Chelsea’s RTW Travel Log

Arriving in Laos

Laos pronounced “Lao” is a communist country. There’s nothing Western about Lao, with the exception of the never ending Spring break tubing down the river in Vang Vieng, but that’s another story entirely (more on that later).

We arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos, flying in from Chiang Mai, Thailand. At first, we thought we’d stick around in Chiang Mai for a month, relax, recharge — but that was short-lived. After about a week, we decided to move on so that we could see more of South East Asia.

As soon as we entered Lao, I started yaking. I don’t know if was the meat biscuit I accidentally choked on during the descent into Laos or the fact that there were no medical facilities for at least a days drive. First it was me, and then the bacteria started attacking Justin. As soon as I was digesting again, Justin was up all night counting his peas and carrots (poor guy).

The Lao Culture

After a couple days in Luang Prabang (a small UNSECO World Heritage village near the Mekong River), we flew standby to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Because of the French influence in Laos, there are amazing baguettes available anytime. The people are friendly, but very few of them speak English, even in the more touristy areas. Justin and I have gotten become familiar with saying “hello” and “thank you in the local languages.” We’ve also become akin to our own form of sign language.

Laos has suffered much hardship over the decades, reported as the most bombed country (per capita) of all time. As one of the most impoverished countries in the world, they do have the luxury of having a small population. The air is clean and time stands still.

Luang Prabang & the Morning Market

When we were in Luang Prabang, I stepped upon what I consider to be one of the most real things I’ve seen in my life – the morning market. They sold everything on the street, with nothing more than banana leaves between chunks of meat and the street. There was produce, rice, snake meat, and fish that were still breathing. There were shoes and wool scarves, sold alongside whole chickens and pigs feet. In my world where everything is constantly spinning, everything slowed down. Life became effortless, alive, and simpler than I have ever understood. There were no tourists, just the noise and commotion of the market – a sensational experience I will never forget.

Vientiane, Laos

When we arrived in Vientiane, we took a day trip kayaking. The trip to get to the river was 2+ hours on bumpy, gravel back roads, but it was well worth the ride. There were a bunch of other young people (about 8 of them, an Aussie and 7 Germans) on the trip, most of them expats living and working in Vientiane. Most of them spoke local the local language in addition to English and their native language. I was surprised to meet young people with paying jobs in Laos. It turns out, there’s an infrastructure to build! One guy worked with titling and property rights, another on IT database integration for the Mekong River Group: Burma, Vietnam, and Laos.

On another day, we went sightseeing in Vientiane. Wat Pha That Luang is an important cultural symbol and a great source of pride for the Lao people.

Our next stop was the Buddha Park, about 25km outside of Vientiane. We decided to hire a tuktuk driver for the afternoon since it was quiet a ride out there. I’ve been reading Everday Zen, so the huge stone carved Buddha’s in a park amongst the trees were a real treat.

Justin’s 28th Birthday

Several days ago, we celebrated Mr. Beckham’s big 28! Boy was that a challenge. I had no idea where we’d be on his special day, so there wasn’t really much planning I could do. First we went to get massages at the Papaya Spa a little outside of town. He said he wanted a steak for dinner, so I made reservations for that. I ended up surprising him with a huge, chocolate cake – complete with candles. So, he got his birthday wish. Oh, and I got him a silly neck tie (see below) and a makeshift card constructed out of wrapping paper and a postcard. We had a great time celebrating.

Vang Vieng, Laos

Up next, we visited Vang Vieng, home of endless Friends re-runs, crappy western food, and drunken inter tubing. We heard a lot about it from all of the other backpackers, so we had to see what all of the fuss was about. It turns out; Vang Vieng looks much like Yosemite, but the town itself is a tourist trap. I have to admit, eating pizza and watching Friends was a nice diversion from roughing it.

Indeed, we participated in the experience of tubing the river. It’s is like a never-ending episode of MTV’s Spring Break. There are hundreds of college clad twenty-something’s sipping on bottles of Beer Lao, soaking up the sunshine, partying along the river. The bars have platforms with bumping sounds systems, water slides, zip lines that plummet you into the river, and 50 ft trapeze-like rope swings. Oh, and don’t forget the buckets of liquor and beer. Good thing the ATM machines weren’t working that day or I would have drunk an unsavory amount right before swinging hundreds of feet into the river.

Here’s a video of the rope swing. It’s not my video, but it’ll give you an idea.

After a long day on the river, we sought refuge at a café serving up sandwiches and fresh episodes of Friends (what else?). As we returned to our bungalow, Laos’ revenge crept up on me again. I’m fine now. But, I don’t trust Beer Lao. Justin and both had separate incidences of getting sick from drinking a bottle of the local brew.

Our place in Vang Vieng, at Ban Sabi Bungalows:

Anti-Malarials

Ah, regarding prophylaxis (Malaria pills), I’m not taking them. Don’t worry, we’re using lots of DEET. Locals, expats, and many travelers don’t take the pills unless they are going deep into the jungle. We’re still at risk and if I get a fever, I will get checked out immediately. It just doesn’t make sense to take antibiotics for a month and a half. If you have access to Malarone, that seems to be the best stuff with the least amount of crude, everlasting side effects. They don’t sell it in SE Asia though (with the exception of Singapore and Hong Kong).

Up Next

Today, we’re headed to Hanoi, Vietnam. We’ve reserved the rest of our trip since it’s high season in SE Asia these days. We’ll be in Hanoi for a bit, and then off to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap, Hong Kong, and then SFO.