Traveling to Luang Prabang is often done by taking a two day ride on the slow boat. Large traditional boats are docked outside of Huax Xai ready for a journey most days. After having some not so fun bus rides we were ready to splurge on the nicer boats that have fewer people and include food and a few short tours. Sadly our travel times did not match theirs so off on the local boat it was. We had read about a faster way down on a speed boat, but as the description said, "deaths are not uncommon," we felt slow and steady was the way to go.
The first day we went down to the dock and grabbed our seats early. The boat was large and although it was full we had a decent amount of space. I spent most of the six hour ride sleeping or listening to a pod cast. Not very eventful, but it was fine. The view was gorgeous and we saw many tiny villlages set along the river where we occasionally made stops to drop off supplies. That night we stopped in Peking about half way to our destination.
On the second day we were lucky to get to the boat early. This new boat was very small compared to our first, yet just as many people if not more were boarding. This was a much less comfortable ride and people were sent to the back where they sat on the floor or laid down to try to sleep. After what felt like days sitting on the old bus seats we finally arrived!
Our hotel was in a great location just steps away from the main road with shops, food and a night market. And our room was filled with purple which made Rebecca very happy.
Laos is a laid back country with people who feel that if it doesn't make you happy why do it. This is a nice way to spend your life, unless you're looking for a tuk tuk. Our first full day in Luang Prabang we wanted to visit the waterfalls. We found a driver to take us on the forty-five minute drive and he stayed until we were done. This felt so different from the US that we were a bit hesitant if he would still be there waiting when we were done. But for him this meant he could sit back, relax and nap. Win win.
The waterfalls were stunning and went on and on. We had the place almost to ourselves since we didn't take the official tour. People in Laos don't start early. This was perfect and made for better pictures. At the end there is a large fall that you can hike up behind. Hoping for a new view of the water we trudged on up. Sadly you can't even see the water from the top, but it was a good view nonetheless. We hiked back down and got ready to swim. The water was pretty cold but very refreshing. At first I was really enjoying my time. But then the biting fish came. Now I know I got a fish pedicure a few weeks ago, but these guys were larger and they did not nibble delicately on my toes. They chomped into my feet, legs and ankles. No longer feeling refreshed I jumped out to look for a different pool. We swam around a bit more then walked through their bear rescue area. And luckily our driver was there waiting when we were ready to go.
To fully experience each country we now needed a Laos massage. There were plenty around so we decided on a spot with massages and a much needed pedicure. I will say this one was a bit more creepy than where we had been previously. The upstairs was dark and slightly shabby with about seven mattresses spread across the room. An old man snored next to us obviously feeling relaxed. The massage was good and slightly different than Thailand. After, they gave us a hot tea and a cold towel for the final relaxing step.
Our evening was filled with bardering for good prices on souvenirs. Let's just hope my bag will close at the end of this. The markets have so many bright colors and shiny objects I just can't help but buy more!
On our last day we walked through the city and visited a temple up the hill. The view was amazing and probably worth all of the stairs.
Our time here was pretty short, but with so many places to see it was time for a new country. I hope to take some of the Laos way of life back home with me. If I don't want to do it, maybe I just won't!
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