Vietnam - Support Your Local Motorbike Guide

I met this man in Dong Hoi and hired him to show me around on his motorbike scooter. He took me to the Ho Chi Min trail and showed me a big bomb crater. Although he spoke no English I understood his excellent impromptu hand signal sign language and made a new friend.

Vietnam - So what have I been up to?

Vietnam may have started out poorly for me and Deb but things have certainly turned around. From Vihn we remained off the tourist track for a couple of days in Dong Hoi before heading on to Hue.

Deb and I had heard mixed reports on Vietnam and the people but we are finding them to be really nice and friendly. Especially the young people. Actually, it seems like almost everything is run by people in their late teens and 20’s. The younger generation appears to be very motivated, hard working, and entrepreneurial. I’m finding it to be quite refreshing. As Deb and I walk down a street it’s very common to have people say, “Hello”. We respond with a “Hello” and the younger kids really seem to get a kick out of it. Often times they giggle and laugh. Lots of smiles without much, if any, hassle.

The only real problem we’ve run into in Vietnam is getting overcharged but we’ve wised up to it very quickly. Many restaurants don’t have prices on the menu so you actually have to negotiate what you’re going to pay when deciding what to order otherwise you’re at the mercy of whoever writes up your bill. In touristy areas you find prices on the menu but in other places it's hit and miss. I’ve been able to negotiate a meal to about half of the original asking price.

A big disappointment are the local buses. Try to buy a ticket at the station and you’re lucky if they will sell one to you one. They claim they can’t and you have to buy it on the bus. So, the only option is to buy the ticket on the bus and overcharging westerners 2 to 3 times is the norm. That’s only half the problem. If the bus is a 25 passenger variety you can count on it being packed with 50+. Our bus ride from Dong Hoi to Hue cost us over twice as much as the advertised price and we were crammed into a back corner for 4 hours. The alternative is to opt for a train or tourist bus. Both are much less expensive when you consider the overcharge you’re almost always guaranteed to get stuck with on a local bus.

Hue is an attractive city with a nice appeal. There’s a very touristy area where most travelers stay but a short distance away is a narrow alley packed with several hotels and a few small restaurants. Everything is geared for the budget backpacker traveler. The quality of accommodation is really good and you can find a nice clean room for $8 to $15 USD. A good meal will set you back about $3 USD and a 16 ounce bottle of beer costs around 50 cents.

As a middle aged American male I find Vietnam War history to be very interesting. I see the Vietnam War as one of America’s worst mistakes but I also find it tragically fascinating. I spent an entire day in the area once known as the DMZ. It was an arranged tour so I piled on a bus with about 15 others.

We first visited a wide open swath of land that was nothing but miles of bomb craters during the war but is a now full of rice paddies. After that we went on to a village where the inhabitants lived in tunnels during the bombing. While there we spent about a half hour or so touring the cramped tunnels with small rooms just big enough for a family of 4 to huddle together. The afternoon proved to be more interesting with a visit to the famous Marine lookout known as the Rock Pile. We finished with a stop at the former site of the American Khe San air base. All of these areas were run over by the North Vietnamese. Hamburger Hill and other famous sites are located in the general area. Looking at these places today makes it hard to believe that they were once the closest place to Hell. There is remarkably little left to indicate there was ever a war aside of a monument here and there celebrating the North Vietnamese victory. I’m left with an utter respect for the soldiers who filled their duty and served but I’m also left with thought, “What the hell was our American Government thinking at the time?” The war was undoubtedly a horrible waste. Nothing was gained and an enormous amount was lost.

On Wednesday Deb and I rented bikes and I just followed her. Yesterday, while I was visiting the DMZ, she biked around the area and visited villages and mausoleums amidst the countryside. She wanted to see more. Off we went and I was surprised at how quick and easy one can peddle out of the city.

The streets of Hue remind me a little of India. They’re mostly filled with bicycles and scooters with a few cars and trucks mixed about. Again, it seems like everyone is in their 20’s. No one is moving too fast and there’s a perfect orderly chaos to it all. Deb put it best when she said, “It’s a good not to use your brakes”. So, I just followed Deb and abstained from using the brakes. We rolled into the countryside past villages on paved, dirt, and single track trails around rice paddies and visited a couple of impressive mausoleums. There are numerous mausoleums around Hue where various dignitaries of the past are laid to rest.

While cycling about we took a chance at a nice looking local restaurant. As is generally the case no one spoke any English and the words on the menu could not be found in our book for translation. We took a chance and ordered with prices on the menu. What we got were two heaping plates of fairly bland fried tofu and white rice with peanuts. Hey, when you can’t decipher the menu and no one speaks any English it’s an adventure. You never know what your going to get. The rice was good so we ate that. The tofu? Well, some of it was eaten. We were still slightly over charged on the bill but it wasn’t worth the hassle of sorting out. After that we rode into a pouring rain and back into Hue.

Its already been a week since arriving in Vietnam and today we find ourselves in Hoi Ann. It’ a lovely city whose original European style buildings survived the Vietnam War. The downside is that it’s overrun by white skinned Farang tourists and touts to buy this and that are common. However we found a great hotel for $8 USD a night and the city town is very nice. This will likely be a short stop for us as we continue our way south along the coast of Vietnam.

A Few Photos From Laos

Trouble On The Border

On Thursday Deb and I crossed into Vietnam via one of the more remote border crossings from Laos. We had heard stories of people running into problems at some of the remote borders but weren’t too concerned. In our interest to get off the tourist track, also known as the banana pancake route, the intention has been to see more of the real Laos before it turns into another Thailand. Tourism is really on the rise and things are changing rapidly.

We started at Na Hin which is known for a nearby cave and potential trekking possibilities. Our original plan was to do some hiking and possibly visit the cave. Upon our arrival, the previous day, we found the hiking to be quite limited and Deb had no interest in floating a boat through a dark cave. With my time running out and many more sights on the agenda we had decided to press on to Vietnam.

We started our trip to Vietnam in the back of a covered pick up type truck that serves as a bus of sorts. An hour later we arrived in Lak Sao. Nothing touristy about Lak Sao. It’s a dusty town with one busy intersection. The single redeeming factor is a dramatic mountain backdrop. It has a border town feel with trucks loaded full of goods headed for Vietnam. As soon as we arrived we searched for the bus station and found it in a dusty lot surrounded by a market.

It made the most sense to head to the Vietnam city of Vinh for our first night. The only option was a worn out 15 passenger bus that was being loaded to the hilt with produce and various goods. The bus looked ok so we paid the inflated 3x locals price for a ticket and waited to leave in an hour or two. We kept a close eye on the bus to make sure it didn’t run off without us. We suspected it would only be carrying 4 or 5 passengers because so much stuff was being loaded but in the final moments before we departed about 20 people appeared out of nowhere and got on. The most worrisome was a group of young Vietnamese men in their 20’s who were sauced on local Lao Lao whiskey. The worst one of the bunch sat right next to Deb reeking of booze. Deb said not to worry. She could handle it.

The drunk kid wasn’t obnoxious for too long before he passed out and Deb just shoved him the other direction. His friends got a good laugh out it. With the ring leader out the others relaxed and became surprisingly good company. We picked up a few more people along the way and made our way up to the mountain border. The bus was jam packed.

The border was shrouded in misty cloud and quite cold. When we arrived we all got out and headed to Laos immigration to check out of the country before proceeding across a small river into Nam. Deb handed over her passport and got it back quickly but with mine there appeared to be a problem. I sensed the real problem is that I’m American and can’t do a darned thing about the $ tattooed on my forehead.

The immigration official flipped through the pages like something was missing but nothing was. He acted confused and gave me blank looks. None of the immigration officials acted like they could speak a word of English but the fact is there was absolutely nothing wrong with my visa or passport. The official took me aside and gave me a perplexed look. I pointed to my visa and the appropriate stamps. My visa had been voided and I told him he just voided it but he still acted like there was a problem and didn’t understand. I was led to another office to meet with a different official. Deb and I were worried so she ran after the only man on the bus who spoke any English. He reluctantly agreed to help and fortunately became my interpreter. He told Deb there wasn’t really anything wrong they just wanted money.

So, there I was with a voided Laos Visa that they voided but no exit stamp. I was literally being held at the border. I explained through my reluctant interpreter what I had been doing in Laos. I actually had two Lao Visas due to my failed attempt to get a visa for China on the China border. I gave them a clear story but they just turned the China thing against me and were confused why I didn’t have any kind of stamp from China. The bottom line was that it was all a bunch of crap and I was being robbed on the border. My reluctant interpreter took over. He explained what was going on and to wait in the hall. Meanwhile the officials just kept flipping through my passport. The whole thing was quite unnerving. I didn’t know what to think.

When the interpreter came out he said they wanted $200 USD to fix the problem. My immediate reaction was more of outrage than anything. I didn’t have $200 USD because I had already spent $70 on two previous Laos Visas. I told him I had a $100. The interpreter went back and returned to me saying that if I couldn’t pay there was a problem. I may have been outraged but fear began to take hold. I started to think there might be a potential for me to appear on the TV show Jailed Abroad.

Deb was keeping a low profile which was wise but also kept on top of what was going on. The other bus passengers were really patient and seemed concerned. I decided it wasn’t worth fooling around anymore when the interpreter had to leave. I got some more U.S. Dollars from Deb.

The one other guy working on my side was the young 20 something Laos conductor from the bus. He had been in the background watching everything and knew what was going on. I communicated to him that I had $200 and wanted to take care of the problem as soon as possible. From that point on it was all hand signals and I stood in the background with my mouth shut. He took $100 and told me to hold the other $100.

I don’t know what he said but he handed the immigration official $40. The official waved his hand. He forked over another $20. The money went in a drawer and the official slowly got up to hand over my passport to another for an exit stamp. My passport got stamped and was handed back to the conductor. He waved me on and we literally ran out of the building via a back hall exit and hustled over the border. He gave me a big expression with a”whew” and handed back the remaining $40 dollars. I tried to give him $20 for the help. Heck he could have kept the $40! But he wouldn’t take it. I thanked him profusely as we met back up with Deb.

When we crossed the Vietnam border the conductor signaled for us to give him the passports and we stood in the background as he handled it. We didn’t have any problems entering Vietnam.

With all of the traveling I’ve done I guess I was bound to eventually run into a situation like the one I found myself in. The experience was stressful and somewhat scary because you’re in a foreign country, can’t speak the language and are essentially at the mercy of the border officials. However, 99% of the time all a corrupt border official wants is money. They’re good at messing with your head and making you think the problem is more than it really is. That’s how they get people to pay. I suppose many would just fork over the $200 and get out of Laos but someone more bold, clever, or lucky may come through such a bind without paying at all. Somehow I got out of a $200 problem with $60.

All said it’s kind of a shame that I left Laos on such a sour note because my overall opinion of Lao people is very good. Based on my experience I consider them to be the most trustworthy in S.E. Asia. They’re very pleasant, easy going, and friendly.

After the border crossing we continued down to Vinh for the night but weren’t out of the woods yet. We switched buses and drivers shortly after arriving in Vietnam. When we got to Vinh we assumed the bus would drop us at the bus station but it just stopped along a busy street. Deb and I were not sure whether or not to get off and the driver told us to stay on. Once the others were away he drove around a corner and Deb sensed we just needed to get off and grabbed our packs. That’s when the driver demanded more money. I started yelling at the driver that we already paid and Deb yelled at me to get off. We jumped off with the driver shouting as we walked away.

Amidst dark streets and no one speaking English we found our way to a good hotel, food, and 25 cent draft beer. Needless to say, it was a rough day but the cheap Asian beer helped take the sting out of the scam.

Going On The Go..... In Laos

When you’re traveling on the local buses of S.E. Asia your never really sure when you’ll get a chance to use the toilet. The only buses that have toilets are limited special VIP buses which are generally intended to serve tourists and only run on certain routes. Deb doesn’t consider herself a VIP and is uncomfortable with the title. I quite fancy the local bus because it makes me feel like I’m really traveling and it's always more interesting.

Everyone is generally on the driver’s mystery program when it comes to toilet stops but if someone really has to go the driver will usually pull over without a problem. However, people can be a bit shy about asking for a special stop along a roadside that may or may not provide ample privacy in the view of a bus load of people.

I’m not sure why, but Deb likes to drink two cups of coffee and a liter and a half of water just before boarding a bus. When we left out of Vientiane at 7am on Wednesday Deb was fully hydrated.

The bus was packed with locals and once again we were the only westerners. The hot humid weather of two days prior was long gone and replaced by cool dry air which was making the ride very comfortable. Laos & Thai pop music videos entertained us with a small top mounted TV screen holding everyone’s attention as we rolled along into the rising sun. That’s when Deb told me she really had to go. A half hour later she said she REALLY had to go!

“Do you have the book?” Deb frantically fumbled through the pages trying to figure out how to ask the bus driver to stop. She really had to go. She said something to the conductor but got a confused look. We later figured out that her mispronunciation was something about a garden. At this point Deb was really hurting. Her face took on an expression of desperation. Finally, a really nice older gentleman, who knew some English, figured out what Deb needed and asked the driver to stop. He must have said it was urgent because the driver pulled over immediately.

I was laughing as Deb ran out of the bus and flew over a fence into a bunch of bushes. Everyone had been curiously observing Deb and had closely watched her when she ran off. They instantly knew what was going on. All of a sudden the placid group of fellow passengers rose from a silenced slumber as the entire bus rapidly exited. People ran off everywhere. From my perspective it was quite hilarious and I joined the crowd. Deb was not the only one who really had to go.

People ran across the road into trees and bushes while the less bashful didn’t go very far. Women helped their small children while others lit up cigarettes. Everyone took advantage of the stop and no one seemed to think it was anything too out of the ordinary. It was awhile before Deb reappeared with an aura of relief…. She really did have to go!

On the Road South To Vientiane - Laos

As the bus was rolling down the highway, towards the end of an 8 hour turned 10+ hour bus ride from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, a herd of cows decided to run across the road causing the bus driver to hit the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 10 with India usually running at about an 11, I'd give the Laos road cow factor a rating anywhere from 0 to 3. Anyway, the driver avoided hitting the cows but something within the break system broke. Fortunately the bus was able to limp along until it conveniently gave up in front of one of the numerous open air bar restaurants found all over Laos. It took very little coaxing in Debs part to get me to join her for a large bottle of beer on an empty stomach.

Breaking down wasn’t so bad after all. Several others got the same idea when it became obvious we would be there for awhile. As we sat drinking a lovely bottle of Beerlao, while breathing the smoke of burning plastic, a fellow passenger joined us. Deb and I were the only two westerners. Oh, one a scale of 1 to 10 with India usually an 11, I’d give the burning plastic smell a 5. Anyway, the passengers name was something that sounded like Don and he teaches secondary English in Luang Prabang but is originally from Vientiane where we were headed. His English was ok but not great. Good enough to teach secondary school though. So, we ordered another beer and continued to watch some guy try and fix the bus.

As is usually the case in third world countries buses get fixed with some kind of miracle mystery part and a little creativity. Sometimes faster than you expect. In my haste to get money out of my pocket to pay for the beer my flimsy chair feel backwards due to the weight of my daypack hanging on it. When I sat back down I landed square flat on the concrete. In this particular instance drinking on an empty stomach worked in my favor as I felt no pain initially and was a little puzzled by what happened. The locals had a good laugh and I took a bow knowing I’d be sore the next say. Remarkably I wasn’t.

Back on the bus we got and fortunately the creative repair held good enough for the bus to limp into the station at Vientiane. A lady who had been carrying two chickens in two separate tattered bags joined us for a tuk tuk ride to the city center. Vientiane is basically a visa run for Debs Vietnam Visa. We obtained one for her effortlessly through the guest house we are staying at. They deal directly with the embassy in Vientiane. All she had to do was provide one passport photo and her passport. No paper work or anything. She got it within hours. The bonus is that it cost less than anywhere else.

Let me go back in order to catch things up. From Luang Nam Tha it was a full day’s bus ride to Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is a beautiful place, set next to the Mekong River, where a traveler could easily lose track of time and stay longer than planned. Although it’s quite touristy and full and westerners it still retains a very nice appeal. We spent two full days in Luang Prabang with one on the Mekong as we traveled with an Australian lady up to a village that her son had stayed at 4 years prior. While there we visited a local family that her son stayed with. The day turned out to be a story in itself but not for this post.

From Luang Nam Tha we passed on the exceptionally scenic limestone cliffs and rivers of Vang Vieng due to reports of hashed out river hippies floating on inner tubes and opium laced fruit shakes. Obviously there’s more to Vang Vieng than that but the town just wasn’t appealing to either one of us so it was a long day to Vientiane.

The overwhelming highlight for me in Vientiane was the Buddha Park. Some guy back in the day built all kinds of large Buddhist and Hindu cement sculptures on a park like property next to the Mekong. The most prominent piece is one of an exceptionally big reclining Buddha. It's quite a bizarre and eccentric kind of place but really cool and interesting. Other than that Vientiane is nothing particularly great. It’s a fairly basic large capitol city near the border of Thailand. It’s quite European in certain ways due to the French influence of days gone by. Yesterday was warm and humid but today turned cloudy and cool with a passing front that turned the skies cloudy with morning rain.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we’ll start making our way towards Vietnam due to our interest in spending time along the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea.

China - So Close, Yet So Far

As Deb and I sat at an idyllic local Laos beer joint, built over a scenic rice paddy, we talked about our brilliant idea to cross the Chinese border for a week or so. The guide book said we could get visas at the border in Boten and we had asked around a bit. Everyone seem to think it wasn’t a problem. Our idea was to do some trekking in the Yunnan province and see a bit of China then return to Laos. The assumed relative ease of crossing the border and its close proximity made it a temptation we could not resist. I was looking forward to posting on Facebook that I was in Xishuangbanna. Deb got us sorted out with transportation and we both asked around to make sure we would be able to get visa’s. Everything appeared to be fine.

When we got on the bus we began to second guess ourselves and thought it a bit too easy that we could just show up at the border and get a visa on arrival. After all, China is a communist country that likes to maintain a fairly strict control over things in general. However, our understanding was that Boten is one of the only places you can get a visa on arrival.

There was an oddly dressed British punk rock couple sitting on the back of the bus. They looked to be in their 40’s. Bizarrely out of place and perfectly anti-social. I tried to start up a conversation with them to find out if they knew anything about visas. They would not acknowledge me at all and stared blank face ahead like zombies with their oversized sun glasses. Perfect for an overcast morning. Eventually, I did get one to actually speak. I asked him if he knew anything about visa’s at the border. He replied, “I’m not going to comment on that”, and retreated to his cold anti social way of being. You just never know who you’re going to meet on a bus in Laos when you’re headed to China. For all I know they may be famous in the realm of somewhere. I wish I had taken their photo to put it on the internet. They were quite the couple.

The bus arrived at the border and we proceeded to check out of Laos. Before doing so we talked with Laos immigration and they confirmed that we could get visas at the border. Our Laos visas were voided and we crossed into China.

The Chinese border is blocked by a very large and modern immigration building. Very civilized. We proceeded to an upstairs counter where you can indeed get a visa on arrival. There was one female official working and she instructed Deb and me to sit. When she was ready for us I walked up and she started thumbing through my passport like she was looking for my visa. I told her I did not have a visa and needed one but she said, “No”. At this time our bus driver came up looking for us which was a good thing because he acted as an interpreter. The lady at the counter appeared quite happy as she was doing her best to explain why I could not have a Visa. It all boiled down to the fact that I’m American and Americans have to go through a consulate. She told me so with a big friendly smile. Deb stepped in an asked if she could have a visa. The lady said, “Yes”, because she is from the UK. UK ok. USA, no way. The bus driver then intervened and from what I could tell was doing his best to change the situation in my favor. In my disappointed state I made a civil comment, “You mean, with all of the trade America does with China I still can’t get a visa into the country?”. I was puzzled why UK citizens can get a visa at the border but Americans cannot. I think the comment stopped her for a moment but the answer was still, “No”. There was apparently nothing that could be done about it.

Our bus driver was really nice and could see Deb and I were both quite disappointed. He gave us half our money back without even asking and went on to pick up the others as they cleared immigration. As I sat outside Immigration Deb debated going to China on her own. I told her she was free to do as she pleased but was doubly disappointed because we have so much fun traveling together. I sat on a bench as she walked around for 10 or 15 minutes. It was her decision and I wasn’t going to interfere with it. I was happy when she came back and said, “Well, I guess we need to find a bus back into Laos”.

While we walked back to Laos immigration Deb commented how China probably would have sucked anyway. She also pointed out how you hardly ever hear anyone say China is a great place to travel. She then kind of laughed about how she could get in but I couldn’t. “There you go. You Americans think you can go anywhere you want, when you want”. Yes, Debs comment is very true. This all goes without saying that the USA is one of the hardest countries for foreigners when it comes to Visa’s. I commented to Debs, “Turn about is fair play”.

The real kick in the pants to this whole thing is that our perfectly good Laos visa’s had been voided and they only issue single entry visas. We both had to fill out the paper work again and fork out another $37 USD each to get back into the country. All this after they themselves said we could get visas at the border. Once we cleared immigration we had no problem finding transportation back to the town of Luang Nam Tha. On the ride we were accompanied by a Finnish man who had just traveled through China. We asked him how it was and he said the overall experience was just ok. Aside of a few highlights it was just ok. That made Debs and I feel like we’re not really missing much. Especially since we both really like Laos.

For whatever reason our detour into China just wasn’t meant to be. Tomorrow we will travel to Luang Prabang. So far Laos has been great.

Trekking In Northern Laos

When we arrived at the traditional Laos structure built upon stilts in the Nam Ha forest we were greeted by smiling man smoking a cigarette through a bamboo water pipe (bong). He and a younger boy had arrived before our group to help and prepare the place for the night. When the smiling man pulled out a plastic bottle of Lao Lao (local whiskey) I had my doubts. Kevin, a 26 year world traveler from Quebec, happily obliged as he took a sip and engaged in a broken conversation of Laos and English with a thick heavy French Canadian accent. Kevin is what I call an All In traveler. He’s the type that really goes for it and embraces the culture, food, and whatever with little reservation. I really admire his spirit as he was proving to be great company on a 3 day trek through the tropical forest of Nam Ha National Park.

I’ve never been much attracted to organized guided group hikes in the wilderness but when it comes to S.E. Asia it’s pretty much the only way to do it. Good maps, much less any map, are very hard to come by and often times don’t even exist. Also, there tend to be paths going all over the place from generations of people hunting, working the fields, or, from simply going village to village. The language barrier is a definite issue and forget seeing any kid of signage pointing you the right direction.

Doing a trek through the tropical forests of Northern Laos was high on Deb’s and my list. A company by the name of Green Discovery Laos was recommended to us. We visited their office shortly after arriving In Luang Nam Tha and had checked their website before arriving in Laos. The local staff working in the office spoke very good English and could answer our questions clearly. They also disclosed where all of the money made from the treks goes. I was impressed to see how responsibly the money is distributed and how the local people are not exploited. The guides are compensated fairly and every village visited etc. receives some kind of benefit. A 28% profit is made on each trek which is more than fair. The company is also very ecologically minded with a keen sense on minimizing impact on environment and culture.

We signed up for a 3 day 2 night hike through Nam Ha National Park. When we arrived to start our walk we were joined by three others. A French Canadian by the name of Kevin from Quebec City and two women from Holland. All in their 20’s. Aside of the five of us we were led by two local guides by names of Koum Seng and Soo Ler. Koum goes by EF. EF speaks very good English and the other seemed to understand a little more than he could speak.

Our trip started with a 30 minute drive out of town to a local village. We first spent some time in the village as EF showed us around. The villagers seemed fine with us being there and taking photos which is another nice reason to be with a guide. Often times I’ve found that when your with a local guide people are much more open to you being around especially when they see one of their own profiting from it. Also, they understand your just a foreign visitor checking things out which helps to avoid any uncomfortable misunderstandings that may be encountered on your own. As always the language barrier is an issue but with a guide it’s not a problem.

A few steps out of the village and we entered the forest. It wasn’t long before we crossed into the actual national park boundary. As expected there were no signs and no way of really knowing where to go aside of various paths leading one way or another. We first passed through a hillside where workers were harvesting sweet rice. Up and over we went and dropped into what you would expect, lush green tropical forests. Sections of the walk were very damp and the temperature alternated between cool or warm. With the beginning of the dry season we were pleased to see blue skies as the morning fog cleared.

We stopped for lunch in a small clearing with a picnic table covered by a thatch roof. A couple of local boys from a nearby village had hiked ahead with food and to prepare the area for lunch. Large Banana leaves were laid across the table and various foods were dumped upon the leaf. We were each given a block of sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf and a pair of some kind of plant stem to use as chops sticks.

“So, what’s this I’m eating?”. “Funn”. “What?”. “That”, as he pointed, “Fern”. EF went over and clarified what we were eating by waving a large fern branch at me. It tasted pretty good. The rest of the food was nothing too exotic. Mixed vegetables with tofu, grilled carp, and pork with cabbage. It was all pretty good. After lunch EF entertained us with brain teaser puzzles he created by chopping up plant stems. We eventually continued onward.

Some places have a feeling, a vibe and an energy. Something that can’t be put into words. Laos has it. As we hiked along, not to sound to esoteric, I felt like I was absorbing energy from the forest. It felt clean, pure, and unspoiled. We walked all day and I was pleased to find that we all had about the same hiking pace which for a party of 7 is pretty darned good. No one was dragging and we were all very into it. A nice group dynamic was taking hold. One of the Dutch women was kind of like a walking encyclopedia of info pertaining to nature and birds which added a nice little bonus to the experience.

For both nights we stayed in traditional Laos structures built upon stilts in remote areas. This was a forest trek so the only villages we passed through were at the beginning and end. When we arrived at the first camp the two boys who met us for lunch had hiked ahead and already gotten the place in order. Padded cloth mats were laid down for us to sleep upon and mosquito netting was hung to keep out the bugs. A separate structure was set up as a kitchen and everything was cooked over an open fire.

Deb and I dumped our stuff and headed off on our own to a nearby area that the guide told us about. We hiked down a steep hill upon an overgrown trail to a cliff grotto next to pools formed by a small creek. It was an amazing little place completely encapsulated by tropical vegetation. We found a spot by a pool and sat for awhile. When Deb and I hike together its not uncommon for us to stop at a place that feels special and just sit for awhile. It’s nice to absorb an environment by simply observing the surroundings, listening to sounds, and noticing smells.

When we returned to camp I was impressed by how the two guides with the help of the two other boys were preparing dinner. Everything was being prepared fresh. Water buffalo meat was being chopped and minced as well as several different types of veggies. Everything was prepared from scratch and cooked on an open fire. These guys really knew what they were doing and dinner turned out great. I abstained from the meat but I’m sure it was fine. I feasted on sticky rice with tomato sauce and sauteed onions. All washed down with rain forest Cardamon tea. We fell asleep to a forest full of tropical sounds. Much better than any rain forest atmosphere cd on the market.

The second day of walking was similar to the first but the two other village boys returned home and left us with a packed lunch of green beans, chili sauce, grilled meat, and sticky rice. During late morning we encountered 3 hunters. One was armed with a homemade long barrel rifle and the other had some kind of older military automatic weapon. We met them briefly in passing but I really would have liked to have had a picture with them. They were the only people we met on the trek aside of some rice harvesters at the very beginning. We stopped during the early afternoon to have lunch upon palm throngs. Into the afternoon we walked until we reached camp number 2 and the smiling man with the water pipe.

The second place we stayed at was larger than the first and I was surprised to see our guides cooking upon a fire inside a the structure built on stilts of tinder dry wood along with palm thatch for siding and roof. Kevin and I joked that we would just punch our way of the siding if it the building caught fire.

Unfortunately, shortly after arriving I came down with yet another migraine! My second within just a few days. I quickly retreated to a dark corner inside and drank a lot of water. I was able to shake it relatively quickly. With all I’ve been doing there are lots of things that could be triggering my migraines but there’s one trigger that really stands out. I’ve been getting plenty of MSG in my meals and the guides used a lot of it in their cooking. MSG is a definite cause of migraine and one I really haven’t paid much attention to. Foolishly so. I asked the trip leader if he could abstain from using MSG on my food. He took the request like it was one he’s had before and said, “No Problem”. For the rest of the trip he was really good about cooking food specifically for me without MSG and I greatly appreciated it.

Late in the evening EF went to a nearby stream to get some water and spotted a bright green snake in a tree. When he got back to camp he asked us all if we wanted to see it and of course we did. One of the Dutch women had an amazing compact mini spotlight flashlight to illuminate it as it slept in a tree. I asked if it was poisonous and EF said if you get bit you have two hours to get help. We made sure to keep our distance. It would take far longer than two hours for us to get to any kind of questionable help!

When we returned to camp I was kind of out of it but was still happy to see Kevin having fun drinking Lao Lao with his new friend and the others enjoying a star filled night next to a makeshift fire. I turned in early and the rest went to bed about an hour after I did. As soon as the last candle was blown out all kinds critters made themselves known by various sounds. Rats, mice, squirrels and whatever kept up a racket all about the building. I fell in and out of sleep all night long. Too tired to dig out my ear plugs.

On the third day we hiked out of the forest and into open deforested areas replanted with rubber trees. We stopped off at a local residence with pigs and chickens situated next to rice paddies. While there we said hello to the family of the residence and had lunch upon banana leaves on a table in front of their stilted house. Chickens and small pigs roamed about our feet as we ate. From there we continued to a village where we were inundated with kids trying to sell us handmade jewelry items. None of us bought anything but instead made a donation to the village school. The Dutch women donated a bag of pens which seemed to be more appreciated than money. The final village was where the smiling man who smokes cigarettes through a water pipe lives. We took a short break at his place before hopping a truck back to Luang Nam Tha.

Deb and I were very satisfied with the 3 day forest trek. Everything was very well run. The guides were friendly, conscientious, knowledgeable and good company. Not to mention, wizards when it came to cooking. Green Discovery is not he cheapest guide service, especially by Laos standards, but what we got was really good. For three days with food and everything it cost around $105 USD per person for a group of five. Prices vary on group size. They run eco oriented adventure travel tours all over Laos so I wouldn’t hesitate going on another one of their trips. The experience was authentic and not touristic. If you want to go trekking in S.E. Asia avoid the the touristic walks of Thailand and head for Laos.

In Laos Deb and I have found what we are looking for but China is so close. Too close. I sense a detour. We can get a visa at the border. It’s just too tempting…..

Trekking In Northern Laos - Photos

How Much Did I Pay For That?

“How much is that in Pounds?” “Well in dollars it comes out to around 3 bucks.”So then, how many dollars to the Kip? I mean, how many Kip to the dollar?” “I’m not really sure because all I have are Baht and I keep getting it confused with the Rupee but I think you want to take out the maximum from the ATM which is 700,000. Kip that is. Oh, I think it’s 7,000 Kip to the dollar but maybe it’s 10,000. I’m not sure”. “Ok, what’s the exchange for Pound to dollars right now?” I think it’s about a buck 50. Buck 60? I need to look it up”.

“Is it better to pay with Kip, Baht, or Dollars?” “I think if we pay with Baht it comes out to 3 dollars more. I don’t want to use my dollars so I’m paying with Kip. But wait. I don’t have enough Kip. Darn I gotta pay an ATM fee of who knows what to take out another 700,000 Kip which equals about 60 Euros?”. “Euros? But what about dollars and Pounds?”

“Alright I got the banana pancake, stir fried vegetables and rice. Mine comes out to 27,000. Wait, did I add that up right. Nope, I forgot the bottled water. That’s another 6,000”. “Don’t worry about it you got the water last night. Hey, Did I pay you for the bus ticket yesterday?”. “I think so, don’t worry about it.” “Ok, lets pay the bill. It’s 55,000. Is that right?”. “Here’s my money. I think this is a 1,000. No, it’s 10,000. Does this look like a 20 to you? I mean 20,000”. “Wow, this money is really pretty. Look at the farmers. Hey, there’s a hammer and sickle”. “Oh, all I have is a 50,000 bill”. “Ok, here’s 5,000. We’ll sort it out later. We always do”.

The Laos Kip has me and Deb all mixed up. And to think, when we arrive in Vietnam we’ll have to deal with the Dong….

Luang Nam Tha - Laos

I was expecting a standard Tuk Tuk ride to a ratty bus and an eight hour bumpy ride to Luang Nam Tha. That’s the impression I got as Deb and I booked two tickets through a girlish looking young man while I inspected the deactivated land mine sitting on his desk. The young man was very friendly and spoke decent English. I had a good feeling about booking our transportation through his agency and after comparing with a couple of other places the 350 baht ($10 USD) price was the best we could find. He instructed us to show up at 8:30 for a 9km ride to the bus station and that the bus would leave at 9am.

When we returned at 8:30 the following morning and the Tuk Tuk was nowhere to be found but someone at the travel agency took off to find it. While he was gone the girly young man showed up and said not to worry. Around 10 minutes or so passed and the other person returned and instructed us to go with the man in the white t-shirt down the street with a van. We thought it would be a short trip to a ratty bus but as it turns out it was a nice newish cushy full sized passenger van with limo characteristics. The driver told me he would be taking us all the way with 6 others. Sometimes things go wrong in a better way. When we arrived at 8:30 am I gather nothing was actually set up and the guy from the agency probably just ran out on the street and arranged something for us. The van turned an assumed 8 hour trip into 4 hour ride with air conditioned comfort on a road that ranged from good to pretty bad.
I woke up feeling good this morning and ever since stepping into Laos I’ve sensed a cool and easy going vibe. The L in Laos stands for Laid Back and I feel quite comfortable here. I really found the van ride to be particularly relaxing as I sunk back into the seat and watched the landscape go by. We stopped for a short break in a village and I walked around a bit enjoying the cool dry air of the post monsoon season. No city noise or pollution just lots of green with clear blue skies. I commented to Deb how much I liked the Laos vibe. She agreed she could sense it as well. I was feeling quite good.

As a biofeedback therapist once told me, “A migraine headache is sometimes called the vacation headache”. I’ll be darned as good as I was feeling I began to get another migraine like I had in India. It always makes me a bit nervous at first but I know what’s going on when it happens. It starts with a gradual loss of vision as my sight gets filled with squiggly flashing images and/or patches of nothing. About the only thing I can do is try to relax as I ride it out. I told Deb what was happening and it really came on when we arrived In Luang Nam Tha. She quickly found a reasonably dark table in a restaurant and got me a bottle of water. She then instructed me to relax and keep my eyes closed. After about 30 minutes or so I began to come around and my vision gradually returned to normal. Migraines are caused by a constriction of blood flow through the brain. Many things can cause them such as food allergies, excessive fatigue, stress and oddly enough, relaxation, as the body releases tension. Above all there is generally a genetic predisposition for those who have the problem. Knock on wood my migraines are usually not followed by much of a headache and I can go for months without getting one. Thank God.

By mid afternoon I was feeling up for a walk and walking is generally considered good for a migraine. It helps with blood flow and oxygenation. The afternoon walk around Luang Nam Tha proved to be the ticket as I began to feel like myself again. Deb and I discussed what we wanted to do and were able to put together a plan. Tomorrow we will rent mountain bikes and tour the local area. On Saturday we will set off on a 3 day forest trek with a local guide. So far we are a group of 3 three but will likely pick up a couple of others between now and the time we leave. Our guide will not only keep us on the right track but will fill us in on local info, introduce us to villagers along the way, and prepare food. We’ll be staying in forest huts both nights and should have a really good authentic experience. We set it up through a local guide service which has a really good reputation.
The next 4 days should be full of activity and hopefully I’ll get some good photos to supplement the blog. So far I’m really liking Laos…..

Laos Arrival & The Missing Photos

I would like to include the photo of the Buddhist monk sitting next to me with our packs at the front of the long tail boat as we crossed the Mekong River from Thailand to Laos but the image seems to have mysteriously vanished. For whatever reason all of my photos from the last two days spontaneously disappeared from my camera memory card for no obvious reason. I had just browsed through the photos and went to back them up on my computer but found them oddly gone. Pictures can do a good job at telling a story and I like to complement my blog with them so I was disappointed to lose the images. I assume the card is corrupted or something so I replaced it with another. I’ll hold on to the bad card and see what I can do to retrieve the photos when I get home.

Well, photo issue aside; I finally made it to Laos with my good friend Debs. There was a noticeable different country vibe the moment I stepped off the boat. Obtaining a visa on arrival and going through immigration was a total breeze. Nothing to it. Just fill out a couple of forms and pay a fee. No hassles whatsoever.

The border town we arrived in is Huay Xai and sits on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. It’s a fairly long single road village lined with small businesses, restaurants and guest houses. The village is mainly a jumping off point for travelers seeking a slow boat down the Mekong on a two day trip to Luang Prabang. Originally that was my plan but Debs and I have decided to head north instead. The area of Luang Nam Tha offers some good opportunities for trekking and fewer tourists. After so much time in the cities I’m really looking forward to more rural travel in a country that has a lot of room to move around.

A Few Images From Thailand

Chaing Rai - Then Laos

In Thailand it’s easy to do a whole lot of nothing and that's what I've been doing. The friendly people, good food, and hospitable accommodation combined with a very low price tag make it the perfect place for time to simply slip away. Has it almost been two weeks since I arrived in Bangkok from India? Yes it has….

I haven’t really minded the dramatically slower pace of travel while in Thailand. For one, I’ve been having a hard time shaking a bit of travel fatigue from India. I’ll feel fine one day and excessively sleepy the next but now I think I’m coming around a bit and am ready to head into Laos.

I’ll be traveling into Laos with my friend Debs from the UK. She caught up to me in Chaing Mai on Saturday after an awful overnight 3rd class train from Bangkok. She sat on a hard seat next to a fat man who kept nodding off and leaning or her. The scheduled 12 hour trip delayed into a 16 hour ordeal. The last time I heard from her was on Wednesday via email and I hadn’t heard a word since. The last message I received was, “I’ll just keep hopping trains until I get to Chaing Mai”. I wasn’t really sure when she was going to show up.

Debs finally arrived in Chaing Mai around 2pm on Saturday and immediately went to the hotel I originally told her I was staying at. She was shocked to find out, from the front desk clerk, that I had gone back to Bangkok. In actuality I was nearby in another hotel because I had switched accommodations. I had sent her an email with the revised info but she hadn’t got it yet. The clerk somehow summed up that I had gone back to Bangkok. I doubt he even remembered me. I have found that in some cultures people will give you bad information before no information because they are embarrassed or consider it rude to give no explanation.

Needless to say Debs was fuming when she got the wrong, yet bad news. She found a place to stay and immediately sought out an internet connection to send me a nasty email. It was then that she finally got my message about switching hotels and sent me a note that she was in town. When I finally found her she was wired, tired, and running on fumes. We immediately went to a restaurant and I ordered two large sized beers and lots of food. After that everything was ok. We laughed and caught up on things. She was kicking herself for not checking her emails and I was wishing I had met her at the station. I had a gut feeling she would be on the train she arrived on.

The next day we took it easy in Chiang Mai and enjoyed the festivities of the Loi Krathong festival celebrating the 12th full moon of the year by Thai definition. The festival gives thanks to the River Goddess. The streets were packed with vendors selling food, trinkets and all kinds of stuff. The skies were filled with cylindrical paper hot air balloons (lanterns) fueled by a flaming coil of bees wax. The coil is lit and the lantern is held up until the air is heated enough for it float up into the sky on its own. Lighting one and releasing it is said to bring good luck. The lanterns were going off at regular intervals all over town so it really was a beautiful and interesting sight. I’ve never seen anything like and think it would be a great way to pull off a UFO hoax in the states.

We left Chaing Mai via bus on Monday morning and headed to Chaing Rai. After being more or less city bound for the past couple of weeks we planned to find somewhere to walk the next day. Today we hired a long tail boat to take us up the Mekong River to a hill tribe village that specializes in Elephant rides. We didn’t go for a ride but roamed about the local unmarked hill trails and met some of the local hill people. Everywhere you go the Thai people are nice and friendly.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we plan to cross the border into Laos at Huay Xai. We will likely have to spend a night there in order to figure out how to get to Luang Nam Tah where we plan to do some hiking. Laos should be a lot less developed and not nearly as touristy as Thailand. I expect the travel to be notably different.