WOWED IN LAOS

Monday, May 11th @ 17:50

Kevin

We left our beloved respite in Pai, for a return to the cultural capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai. We had to return here in order to catch our bus to Chiang Khong, at the border with Laos. But before we were to spend seven hours on a bus, we were to see to a couple of last minute accomplishments. The first was to enter the new blog post (see how we prioritize for your benefit?), then, it was off to have one last meal at our favorite little restaurant, Tanya, then, a stop in for two authentic Thai messages, and last, attend one more Muay Thai event.

The Thai messages were the first we had and were amazing. They require the assistance of the recipient as it is an interactive affair that includes, in addition to deep kneading, a series of twists, pulls, folds and bends. Unlike deep tissue messages back west, with the Thai massage you are fully clothed in traditional dress, consisting of fisherman pants and a light cotton guayabera type top. Our last Muay Thai fight attended involved four people I had trained with at the True Bee Gym in Pai. Three of the participants were the young Thai kids I had befriended, Yoddoi (Champion) 10, Areshi (Spikey) 11 and, Arenu (B-Boy) 14. The last was a farang, or foreigner, from Switzerland named Dadawoo, or Megadeath as he was more commonly known. The two youngest lost their bouts to opponents that appeared to be slightly over sized and older. However, they gave stellar performances, staying in for the entire five rounds and only losing only by decision. Many of the foreigners that had been training made it to the match and each of us was generous in our distribution of applause and praise to each of them for doing so great. Arenu, also being mismatched with a much older boy took a couple off heavy hits in the beginning that seemed to shake something loose as he returned by dominating the remaining four rounds and winning by a technical knock-out. He was, by far, the MVP of the evening. Then, there was Megadeath, who in his debut fight showed complete calm and poise as he slowly and methodically dismantled his Thai opponent, even proffering to show Western respect by buying him a beer after the match. We bought and enjoyed our own beers from any number of the lady boys tending the bar that evening. Overall, the event was incredibly exciting, though somewhat stressful, and it was great to be there as part of a team and to experience first hand the type of respect and pride that is the cornerstone of this national sport.

We arrived at Chiang Khong just in time to complete our exiting paperwork and take a ferry across the Mekong River to the city of Huay Xai (pronounced why-sai) on the Laos border. Again, a round of paperwork and a visa application and fee and we had once again successfully traversed another frontier. We crossed over in the ferry with three other travelers. We had dinner with one of them that night and he would be Matias from Germany. While indulging in our first Laotian meal, we invited another traveler to join us who was also named Matias and was also from Germany. The two Matias' and us spent an evening indulging in authentic cuisine, our first round of Beer Lao and a stroll through the wat (temple), where the monks treated us to a cacophony of drum beats and clashing symbols and into an adjacent neighborhood to meet a self proclaimed rapper and emcee who would give us an impromptu freestyle rap with verses in Lao, English, Spanish and French. We would return to our guest house forty-five minutes after it had closed, which was rather early, and would have to wake up the attendant before going to our rooms and retiring for the evening.





The next morning we would say our goodbyes as each of us was headed in different directions. Ours would be a two day long slow boat journey to Luang Prabang, with a night's stop over in Pak Beng. A slow and grueling ride in what is known as a long boat on wooden benches that was compensated by some of the most amazing scenery and river side glimpses into the lives of the local villagers. We saw albino buffaloes, naked, dancing children, limestone karsts jutting from the water and a fisherman holding up a catfish he caught that was almost as long as him. After an eight hour journey on the second day we arrived at the docks of Luang Prabang at the base of the Mighty Mekong.

Too tired to do anything, we had a small meal and retired for the evening. The next day, however, we had breakfast at a small restaurant located inside a UNESCO heritage site, a building constructed in 1935. We walked around the city, crossing the Khan River on an old rickety bamboo bridge and sat on a rock where the Khan and Mekong rivers converged, where we read the do's and don'ts of traveling in Laos and marveled at the fact that we were actually here. We also visited the wat (temple), stupa and statues at the top of Mount Phu Si, overlooking the city, where I would be touched on the shoulder by monks on two separate occasions. We would end the evening strolling through the night market and eating from various vendors on the street.






Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:47 AM

Idalis:

We have become very distrustful of our guidebook.

It's been our experience that if Lonely Planet describes a city as “bustling,” that usually means “chaotic.” “Charming yet confounding” is code for “the locals will rip you off” and “more adventure than holiday” just means “India.” It's very important to read between the lines! So, when our guidebook described Luang Prabang as “chanting,” “diverse,” and “perhaps the most sophisticated, photogenic city in the whole of Southeast Asia,” we took it with a grain of salt. But . . .

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

Luang Prabang, in northern Laos, is gorgeous. No wonder the whole city is a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site. French influence is still visible here, from its old French mansions to its delicious baguettes and coffee, both served with sticky sweet condensed milk! It has beautiful wats, green mountains, orange-robed monks, magnolia-laced streets, and loads of charm!

Yesterday, we decided to be masochists and rented bikes to cycle the 32 kilometers it took to get to Tat Kuang Si, a beautiful, multi-tiered waterfall. Although a scary ascent (Kevin made me do it!), the climb to the top of the mountain was the biggest reward. We found a tucked-away section where the limestone formations held a series of (cold!) turquoise-green pools of water. Although I threw a hissy fit to get there (Q: Why does Kevin always choose to ignore my fear of heights?) I'm glad I was forced. It was breathtaking, and the whole day is one we won't soon forget. We had a soggy picnic lunch (it started to rain) at one of the lower pools after sliding down the muddy path (I fell, of course!) but it cleared up just in time for Kevin to swing like a monkey off a hanging rope into one of the deep pools. Just so you know, he waited 20 minutes after eating so as not to get a cramp ;)





We could've hired a tuk tuk for the 32 kilometers back, but why make things easy? We hopped on our bikes and prayed for lots of downhill slopes. Some of it was so challenging and steep that we just got off the bikes and walked up, but the scenery was amazing: rice paddies, bright green mountains, and smiling mothers with their children yelling “Sabaai-dii!” We are paying for it today, with very sore bottoms that feel as red as a baboon's, but we're smiling and proud of our 64 kilometer (40-mile) accomplishment!

This morning we woke up early at 5 AM to watch the daily tak bat, when locals give alms of sticky rice and other food to the hundreds of orange-clad monks who pass by with their begging bowls. What a sight! The tradition has continued for hundreds of years, and as most Lao men have been monks for at least a short time in their life, it was interesting to see how the community supports this rite of passage.




Today will be our last day here. Tomorrow we head south to the capital, Vientiane. But today, we will rest our weary bottoms and be sure to find seats at our favorite cafe with VERY soft cushions!