fade into green
Friday, August 20, 2010 at 4:11AM 
from Pai, we took an overnight bus to the border town of Chiang Kong. the ride included a few switch arounds with other buses, people, parcels and by 2am we arrived. we had a 6am wake up call to get driven to the border. first order of business was taking a longtail boat across the river and to get visas done in a sea of foreigners huddled around waiting for their name to be called up for approval. i, of course, had overstayed my welcome in thailand and had to pay out a fine of 500THB per day. from there, we shuffled onto a boat for a two day boat ride down the mekong river. the mekong was all hues of khaki offset by the blazing green hills rolling off from it to the skies above. as i have to come to see as customary, all travels have pick-ups of all kinds, so we had many stops along the villages to pick up a traveller from one place or the other. all around us we were immersed with nomads with the same itinerary in mind - and to pass the time - books, music, refreshments and the mekong guiding us on our path. the first night we docked at Pak Beng - a little hillside town that has come alive due to the mekong trek. the rains came that evening and came strong. we did not mind. walking up and down the hills, letting the rain to cool us.
on the next day, Luang Prabang welcomed us.
we decided to venture into the old quarter to find our resting place for the week. we found a quaint little guesthouse off an alley, surrounded by vegetation. Luang Prabang has a beautiful French influence with excellent fresh baguettes and Lao coffee to start the day off. some fabulous art exhibits to browse as well, both at the French Institute and the Souiffon Gallery. We decided to have our first morning dedicated to rising at sunrise, and observing the 500+ monks make their way through town to collect alms. the monks were in age range from say 7+. the streets all draped in saffron. a visit to the Kuangsai waterfalls was very welcome, especially the stairwell at the top, those stairs felt like they could lead to nirvana... L'etranger is a must - bookstore, teahouse and daily movie showings upstairs. the walls are all decked out in rows and rows of National Geographics - this brought back memories of my father's study when i was young... he had a collection of these magazines that i would pass time and flip, flip through... maybe that aroused my curiosity and hunger for the world at large. night markets are an exemplary fare. i feel in love with the tribal textiles and patterns. the food night market is not so shabby either. it is set down a narrow alley with vendor after vendor of fresh feasting. they even had a coconut drink similar to my ancestral Indonesian cendol. the dinners here cost 10,000 kip. grilled meats, fish and vegs to fill any vegetarian's heart. a hidden treasure is Dyen Sabii. you follow a tiny string of lights down at the river and they have longtail boats to take you across the other side. follow the similar string of lights that lead to a bamboo encircled compound. utopia was good to pass the heat of the day, look out onto the mekong, read and quench your thirst with ingenuous juice concoctions. the town quiets down pretty early in the nights, bars close by 11pm but if you have some energy in you left, you can jump in tuktuk's to the local Lao disco. the parking lot outside was chockablock full of bikes as far as your eyes can see. they played a mix of Lao and Western, anything really to get your groove on... Lovely temples are also scattered throughout Luang Prabang. a wander uphill brings you to Wat That Pousi - it is a bit of steep climb but up there, views of green lush hills is great and golden Buddha statues are set against charcoal rocks. on the way down, Klat Pa is a gem with beautiful, natural paintings lining the interior. it was built in 1860.
Nong Khiew was next.
it is 3 hours north of Luang Prabang set on the Nam Ou river. the town is set between two cascading rock formations with a bridge adjoining the two parts of town. Here, like all of Laos, is inhabited by fleets and fleets of butterflies and dragonflies. this village is a very scenic spot and was perfect to take a breather for a couple of days. Vang Vieng was on our route - a town i was not so hyped up to visit but with it said, my time there was enjoyable. the surrounding countryside is idyllic and green, green. the champalao villa guesthouse made it comfortable too. the blue lagoon is picturesque and the color of that water was something else. getting there, is along a dirt road stretch for about 7km from vv. but the lagoon is definitely worth it. rains came during our outpost there but that rain made the blue and the green pungent in my eyes. the organic mulberry farm is a fantastic fresh, natural eatery with mulberry shakes and pancakes to restore some energy. vv was short and sweet but ready to move onto Plain of Jars.
migrating north on this 7 hour bus ride, the landscape changed, the hill formations changed. the bus rides have become a favorite part of my nomadic wanderings. i can soak in the country, people.. every time, i get butterflies in my stomach, anxious and excited. observing Laos in all its splendor of greens - mountains shifting from jagged peaks to rolling hills, village homes shifting from low, thatched dwellings hugging the peak to wooden structures set on stilts in the lowlands. the bus rides open up the coming and going of locals, friends, families. these rides are so enlivened with the daily life as well as giving me the time to just be a passive traveller, be with the countryside and dream away. the roads are windy with pencil turns, up/down, up/down and the vistas are views ranging from crisp skies to drenching fog swirling at the hilltops.
Phonsavanh, known for the Plain of Jars is up in the plateaus - cooler, brisker - a wild wild west town with a constant movement of sand passing through the main drag. one excursion, we went renegade style to get to the old capital of Muang Khoun. lots of gesturing and drawing to communicate; local tuktuk; local trucks etc... Surprisingly, the old capital even smaller in scale than Phonsavanh. We visited Wat Piawat (1564) and Foun Stupa (1576). Afternoons were spent at Nirvana, local hot spot filled to the brim with Lao hipster from 12+, all drinking large Beerlao's for 8,000 kip. The Plain of Jars is a sheer magic in the making for me. The sites are extraordinary. The actual history of how and what these jars are and came to be is still a mystery but one valid conclusion was that they were used as funerary vessels some 2000 years ago. paths are marked where the safe limits start and stop due to many unexcavated bombs that lie just below the grassy hills. Site 1's composition and Site 3's context set in the rice paddy fields were the top runners. these sites have a mystical feel about them... i also had a taste of Lao Lao. full proof, fermented sticky rice alcohol. it tasted similar to sake.
Now, we switch directions and head southbound to Si Phon Don (4000 Islands)
It was a marathon traverse - 12 hour bus to Vientiane, 14 hour bus to Pakse, 3 hour ride to Ban Nakasang, and then a quick 20 minute longtail boat ride across the waters to land us in Don Dhet/Don Khon. These islands are at the southern most tip of Lao with the mekong ending. Chill, laid back... days filled with bicycle rides all across the islands, rides leading to waterfalls and countryside and the simple pleasures of life. the dirt paths are filled with peacocks, geese, roosters, pigs, cows and a very cheeky monkey just by our guesthouse. he was trouble the minute i spotted him. always up to no good and one day, he had adopted a kitten that he tended to for hours and would not let go. coming from Phonsavanh, the climate changed and now back in the heat and humidity took some getting used to again. the bakery up the road was a regular for the afternoons - iced fresh ginger teas and baked goods of the day. Don Dhet has a sunrise and sunset side, both with views of khaki and green to seduce you with. the food has changed too since Luang Prabang i would say.. many more fresh spring rolls and pho to ease my appetite. these being such rustic, small island.. they did not have luxuries of ATMs and such... so boat rides were needed to get stocked up on these necessary supplies. Pool Bar is a good venue - food, library and of course, pool to hone my skills some. These islands are magical and untouched still. It is superb getaway where you can get lost but not too lost amongst the countryside and enjoying the simple pleasure of life.
Dreamy Laos...
Dreams of khakis and greens; dreams that smoldered me into coming back some day.
