understand them, but somehow we communicated with them over the language barrier. Interacting with the locals and with these kids was one of the coolest experiences ever.


 




When you buy a packaged tour, rush around to see the sights, and stay in a nice, air-conditioned hotel where everyone speaks English so that you're comfortable all the time, you don't get experiences like this. I think that's a shame.

We went around meeting people and exploring the town. Later that night, our little group had a Fourth of July party in one of the last communist countries on earth.

The next day, we got on a boat again and continued our journey.
 We headed to Luang Prabang, which was about five hours (give or take) by boat.

So beautiful.

 On the way, we stopped at a small village one of our boat drivers was from.

Imagine what it would be like if this was where you lived.

 

 

 

 

 

This is like a Lao version of a tuk-tuk.

After a few hours, we arrived in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is a quaint tourist town. It's like the Chiang Mai of Laos, but it's smaller. There is a thriving night market where ladies pester you to buy things, bars where all the tourists hang out, many hotels, and many signs in English. At the markets here, people take dollars, baht, and Laos currency which is called Kip. Luang Prabang has some beautiful wats (Buddhist temples). And it's right along the Mekong River, providing a great view.


In Laos, I learned about how different cultures can be, just across a border. Laos gives off a very sabai (calm) vibe. Like Thailand, the people are nice, there are lots of markets, and the languages are very similar. However, Laos has more of a French influence because it was colonized by the French. Because of that, baguettes and western food items are easily found. In Laos, people don't drive on the left side of the road, but the right. That confused my brain for a second when I was there.



The next day, we went swimming at a beautiful waterfall.

 

 

 

 

Laos has some amazing waterfalls. It was surreal. I had never seen one this blue.

The people in our group were saying, "I think we died and went to heaven..."

When we got back to Luang Prabang, we explored the market, which is situated next to wat. At this market, they sell a ton of things you can also find in Chiang Mai markets: handmade bags and skirts, wooden jewelry, hippie earrings, sandals, paintings of monks and Buddha, beautifully-designed table runners, and more.







The next day, we got to ride a boat down a tributary to another waterfall. There were people riding elephants and playing in the water. Some of us sat out in the sun, others took a dip in the cool water.

From the boat on the way back to Luang Prabang

Back to Luang Prabang...

A view from the hotel's buffet area.

This is jackfruit. It's huge and it grows in the most random places on the tree...

 

Man, I wish vehicles like this were street legal in the States...

Luang Prabang

When we flew back to Chiang Mai, it took us about an hour. It was painless. When we landed and stepped into the airport to wait for a rot daeng to take us to the city, I had the strangest sensation of coming home. Chiang Mai felt comfortable, like I didn't have to worry about anything and I could find my way around again. It was the weirdest feeling, to feel like I was coming home when I truly won't be going home for another month. I wonder what that's going to be like.

Luang Prabang was a very cool place. Laos was absolutely beautiful, and I will miss it and always remember it. It was a great learning experience, another stamp in my passport, and an awesome trip. But it's good to be back in Thailand, where things are back to normal. :)