Bonjour from Luang Prabang, Laos, where my Lao guesthouse grandma and grandpa Khiew and Pan communicate with me in French. A lot of "Oui, oui...Quoi?"...My French has declined considerably but it's nice to have a chance to practice.
Where was I? Oh yes, back to my trek.
Which was very good. My trek in Thailand also had an international crowd but with a group of 5 Americans balancing out the Europeans, and it seems like there was less cultural exchange occurring. This year we had a lot of interesting conversations, and I rather enjoyed being the only American. We also actually hiked...up and down and up and down. It was a welcome workout.
The night at the village was enjoyable because, 1) (as I've already mentioned) no commercial activities occurred, and 2) when we were sitting around the campfire looking at the millions of the stars in the sky and drinking lao lao, or rice whisky brewed in a stone jar, some of the Khmu teenagers came to hang out and drink with us. Communication was limited as they couldn't speak much English, but it was nice to just spend time doing something that all human beings seem to enjoy, regardless of culture or ethnicity. The teenagers, despite living in a remote village, were dressed in tight jeans and patterned sweatshirts, like teenagers all around the world. One of them blasted Lao pop music from their phones, thus providing the soundtrack for the night.
After the trek I got myself on a bus towards Nong Khiaw, a riverside town near amid some of Laos' best karst scenery. During one of the breaks the bus took (and there were many...the "slow pace of life" in Laos is no joke) I met Nina, a German woman with whom I have been traveling since. We stayed together in Nong Khiaw and then took a 6 hour boat ride town to Luang Prabang, the touristy "must-see" ancient-city-on-the-Mekong. We've been here for 2 days, exploring the area and navigating the seemingly endless "ethnic" market (full of many beautiful things, some of which I suspect have been mass produced in China!).
After the quietness of Luang Namtha and Nong Khiaw, Luang Prabang seems like a zoo. We got a taste as were on the boat, nearing some caves that are 25km up the river, and suddenly there were boats and boats full of white people with cameras. Ok, so Luang Prabang is a lot more touristy that I had anticipated, but it has still been enjoyable. However, prices are higher because of the influx of European and American senior citizens who are getting their exotic Asia experience late in life...and in comparative luxury! Luckily I have Nina to split the room! Unfortunately we are splitting ways soon.
Our adventure today--Mom and Dad, don't get too worried--was renting motorbikes to ride out to some villages with weaving studios outside of the city. We thought the bikes would be automatic, but it turned out they were manual, which made it feel quite bit more daunting. But now I have the hang of it...but not before breaking a sideview mirror. Whoops. Luckily I only had to pay 50,000 kip or $6. Whew. But now I've conquered one of my life fears! I've always been intimidated by motorcycles, but to know that I can ride one, even just a small one, really feels good. But I don't plan on donning the leather any time soon. I prefer a non-motorized two-wheeled vehicle!
Tomorrow it's off to Phonsavan to see some neolithic stone jars scattered in a field. Good times!
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