Laos 3

Jan 17  We’ve chosen Elephant Village for our Elephant riding tour. It’s an Elephant sanctuary for old and dying elephants and the animals are well cared for and not abused like at some of the other places.  We climb onto the Howda (elephant seat) and set off.  Its bumpy and the seat sways under the elephants powerful muscles.  I clasp onto Kyle as we descend down a rather steep hill.  Whats to keep the elephant from tripping and toppling down?  I almost feel as if I’m at a 90 degree angle. I picture myself being trampled under this magnificent beast.  Watching National Geographic is one thing, but to be on top of a creature with so much weight and power is breath-taking and poignant. I fear and respect this animal more than I ever have before now as it holds my life strapped to its back.

The ground levels off and the line of elephants splash into the river, but I don’t truly feel my most at ease until I’ve switched with the mahout (the elephant expert driver) and am riding on the elephants neck.  Her skin is as rough as sandpaper and as wrinkled as a farmer whose worked in the sun 80 years.  Its so thick I wonder how hard I’d have to pinch for her to feel anything.  I like feeling the elephant directly under me. I can ride with her, moving as she moves, and its much more comfortable than the seat on top.  She continues walking as I stroke her leathery skin. (All of the elephants at the sanctuary are girls, the males cause too many issues- as they tend to do across species)

It's amazing.  Truly amazing.  I loved being on on the elephant, and can only wait impatiently for the next elephant riding experience we might get. 

After our elephant excursion, we head to a waterfall.  The water numbs the skin with a single touch.  Lisa, Kyle and Deirdre jump in anyways.  I happily film and take pictures warm on the shore.

Lisa and Deirdre climb into our bed after dinner for our final goodbyes.  We’re parting ways after the evening, they to Vietnam, and us on an off the beaten track tour.  We chat laying comfortably on each others laps across our queen size bed until both Lisa and Kyle are snoring.  Although we are sad, we plan to meet them in Ireland in April so we know it isn’t our final goodbye.

Laos 2

Our bungalows

Jan 14

Vang Vieng is one cool town. Its completely overrun with drunken, partying tourists, but its situated along a river among the mountains and has restaurants of every type galore.  I can’t help myself.  I love this place.

 We’re supposed to go tubing today but we’re off to a slow start..

We share a tuk tuk- a motorcycle with a cage like cart on the back perfectly purposed for carting tourist around- with an Australian couple, and three German girls.  It’s begun to rain.  I can’t help but pout.  I wanted to go tubing today, and the weather is not cooperating.  We’re going down to the river anyways just to see whats the big fuss.

 Bars line the river.  Free shots of Laos whiskey are given at the entrance of each bar.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.  Its just a drunken party along the river.  Were I warmer, I might enjoy myself more, but all I wanted was to go tubing today, not getting drunk by four in the afternoon in crappy weather.  Why did I not bring warmer clothes?  Its winter for goodness sakes.

We see the Irish bloke we met last night.  He doesn’t remember us.  He’s been drunk for 30 days straight.  He’s a hilarious fellow, with red hair, and calls himself, “the ginger man.”  He plants his legs, bends his knees and does a funny jig when he introduces himself. He says he has a pain his back, we're pretty sure its his liver.

"side effects to our malaria tablets.  We especially like the oe that says 'breast-feeding'"

Jan 15

We’re staying an extra day.  The sky is clear, and the sun has emerged bright and shiny as a newly minted coin..  We’re going tubing today.  A number is written on our hand in permanent ink.  Tourists, especially the drunk, rowdy ones have been known to take others tubes while they’re at the bars and profit on the deposit thats returned to you upon return of the tube unscathed.  These people, the ones who are drunk before noon, give westerners such a good name.

The water is a bit chilled from the rains yesterday, but I’m ecstatic to be tubing again. 

A water bottle slams into my face knocking my sunglasses off.  Two men standing on a platform in the middle of the river are waving happily at me.  A rope is attached to the water bottle so that one can be pulled into the bars.  I tuck in my growl, and say “no thank you” as they balk that I'm not tubing to go the bars.

Groups of children with baskets are collecting the riverweed.  They eat it after its been fried and salted.  Its like seaweed except from the river.  I can’t help thinking, “shouldn’t they be in school?”

We took a cooking class and cooked four dishes.  They were all fantastic: Penang, Laotian sweet and sour, Laotian pad thai, and a coconut curry soup. 

Jan 16

9:00 am is when were supposed to be picked up for our trip North to Luang Prabang.  They’re never been on time.  We choose a minivan over a bus this time.  It might have been the wrong decision.  Half of us don’t have backings; no support for our necks or heads for six hours.  The road is serpentine and twists our stomachs until everyone in the car wants to hurl.

Without a hotel room booked, we wander around a bit looking for rooms.  We run into two of the Aussies in our van.  With six in our group, we’re able to negotiate for better rates.  Score!  And whats more, we’ve made friends, and we’re going to dinner with them.

Lao Lao Garden is amazing!  Its set outside, under the night sky, with a cool breeze drafting through. Water buffalo is a fantastic meat.  Some of their cocktails use coconut milk.  Unconventional- but delicious. We're coming back here for sure!

Laos

Jan 13

We leave Vientiane on whats called a VIP bus. I don’t feel like a “very important person” on this ratty, rusty piece of junk on wheels sitting next to a guy vomiting into a plastic bag.  We spent most of the time in Vientiane sleeping.  We did get malaria medicine from the local hospital for $2 for a months worth. Thank goodness we didn’t buy it in Korea for hundreds of dollars.

Laotians aren't pushy at all, in fact they're quite content hanging in the back of their tuk tuk until you find them! 

If there’s one word I could use to describe Laos at this moment would be dusty.  Everything is covered in dust. The motorcyclists have to wear masks in order to breath, and the leaves along the road look dead from the two inch layer of dust weighing them down.  We saw a man watering the road.  We couldn’t understand what he was doing, but now we understand, he was attempting to keep his home from being completely weighed down and crushed in the dust.

They sell sandwiches along the road; sandwiches with bread, real French loaves.  Are we really in Aisa?

The bus breaks down only once. I’m a little surprised to find that there is a man on the bus almost entirely for the purpose of fixing the bus when it breaks… It’s the suspension, there isn’t any left… we’re back on the road in about 15 minutes..  We’re lucky really.

Our guest house is supposed to be situated on the river, but it’s the end of the river, and has turned into a stagnant cesspool.  A bamboo bridge separates us from our bungalow huts across the “river.” The wooden planked stairs are unevenly spaced out with huge gaps in between.  The bridge shakes as we cross. One heavy handed step, and I think this bridge would collapse.  I grip onto the bamboo handles for dear life hoping that I don’t fall while carrying my pack across.  One of the many stray dog happily crosses with us, turning his head with curiosity as if to say, “I cross this bridge everyday, why are you gripping the bamboo handrails for dear life.

Our huts aren’t much better than the bridge, and are actually completely made from bamboo.

Fantastic and Safe Electric practices in Laos!

Offerings to the ancestors.  Everyone must do this.

Lisa and Dee demonstrating how confusing Laos money is.  Which  number means how much the bill is worth?  I dunno?

portable fruit stand.  What more do you need?

Our room, four beds, four holy mosquito nets, all in a bamboo hut.

Kyle LOVES hammocks. Seriously loves them.

Hawaii part 3

 And the final post of the VERY BELATED Hawaii posts.  At last!

The last couple of days, we spent whale watching, going to the aquarium, shopping, a luau, and one last trip to the beach before heading home.  Let me just say that if your going to do a luau, book it before you go.  And book the "Old Lahaina" because the next highly rated one was NOT worth $100.  The food was okay, and the show was entertaining, but not spectacular.  I didn't think it was worth it, and got sick later in the night from either the cheap liquor which I couldn't drink very much of or the less than spectacular food.

The aquarium was a fun trip.

 Whale watching was probably the highlight, although we didn't get as close to any of the whales as we had when we whale watched in Equador.  Each whale watching trip is different though and the captains of the boats cannot force the whales to do anything they don't want to do, including get close to the boats.

 This little fella gave us a nice show though.

 We also went to a dinner show, it was a Christmas show by a musician by the name of Willie K.  This was way better than the luau and I would recommend one of his shows.

 Shopping in Old Lahaina was a great day trip for the whole family.

At the Banyan Tree Square, a banyan tree first planted in 1873 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the missionaries' arrival, has grown 12 new trunks and stretches over an area of 200 feet (61 m).

 We had a fun time at the Luau despite it not being worth the money, in my opinion.

 Our last day at the beach, the surf was rough.  Kyle loves to snorkle, so we used the snorkle gear from our hotel, including flippers, and snorkeled away.

 

Our plane ride home was dissappointing. Although we had a "window seat" there was no window.  And we had our Christmas Eve dinner in an airport, but it wasn't too bad. We were home for Christmas Day.

Overall, Hawaii was a VERY FUN trip.  It wouldn't be my first choice in destinations, mostly because I've now visited many BEAUTIFUL beaches, and most were less expensive than Hawaii's. But all in all, it wasn't too shabby and it was fabulous to get to spend so much time with our family.