VietnamHo Chi Minh CityXóm Chiếu10°46’5” N 106°41’33” E November 4, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
We got out of the city early today, as it was an hour and half drive to My Tho, the capital of Tien Giant Province. Our first stop was the Vinh Trang pagoda. There were several enormous Buddha statues on the grounds, as well as a temple, where monks live, learn, and meditate. While I was checking out the reclining Buddha, a young man (9 years old?) approached me, “Hello. I am learning English. May I interview you to practice my English?” He was so cute. Of course, he could. He then proceeded to ask me questions like, “Where are you from?” “What is your favorite color?” “Where are you traveling in Vietnam?” And so on. When he was done, he gave me a little box, as a thank you gift. When I opened it, there were several small origami figures. It was very sweet, and I was grateful that I had stopped.
Once I was done with the interview, we walked to the temple entrance. The temple interior has carved wood throughout the building. Dragons and lotuses popped out from the walls, while vines were carved up the pillars in front of the altar. The architecture is much different than Myanmar and reminds me of the pagodas I saw in Japan.
The drive was short from the pagoda to the Mekong River. We boarded a small wooden boat that ferried us across the river to one of the islands. There were several activities planned for us. First we toured a coconut farm and purchased some candy, similar to taffy but made from coconuts. Next, we took a horse drawn cart through the town, on our way to an amazing boat ride. The small boats are powered by (mostly) women, very similar to the gondolas in Venice, but without the Italian food. The boat meandered through a narrow channel that eventually connected with the Mekong. Along the way, water palms, which look like bamboo, created a wall along each side of the channel and provided shade overhead. When we arrived at the Mekong, our previous boat was waiting for us. The captain navigated us across the river to our lunch stop. We had an enormous lunch, which we were told was traditional Vietnamese. It started with a full fish, from which spring rolls were made. Those were followed by soup, one large shrimp in lime juice, then fried rice and morning glories (think spinach’ish). The whole meal was finished off with grilled coconut paper, which tasted like flat fortune cookies. Following lunch, we boarded the boat again back to our original harbor and on to the van for a return to HCMC.
We spent the evening in the park, watching games and enjoying the atmosphere. Russ had taken a seat on a park bench and soon he had two young women talking with him. When we walked over, several younger kids appeared and everyone wanted to practice their English. We must have spent at least an hour conversing with the kids, who wanted to grow up and be things like an astronaut, an economist, and a stand up comedian. It was hard to pull ourselves away from the kids; they were so appreciative and eager, but we still needed to eat. We left the park for an Indian joint, where we finished the night with some traditional dishes, before returning to the hotel.Read more
VietnamTỉnh Cao BằngNa Lac22°48’29” N 105°41’8” E
November 5, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
We’ve had an Australian join us. Leah is from Brisbane and had a great sense of humor, so we were glad to have her. The five of us spent most of today traveling to, walking around, and returning from Cu Chi. The village sits north and west of Saigon, about two hours by car. Cu Chi was the location of an American base, during the Vietnam War; however, the Viet Cong’s (VC) headquarters where close by for a period of time. The attraction is an enormous network of tunnels that the VC used, during the war. After arriving, the guide took us into the jungle to learn more about the tunnels. There were many false entrances, which had booby traps, so each were pointed out to us. The traps were gnarly; not meant to kill but meant to severely wound a soldier. Once a soldier was injured, another soldier or two would need to take him out of combat, which meant fewer enemy troops to fight for the VC. The construction of the tunnels was complex. Faux termite hills were used to cover air vents, and the tunnels also had access to fresh water. Although the VC could stay underground for days, if necessary, the conditions were difficult. The passageways are very small, making it almost impossible for the average size American soldier to get through the tunnels. I crawled down into a couple of areas and would have been forced to wiggle on my stomach to get through the hole. I didn’t.
The US tried to eradicate the tunnel dwellers by dropping agent orange into the holes, flooding the entrances, and bombing the heck out of the area (explosion craters are still quite obvious). Despite the efforts, the VC continued to use the tunnel network. Overall, there is about 75 miles worth of tunnel. Our guide took us to the area, where you can enter one of the tunnels and travel (crawl, shuffle) about 100 meters. There are openings about every 15 meters, so those who are claustrophobic or tired can come back up. We started with a group of five. Russ came up at the first 15 meters because he has bad knees and transiting the tunneling requires ducking low and shuffling through a narrow space. At the next 15 meter mark, Carolyn went up to join Russ. They walked along the path above ground, while we climbed through the tunnel. Near the end, we were reduced to crawling, in order to get through a narrow passage, but the three of us made it the complete 100 meters. It was definitely taxing on my quads. Not only was I amazed at how the VC moved around in the tunnels, I can’t imagine what it would have been like to live in such dark quarters for long periods of time. The experience of being in the jungle and visiting the tunnels was solemn. It really gave me a different view of the war.
Following the tunnels, we returned to HCMC for a quick tour of the city. One of the stops was the old post office, which is a great example of French architecture. It sits just across the street from Saigon’s “Norte Dame” Cathedral. Our guide pointed a dilapidated building in the near distance. He then took a picture out of his pocket and I knew instantly what it was. Or had been. You’ve seen the the picture. It’s a black and white photo taken as the last helicopter is loading south Vietnamese from the roof of this building. It is a harrowing picture, as the line of families desperately stand on the rooftop, hoping to get on the last helicopter to take them to the awaiting American naval ships, but you know that all of them are not going to make it. It made me think of our friend Anhgus, whose Vietnamese mother worked for the American embassy at the time. She was lucky, as she was tipped off to the fall of Saigon and able to get the family out. Although they had very little, they were able to make it to America, and Anhgus is now a successful American women, who we are privileged to know.
We finished the day at the Royal Palace. It was the president’s quarters and office prior to the end of the war. It is a beautiful building and serves as a museum now. Once we wrapped up the city tour, we were deposited at the airport for our flight to Hanoi. Tomorrow we will do another city tour, but we’ve heard that Hanoi is a city much different than HCMC.Read more
VietnamThành Phố Hà NộiHoàn KiếmHoan Kiem Lake21°1’54” N 105°51’19” E
November 6, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
We got to our hotel in Hanoi around 12:30 am this morning and were out the door eight hours later. Benjamin met us in the lobby for our city tour. We started with a splash! The first stop was a beautiful pagoda on West Lake. In the back of the pagoda is a bodhi tree, given to Vietnam by India, during an official diplomatic visit. We circumambulated three times for good luck, then entered the pagoda to admire the interior. Behind the altar was a successive row of Buddha statues, growing larger the farther into the structure they went. At the foot of the altar sat an old nun, quietly chanting and looking a fair bit like Yoda.
Our next stop was my favorite, mostly for the creepy factor. We got our tickets and entered the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum site. On the grounds, we started in a long line of tourists, snaking around the Mausoleum. We finally got to the building and the procession headed up the stairs. There were a lot of guards standing watch and occasionally correcting the visitor for using their cell phone (not allowed) or wearing sunglasses (disrespectful). It was the one time that I really felt like I was in a communist country. The whole visit was very regulated and we were constantly under watch. We entered on the left side of the building, made a sharp right turn, then came down some stairs. We entered the large, darkened room, that is kept at an unnaturally cool temperature. Then, there in the middle of the room, is Ho Chi Minh’s body. He is laying with his hands crossed in a dark, traditional Vietnamese outfit. He doesn’t look any different than when he died almost 50 years ago. We later learned that he makes annual trips to Russia, where they do maintenance and then send him back for display. Around his encasement stand four guards, one on each corner, at attention in their crisp, white uniforms. Apparently they have 30 minute shifts, and the body is guarded 24/7. As I reflect on the experience, it reminds me of those times when you see a bad accident on the highway; you don’t want to look, but you can’t stop staring. I just kept looking at the body, studying the face, as if it might come to life any minute. It was an extra ordinary experience, at the least.
We also took a spin through the Hoa Lo prison. It was initially built by the French, in the late 1800’s. First the killed everyone in the Hoa Lo village, then they took the land to construct the court, prison, and administrative buildings. (Ironic.) The prison was used first for criminals and later for political prisoners, as the Vietnamese sought independence from France. In one of the stockades, the guillotine that was used on many Vietnamese revolutionaries is displayed, including the metal receptacle for catching the head. To the right of the guillotine was a picture of three unlucky Vietnamese, recently separated from the rest of their bodies. I didn’t realize what I was looking at right away, as the black and white photo was very grainy from enlargement. Suddenly, I realized there was only a head; again, the highway accident effect, as I studied the unusual picture. You just don’t see things like that every day.
It was a short time between Vietnam’s independence from France (late forties) and the beginning of the “American” War, which saw the prison used for POW’s. You probably know the prison better as the Hanoi Hilton, and the location at which John McCain was held during his captivity as a prisoner of war. Although most of the prison has been flattened to make room for a new hotel, what’s left is enough to give you an idea of how horrible the conditions were throughout its operation as a prison.
We finished up the day with a couple of standard tourist activities. First we attended a water puppet show, which is a puppet show on water. The traditional show is performed on a “stage” which is actually water. Musicians sit on both sides of the water, while the puppeteers are behind a screen. The show consists of a series of stories, performed to music, with different puppets coming out and moving along the water. There were a couple of musical pieces that included numerous puppets that synchronized their movements perfectly on the water. It was interesting.
Following the water puppet show we hopped on pedicabs and took a ride around the old quarter. It reminded me of the French Quarter in NOLA. Rot iron work decorated balconies, with French doors swung wide open and welcoming the atmosphere below. The streets were active, with vendors trying to make sales and restaurants serving customers in sidewalk cafes. It was a lot to experience. Each block is dense with things to look at, sounds to hear, and smells to enjoy. There is so much going on that we could have gone around the block 10 times, and I would have thought it was a new destination each go around.Read more
VietnamTỉnh Quảng NinhHa Long20°56’58” N 107°4’30” E
November 7, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 75 °F
Leah’s here! Leah’s here! We were pleasantly surprised when Leah showed up at breakfast in the hotel this morning. We had hoped that her tour to Halong would be the same as our tour. We were very excited to get to spend some more time with our new Australian friend but were quickly disappointed when the transport arrived and Leah wasn’t on the van with us. “Are you sure your list doesn’t say Leah from Brisbane?” we all asked the tour guide. She double checked her roster and assured us that no one by the name of Leah was going to Halong in the van with us. Sadly, we bid Leah a farewell, holding out hope that we might see her on the bay.
It was a three and a half hour van ride to the city of Halong, where we arrived just a little early for our 12:30p transfer onto the boat. As we were called for our tender, I saw Leah talking with Kim. Apparently, she will be on the same boat with us but just had a different transport from Hanoi. We followed our guide, Ling, to the tender, which motored us a few minutes away to our boat. Kim and I, Carolyn and Russ, and Leah are all on the first floor right next to each other. The accommodations are beautiful. Although the outside of the “Garden Bay” could have used a fresh coat of paint, the inside was a gorgeous, dark wood, with a marble bathroom.
Halong Bay is famous for its scenery. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, the area is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. In an area of about 1500 sq kilometers there are thousands of karsts jutting up from the water. The karsts are limestone monoliths with sheer cliffs, covered with the limited vegetation that can hang onto the steep terrain. The karsts are up to 100 meters (330 feet) in height. Our cruise is a 24 hour trip to get a taste of the area.
Ling warned us that we should expect to gain a couple of pounds during the next two days, and she may have underestimated. Lunch was a multi-course meal, starting with pumpkin soup, then continued with salad, prawns, spring rolls, steamed rice, vegetables and sea bass. After stuffing our faces, we ventured into the bay on kayaks. The weather was sunny but not overly hot, so the kayaking was perfect. All around us the limestone karsts popped out of the emerald water. They rise sharply, with steep cliffs serving as home to a variety of trees and shrubs. Clinging to the sheer face, deep pink and red flowers waved in the breeze. We passed several local fishing boats and paddled by a pearl farm. I didn’t even know that you could grow pearls on purpose. Kim and I maneuvered to the floating dock and unloaded ourselves, as well as a few pieces of trash that we grabbed along the way.
Later in the evening, we had a “cooking class” led by the chef. We all had the opportunity to mix, stuff, and roll Vietnamese egg rolls. The cook fried them up, and we saw them a bit later as an appetizer to our full meal. They were served on the top deck of the boat, while we enjoyed drinks during happy hour. Our junk (boat type) was small, with 15 passengers. It provided plenty of room for us to lounge around and privately take in the scenery, if so interested.
Dinner was even more spectacular than lunch. It included: cucumber salad, Lotus salad, Russian salad, BBQ potato and corn, broccoli and cauliflower, BBQ prawn, BBQ fish, BBQ pork, oysters, beef stew, rice, fresh fruit and tiramisu. Yikes.
With our food hardly digested, we moved to the bow of the boat to watch Carolyn, Leah, and Russ fish for squid. Although they caught none, everyone had a good time bobbing the lure up and down. Four squid were nabbed by other guests, and we have been told they will be on a plate tomorrow. This place is so beautiful, I wish we could stay and wander around the karsts for a week.Read more
VietnamThành Phố Hà NộiHoàn KiếmHoan Kiem Lake21°1’54” N 105°51’19” E
November 8, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
The trip on the Bay ended way too soon. After breakfast we stopped at one of the islands and climbed a steep stairway to a cave. Once we went through the entrance, we moved into a large room, where Ling gave us a brief explanation of the cave. Walking through a passageway, we dropped into another large room, where the stalactites sparkled, when we shined our flashlight on them. The cave gets a lot of traffic, so the stalactites and stalagmites are not in great shape, but they are still beautiful, nonetheless. At the end of the second room, light rushed in from the outside. We stepped outside again, having transited the entire karst from the inside. Now we were looking out on the other side of the bay. We lollygagged for a few minutes, then we made our way back through the cave and down the rock face. We took a quick detour to the other side of the base of the karst, where a small sandy beach invited us to stay. Unfortunately, we are on a schedule, so Kim hunted for a few seashells and I took more photos before we headed back to the junk.
Back on the boat, we packed up our belongings and headed to the deck for more relaxing. The captain turned the bow toward Halong City, and we began our sad journey back to dry land. It would still take us three hours to get back, so I spent almost all of it on the top deck taking pictures and enjoying nature. Of course, before be arrived, the crew made sure to serve us one last meal. In this sitting, we had vegetable soup, banana flower salad, deep fried shrimp paste, stir fry beef, stir fry chicken, and an eggplant dish, complimented with steamed rice. As if that weren’t enough, it was finished off with a flan dessert, served with caramel sauce and fresh mango.
After disembarking, we took a van from Halong Bay back to Hanoi. We stopped along the way to drop off Leah. She was meeting a driver that would take her directly to the airport, instead of coming all the way into Hanoi, as the airport is a ways out of town. We said our goodbyes quickly and continued on our way. Back into town, we drove by an extensive and interesting bridge. The Long Bien bridge spans the shores of the Red River. Ling said that it was opened in 1903 but sustained serious damage during the Vietnam War. You can still see where parts of the bridge are missing, although it remains in operation. Ling had a different name for it: the Eiffel Bridge, as it was built by Gustave Eiffel, who you may know from a certain tower.
We arrived in the late afternoon, meeting later to do some shopping and grab a bite to eat. We shopped for some weasel coffee, which we learned was coffee fruit, previously eaten and then pooped out by weasels. The “passed” coffee beans are then roasted and brewed up for your sipping enjoyment. We bought the mixed bag (some pooped and some regular beans) and will give it a try at home. On the other hand, thanks to my brother, Philip Tong, I got a killer deal on NorthFace. That’s right. For $20 I got a brand new, 900 fill down jacket. Can’t wait to get home and try it out in the snow!Read more
CambodiaSiem Reap13°21’36” N 103°51’38” E
November 9, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌧 79 °F
We had the morning in Hanoi before moving on to Cambodia, and we made the most of it. I’ve been wanting to try egg coffee, so we searched out a shop with the drink on the menu. We ended up at Civet Coffee, where the woman opened the shop for us. Russ and Kim decided to try the civet coffee, while I went for the egg coffee and Carolyn had a frozen coconut milk cappuccino thing. Carolyn’s came out first, and it was like a dessert. Then, the barista brought out all the implements necessary for the civet coffees. There was the packet of the coffee, which is pre-measured, and then there was the coffee drip, the cup, the plate, the spoon, and the large bowl, into which she put the coffee cup. She filled the large bowl with boiling hot water to keep the coffee cup piping hot, as the coffee dripped in. Whilst the civet coffee was brewing, she stepped inside to start the egg coffee. What is egg coffee? Apparently during the war, Hanoi suffered a shortage of milk. Being cappuccino lovers, they discovered that an egg, whipped properly, could provide a foamy alternative. I watched the barista whip up the egg. She added some vanilla syrup and whipped some more. Before adding any coffee to the cup, she lined the bottom with a healthy portion of sweetened condensed milk. She then poured the robusta coffee into the cup, scooped the whipped egg onto the coffee, and sprinkled finely ground culi coffee on top. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the civet coffee was finishing up just before mine came out. Russ and Kim took a sip and...made some serious faces. The coffee was quite bitter and strong; “Stronger than espresso,” said the barista. No kidding. I had a taste and that was enough for me, but I had my egg coffee to get back to. Mine was also served in a larger bowl, with boiling hot water keeping the coffee hot. I was told that it is better to drink it quickly, while it’s still fresh, so I did. I stirred the contents, which seemed to be just fluff. I couldn’t even see any coffee in the mug, then I gave it a try. Oh my goodness! It was like a big, toasted marshmallow. It was amazingly delicious. I am going to scour the internet to find that recipe!
Once the coffee was done, we needed to walk the caffeine out of our systems, so what better than to do more shopping. I ended up getting a NorthFace gortex rain jacket, which Kim informed me will be my Christmas present. I also got a pair of Chacos. Everything was $20. I’m so glad a I brought an empty bag to stuff full of all these purchases.
We enjoyed pho one last time before heading to the airport. Our flight was about two hours to Siem Reap. We had to get a visa upon arrival, which was one of the most bureaucratic processes I’ve ever witnessed. We handed over our passport and the visa application, as well as $30. The immigration officer then handed the passport and paperwork to the guy next to him, who looked at it, then passed it to the guy next to him, who put the money in the drawer. From there, it was passed down 14 more people before I saw it again. As I waited for the passport, the immigration official at the end called me up to the counter. He said, “It should be about an hour,” and then laughed. It really only took about five minutes to move down the long counter before the second to last official did some stamping, and the last guy handed it over to me. His job was very important; making sure the right passport went to the right person. He opened my passport to the picture, showed it to me and said, “Is this you?” I replied affirmatively, and his job was done.
We all made it out fairly quickly and met Dom, our guide, with little trouble. He, and our driver, Ton, will be with us the next two days. Dom has the best English of any of our guides so far. Apparently he was a monk, when he was younger, and his temperament confirmed it. I’m looking forward to spending a couple of days with him. In the meantime, we took a tuk tuk to the night market to top off the evening. Although there was a lot going on at the market, it was nothing compared to the frenetic pace of Vietnam.
Before winding down tonight, I hopped on google and noticed an interesting google doodle. I clicked on it and learned that today is Cambodia’s Independence Day (from the French in 1953). It is clearly not celebrated like July 4th, but yea for them.Read more
CambodiaSiem Reap13°21’36” N 103°51’38” E
November 10, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
We started our day at Angkor Wat. Built in the 1100’s, It is one of the largest religious monuments in the world. As we approached the site, the first thing that was obvious was the giant moat surrounding the complex. The water was sparkling in the morning light, with green vegetation on both sides. After parking, we walked over a floating bridge, added recently to safely deliver tourists to the gate. As we crossed the bridge, the three towers were prominent on the horizon. The complex has been in use, since its construction, and there are about 20 monks currently living on site. The complex was built with lava rock and sandstone. It’s surprising that the sandstone has weathered as well as it has; however, it is a heavy rock and the bottom of the pillars show noticeable where from the weight. We were saddened at the sight of several beheaded Buddha statues. The antiquities have been raided over the years and sold to museums and collectors. Apparently a museum in Paris has several pieces, but they will not return them because Cambodia cannot “prove” they were taken from them. There was still plenty to look at. One temple represents Mt Meru, the center of the universe. How often do you get to stand right in the middle of the universe? The other temple has elaborate stories carved into the wall, encircling the entire building. One relief displayed the realms of heaven and hell, with the good people of earth walking between them. Down the wall to the right of center was a depiction of judgment at death, with a whole group of people headed downward.
It was very hot, so we were relieved to get in the van and head to Ta Prohm, or the Raiders of the Lost Ark temple. It was my favorite, mostly for the atmosphere. The jungle has taken over the complex, with banyan trees growing over and through the stone structures. It was an incredible sight; Angkor Wat would look the same, if not for being occupied all these centuries. Oddly, and the guide couldn’t give an explanation, there are two dinosaurs depicted in the carvings on one of the temples. Remember, these were built in the 1100’s, so I don’t understand how a carving that is very clearly a stegosaurs appears on the side of the building. Super weird.
My favorite part was the gate as we were walking out. On second glance I saw a face, then we realized there were four Buddha faces, each carved in the separate directions. Someone said something about Raiders of Lost Ark, so I guess I’ll have to watch it again and see if it’s there.
We drove an hour to visit Banteay Srie. Although our guide said that it was a temple, where women were allowed to worship, it was not built by women. The name means Citadel of the Women, so there was some confusion. Our guidebook said that how much women may have worked on it is still up for debate. The argument lies in the relief carvings. Some have argued that the carvings are so intricate that a man’s hand would have been too large to create the detail that exists. Regardless, it was a beautiful and peaceful site.Read more
CambodiaSiem ReapPhum Spéan Thmei13°21’32” N 103°51’50” E
November 11, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F
We started the day at Angkor Thom. As we approached the South Gate, there were Buddhas lining one side of the roadway and demons on the other (similar to the churning of the ocean of milk yesterday), while the gate is topped with four faces of Buddha, representing compassion, equinimity, sympathy and charity. We visited the Bayon temple first. I think it was my favorite, in Siem Reap. It has 54 towers, representing each of the provinces at the time it was built. Each tower then has four Buddhas, for a total of 216 Buddhas looking down at you, as you visit. The towers are different heights, depending on the size of the province; for example, a populous province would be taller than a less populated one. Surrounding the structure were extensive carvings that depicted a day in the life of your average Khmer. It was quite intricate, with scenes detailing such things as daily markets, a buffalo nursing its young, and a man stoking a fire; however, no dinosaurs. We stretched out our stay as long as we could, since all of us enjoyed it so much.
We eventually moved on to Baphuon, which is a three level, pyramid looking structure. There are few carvings to see on the building, but the view at the top offered a glimpse at the surrounding jungle. The steps were very steep and reminded me of the ones that take you above the tree tops at Tikal, in Guatemala. I’m sure they have visitors that get to the top and have a hard time coming down. Unlike the Bayon temple, which was a Buddhist dedication, with hints of peace toward Hinduism, the Baphuon is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva. We didn’t spend a lot of time here, as it was less spectacular than what we had been seeing, so we walked toward the Royal Palace. At the gate, a banyon tree had completely destroyed a building and as we walked by, we could see a few stone blocks stuck in the trunk. I suspect that all of it will be covered someday. We got through the gate and looked at Preah Pithu. We could not climb up because it has been closed for some time, due to a tourist diving from the top to his death. It, too, had a pyramid feel to it, with large lions guarding the building on the corners. This building was within walking distance of the king’s pools, as well as the Terrace of Elephants. The terrace sits high off the ground, and the supporting walls have enormous men and elephants carved onto the side. The terrace was used for the king to watch out over military exercises and other ceremonies, in a large area in front of the terrace. Across the meadow, there were 12 buildings, which we understood to be armories; one building for each type of weapon.
From here, we drove out from the grounds. We stopped in for lunch before being dropped at the airport, where we left for Laos. The flight was about two hours, and we experienced no problems getting through immigration. Our guide, Nik, definitely has the best English, yet. He was exceptionally friendly and helpful. He taught us a little Laotian, so that we can be polite with the locals. He also recommended a quick trip down to the night market. We made it about 20 minutes before we made our first purchase.Read more
LaosLuang Prabang19°53’35” N 102°8’10” E November 12, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Laos has been amazing. The people are incredibly gracious, and the atmosphere just feels different here. I would love to return to Luang Prabang and spend a month just walking the streets and enjoying fresh baked croissants, with a cup coffee, at a sidewalk cafe. The city is the old capital of Laos and still displays its French influence. The “downtown” area has been a designated UNESCO Heritage Site, so the whole area is protected and under strict regulation for development. It really makes for. A delightful place.
Our day started with a quick lesson on Buddhism before touring the Wat Xieng Thong. The temple, built in the 1500’s, was used by the royalty until 1975. It is a beautiful structure and there were very few people at the site while we were there. From the temple, we walked down some stairs, crossed the street, and continued down to the river bank, where a long boat was waiting to take us up the Mekong for the day.
Again, it was just the four of us and the two hour ride was enthralling. The Mekong is surrounded by jungle, where small homes pop up here and there. The banks are farmland during the dry season. The ground is extremely fertile, since the Mekong just dumped a bunch of fresh soil on the shore during the wet season. We saw corn and greens growing on both sides of the water. On occasion we spotted a fisherman, either on his boat or trying to catch fish from the shore. Oddly, we saw no water birds, but there were several buffalo and cows grazing in a few of the open areas, where jungle had been cleared. Our destination was the Pak Ou caves. There are two caves, crammed with over 4,000 Buddha statues. Originally, the king hid the valuable statues in th cave during war, to ensure they would be safe. Since then, the caves have taken on special meaning to the locals and have become a repository for Buddha statues big and small. The first cave is about two stories above the Mekong River. It is a large opening with thousands of Budddhas looking down on the visitor. It there is a nook or cranny, there is a Buddha statue in it. They are everywhere. Another 200+ stairs took us up to the second cave, where there were fewer statues but a much larger cave. There were probably stalactites and stalagmites at one time, but the cave has had a lot of use. It has a few different areas, where the Buddhas are concentrated, but in fewer numbers than the cave below. After walking up the steps, I can see why this cave is visited less than the other. It was warm and humid and the exercise certainly worked up a sweat.
The caves were as far north as we would travel into Laos. We motored back down the river to lunch, where we had a table on the bank of the Mekong. Apparently, and unbeknownst to us, this is the same restaurant where Barack Obama enjoyed fresh coconut juice, during his visit to Laos a couple of years ago. His picture seemed to indicate that the coconut juice was good, but I decided to have a bottle of water. I’m pretty sure I sweat out a liter or two at the caves.
We left lunch for what would become another top 10 moment on the trip. We drove into the mountains to visit Kuangsi Waterfalls. The falls originate from a spring in the mountain. There are three tiers to the falls, which create three pools, where swimming is allowed. The first pool was empty of visitors, and Nic lead us to the second pool. There were some good sized waterfalls feeding this pool, which we were told was a little deeper than the others. There were some basic dressing rooms, where we quickly changed into swimwear. I tossed my towel, grabbed my GoPro, and headed for the thick limb of the tree, where others were jumping into the water. It reminded me a little of Talofofo Falls, where we would go when we lived in Guam; except, the water in Guam was very warm, and I was remembering that this was spring fed, so probably not. I figured it couldn’t be that bad because other people were swimming. So, I climbed up the side of the tree, walked out to the edge of the limb, and mustered up the gumption to jump into the cool water. Wow! Cold! It was cold. Thankfully, it was relatively warm outside, so the water soon felt “refreshing.” We floated around a bit, swam to the back side of one of the smaller falls, and kicked over to the edge, where this pool spills down some smaller falls to the swimming area below. The water was a soft color of blue, and the jungle came right down to it. The place was serene; although Nic said that it gets pretty busy during the middle of the day. Fortunately, it was late afternoon, and there weren’t a lot of people in the area. Once we were properly cold, we slogged over to our towels and repeated the process in the changing room. When I came out of the changing room, Kim pointed at the sign on the tree, where I had leapt into the water: Danger! No Jumping. I swear I did not see it, even though I walked right by it. I hate it when tourists totally disrespect the rules, so now maybe I will tell myself that they just didn’t see the sign.
Once we were packed up again, we walked up to the next pool, which is fairly shallow, with smaller falls. Again, there was no one swimming in this pool, so we took a few pictures of the water. It was just a short walk up to the final fall, or the first fall, depending on how you look at it. This is the first fall that comes from the originating spring. It is about 150 feet high and fairly wide at the bottom. It crashed into the pool with enough vigor to spray visitors on the bridge over the pool. We took lots of pictures but mostly just enjoyed standing there and watching the water seemingly fall from the sky. What a great way to end the day!Read more
LaosVientianeVang ViengHouay Sang Au18°55’24” N 102°26’45” E
November 13, 2018 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
We started our day with another set of stairs. This time about 100 more than the caves. Before leaving Luang Prabang, we opted for a hike up Mt Phousi. The mountain is named after a hermit, who took residence in a cave and taught the people about Buddhism. At the top of the mountain is a stupa dedicated to the monk, Si. About halfway up, there is an overlook, where we took a few minutes to take pictures and enjoyed the view. A bodhi tree, given as a gift from India, provides shade and a place rest. But not for long. We commenced the stairs again, zigzagging our way to the top. The view of Luang Prabang was beautiful, and we took it in from all 360 degrees. In the distance we could see a large pagoda, as well as the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers; both flow on either side of the town. We descended on the other side of the mountain, where we got to see a Buddha footprint. This was on my bucket list, so I was very excited. Supposedly the Buddha left footprints both as a symbolic reminder of the path, as well as an actual demarcation of his presence. There are about 3,000 of these footprints in Asia, but I’ve never actually seen one. This one was preserved, with a small structure built around it. The footprint was about 5 feet long, with heel and toe impressions very clear.
Leaving Mt Phousi also meant leaving Puang Prabang. We drove south, toward Vang Vieng, with the intention of enjoying the scenery. Laos is about 70% mountains, so we were looking forward to taking in some beautiful views on our four hour drive, which included “comfort” stops and a lunch break. Unfortunately, the wet season was unkind to the roads, so the conditions made for a much longer drive. Also, there was rain and low lying clouds, so we didn’t get to see the peaks we had hoped. But there is always beauty to be had. The cloud covered peaks seemed mystical. Karsts shot up and into the heavens, and we could not tell how high. Occasionally, there would be a break in the clouds, and we could see that the mountains reached fairly high altitudes. One of the passes, where we got out and walked in the fog, was over 3,000 feet in elevation. We started out at about 1000 in Luang Prabang.
We stopped in a small village (Kari) for lunch, then worked our way south to Vang Vieng. Along the way, we saw several farms, where the rice harvest was underway. All of them were cutting the rice by hand. Sometimes there would be a single person cutting the rice and other times there would be a whole team of 6-8 people working the field. We watched as they swung a sickle across the stocks, leaving a wake of rice piles as they moved. We also saw farmers tending to other crops, such as hops, corn, and rubber trees. Cows and buffalos walked freely along the road, though we were told that you have to pay the other farmer, if your cattle tramples their land.
On arrival in Vang Vieng, it initially stopped raining, so we walked to dinner without our rain jackets, but we got to the restaurant in time to avoid the rain...and then a downpour. We weren’t in a hurry, so we waited. When 7:15 came, we decided it wasn’t going to stop raining, so we headed out into the weather. It was coming down slowly and it was warm, so it wasn’t bad. I’m just hoping that my clothes will be dry by morning.
I’m not crazy about Vang Vieng. Compared to Luang Prabang, it is louder and more active. We read that several years ago the government had to put a halt to some of the partying in the town, as it was getting out of control. It had become a heathen’s delight, where young backpackers drank themselves into stupors and did ridiculous things. It still has a party vibe and there are 20-somethings everywhere, looking as if they haven’t been home in months. I’m happy that we are only transiting here and leave for Vientiane in the morning. I don’t see myself returning here in the future.Read more
Traveler
Wow! That’s incredible!