Go to Laos!

I came across this article about Laos in the Sydney Morning Herald on-line today and I couldn’t agree with it more. Laos was the country where we spent the most time (28 days) during our three and a bit months in South East Asia and we loved it.

In no particular order highlights included:

• the beer
• Don Det – an island on the Mekong where we stayed in the cheapest place of our whole trip ($1.50USD /night for a bungalow) but it had a fantastic view over the Mekong from the hammock on the balcony.
• the people – so friendly
• the boat trip from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw. Nine hours of breathtaking scenery well worth the sore bum.
• the pace – things move slowly in Laos but you soon settle in to the groove and relax
• the food and the coffee – yum
• the Mekong – we followed the Mekong the length of the country from south (the border with Cambodia) to north. At times it was our means of transport and at times it was just a great view at the end of the day. The picture above is the Mekong at Vientiane with Thailand on the opposite bank.
• the price – we spent a total of $132.50 USD on accommodation in Laos. That’s an average of $4.73 a night. The most expensive room was $13. Sure, we were on a budget, but in most cases $4 – 6 got us a clean double room with an attached bathroom and a hot water shower. In Luang Prabang $8 got us one of the nicest hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in. I can only imagine what $50 would get you. (And hey, if you’re converting to pounds it’s even cheaper!)

So, what are you waiting for? Go!

1490 photos

Now that we have our very own computer we’ve been able to finally get a good look at all the photos we took on the trip. There are too many to put on this site but I have uploaded them to another site and you can view them on the links below. Be warned – there are a lot and this is the good, the bad and the ugly. If you’re game, I would suggest settling back with a nice cup of tea and viewing the slideshow option.

Thailand the first time round.

Vietnam

Cambodia

Laos

Thailand the second time.

Northern Laos – Chiang Mai

Well we’re back in Thailand and have been wandering around with our mouths open marvelling at such wonders as ATMs and 7-11s, cars, lots of cars, and smooth sealed roads. It’s a little overwhelming after Northern Laos. But I’m jumping ahead…

We left Luang Prabang way back on the 17th of January by boat to Nong Khiaw. This trip lived up to its reputation as one of the most scenic in Laos and we (mostly Dave) took 79 photos. We later culled these to about 68.

The boat was small and wooden and we sat on tiny wooden chairs for the 8 hour journey. Life jackets make good cushions. About an hour away from Nong Khiaw the boat broke down. An Australian guy took this as an opportunity to cast a fishing line. We proceeded in stops and starts for the next length of the journey and each time the boat stopped the fishing line went in. He didn’t catch anything though.

Nong Khiaw is a small, quiet town on the river. We spent two nights here and didn’t do a lot other than walk to a nearby cave. The cave was used as a headquarters during the war and there are several craters nearby cause by US bombs.

From Nong Khiaw we got a sawngthaew (ute with a roof and two benches in the back) to Udomxai with six other backpackers and a hill tribe family. On arrival in Udomxai we all went our separate ways but ended up together again at a hill top stupa for sunset. Here we talked to a group of young monks about everything from wedding rituals to the tsunami.

Udomxai has a strong Chinese presence due to its proximity to the border. We had an excellent dinner of Chinese food at a local restaurant where the sign in English simply read "Chineselaofoodrestaurant". In Udomxai our run of bad luck with noisy neighbours began thanks to an American couple next door.

The next morning we all headed back to the bus station to get a mini-bus to Luang Nam Tha. This trip took 4 hours and when we got there we got straight onto a sawngthaew to go to Muang Sing another 2 hours away.

Muang Sing is only 10km from China and the surrounding are has many different hill tribes. We spent the first night in town and this time it was a noisy German couple who disturbed us. So much so that at 2am I had had enough and went and told them to be quiet. At the same time an Asian man also came out of his room and yelled at them from the hallway. I gather he said what I said but I think I was more polite. The guesthouse regulations clearly stated "Please do not make noise that disturbs your nagbors in the gusetroom."

We decided we needed a few days peace and quiet to sleep well and also because I had a cold that was not getting better. We went 5km out of town and stayed for three nights at Stupa Mountain Lodge in a very comfortable bungalow. This place restored us with gorgeous views over rice paddies and fantastic sunsets.

The lodge was near a small village and on our first day there we decided to walk in and see if there were any local lunch options. We saw what looked like normal noodle soup and asked for two bowls. It was only as the girl was serving the noodles by scooping them with her hand out of a black plastic bucket that we realised they were cold. When we tasted them we realised they were cold and soggy. So we prayed they had boiled the water first and chowed down. Then we went back to the lodge and had something more cooked.

After three days it was time to drag ourselves away from the bungalow balcony and head back to Luang Nam Tha. We got up early ad headed out to the main road hoping to flag down a sawngthaew from Muang Sing. After an hour we had been passed by a motorbike, two bicycles and some cows. So we decided to get a ride back in to town with a sawngthaew that had dropped someone at the lodge. Back in town we found a ride and only an hour or so later were on our way.

In Luang Nam Tha we spent one night which was this time disturbed by both an unidentified animal in one wall and a French couple behind the other. After a terrible nights sleep we arrived at the bus station at 8am for the 9.30 bus to Huay Xai. It was full. The 9.30 bus left at 9am and we were told there would be another one at 12. This bus pulled in right after the 9am bus left so we decided to stick around. At 11.30 we were off. It seems our watches are half an hour slow??

This bus trip is described in the guidebook as one of the most uncomfortable in Laos. I would add to that Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The 193km trip took about 9 hours along an unsealed road that wound through some beautiful mountains. We were covered in dust that blew in through the open windows, the hole in the floor patched with cardboard and the other hole in the wall. All around us Lao people were vomiting out the window and in little plastic bags that the conductor handed out as required. The poor old lady behind me groaned practically the whole way. We eventually made it to Huay Xai and splurged on a nice hotel room for $7 to recover in.

After a very good nights sleep it was time to head across the Mekong and into Thailand. This was the smoothest border crossing of the trip. We were stamped out of Laos (no added fees), boated across the river, and stamped into Thailand in no time at all.

From immigration we got a tuk tuk to the bus station where we got straight onto a bus to Chiang Rai. The bus left soon after and it wasn’t even full! To Chiang Rai took 2 hours and then we again got straight onto a (bigger and better) bus to Chiang Mai. The tickets for this bus came out of a computer! This ride took three hours and we arrived in Chiang Mai at about 4pm yesterday.

The task of finding somewhere to stay proved a little more difficult than anticipated. Many places were full but we found somewhere that had a room available for one night. This morning we got up and walked around for about an hour trying to find somewhere to move to. Eventually we found a good place not too far from the original guesthouse. And so here we are.

Only 9 days left until we fly to London and we plan to spend them here and in Bangkok. Photos will be added in the next day or so.

Onwards from Luang Prabang

Tomorrow we’re moving on from Luang Prabang. We’ll be travelling by slow boat up the Nam Ou river to Nong Khiaw where we will spend a couple of days. This journey is reputably the most scenic boat trip in Laos. From Nong Khiaw we’ll head to Luong Nam Tha by road where we plan to do some trekking. We may have to overnight in Udomxai on the way. From there we will bus or boat down to Huay Xai and the border with Thailand. Once back into Thailand we’ll spend some time in Chiang Mai and then it’s back down to Bangkok for the last few days before we fly on to London.

Originally we had planned to see more of Northern Thailand but we just don’t have time. So we made the decision to concentrate on Laos this time and see more of Thailand another time. Which shouldn’t be too difficult seeing as Bangkok is such an easy stopover on the way between Australia and the UK.

Updates may be a bit slow over the next week as we travel north but once we’re back in Thailand no worries. Our Laos visa expires on the 27th so we will be definitely in Thailand then.

More photos have been added to the Laos photo album, including some of the food that Dave just described.

What’s to eat?

I can hardly believe that we’ve gone this far into our trip without devoting a post to food.  So what have we been eating in Lao?  These are some of the more interesting things. . .

Breakfast

Noodle soup
I LOVE eating noodles for breakfast.  Some of the best noodle soup is sold from low tables near the morning markets. I head off there early while Madeline sleeps in.  The  noodle soup I like best comes with thick white rice noodles in a vegetable broth.  On the side they provide a plate of green beans, lettuce, fresh mint, hot basil, green chilies and limes that you add to your noodles as you go.

Rice porridge
I’m less sure of what’s in rice porridge, but its kind of salty, kind of sweet and may have some coconut in it.  I had rice porridge in northern Cambodia topped with pickled cucumber and a boiled egg.  I declined the fermented fish that was the alternative topping.

Banana pancakes
It’s an unwritten rule of the universe: wherever there are travelers, there are banana pancakes.  After sampling 4 countries worth of banana pancakes, Madeline is of the opinion that the best ones are made using a very thick batter and with the banana mixed through the batter.  That way the banana is hot.  The best pancakes we’ve had were on Koh Lanta.

Coffee
After learning how to say "Hello" and "Thank you" I learn how to say "Black coffee".  I like strong black coffee, so I love the coffee in Vietnam and Lao.  Lao coffee is strong black filter coffee usually served in a glass.  Unless you ask otherwise they also add about 3 tablespoons worth of condensed milk to make the ultimate coffee and sugar hit.

Lunch

Baguettes
We’ve found these throughout Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao.  They’re great if you can find some in the morning while they are still hot.  We’ve used baguettes to make omelet sandwiches for breakfast and taken them on buses with cheese spread for lunch (sometimes you never know where the bus will stop for lunch!)  I’ve also had great pork rolls made by street vendors. As well as fresh pork the rolls have some kind of pate (don’t ask, just eat), chili paste, tomato, cucumber, fresh coriander and seasonings.    

Sticky rice
Sticky rice is another great food for travel days.  In Lao you can buy a tube of bamboo that is stuffed with seasoned sticky rice.  The bamboo is just a container that you peel away as you go.

Dinner

For a main meal we often get a few dishes and share.  In Lao we’ve been eating sticky rice that comes served in a little bamboo basket with a lid.  You use your hand to make a ball of rice that you then dunk in your food (or that’s the way we do it any way!)
Generally we eat vegetarian and our usual dishes include: fresh or fried spring rolls, tofu and vegetable curries made with coconut milk, stir fried vegetables with ginger or chili, morning glory (green leafy vegetable).

Lao specialties: 
Laap: pork mince mixed with mint, chili, lime and probably some other ingredients.  Comes with lettuce leaves that you use to make little parcels.

Papaya salad: Not an expert on this one either.  They make it using a large mortar and pestle and it looks a little like a salad of onion.  Whenever I get it they warn me that it will be hot as it has chili in it, but I usually find that it has a tangy taste.

Mekong weed: This is a specialty of Luang Prabang that I tried earlier in the week. It came as crispy dried sheets, topped with sesame seeds and served with a chili condiment that had chewy strips in it.  It was a little salty, but good with sticky rice.  I read later that the chili condiment is made with buffalo hide (yum)

Lao Lao: Lao rice whiskey.  Earlier today we went to a village where this was being made using large 44 gallon drums converted into stills.  On its own it is pretty potent and tastes a bit like bad Sake.  In Don Det we had some with lemon and honey, which tasted more like lemon and honey and so was quite good.

Beer Lao: In my opinion the best beer we’ve had in South East Asia and at 80 cents for a bottle that can be shared between two people what’s there not to like about it?

Street food

Other things that I like to eat that are sold along the street side in Lao include:
Steamed dumplings: savory and filled with sweet potato or pork mince or who knows. Sold around lunch time

Banana fritters: Fresh from the wok. Greasy but good.   

Steamed coconut and rice dumplings: A desert that we’ve found here cooked in steamers at the market place.  The first time we "just" ordered .40c worth and ended up with a whole plastic bag full of them.

Some travelers lose weight while overseas.  I am definitely not one of them.  After 3 months I’m starting to notice a slightly larger waist (and its not just the block of Kip that’s in my money belt!)