Laos

A friend of mine joined me for the Thanksgiving holiday. We decided that while we only had about 4 days we would take a trip to Laos. We determined to make every hour count for 2! We left Bangkok Wednesday at 8 pm and traveled by train to the boarder of Thailand and Laos. After the 13 hour train ride we arrived and made our way across the boarder and into Vientiane, Lao's capitol city. Here we saw several temples, some museums, enjoyed wandering the city and enjoyed a nice long massage. We spent about about 36 hours in Vientiane and then we were off to Vang Vieng known for the variety of outdoor activities from biking, to rafting to climbing. The drive to Vang Vieng we took in an old rickety bus packed with people and a variety of goods being transported to various locations along the way. The drive was spectacular as we headed up into the mountains, passed bamboo homes on stilts and witnessed daily life. The country is so lush with vegetation. The road was shared by vehicles, motor bikes, villagers walking to their destinations and livestock. As we passed villages children were often playing along side the street as homes are built by the road side. As evening set in villagers scrubbed down their children and themselves. The color of red chilies drying out under the sun was a nice contrast against the brown bamboo homes with thatched roofs.

We rose early in the morning to enjoy the sunrise. While I was exhausted it was worth it! The light against the tall mountains and the reflection off the water in the Nam Ngum river was spectacular! As we walked we crossed several swinging bridges from one side of the river to the other. It got a little snug when we had to share the narrow bridge with a motorbike loaded with who-knows-what on all sides. I was unsure the bridge would bear the weight but was gladly mistaken! Along the path we happened upon a small group of monks receiving food gifts from the villagers. Buddhists believe that one way to gain merit is to make such offerings to monks. After receiving their gifts the monks sung a little chant and went on their way wandering through town. There is something about the orange gowns that is very moving. Perhaps it reminds me of my own missionary experience in Spain so many years ago.

Unfortunately we didn't have time to enjoy any of the outdoor activities Vang Vieng had to offer. After our morning speed walk we jumped on a mini bus and enjoyed another beautiful drive to Luang Prabang. Our front row seats were GREAT as we winded our way up the mountain side. Hairpin turns for hours made for an exciting drive. Villagers carried firewood on the shared roads. Clothes were scrubbed down on the road, more bare bottomed children playing gleefully. Older children caring for younger ones. I contemplated how I would do living in such a different world than my own. What did girlfriends do together when there are no malls to shop in? no internet to facebook or blog. It seemed that friendships were made and cemented in working hard side by side attending to the most important tasks...running a family. Farming, collecting fire wood, building fences, washing clothes, cooking...all done together as family and friends. From my own upbringing I know that working together brings families closer together. It deepens friendships. Sharing burdens builds bonds.

We arrived in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. We found a place to stay and started exploring. We climbed the sacred hill, enjoyed the view of terraced fields along the Mekong River, enjoyed several temples and were mesmerized by the chanting of monks in the temple. There is something so beautiful about people coming together to worship a higher power and express their loyalty and gratitude. I made sure to express my own gratitude to a loving God for the many blessings in my life that night.

We tore ourselves away from the monks and ran to the Royal Theater to enjoy a night of traditional music and dance. The monkey did an excellent job of playing his role as he saved the princess from committing suicide. And the young girl dancing amid all of the much older dancers stole the show with her flawless performance. A nice evening would not be complete without a spectacular dinner! We headed to 3 Nagas for a dining delight! Black, wild, Lao sticky rice, buffalo curry and fish cooked in banana leaves were what we selected from the mouth watering menu. Ah, and creme brulee to polish it all off. Such a wonderful treat! But as all things must come to an end...we had to hurry off and get some shopping done before the night market closed. We only had 30 minutes...or so we thought. As we approached most of the booths had already started breaking down. Normally shopping at markets is a long drawn out process as you go back and forth throwing out prices and making counter offers. I've learned that showing up as people are packing up is a great time to shop! This is when the best bargains are to be found. Let's just say I got a few Christmas gifts! Sorry...i'm not revealing any secrets. You'll have to wait to see what Santa brings you. :-)

Oh! how could I have forgotten to mention the most important detail! While running back and forth from place to place Edgar and I decided that we would spend our last day on an elephant excursion! We booked our adventure for the next day. Riding an elephant has long been on my list of "things to live for". I just didn't realize I'd get the chance so soon after being here!!

Oh, but before we get there...so much more to tell you! :-) We woke early again hoping to enjoy the sunrise and get some good photos. We also wanted to see the procession of monks through the city collecting offerings. We walked outside our hotel door (I think we woke the attendant up to have him let us out of the hotel...oops) and down the street a little ways. We found what we were looking for. It was a sight to behold! A long line of orange robed monks. Their ages ranged from young to old. As we followed them towards the city center the streets became crowded with locals and tourists lined up to make their offerings. The monks bowls were overflowing with rice, bananas and other gifts. My favorite was watching a few monks lined up to make their offerings to other monks. It really was very beautiful.

After that our wanderings continued through the city and we found the fruit and vegetable market. We wandered through, purchased mangosteen and mandarin oranges but declined the insects and river weed. Then it was off to breakfast. We found a great restaurant overlooking the river. An amazing view made breakfast so delicious! We gobbled it down, ran to the hotel, packed, checked out, dropped our luggage and ran to the meeting place for our ELEPHANT ADVENTURE!

The excitement inside me was hardly containable! We drove several kilometers outside the city where the elephants are kept. These are retired logging elephants who can't be returned to the wild as they no longer know how to live in the wild and would not survive. So, they "earn their keep" giving tourists like me an opportunity to live their life long dreams! If you know me pretty well you are aware that I own a chair that sits atop an elephant. Well, I finally got to sit in one of those chairs ON an elephant!!! And then I got off the chair and sat on the neck of my sweet elephant and off we went! She was hungry so she kept getting side tracked which I didn't mind cuz I could totally relate! ;-) It was fun to feel her shoulder blades underneath me, shifting her weight as we went along. Our elephant guide enriched the experience by singing all along and teaching us how to guide the elephant with Laotian phrases (forward, right, left). I savored every moment, the touch of her course hairs and thick dry skin. The feel of her ears flapping and hitting my legs and feet...It was beautiful! We walked down a very steep hill and I felt like I was going to fall out of my seat! Luckily Edgar did a great job of keeping her on track and our sweet elephant maintained her balance. Then we waded through the river and then back up a hill and home. All along I couldn't think of any elephant songs to sing! Sad.

After the amazing elephant ride we took a boat up the river to some beautiful waterfalls. I wasn't prepared for a swim but I soaked my feet in the water after a small hike. We got back into the boat and headed back. The river was dotted with different people fishing, gathering river weed, snails and who knows what else, presumably to be sold at the market the next day. It was fun to watch them.

We got back to town at 2:00 and our flight left at 3:40. We had just enough time to make a run to the Royal Palace Museum. We toured the museum in a record 10 minutes. I don't recommend doing the tour that fast but I highly recommend the museum. There just wasn't enough time to see it all slowly but we had to pack it in!

Off we rushed to the airport...fell fast asleep on the plane and returned to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. WOW! There you have it! My long winded summary of a short but spectacular trip! It's bed time so I'll post photos tomorrow. And in case you had any doubt...I LOVE living out here! it is a dream come true. Thanks to all of you for your support as I've made this transition! I love you all!!!

I've attached some photos taken by Edgar and some video of our ride on an elephant and the monks chanting...enjoy!