Photo Log - 2012/01 - Lao
 I took the bus over the border from Vietnam and it was paaaaacked. It was already full when I showed up. Then another 3 people got on after me, and we picked up probably another 15 people after that.Bus to Muong Khua (Muong Khua, Laos - Thu Jan 12, 2012 - 11:00) |
 The first night in Lao I stayed in the little village of Muong Khua, which has road access but only by using this ferry to get across. The tugboat is roped to the barge and pushes it back and forth.Ferry barge at Muong Khua (Muong Khua, Laos - Thu Jan 12, 2012 - 17:22) |
 Down the river we were left at the next major village, which doesn't have any access by land. Nothing much to do here except for hiking and the river. Very relaxing though.View from my hotel (Muong Ngoi Neua, Laos - Fri Jan 13, 2012 - 14:16) |
 The whole time in the north the mornings were foggy and this one was no exception. By the time I left on the river bus though the sun was peeking out.Mountain view from my hotel in the morning (Muong Ngoi Neua, Laos - Sat Jan 14, 2012 - 08:38) |
 After a few days in Luang Nam Tha I got together with a group for 2 days in the jungle. The first day we were mostly hiking. About 3 hours to the top for lunch and then another 3 hours after to continue downwards to the camp.Jungle on day 1 (Luang Nam Tha, Laos - Mon Jan 16, 2012 - 12:56) |
 For lunch we had lao food brought along - sticky rice, egg, beef with green beans, and chinese cabbage.Lunch in the jungle on day 1 (Luang Nam Tha, Laos - Mon Jan 16, 2012 - 13:46) |
 We got to the jungle camp, which was basically a bamboo cabin owned by the tour company. They built it where the Nam Tha and Nam Ha rivers meet up in the mountains.Jungle camp on day 1 (Luang Nam Tha, Laos - Mon Jan 16, 2012 - 16:25) |
 Day 2 - kayaking down the river.Kayaking on day 2 (Luang Nam Tha, Laos - Tue Jan 17, 2012 - 12:01) |
 Next I continued south to Luang Prabang, one of the major cities and tourist sites of the country. One of the attractions is this waterfall about 30km out of town. It's a good place to go swimming on the hot days (i.e. every day) and the colour of the water is kind of unreal. You can also hike up to the top of the cliff to see the start of the falls, a ways above this part. Kouang Si waterfall (Luang Prabang, Laos - Fri Jan 20, 2012 - 12:29) |
 Did I mention you can swim here? You sure can. Swimming in Kouang Si waterfall (Luang Prabang, Laos - Fri Jan 20, 2012 - 13:45) |
 Another highlight of Luang Prabang - me finally getting a haircut. Haircut (Luang Prabang, Laos - Sat Jan 21, 2012 - 13:36) |
 Another asian sunset... this time on the riverside. Hey why not, it's a free show. Sunset on the river (Luang Prabang, Laos - Sat Jan 21, 2012 - 17:37) |
 As the city has become more and more touristy the night market has become more prominent. It's blocks and blocks of souvenirs and other tourist crap (mostly). Generally the markets seem to be one of two kinds: either overpriced tourist stuff, or legitimate trade between locals for food and other goods. This one is definitely the tourist kind. Night market (Luang Prabang, Laos - Sun Jan 22, 2012 - 20:45) |
 Next a short detour to Phonsavan, one of whose claims to fame is the number of bombs it was on the wrong end of from the Americans during the Vietnam war. Despite signing a non-violence agreement with Lao the Americans heavily targeted this province and a few others to weaken Vietnam forces who were taking advantage of the forested areas near the border. Lao suffered huge civilian casualties and still loses quite a few people every year from undiscovered cluster bombs.Salvaged bombs outside the tourist office (Phonsavan, Laos - Tue Jan 24, 2012 - 09:11) |
 The other claim to fame for Phonsavan - the plains of jars. No one really knows for sure what they are, but the leading theory has to do with preserving human remains.Plain of jars (Phonsavan, Laos - Tue Jan 24, 2012 - 10:31) |
 I heard about a silk farm in the area so I went by and joined a few others in getting a free tour. They produce everything for the full product cycle here - the silkworms and their food (mulberry leaves), the spinning and dying of the thread and growing of the natural dyes such as indigo, and the weaving of the fabrics. These batches of thread have been dyed and are out to dry before being woven.Dyed thread at the silk farm (Phonsavan, Laos - Tue Jan 24, 2012 - 13:53) |
 Here's an almost finished product... maybe some sort of blanket.Weaving at the silk farm (Phonsavan, Laos - Tue Jan 24, 2012 - 14:09) |
 Vang Vieng is basically just a little town, but it's become a tourist party town. Drunken kids go tubing down the river, stopping at a growing number of bars along the way - the bar tosses a bottle out on a rope and you grab on and get reeled in. Every year an unfortunate number of people die from a combination of alcohol, drugs, being in the water, and being out after dark. On a quieter section, these are the bamboo huts where I stayed along with a few others I was traveling with. Cabins we stayed in (Vang Vieng, Laos - Thu Jan 26, 2012 - 09:36) |
 However there are also other things to do such as visiting caves or rock climbing. I spent one day out on the rocks with a group.Rock climbing (Vang Vieng, Laos - Fri Jan 27, 2012 - 11:19) |
 Another shot on the rocks...Rock climbing (Vang Vieng, Laos - Fri Jan 27, 2012 - 15:24) |
