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Rather than taking the bum-numbing 2 day boat trip to Luang Prabang we decided to head to the recently opened northern trail. Only a few years ago it was too hard to travel through the north and we found it to be a blessing.
We headed to Luang Namtha and gathered a group of travellers and spent a day kayaking along the border of a national park. We visited villages who receive 30% of our kayaking fee to maintain their original way of life and not turn to making cheap textiles and pushing them on tourists. These are migrants from southern China and still believe that a photo can steal their soul. They gave each of us a small hand woven bag as a gift of appreciation.
From here we spent a whole day going only about 200km! to Udomxai. There wasn't much to this provincial capital except the best food we'd ever eaten. As this is a major economic hub for China, Laos, and Vietnam the food has evolved into a force of its own and we ate like kings. We then moved on to the jewel of the north; Nong Kiaw.
This is really 2 little towns straddling a river and connected by a bridge. although there are a few bamboo bungalows along the river, the old way of life plays out before your eyes as people play, fish, bath, and clean clothes in the river before you. We were lucky enough to be there for a provincial festival and people from many villages came to celebrate. One morning a 1.8metre Cobra went right passed the balcony! We rested here for a few days before draggin ourselves on.
We made our way down the most spectacular river to Laung Prabang. we passed people who's decendants have lived of the river the same way they were for centuries. Naked children playing, boys and men fishing, as we cruised down small rapids in a long boat. at the end our driver 'ran out of fuel' and tried to paddle us the remaining 20km to the town. It was only after half an hour and a request for a refund that he pulled over and syphoned off some fuel from another boat.
Luang Prabang is the most touristed part of Laos but still has a very laid back feel. We enjoyed this place and spent a whole day out at a local water fall. luckily it started to rain and we swam in beautiful waterfalls all alone. Here is also a sun bear refuge and it was great to see these guys given a second chance after being recued from poachers. An early moring rise allowed us to watch the hundreds of monks from this town gather their food from the townsfolk in a centuries old unbroken daily tradition.
Another 7 hours to cover 240km brought us to the small town of Vang Vieng which has exploded due to the backpacker scene. Here we rented bikes and cycled out of the town to a small lagoon and floated down the river in an old tube. Along the river are heaps of bars, flying foxes and swings into the water. some of these swings were huge and we did see a few people wipe-out.
So after only 2 weeks of all that we find ourselves in the capital; Vientiane. Lots of French influence is still present here with good pastries and baguettes, plenty of textiles and some great Wats and Stupas. Tonight we'll head south in search of the irrawady dolphins.