To Laos and Back in 14 days

Looking across the river from Huay Xai, Laos into Chiang Khong, Thailand

Chilling with the monks and their pet monkey

GIBBON EXPERIENCE

In the time since my last posting Zach and I have made our way through Laos and down to Malaysia, where I am currently sitting in an internet cafe to escape the heat and gear up for an overnight bus to the east coast where the beautiful islands of the Pehrentians await me! At the end of June we made our way across the Thai-Laos border at Chiang-Khong/ Huay Xai that is divided by the Mekong river. From there we headed on a three day adventure in the jungles of the Bokeo Nature Reserve with the Gibbon Experience. Zach has posted a detailed write-up about the experience, and I will hold back from repeating too much, but needless to say it was unlike anything I have ever done in my life! The journey consists of a 2 hour ride in the back of a pick up truck across a river and through mud roads to a remote village in the hills where the trekking begins.

River crossing

We trekked for roughly 4-5 hours a day, making our way to the various super-high and long ziplines that carried us across vast valleys over the jungle canopy. These eventually led to our accomodation: open concept rustic wooden treehouses high up in the trees. Before we set off from the village on the first day there was a few minutes to chat with the group that had just returned. One girl was enthusiastic to show me her pictures, several which captured the invasion of treehouse #5 by a huge neon green venemous snake slithering his way in on the zipline. Great. Consequently my 3 days were foreshadowed by the fear I would be swallowed alive at night by a lethal jungle snake. Luckily, I had company while I couldn't sleep at night- Zach is afraid of heights and was less than enthusiastic about spending the night in a 200feet tall treehouse. But no snakes, and Zach braved the heights for all three days.

A jungle-view at dusk

Bathroom break anyone?

DOWN THE MEKONG

After the Gibbon Experience we did what every tourist does from Huay Xai to get to Luang Prabang and took a 2 day slow-boat ride down the Mekong. The scenery was beautiful and the wooden benches brutal. Couple that with a group of annoying gap-year brits on the boat getting macked by even more annoying guys from California and you have yourself some entertainment. Luang Prabang is an interesting place to explore. You can go to a high-end wine bar on the main street of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, or take a tuk-tuk 20km outside of town to a jungle waterfall cascading emerald green water into multi-tiered swimming pools. Gorgeous!

Spot Zach!

By the river in Luang Prabang

We signed onto a one-day mountain bike tour as a way of exploring the surrounding hillside. This was one of my worst ideas yet, and I take full responsibility b/c Zach had been feeling unwell and I thought a little fresh air might help him feel better. Wrong! Turns out the medium-level mountain bike translated into an almost nonstop daylong off road bike ride up steep hills and down muddy trails, capped off with a 15km long climb up a winding road to get back to town. This was not fun- in fact I hated every moment of it. The best part was the end when I got to go back to our hotel and nurse my bruised bottom and sore body by going to bed. We were joined on the bike-riding by a middle-aged couple from New Zealand who totally whooped our buts in the hills. They were an incredibly dynamic couple that go on vacation around the world to run in marathons and long-distance runs in places like the Inca trail. Us youngins' couldn't keep up...

Taking a break from biking for lunch in a local village

After 5 days in Luang Prabang we continued our journey southwards towards the town of Vang Vieng, infamous on the SE Asia backpack route for tubing down the river in an innertube and the slew of bars that play episodes of Friends and Family Guy on repeat. The tubing was fun, but the bars and restaurants in town were overflowing with drunken gap-year brits half-naked from the river ( the gap-year brits are everywhere, but especially in Vang Vieng). After a full day of tubing Zach in the company of Kate and Rob ( the type of brits that redeem the gappers) we made the executive decision that it was time to fast-forward into Malaysia and onto the beach. Over a period of 24hours we made an epic journey back to Bangkok and booked a cheap flight on AirAsia for Penang.....in a few hours we will be on our way to relaxing in the sun!