Day two of the loop: unforgettable.

We woke up at the guesthouse and there was a torrential downpour going on outside. We were told we couldn't do the second part of the loop if there was rain. We contemplated but made the decision to go ahead and do it. We figured we could turn around if it truly was impassable. Well for the first 45 minutes, the roads were fine. Then, things it gnarly. 

Pictures speak louder that words- here's how the second day went: 

We were covered in mud. 

The roads were way worse than any of us expected. We found ourselves in a situation where attitude was everything. Either we could get pissed off or just laugh hysterically. We chose the latter. We were sliding around everywhere, our bikes were smoking, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. It was nuts. We rode this gnarly "road" for an hour before finally reaching a decent road.  After mud-riding and passing through rural valleys and farmland, we reached Lax Sao where we stopped for lunch. We were disgusting: 

Luckily there was a hose behind the restaurant so we were able rinse off before eating. After lunch we still had several house of riding but the roads were smooth and the views were stunning. 

We were exhausted but had determined to make it to the village of Konglor. 

We'd sleep here and wake up and see the famous cave, 7k in length! Phew what a day!!!!

The loop: a 500k ride on motorbikes through central Laos. [Day One]

We arrived in the town of Tha Kheck after having decided to do the infamous "loop" on motorbikes. The Loop as it has become known is a few hundred kilometres round trip along route 13 to the east and then back up and around returning to Tha Kheak on route 12. It is normally done in three to four days on a moped. It is not for the faint hearted, the condition of the roads and the driving standards make driving challenging to say the least. We spent the night at TheTraveller's  Lodge in Tha Kheck and rented our motorbikes the next morning from a man named Mr. Ku who has a shop right next to the lodge. He only had semi-automatics and since I don't even know how to drive a manual car, I was very nervous. Before I had time to think too much about it, we were off, on our way to who knows where. 

Day One: 

We stopped at Buddha Cave and talked with some locals here:

Buddha Cave or Tham Pa Fa in Thakhek, Laos is located on National Route 12, near Ban Nakhang Xang. The Buddha Cave is about 14 km away from Thakhek in Khammuan Province. The cave with its many Buddha images was discovered on June 2004 by a local villager by the name of Mr. Boun Nong. Mr. Nong found the cave by following a group of bats entering the cave. With his curiosity and the intention of collecting bats, he decided to climb up the 15 meters to the cave’s entrance. Unexpectedly, he discovered the cave and the 229 Buddha Statues therein. Subsequently, the cave became a sacred place for local and neighboring peoples.

We continued along the road and ended up asking a local to take us by boat to another fascinating cave and to a swimming hole: 

Tha Falang.

The cave:

After this, we rode for hours and stopped in a couple of villages filled with the cutest kids on the planet:

They would get so excited to see white people and wave and scream "sabaidee" (hello!)! 

We continued on, passing through jungles and rivers and finally a swampy area. For a while I thought I was back home in Louisiana:

 

It hasn't always looked like a swamp here. A dam broke and flooded the entire area for miles and miles there were signs of flooding. It was a bit strange- jungle on the left, swamp on the right. 

We made it to our first destination called "Sabaidee Guesthouse" in Thalang right before a huge rainstorm. 

12 hours in the capital city of Vientiane

We left vang vieng and headed three hours south to the capital city of Vientiane. We had heard that the capital city wasn't worth visiting and that we should just skip it and continue south. We were so glad we didn't adhere to that advice! We got there around 5pm an found a place to stay for the night quite seamlessly. We then hopped on some bikes and began cruising town. This is me with my to-go coffee: 

We rode along the Mekong river and saw a huge group of people gathered together and heard techno music playing loudly. When we got close enough, we realized what was going on: Aerobics. We immediately jumped off of our bikes and joined in for a full hour of sunset aerobics with the locals. It was led by two people, a man and a woman and there were hundreds of people enthusiastically shuffling their feet on the ground and waving their arms in the air. It was surreal: 

 

I will forever think of Vientiane when I see an aerobics class going on. 

That night we ate dinner and since everything closes at 11 here, we were in bed early. We woke up the next morning and went for a 7k run around town to see the sights. It was a great way to see everything and let out some energy before our next bus journey. 

Vang Vieng: a stunning place with more than just tubing

We had our doubts about Vang Vieng. It's known as a party town where backpackers come to get wasted and float down the river. Several years ago, the Lao government started cracking down on the bars who were selling drugs and too much alcohol. All but three bars remain and the town doesn't get quite as many visitors as it used to a decade ago. It's still a must-do for those traveling around laos and so I went down there with my friend Charlotte and we met up with some slow-boat friends. 

When we first got there, we kept saying that the town had a strange vibe about it. The street was lined with restaurants and bars playing Friends and Family guy sitcoms and we could hear a Brittany  Spears song playing faintly in the background. We didn't know what to think of vang vieng..until the next day when we rented bikes and explored the surrounding areas outside of town. It's an absolutely beautiful part of Laos. We rode through villages and rice paddies with views of green limestone cliffs until making it to the blue lagoon where we spent a few hours swimming. 

We had an absolute blast here and it was the perfect way to cool off after biking in the heat.  After a while, we made the decision that we were ready to go and give the tubing a try. So we headed into town, rented some tubes and were dropped off on the Mekong river. We stopped off at all three bars and since it was the 4th of July, we all toasted to America. I spent all day looking for other Americans but they were few an far between. I didn't mind though and feel like I represented amurica well:

That's mud. 

Even though we had our doubts about tubing, it ended up being a total blast and the perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July. 

The next day, we signed up for a climbing course with Adam's climbing school. We left after lunch and climbed the limestone walls until dark. It was incredible. Our guide was really friendly and helpful and the climbing is some of Asia's best. 

 This was definitely a highlight of our time in vang vieng. It is such a beautiful place here and there is so much more to it than tubing!!! It's also a great place to relax and soak in the stunning scenery: 

My last day in vang vieng before heading south to the capital city for a night: 

The charming town of Luang Prabang, Laos

After two days of sailing down the Mekong river, we made it to the charming town of Luang Prabang, Laos. Located in northern Laos at the confluence of the Mekong and Nom Khan river, it is a Unesco World Heritage sight.  

The city is well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning at dawn, hundreds of monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms.

 One of the major landmarks in the city is a large steep hill on which sits Wat Chom Si.  The sunsets from up here are stunning:

The night market here is also one of a kind with hundreds of vendors who set on the Main Street every evening. 

At night we would peruse the market and then eat at the food market where you pay one dollar for all-you-can-eat veggie stir fries. Ah those buffets were the best part about Luang Prabang! 

Sensory overload and a happy belly. 

Besides the buffets, my favorite memory from Luang Prabang was the day we rode bikes out to the waterfall. For 35km we rode out bikes through hills and villages until we finally made it to the most beautiful waterfall. I was blown away by how blue the water was and I couldn't wait to jump in! There was a rope swing and people jumping off of the top of one of the falls. We had a blast here and around 3 (the hottest part of the day) we rode the 35km back to town. 

We stayed in Luang Prabang for about 4 wonderful days before heading down to Vang Vieng. 

Taking the slow boat into Laos

Laos, you are one of a kind.

Ive been in Laos now for about ten days so,again, I have some catching up to do. On the 27th of June, I said my goodbyes to the Ratliff family in chiang mai and boarded a bus and headed to the thai-lao border. I spent the night in a crusty hotel and had dinner with my fellow bus passengers.  We woke up the following morning and headed across the river into laos where we'd hectically get our passports stamped and begin our adventure into laos. After getting our laos visas we boarded the 90 passenger boat full of sweaty passengers. At this point, I was beginning to get nervous as I couldn't find a seat and I knew I'd be spending two days on this wooden boat with these people. After finally managing to squeeze in a seat, the boat took off and I began to question my decision to take a two day boat journey into Laos. It would have been much faster and easier to take the bus, but I wanted the slower, more scenic route. So here I was, on a boat, in the middle of the Mekong river in the heart of Southeast Asia. I had a book in hand and my earphones ready but soon realized that none of these would be useful. My boat was so full of fun, interesting people! I made friends so quickly on that boat and soon realized that we were going to be sticking together for a while. 

We landed in a village 6 hours down the river called Pak Beng where we spent the night. As soon as I got there I strapped on my tennis shoes and went for a run with my new Irish friend Colm. We then met a group from the boat for dinner and as the town shut down early, so did we. I woke up early the next morning and boarded the boat yet again and prepared myself for another full day journey. Again, it was a blast. We laughed, shared stories, and got to know each other all the while peering our heads out towards the Mekong, passing by green mountains and hill tribe villages. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I realized how fun the journey is and how much we miss when we only focus on the outcome. This slow moving boat ride was moving steadily towards a destination but the ride, I will never forget. 

We made it to beautiful Luang Prabang. I feel like the word "magical" is used way too much but it's the only word that comes to mind when describing this place.  It simply is, magical. It has a charm and grace that is untouchable and indescribable. The night market is one of the best and yet it is so laid back. The night food buffets- oh lawd I could go on about them for days. We'd pay a dollar and get bounties of fresh veggies and spices cooked up over a fire. It was magic. 

I love this town and I love laos. I also love the people I'm traveling with and this makes all the difference in the world.  We have stuck together like family and I've laughed more in the last few days than I have in a long time!

Catching up on past weeks: Last days in Thailand (for a few weeks)

Three days with the Ratliff family.

On Monday of last week I took the windy road back to chiang mai and managed not to puke.  I was dropped off in the old city of Chiang Mai when the wonderful Ratliff family picked me up and immediately brought to the night bizarre. I was connected with these beautiful southerners through a friend of mine in Baton Rouge. They do volunteer work in Thailand in the city of chiang mai and surrounding villages. They took me in so graciously and made me feel right at home. I had a ball getting to know 15year old Katie, 13 year old Nate and parents Kim and Quentin.   It was so refreshing and such a blessing to be able to spend time with such an incredible, loving family.  I had the opportunity to go to a village with them and taught english to a young group of kids.  Kim and Quentin shared God's love with the families out there and it was a huge blessing to witness the work they're doing. 

On my last day with them,  I helped Kim get a few things done at the house and then we went on an biking adventure.  We took off on our bikes and headed for the hills. It was a beautiful ride through lush green scenery, passing by rice fields and small farms. It was gorgeous and so much fun. 

After having a delicious breakfast with the family on Thursday morning, I had to say goodbye.  I only stayed with them for three days but I was starting to feel really close- it was so sad to say goodbye! The way they opened their home and hearts with me was just incredible. I am forever indebted to them and inspired by their love for god and for others. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know the Ratliff family and to have been able to stay a few nights with them.