Those foolish Kuang Si waterfalls..

Last weekend the other two interns (David and Hang) and I went on an adventure to the Kuang Si waterfalls. The trip started out with a 40-minute 'Touk Touk' ride to the falls in which we got to see some of the countryside.  A ‘Touk Touk’ is basically a Lao-style motorcycle-cab that offer rides around the city for pretty cheap. From where I stand now, after taking a 40-minute ride to the falls and another returning home, I’m fairly certain that Touk Touk's were not designed for people of western stature, but rather for those under, say… the 5’4” mark (Mom, you’d fit right in).  We shared the ride with a German traveler we met just before named Marcus. Marcus was probably 6’2”, and David and I are probably 6’0” (or at least that’s what I tell people) so, needless to say, we were all struggling to endure the bumpy dirt roads crouched down on the wood benches in the back. I’m probably overreacting but it felt like riding in one of those little red wagons...

The infamous Touk Touk...

I feel like such a complainer writing this right now… In reality, it wasn’t that bad.

Despite our cramped quarters, we made it to the falls just fine and the ride was actually really nice. I loved seeing the countryside just outside of the city. I’m already realizing that Laos is a very diverse country. Depending on which direction you head out of Luang Prabang, you’re going to get different scenery and different plants and trees.

Laos Countryside

On the Road

It was a brief hike from the parking lot to the falls. Along the way there were various vibrant blue pools just begging you to take a swim. I have to say it was more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. It seemed like a scene out of Disney Land. It was too picturesque to be true. 

Such a pretty part of the world!

We left the main area because it was a bit too crowded and hiked to the top of the falls. Once we saw the top we decided to branch off and explore a different direction. 

To the top of the falls

Off the main hiking trail

Marcus was with us and it was nice to chat with him and share the experience. We were talking about different countries’ iconic foods and one thing he asked us that sort of stumped me was if America has any ‘sophisticated dishes’ that are truly American… I had to think about it for a while. When I think of ‘American food’ I think of hamburgers and BBQ and maybe Jambalaya in the South. But none of those dishes are really ‘sophisticated’ like, say, many French or Italian dishes.  The best I could come up with was really high-end seafood dishes, but again, I’m not sure how truly American they would be. Any thoughts?

Dave and Marcus leading the pack

Any who… we hiked to a cool little pond area and were the only ones in the area. We hung out a bit and ate some lunch then headed back to the main waterfall area.  There was a great pool for swimming with a rope swing area and a little waterfall to jump off of.

The Pond.

The rope swing pool.

After debating whether or not to partake I finally gave in and jumped off the fall. I’m glad I did.  Hang was actually the first of us to take the plunge. She had a way of making me nervous with the rope swing.. she would wrap the rope around her hand (how are you going to let go?? I’d think to myself) and her release was far from graceful (Hang, if you’re reading this, I apologize for selling you out; but the stress that you infused in my mind makes it impossible for me to forget.) One time she awkwardly released from the rope and entered the water flailing upside-down – successfully horrifying all tourist on-lookers. “I don’t know her.” I thought to myself.

(just kidding, Hang.)

However, I must admit, I had a moment of my own when I tried to do a gainer off the waterfall but didn’t have good enough footing and ended up just doing a half back flip, landing upside-down in the water myself. Real smooooth, Stephen. I knew the footing wasn’t the best but in a moment of braveness I just decided to go for it. Bad idea. My cousin Chris would’ve been ashamed. Oh well. You only live once so you might as well risk looking like a fool every now and then. “Looking ridiculous in front of Chinese tourists is the spice of life.” Isn’t that what they say? No? It isn’t? Hmmm.. Never got that memo.

The jump

In the end it was a really fun trip and I’m so glad we went. Hang and I decided we’re definitely going to go back sometime during our time here. Maybe next time we’ll have a better handle on the whole rope swing/jumping thing and won’t terrify Chinese tourists every time we enter the water...

Or maybe not.

Until next time!

The Kuang Si waterfalls

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang – my home for the next 6 months – has yet to disappoint.  The capital of Laos is Vientiane; but most people I’ve talked to consider Luang Prabang to be the country’s best city. The city is enclosed by two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan. Both rivers are equally beautiful, but the Mekong is a bit larger and knows how to pose during sunset. There are a few little restaurants along the river and we’ve gone down a few times for a beer just before sunset. The house I’m staying at isn’t far from the city center, about a ten minute bike ride, so I have a feeling I’ll be spending many a sunset taking in the view.

The Mekong River

The Nam Khan

One of Luang Prabang’s defining characteristics is its ‘Night Market.’  Travelers from all over the world come to check it out and get some handcrafted souvenirs. The market stretches probably a quarter mile on the main street through town. It starts every night at 5 and lasts till about 11:30.  They sell all sorts of crafty items at the night market - authentic Lao clothing (slippers, shirts, baggy Aladdin-style pants), paintings, posters, wood carvings, lights, scarves, bags… you name it, they’ve got it. 

Hand-painted cards

Cool Lights

You can kind of see some tobacco pipes towards the bottom.. awful tempting.

This city is also known for its buddhist temples. I haven't gone and seen all of them yet (I think there are 20 or 30) but I plan to at some point. This is a picture of a more prominent one near the night market.

One of the first days I was here we went to this place called Utopia to hang out. It's a swanky 'Western Style' bar overlooking the Nam Khan. It's one of the chillest places I've ever hung out at. We spent like 3 hours there when we were planning on only staying for like a half hour. It turns out it's owned by this Canadian guy named Rob and I think I might have a bartending gig lined up there in exchange for free meals. (Not a bad arrangement being that it has some of the best western food in town). They say it's the place to be for travelers so I'm sure I'll get to meet some cool people there.

Utopia

Utopia's View

Overall, I'm super excited to be spending 6 months here in Luang Prabang. It's got a great mix of Lao and western culture. If you want to branch off the beaten path and find a hole in the wall Lao fried noodle restaurant, you can. If you're craving steak and mashed potatoes or need a legit cappuccino, you can get that too. 

I'm looking forward to getting to know this city like the back of my hand.  Most travelers only get to spend a couple weeks here so I feel so so lucky to have 6 months. I'm sure I'll be updating the blog with the many different things I discover about the city along the way. Until next time!

The Trip Over

The trip from California to Laos was, simply put, exhausting.

The journey started out fine enough. I met a man named Mitch at the check-in at LAX who was on the same flight and being that we seemed to be the only two English speakers on the flight, we decided to stick together.  Seeing that Mitch and I were conversing, the Chinese check-in man took the liberty of putting us next to each other on the plane, each in an isle seat across from the other. Mitch was an older guy, probably around 65, who was going to the Philippines to visit a woman he met online a couple months back… Hmm.. Red flag? Maybe.  Mitch was evidently going through a divorce and needed a vacation. He was a nice enough guy, though he tended to be slightly more chatty and vocal than I prefer. He was the type of guy who would interrupt you every 10 minutes or so while you were watching a movie to remind you that he didn’t enjoy long flights. “What’s that?” I’d say as I removed my headphones for the 5^th time in an hour. “This is gonna be a loooong flight.” He’d repeat with a look that said, we’re in this together.  I’d nod and agree with him and get back to my movie wishing that he’d realize we’re not in this together. 5 minutes later: “So where are you headed again?” he’d ask for the 6^th time since our meeting. Needless to say, Mitch’s prophetic words proved true. It was a long flight.  I’d say at around hour 7 of the 16-hour flight to Hong Kong the fatigue began to get to my head.  Having already watched 3 or 4 movies, I wandered the plane, pacing its isles like a nomadic vagabond; too tired to care that I looked like a crazy person.  The benefit of turning crazy was that I could relate to Mitch more and in the end it was actually nice to have someone to chat with (even if the topic of conversation would somehow inevitably get back to Mitch’s infatuation with Asian women).  

By the time I reached Hong Kong I had watched 7 movies, gone to the bathroom more than I could count, and was pushing the 24-hour mark for consecutive hours awake. 

The flight actually got in an hour or so late; so by the time I got to Hong Kong, I didn’t have much of a layover until my connecting flight to Bangkok. I must say, once I was on the plane to Thailand, I felt invigorated.  Here’s a little bit I wrote in my travel log (Stardate: 3022012.5):

“I’m safely aboard my next plane that will take me to the mystical land of Thailand. As the rest of the passengers continue to board, making sure to bump me with their oversized carry-on bags or elbow me in the head as they frantically fail at finding their seats, I can’t help but be filled with a sense of excitement that I’ve not yet felt so far this trip. It’s the magic of the unknown; the thrill of new experience; the energy of a new land… That or the prospect of sleep.  I’m not sure. Either way, I’m pretty stoked.”

Bangkok.

As stoked as I was, when I actually got to Bangkok, the panic set in.  People asking me questions in Thai; offering rides or rooms for rent; travelers running about frantically.  Luckily, I shared the shuttle from the airport with a God-sent saint named Dennis – a retired acupuncturist in his 60’s whose spirit resonated early 30’s. He had been to Thailand many times to do volunteer work and showed me some language/cultural basics to get me by.

My hotel in Bangkok

More hotel

Thai decorations

As I mentioned earlier, I seemed to contract some form of crazy during my travels. Prime example: I spent approximately 30 minutes taking pictures of myself like this in my hotel waiting for time to pass. I deleted most of them but I'd say this one captures that "I've been flying across the world for the past 36 hours and I feel like a corpse" look. Even so, I'll have to remember to actually be in some of my pictures during my time here.

The cultural differences of Thailand really hit me and I felt way underprepared. I tipped my bag boy $5 and I think he tried to tell me he wanted $20. Either way, he got $5.  I’m not sure if I was rude or if I had successfully avoided getting ripped off.. Or maybe I did get ripped off... Who knows? Regardless, I was happy to be aboard my flight to Luang Prabang the next morning. 

Last flight.

I arrived in Laos to smiling Pencils of Promise (PoP) faces and was taken to my new home. A successful 3-day trip from one end of the world to the other. 

View from my window in Laos, safe and sound