The beginning of Luang Prabang, Laos 12-11-09

Driving from Vang Viang to Luang Prabang was one of the windiest and rollercoaster-like drives I’ve ever been on. The road wasn’t straight for more than 3 seconds before winding around another curve on top of these massive mountains. As the sun was setting the views were incredible and after the sun went down, not a single light was in sight.

Unfortunately for Will, his partying caught up with him a bit and he was starting to feel a little ill on the ride; he thinks it might be food poisoning. Our private mini-van which seats 9-12 was the perfect size for the three of us to stretch out in and enjoy our trip to Luang Prabang. Our driver took us directly to the Spicy Laos Hostel in LP and as soon as our heads hit the pillow we were fast asleep.

Breakfast in the morning was at an English style bakery/deli. We ordered up and enjoyed as we soaked in this new city. Luang Prabang has a way of making you feel instantly relaxed and comfortable. It’s a very small and quiet town where everything is within walking distance. The people here are extremely friendly and everyone says Sa-ba-dee (“hello” in Laos) to you as you pass by. This city is quiet and has a curfew of 11:00pm when everyone is supposed to be back in their homes. The purpose of this is to keep the streets calm and safe. Although there is a curfew, it is not strictly enforced and if you wanted to wander the deserted streets at night, you could- although no one would be around and nothing would be open. The only place that is open past 11:00pm is a bowling alley which is located 15 minutes away from our hostel by tuk-tuk and is a popular spot amongst backpackers.

After breakfast the three of us walked to the local market which is open every day and at night turns into a massive shopping district of endless souvenirs. Will started to feel ill and headed back to our hostel to have a rest, while Rich and I checked out a pagoda in town, stopping first in a few adventure companies to see if we could arrange a nice trek for the next couple of days.

We both had heard Luang Prabang was the place to trek, it’s known around the world as a fantastic outdoor and trekking city; so, we went to about six companies to see who could give us the best price on a two day trip that involved cycling, trekking, kayaking, and riding on elephants. All the companies seemed similarly priced and all used the same route, ie: biking on the same road and staying at the same village. One company though, Affordable Adventures, had a different route and a different village to visit and stay with. They also seemed less commercial, more unique, and promised it would only be us on the trek (as opposed to other companies who would bring up to 12 people along). We left with a plan to speak with Will first about the trip to see if he would be up for it since his stomach was still recovering.

Rich and I scoped out the temple and on the way back walked through the large night market. Passing through, all you see are endless tents displaying shirts, scarves, jewelry, aprons, shoes, pillow cases, blankets, animal figurines, lanterns, toys, bags, metal swords, and more! Inside the market is a 5,000 kip (59 cent) vegetarian buffet dinner we were told about from our hostel. We paid up and piled our plates high with lo mein noodles, bok choy, sweet potatoes, stir fried vegetables, bamboo shoots, pasta noodles, papaya salad, cucumber salad, and all sorts of delicious veggies. The food was incredible and we decided then that we would eat here every day.

We had a quiet night at our place and planned to check out a large waterfall in the morning. Thankfully by the next day Will’s stomach was starting to feel better and we took a tuk-tuk thirty minutes away to Kouang Si, a large waterfall in Luang Prabang. On the walk to the falls we passed an Asiatic Black Bear Rescue Center and we were able to see a few little black bears playing and eating. The area around the waterfall is really beautiful and lush. Little streams trickle down paths all around and deep green trees and foliage are everywhere. It’s a very nice shaded place to be, incredibly relaxing.

And then we heard it, the thunder rumbling sound of rushing water crashing down a waterfall. This waterfall was massive, about 200 feet and stunning! Will and I got in the freezing cold water and got as close to it as we could without jumping in; we felt the strong gust of wind from the crisp water hitting our skin and I let out a squeal with a huge smile on my face!

On the left side of the waterfall were stairs that lead us up to the top of the falls. The wooden stairs quickly turned into tree roots and rocks as we hiked to the top. The hike up was one giant stone step after the next and 30 minutes later we had made it. Above the waterfall is a quiet area of still water inside a forest. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought I was at the bottom of a waterfall by how tranquil and calm it was. The shade from the trees provided a cool ambiance and it was nice to rest up there and enjoy the view from above.

We walked down the other side of the falls on the way back, which was much steeper and more treacherous since we had wet feet now. It was more like sideways ski hopping or sliding than walking. Will’s foot started to hurt him from a wound he got a month ago (he kicked some coral while snorkeling in Vietnam a few weeks ago), the scrape got infected and now was surfacing and beginning to bother him. He somehow managed to hike down this steep slope by mostly using his one good foot for strength and balancing on the tippy-toes of his other; again, kudos to Will. When we got back into town we booked a two day trek from Affordable Adventures that would begin at 8:30am the following morning and the three of us had the vegetarian buffet again before calling it a night.