Finally, Tham Kong Lo Cave

6:00 am... another bright and early morning. I'm getting used to it by now. Jai picked me up on the motorbike, and we finally set off to see Tham Kong Lo.

Lonely Planet: "Imagine a river disappearing at the edge of a monolithic limestone mountain and running 7km through a pitch-black, winding cave and you'll start to get an idea of Tham Kong Lo, truly one of the natural wonders of Laos. The cave-cum-tunnel is in the Phu Hin Bun NPA, a 1580-sq-km wilderness area of turquoise streams, monsoon forests and striking karst topography across central Khammuan. The cave is up to 100m wide in some places and almost as high. It takes a motorised canoe nearly an hour to pass through..."

Now, do you understand why I wanted to make this detour down into southern Laos? The road to Tham Kong Lo - about a 45 minute journey - was stunning enough to be a destination in itself:

Here is the entrance to the cave:

First, we had to get in one of those small canoe-like boats to get to the other side. Once on the other side, we had to climb up through the rocky entrance to bypass the rapids. Then, we got into another similar canoe-like boat, but with a motor. We had two boatmen, one in the front directing and helping guide us through the waters with a paddle, and one in the back steering the motor. Almost instantly, after entering the cave, it was totally pitch-black. Other than the roaring motor and raging rapids, the only sounds were drips that echoed through the mansion-sized cave. The two boatment both had head lights on, so wherever they were looking, I could see a little further into this cave. It feels so ancient.

A couple of times, the boatmen had to get out and help porter the boat through very shallow areas. One of those times, I also had to get out to lighten the load and walk across unknown cave floors... with Jai holding my hand. Below is a flash photo of the boatmen portering at one point. There's no fooling around in this cave.

About 1/2 way through, we get out on the interior banks of the cave, and gently tiptoe up through the cave to what looks like another planet. Lights, brought in through a single electricity wire that is pinned to the cave walls only up to this point, help to illuminate the stunning stalagmites. It really looks and feels like I'm on some distant planet:

About an hour after entering Tham Kong Lo cave, I can see a faint glimmer of natural light seeping in through the cave. We exit on the other side of the mountain, which feels like another world altogether. We pull up on the banks, and rest for fifteen minutes. Across a bridge, about 2km from this bank, is Natan Village. The inhabitants of this village used to have to make a 10 hour journey over the mountain to get to town, before the discovery of this cave passageway, only about 9 years ago. The village has no electricity. They rely on the tourist motor boats to get them to the other side, so that they may go to the market or stock up on other supplies. Villagers wanting to get to town wait on the banks for these boats to arrive, in hopes that there will be enough room for them. Each canoe only holds three passengers maximum. So, Jai and I picked up one of the villagers in our boat, and she made the journey back through the cave with us.

About to exit Tham Kong Lo cave, through the entrance opening point:

What an amazing journey! After we leave the cave grounds, Jai and I ride on the motorbike for about 15 minutes, when he asks if I am hungry. Yes. Good, because we can stop at this village restaurant for some traditional Laotian lunch. Below is a photo of where we pull in to stop for lunch:

Jai and I sit down at the one table, and a woman brings out a vat of sticky rice and tray with three bowls. One of these bowls consists of buffalo meat. Another bowl is a type of chicken soup. The third bowl is this:

This is buffalo blood. It has been boiled and then served in these coagulated balls. The texture is a cross between jelly and yoghurt. There is no specific smell. The end of the rainy season festival is being celebrated this entire weekend, and part of the celebration is killing and eating buffalo - not an everyday food. It is an honor to be offered buffalo - in any form. To be polite, and I can't believe I am even doing this! - I try the buffalo blood...

How is it? Well, I suppose there is no specific taste - that I can really describe, at least. The texture is uncomfortable in my mouth. But more than anything, it is the very thought of what I am swallowing that disgusts/ offends me. Yuck. Jai, and about three other villagers are all staring at me, looking for a reaction. I swallow, suck it down, smile, and politely say that it is OK, but I think I will stick to the buffalo meat. They laugh. Then, the woman serves us lào láo (Lao liquor, or rice whiskey) in a pink, styrofoam bowl, along with one glass. Jai and one of the male villagers, who is now sitting with us, explain to me that this is the real stuff; made right here in the village. This is sold commercially throughout Laos, but all bottled up, and as they explain - not the same as the local, village stuff. This is much stronger and better for you. I imagine it is similar to moonshine. The way this works is one person dips the glass into the bowl and then proceeds to chug. The glass is passed onto the next, chugged, and then to the next. I am third to go. To my surprise, it is quite good, but very strong.

Just behind us, out on the road, the young village women, whom are dressed in traditional Laos garb, are celebrating the festival. Loud Laotian music is playing from a stereo, set-up on a bamboo shade hut. There is a string that stretches across the road, with a paper bag tied in the middle. Whever a car, bicycle or motorbike passes by, the women pull the string, and the plastic bag waves in the air as a "stop" signal. They calmly dance over to the vehicle and pin passengers with a rubber flower to the shoulder-part of their shirt, in exchange for a donation. This donation is later forwarded onto the temples, for the monks. The string is lowered, and the vehicle moves on. There is a lot of laughing and smiling, singing and dancing. Below is a photo of the women stopping a truck full of men, pinning and collecting donations:

After this most interesting lunch, I ask how much. Jai whispers to me: "No, it is free. The villagers wanted to offer to you. There is no price." Once again, an act of generosity beyond what I can even call "generous". We thank the villagers and say our goodbyes. We hop back on to the motorbike, and go about 100 meters, before Jai pulls into a Guesthouse along this same road. He says he has a friend that owns this guesthouse, and asks if I'm hungry. Are you serious? We just ate. However, I did not stuff myself silly due to the food selection, so of course, I can eat more.

We sit down with Mr. Nir, the owner of Sailomyen Guesthouse, and his three daughters. We are sitting on the floor of the main room, watching t.v. and eating from a low-rise, bamboo table. There is a vat of sticky rice between each person. We are eating Larb Buffalo - one of my new favorites since I had been traveling in Laos. I had only eaten Larb chicken or Larb pork, so now I can try the special and celebratory buffalo. Delicious. Larb is the national dish of Laos, and is so yummaliciously popular, that it is now common to find in Thai restaurants. It is especially common to see in Isan, northeastern Thailand, where the cuisine is heavily influenced by Laos. In fact, I have had this dish before in the States, but always thought it to be Thai, as they serve it in Thai restaurants. It is usually considered an Isan food. While it is an Isan food, it originally comes from Laos, and Laos should definitely have some credit for this popular dish. It is a meat salad, made with various types of meat or fish (Larb pork, Larb seafood, Larb buffalo, etc.), and seasoned with lime and fish sauce. The meat is minced, and seasoned with chilli and mint, and sometimes varied vegetables. It is served at room temperature with sticky rice.

Eating lunch #2 with Jai, Mr. Nir and his three daughters

Mr. Nir has only opened up Sailomyen Guesthouse 2 months prior to my visit. He is extremely excited about the guesthouse and future guests. He shows me around, in the various rooms and the jaw-dropping limestone karst mountain views from each room's balcony. I took pictures of the rooms and guesthouse area, and promised to send to Lonely Planet. If you are reading this and know of any contacts that I may forward the information, please let me know via the "comments".

So now, I will do a bit of advertising: Sailomyen Guesthouse offers extremely clean rooms for 60,000 kip/ room/ night (with mosquito nets). Each room has a fan, hot water and a view to die for. One can take a nice village walk to the cave from this guesthouse. Mr. Nir also offers a homestay option for 50,000 kip/ person/ night, all food included. Also, a baki ceremony is included. If you want to feel the 'real Laos', a homestay is your best option, as you stay with a family in their village home, sleeping, eating and living just as they do. Be prepared to eat sticky rice for breakfast, sticky rice for lunch and sticky rice for dinner.

Jai and I thanked Mr. Nir and his daughters for their kind hospitality, said our goodbyes, and hopped back on the motorbike.

Jai drove me to Mi Thuna Guesthouse, where I picked up my rucksack and other various bags of collected traveling items (such as my slow boat pillow), and then offered to drive me to Vieng Kham. Vieng Kham????? Cannot I not just catch a sawngtao to Tha Khaek from Nahin? It is too late now, as the sawngtaos only through in the morning. Better to go to Vieng Kham and catch a bus. As I was packing up my stuff, and Jai waited for me on the road, the owner of my guesthouse advised me not to go to Vieng Kham, as Jai would charge me more money for taking me there. As soon as she mentioned this, I realized I knew better. And I trust Jai.

So, I got back on the motorbike with Jai, who placed my rucksack in front of him, between him and the steering handles. At first, I was unsure how we would handle carrying all this stuff on a motorbike, but it worked out fine. He drove me to Vieng Kham - my third time there! The bus was there waiting, picking people up. I asked Jai how much the ride was, and he said, "No! It is free. Thank you for your friendship!" Really, I cannot even begin to explain how I'm feeling... I then asked how much the last couple of days are, as Mr. Noy, of the tourist center and I only figured out the 400,000 kip for one day of traveling and seeing the cave. Jai responded that he did not talk with Mr. Noy about it, and that I can give whatever I feel is appropriate. I believe, if my memory serves me correct, I ended up giving Jai around 500,000 - 600,000 kip. I should have given more. I wish I could send him money now. (Just thinking, how he had to go back to Lak Xao, pay his grandfather for the international call, get his identity card, etc.)

Off to Tha Khaek, only a 1 1/2 hour journey. And it really was only one and a half hours!

Thank God for Jai and Western Union!

Let me start off by describing what I had in mind/ what I had "planned" (if you can even use that word in southeast Asia):

After Laos, my next destination was Baan Dada Children's Home in Sangklaburi, Thailand. However, after reading about this Tham Kong Lo cave in southern Laos, I made a planned detour to head down first to see the cave and then cross back into Thailand from Tha Kaek into Nakhon Phanom, and then head straight across Thailand to Sangklaburi (near Burma/ Myanmar). I left Vang Vieng (and the girls) on Wednesday morning. I had hoped to be in Ban Nahin/ Ban Khoun Kham by Wednesday evening. I then would get up early on Thursday morning, see the cave, and then head down to Tha Kaek (about 1 1/2 hours from Nahin), cross the border into Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, and get on a bus to Bangkok. I knew that I would either have to spend the night in Nakhon Phanom or Bangkok. Then I would catch the bus to Sangklaburi from Bangkok on Friday morning, and be at Baan Dada by Friday evening.

But... I didn't get to Baan Dada until Monday night.

First, there was that hang-up in Vieng Kham. So, I didn't even arrive in Ban Nahin until Thursday morning. After I got settled in Mi Thuna Guesthouse in Ban Nahin, I set out at around 10:30 am to find an ATM machine and information about seeing this cave. On my long walk to the guesthouse, I remembered passing this sign:

It was about a 15 minute walk along Route 8, amongst droves of pre-school aged children, to the Tourist Information Center. I took off my shoes, as there was already a heap at the bottom of the wooden stairs, and proceeded into the small, square, wooden office. I was greeted by five men chatting away at a table and drinking Beer Laos (the national beer). I instantly started to apologize for interrupting, as I thought I had clearly mistaken this building to be a tourist office. I wasn't mistaken. The men pulled up a chair, put a glass in front of me, and poured me beer. "Kop jai (thank you), but I need to find an ATM machine."

"Yes, yes. No, no. There is no ATM machine here. There is a bank; we will take you." They then continued to explain that this is the tourist office, but it was a special day due to the anniversary of their provincial government. Mr. Noy, the chief/ director/ head of the tourist office apologized for the situation, but welcomed me to sit down, drink some beer, and offered to take me to the bank afterwards. Here I am, still in a bit of shock, with Mr. Noy (on the very left) and Phansamay in the tourist information center:

During the hour or so of conversation ("getting to know you's"), my stomache started to grumble. I hadn't eaten a real, full meal since Wednesday morning, back in Vang Vieng! I had no money left, except for 1,000 kip (1/5 of the price of bottled water). I gently stated that I was hungry, and they promptly brought out a bamboo vat of sticky rice for me to dig in. I dug. They kept asking me to drink more beer. But with little food in my stomache, and it being before noon, I avoided a 'drunken Lia' scenario by taking tiny sips. I didn't want to be rude. One shouldn't refuse a drink when offered by locals in Laos.

Then three SUVs pulled up in the driveway, and the men in the office explained to me that these were the provincial government heads (all men) - who worked for the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture, the Ministry of National Protected Areas, the Ministry of ... etc. Whoa! They joined us for a beer, and then after some discussion in Laotian, they invited me to Lunch. Well, of course! And Mr. Noy said he would take me to the bank after lunch. And then we would discuss going to Tham Kong Lo cave. Woohoo!

So, I hopped on the back of Mr. Noy's motorbike, and we went to meet everyone at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in middle-of-nowhere Ban Nahin, Laos. I was now sitting down to an incredible feast, including a lot more beer, with 14 men from the provincial government! Below is a photo of me with the former governor at lunch:

At lunch with the 14 provincial government men:

Afterwards, Mr. Noy drove me to the bank. I took out my credit card and the bank worker swiped three or four or five times. He then explained to me, via my now translator Mr. Noy, that my card wouldn't work at this bank (which looked like a market food stall), and that I would have to go to the Laos Development Bank in Lak Xao. They could process my card there. Devastated, but with options, Mr. Noy and I went back to the tourist office to discuss my trip to Lak Xao and Tham Kong Lo. He gave me a final price of about 400,000 kip, which included a motorbike, a guide/ driver (Jai), Tham Kong Lo fees (including the boat) and gas. Although a bit dismayed by the exorbitant price, I agreed, after a bit of bargaining. For, my new goal was simply to get money! He explained that tomorrow morning (Friday), Jai would motorbike drive me to the Lao Development Bank in Lak Xao (about 3 hours away!) and then take me to the cave. He said the entire cave trip would take about 3-4 hours, so they could then put me on a sawngtao to Tha Kaek, where I would stay the night and cross the border the next morning. However... it didn't happen like that.

I had no money (for food and water), but I had new friends. And Mr. Noy assured me that they would take care of me until I could withdraw enough money to get me through the rest of my Laos trip. He invited me to the provincial government anniversary party that evening, where there would be lots of traditional Laos food, dancing, and beer. Then, he drove me back to my guesthouse.

Jai, who was to become my best friend over the next two days, picked me up at Mi Thuna Guesthouse at 4:30 pm. The party was outside the provincial government building, just a few hundred meters down the road from the tourist office. There were a couple hundred people there, all provincial government workers and their spouses. (Just a reminder, I still had yet to see another foreigner since leaving Vientiane.)

The party was incredible! That is... who goes to Laos and unexpectedly parties with the local government? The food was amazing, and more than filled me up; the beer was endless; the party goers were extremely friendly and ecstatic to meet me; the dancing was all traditional Laos style; the atmosphere was genuinely Laotian. The whole evening was culturally mind-blowing. And isn't it adventures just like these that worldly travelers seek, but rarely find?! These days, it is difficult to get 'off the beaten track'.

Me with Jai (in yellow) and party-goers

After many tries, they finally convinced me to try dancing traditional Laos. It really isn't that hard - you slowly move around in a group circle with your partner, twisting your wrists to the beat. Below is a photo of me dancing with Mr. Phansamay of the Ministry of Community Development (or something like that).

6:00 am, bright and early the next morning, Jai picked me up from Mi Thuna Guesthouse. I hopped on the back of the motorbike, and we headed south on the winding roads of Route 8 to Lak Xao. Along the way, since it is a 3 hour ride, we stopped at Jai's uncle's and aunt's house in a small village along the road. I took some photos of Jai with his family - aunt, uncle and cousins in front of their house - and Jai took a couple of me with his family. This is the first photo they have ever had taken of them! Below is one the photos (from left to right: cousin, Jai, uncle, aunt and cousin)...


We finally arrived in Lak Xao and went straight to the Laos Development Bank. After multiple times of swiping my credit card, the woman then called their headquarters to find out why it wasn't working. She came back with this message: "I'm sorry, but our systems our down due to the festival." It just so happened that I was in southern Laos for the weekend of the end of the rainy season festival.

Feeling completely lost for what to do next, I then noticed a big yellow sign: Western Union! And they can process international money transfers in 2 hours. So, the next step was to get to a phone to call my parents. However, remind you - I have no money! Jai drove me to the Laos Telecommunications Center building, and offered to lend me the money for the call. I successfully called my parents, beginning the call with, "Mom, I'm in a bit of a pickle..." I explained my situation, and Mom and Dad looked up the nearest Western Union that was open (in New York time, 11 hours behind, so it was around 11:00 pm at night there), we finished up a quick conversation, and then they left to transfer the money.

It turned out that Jai didn't even have enough money on him to cover the international phone call. So, he left he identity card behind as collateral. Then we went back to the bank to wait... and wait... and wait. The whole situation was becoming quite stressful and it was hard for me to keep a 'cool heart'. Jai asked me to "please, smile" because everything would be alright in the end. He was really worried about me, and I'm sure unused to witnessing such scenarios. We were also really hungry at this point, as we hadn't had any breakfast.

During the waiting period, Jai kept suggesting to me that I call my parents again, because he thought I needed a number from them. Not wanting to owe more money or leave behind further collateral, I suggested that we wait until the bank had at least gotten confirmation that the money had come through. Jai nodded, unassured. He suggested a few more times, but in my total frustration, I kept shoving it off. I had never done Western Union before, so didn't know that I did actually need a number! Oops.

After about an hour and a half of waiting, the bank then informed us that the money had still not come through, and they were closing. They wouldn't open again until the following Tuesday, due to the festival. WHAT?!?!? After some heated discussion, the woman then suggested we drive to Vieng Kham, as the bank there would be open all afternoon - and they could process Western Union international transfers just the same. She assured me that it wouldn't matter that my parents had written down "Lak Xao" as the destination, but that "Laos Development Bank" would suffice. Ughhhh. It's really quite difficult to recapture and put into words what I was feeling at this moment. But, I'm sure you can imagine.

Since we were both extremely hungry, Jai suggested we stop by his grandfather's house, who was only a few minutes drive from the bank here in Lak Xao. OK. We entered his grandfather's (and extended relative's) house/ bamboo hut, where I met more of Jai's family members. Jai and I both sat down on the floor (there are no high tables, chairs or beds in these local, traditional houses), and a round, low bambook tray-like table was set in between. The younger girls then brought out 2 vats of sticky rice, an egg omelette (of sorts) and delicious green vegetables. Besides being so hungry that I would eat anything at this point, this meal was actually simply delicious. The girls watched me from behind a corner post. The grandfather sat just behind me leaning up against the wall, watching t.v. Finally, Jai pushed his cell phone into my hand and told me to call my parents. He didn't mind me dialing internationally, but that he was really pretty sure I needed some sort of number. I dialed, Dad picked up, worried beyond belief, and lo and behold - I got the 10 digit number.

Jai borrowed some money from his grandfather (I know, can you believe all of this generosity?) for the telecommunications center international phone call from before, and we set off. We got to the Laos Telecommunications building, only to find that it had closed due to the festival. We then asked around the locals how to find the manager. We went to his house, but he wasn't home. Jai's identity card (which is pretty important in Laos) was still there. I believe he left some verbal messages with his neighbors, and asked him to do a money/ identity card exchange with his grandfather.

Jai and I set off back to Vieng Kham, which was the other way, past Ban Nahin, about a 4 hour motorbike drive. Along the way, we quickly stopped back at his aunt and uncle's house to pick up a chicken! Yes, that's right, a chicken. There was no carrier cage, so I held the chicken, whose legs and wings were bound, underneath my arm the entire ride back to Ban Nahin. Never felt more like a local Laotian in my life...

We quickly stopped at the Tourist Information Center in Ban Nahin to update Mr. Noy and to drop off the chicken. Off to Vieng Kham. We arrived at the bank, which truly looked like a bank, and... I immediately received my money; no hassles, no waiting, no problems. Unbelievable. Why didn't we come here in the first place? If only the market stall-like bank in Ban Nahin had told us Vieng Kham (1 1/2 hours from Nahin) instead of Lak Xao (3 hours from Nahin)... if only.

Huge, huge sigh of relief. Jai was pretty happy too, happy that I was smiling once again. We then stopped for some water at his friend's house/ salon a few minutes down a dirt road from the bank in Vieng Kham. He need to rest up, as he was driving all day! On the way back to Nahin, we also stopped at Jai's parents' house, another raised, bamboo hut just along the road. His mother wasn't home, but I met his father and his younger sister. His sister was sick, so they were relaxing and watching t.v. Interesting that they don't have beds, only mats and pillows, but many villagers have t.v.

One specific detail I noticed was that they had a map of the world on the wall. Albeit, old, as the Soviet Union existed on this map. It was nonchalantly pinned on the wall, with no other wall hangings or pictures, save for the President on the Calendar. I'm not sure why I'm writing this. But, recalling his parents' house, this small detail sticks out in my mind. I can't imagine too many Laotian villagers have maps of the world on their walls.

I finally got back to Mi Thuna Guesthouse around 5:00 pm. Jai and I were both ready to collapse; it had been a long day. While we had originally planned to do the cave today after I got the money from Lak Xao - things just didn't work out that way. And there's really no point in brooding about it, because in the end - it all worked out. We'll do the cave tomorrow - Saturday.

Thank you Jai and thank you Western Union!

View from Mi Thuna Guesthouse

Vieng Kham, Laos

Vieng Kham is not a destination. There is no reason to stay here. Yet, not only did I spend a night in Vieng Kham, but I was to return twice more in the next four days!

The mini-van from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, broke down about an hour into the journey. We had to pull into a shop and get two tires fixed. No big deal, except that it delayed our arrival time in Vientiane by about two hours.

I didn't really know much about getting to Tham Kong Lo, except that I had to find a bus that went near Lak Sao/ Xao. When we finally reached the bus station, I discovered that I had to get to the southern bus terminal via a half hour tuk tuk ride. The woman at the ticket counter was incredibly helpful, and explained to me that I had to get to Ban Nahin/ Ban Khoun Kham in order to see Tham Kong Lo cave. However, there were no more buses today headed to Lak Sao/ Xao, which en route would drop me off in Ban Nahin. So, she put me on a public bus to Vieng Kham. No A/C. Open air windows. I was the only foreigner on the entire bus! Odd, as Tham Kong Lo is mentioned as a 'must see' destination in the Lonely Planet guide book. Was I doing this all wrong?

I met two very nice Chinese immigrant, now Laotian, sisters on the bus, with one squeezed into the tiny seat next to me, and the other sitting on a plastic chair in the aisle. It turned out they were headed to Vieng Kham as well - to their brother's shop/ house. When we stopped for a snack break, they helped me choose food from the market stalls. And when we finally reached Vieng Kham at around 10:30 pm, they helped me find a guesthouse. They had originally offered up a mat on the floor in their brother's shop/ home, but I gently declined by nodding that that would be nice, and not bringing it up again. I didn't want to impose and I really felt like just dropping into a deep slumber, without having to be on my best, polite, socializing behavior. I should've taken up on the offer.

The guesthouse was down a dirt road behind farm yards, about 7 minutes off the main road (the only paved road). It cost me 50,000 kip for the night, the most I had paid yet for accommodation in Laos. There was no running water. I had a bed with no mosquito net, a towel (for what?) and a squat toilet. There was no shower and no sink. I couldn't even brush my teeth. I had no bottled water. The walls looked blood-stained, and really, the whole motel-style room was eery enough to be in a horror movie. I didn't have much of a choice since it was so late at night, and I had no idea where I was. I didn't even realize the no water situation until the host and sisters had left. Once everyone was gone, and the door was closed, I stood in one spot in front of the door for about 15 minutes, skeptically assessing the room. I took a deep breath, set my stuff down, layered on the deet, laid down in the bed (on top of the comforter) and went to sleep.

I woke up at 6:00 am to catch a sawngtao - as the bus ticket counter woman had explained for me to do - from the main road heading through Ban Nahin. I stood on the main road for about half an hour, wondering where I had gone wrong. Still, no foreigners in sight. In fact, I was quite a spectacle for the local farmers and school children. Finally, one of the sisters found me hopelessly waiting on the side of the road, and she beckoned me to cross the street - conveniently, where her brother's shop was. She pulled me up a chair, and we sat waiting on the side of the road, while she put nuts and bolts together. After unsuccessfully hailing quite a few sawngtaos and inquiring if they could pick up a passenger, finally one stopped and allowed me to get on. It was stock full of vegetables and supplies, and... a motorbike tied into the back. I was the only passenger.

The journey to Ban Nahin from Vieng Kham is absolutely stunning, as the road - Route 8 - stretches through the limestone karst mountains of Phu Hin Bun NPA (National Protected Areas). Lonely Planet describes Route 8 "as like something out of a video game, with its smooth winding road through spectacular forest, hills and limstone karst scenery." Along the journey, we picked up two elderly women with chicken cargo - fully packed into bamboo strung cages. Sadly (in my urban mind), they were tied to the back of the sawngtao, right in front of the exhaust.

I knew that I wanted to stay at Mi Thuna Guesthouse - one of two accommodations listed in the Lonely Planet guide book. As we drove along Route 8 - me having absolutely no idea where I was or how far I was from my destination - I saw a huge sign: "Mi Thuna Guesthouse". But, in an instant, we were flying right past it. I tried knocking on the back windows, yelling out the side bars and ringing the broken buzzer. The two elderly women also tried all the same methods, but to no avail.

The drivers finally pulled into the little market town (rather, village market area) of Ban Nahin/ Ban Khoun Kham. I promptly got my stuff together, got off the sawngtao and walked back (with all my gear) in the direction towards Mi Thuna Guesthouse - perhaps, it was about a half hour walk.

This is only the beginning of my Ban Nahin adventure - much more to come...

Waiting on the main road in Vieng Kham for a sawngtao

Vang Vieng, Laos

Why go to Vang Vieng? To go tubing, of course! It's sort of a southeast Asia backpacking traveler's right of passage. Basically, you float down the Nam Song River in rubber tubes... oh, but it is so much more than that! All along the Nam Song River tubing stretch (if you never get off, about a straight one hours float), there are bars that throw ropes with plastic bottles tied to the ends at you. If you want to pull into the bar, you grab on, and they pull you in. You chill out with a few beers, climb up bamboo ladders to fling yourself into the river off of crazy high tree swings, and maybe play some mud tug-o-war and mud volleyball along the way. Then, you grab a tube, get back into the river, and float until you want to stop again - usually only a few feet away, there's another bar with ropers waiting to pull you in. It's definitely for the younger, partying crowd, but nonetheless totally worth it if you're up for it! Just don't be still in your tube when it gets dark (like we were)... or you can't see where to get off!

The town of Vang Vieng has even catered to the party-going tourist crowds by having a main street full of bars and restaurants (with all menus in English), most of which have those delicious fruit shakes and continuously play Friends and The Family Guy re-runs - for those hungover afternoons. I must admit: when we first arrived in Vang Vieng, we mocked the tourists lazily slumping over their western meals and fruit shakes, sitting on cushions watching Friends all afternoon... only to become those very people ourselves the day after tubing!

However, there are more reasons to come to Vang Vieng than just drink yourself silly... such as the stunning limestone-karst formations that surround the town. In fact, when we first pulled into Vang Vieng, after hearing all about the tubing adventures of others, we were shocked to be in such an undeveloped area where cows roamed the streets. Our incredulous reaction went something like this: "THIS is Vang Vieng???" And then there was the issue of the two bridges.

Through another MediaKids English teacher who had traveled to Laos in May, we set out to stay at Maylyn Guest House. We took a sawngtao to the bridge, and paused in debate for about 15 minutes over the 4,000 kip roundtrip bridge-crossing fee. While this is cents in US currency, it was more of an issue that went something like this: "Do we really want to pay 4,000 kip every time just to get to town or to the guest house? How many times do we plan on going back and forth? Do we really want to think about crossing into town and packing for the day?" And so on and so on. In addition to the annoying fee, it would be a good 15-20 minutes walk into town. And the town itself is jampacked full of guesthouse options. Well, we crossed the bridge, and then another bridge (included in the fee), walked through some local farmland, and finally reached the lovely Maylyn guesthouse - so worth it! The teacher, Lauren, who had come before, had told us that once you paid the initial 4,000 kip, there was another walking bridge, mostly used by locals, that you could cross for free, albeit quite rickety. When we inquired about this rickety, free walking bridge at the guesthouse, we were told that it was washed away by all the rains, due to a heavy rainy season. So, we paid the 4,000 kip and it was well worth it considering out bungalow rooms were only costing us 15,000 kip each! Although the bathrooms were separate, as in downstairs (and were in every bungalow/ guesthouse we stayed in), we had two nice rooms, ours with a balcony, that came together in a large living room area... just for the five of us! Quite perfect, really.

In addition to tubing, travelers can go caving, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting and trekking. Our last full day in Vang Vieng, we went for a sun-searing walk down the dirt path away from town, on our side of the bridge. We walked about 6 km to Tham Phu Kham (Blue Lagoon) cave. It was here that I had my first caving experience, with head flashlights and a very necessary Laotian guide. At one point, he asked Kelly and I (the two cavers) to turn off the head flashlights. We obeyed. But, I quickly asked, "Why are we doing this? I don't get it? Can we turn them back on now?" He just wanted to show us how dark the cave actually was. Well, I got it, and I got it before we turned the lights out... so, um, let's not do that again! Oh, and the blue lagoon really is blue, and perfect for swimming after a sweaty cave adventure.

The following morning, I left the group of girls to continue on down south to Ban Nahin (also known as Ban Khoun Kham) to see Tham Kong Lo - an all natural 7 km pitch-black cave running through the limsteone mountains of Phu Hin Bun NPA (National Protected Areas). The girls - J, Georgeanna, Bridget and Kelly were about to get on a 20 hour bus journey to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Let me just say here, before my next post: trying to see Tham Kong Lo cave turned out to be an unexpected, frustrating, annoying, scary - and ultimately one of the best adventure highlights of all my travels ever - 4 days.

J, Georgeanna and Bridget crossing the second bridge, on our way to Maylyn Guesthouse

Tubing Times (me, Kelly and Bridget)

Mud-Volleyball (p.s. I'm in this picture)

Along our trek to the Blue Lagoon

Tham Phu Kham - Blue Lagoon

Tham Phu Kham - Inside the cave (with flash)

Luang Prabang, Laos

We finally arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos - A UNESCO World Heritage Center that exemplifies a beautiful fusion of French colonial architecture and the heart and soul of urban Laos. As Lonely Planet puts it, "Luang Prabang is a tonic for the soul." Because it is Unesco Heritage Listed, buses and trucks are banned from the city streets. We stayed at a really adorable guesthouse, Merry 2 Guesthouse, owned by a family. All five of us were able to fit in one dorm style room, and we even had a huge balcony!

This adorable and dreamy city was once the ancient royal city of Laos while under French colonization, and the remnants of this history are easily seen in the tiny streets lined with wine bars and cute cafes selling baguettes. It's the kind of city where one can easily get lost in time, stay longer than planned, and sit down at a wine cafe along the Nam Khan River and become a writer or artist all of the sudden. The city is surrounded by mountains, where a dreamy fog sits on the peaks all day long, while the sun shines through the small, cobblestone streets. "... Gleaming temples, French-era palace and villas, multiethnic peoples who live here give Luang Prabang a romantic and relaxed feel that can captivate even the most jaded travellers."

It was a perfect city for a birthday celebration! It was J's birthday while we were in Luang Prabang, and we celebrated by having a few bottles of wine - two at a wine bar and one on the balcony of our guesthouse room by candle light. How romantic for us five girls!

We spent a day doing some hardcore (for us, at least) activities that was well worth every calorie burned and every scrape, bruise and muscle ache. The first half of the day, the five of us were led by a guide through the mountains of rural Laos, about a 45 minute drive from Luang Prabang. We hiked through the jungle, through fields and villages, and plantations of various products (rubber, tobacco, etc.). We came upon the Hoify Village, where we were able to meet some of the local villagers, capture some amazing photographs, and rest our feet. Then, we continued trekking to Tat Kuang Si - one of the most amazing natural wonders I have ever seen! It is a multi-tiered, shaded waterfall that tumbles over limestone formations into a series of cool, turquoise pools, which are perfect for swimming - especially for tired jungle trekkers, such as ourselves. To come upon this sight after sweating in the searing sun of the Laotian jungle mountains was jaw-dropping. The crazy thing about this beautiful place is that it is all natural, even though it is so incredible that one just can't help think that it is man-made.

The second half of our day trip was kayaking down (or up?) the Nam Khan River. While relaxing for our feet and surrounded by stunning rural scenery, our arms got the best of us and we felt like dropping into a heap of limbs by the end. Highlight of the kayaking trip: Bridget and I almost bumped right into some water buffalo, as we thought they were rocks, but as we paddled a bit closer, we then noticed the giant horns sticking out of the water and then the nostrils and tired eyes. Yikes!

On the morning of our last day, we woke up at 5:00 am to watch the monks receive alms as they silently tiptoe through the lazy streets of Luang Prabang. We had heard that this is one of the best places to see the monks' morning ritual... it is just magnificently magical!

Not totally wanting to say goodbye to Luang Prabang just yet, we unfortunately had to leave that day to get to our next destination - Vang Vieng. Only about a 1/2 hour into the packed mini-van journey, we were pulled over due to a road block and discovered that all transportation headed in that direction were stopped. All passengers were sitting and standing and waiting on the side of the road for.... a bike marathon/ race to pass through! We waited there for over an hour, and saw maybe 10 cyclists pass through. Welcome to a 3rd world country. Welcome to Southeast Asia. Welcome to Laos!

Laotian workers we saw along our trek

Trekking

It was tough hiking up the mountain, but sooo worth it!

In Hoify Village

Tat Kuang Si Waterfall

The water buffalo we almost hit while kayaking

The ice cream man that convinced Bridget and I to buy some of his ice cream: "The children don't want today; it is cloudy. Please, buy some ice cream, no children want today..." Really, how could you refuse?

The SLOW Boat

J, Kelly, Georgeanna, Bridget and I chose to take the SLOW boat into Luang Prabang, Laos. A choice that I don’t regret, but I would never do again… why? Because it was so very, very slow! However, the scenery along the Mekong River was breathtaking, and really offers a true view of rural Laos (well, most of Laos is rural). We departed our lovely guesthouse BaanRimtaling in Chiang Kong, the small, mountain border town in Thailand, and crossed the Mekong River in a tiny boat to reach Huay Xai, the border town in Laos. After immigration, we were shuttled to a restaurant type area, where all slow boat passengers were briefed on how the slow boat days would go down.

The slow boat into Luang Prabang would take two days, eight hours each day! By hour six, we were going a little crazy. We even resorted to playing M.A.S.H (reminder: Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House). We played cards, mind-reading games, drank a few beers, slept, read, listened to IPods, took tons of pictures, chatted with fellow passengers, shared stories, and still we always seemed to have at least a few hours left with nothing to do.

I suppose it wouldn’t have been so much to complain about, had the slow boat seating arrangements at least been comfortable. Rather, the boat, itself, was overstuffed to a point where passengers had to sit near the engine, and in the back of the boat, where people usually aren’t meant to be. It was two people to a seat, or rather – a bench, a little, tiny wooden bench that had a very stiff, straight back. The seat part of the bench was only wide enough to fit half of your butt cheek. After hour two, half of the passengers were passed out or reading on the boat floor. We did a switch-off, with one person on the floor leaning against the uneven, interior side of the boat, and the other bench partner stiffly sprawled across the bench, with legs sticking half off into the ‘aisle’.

Somehow, though, it all seemed to work … and I don’t regret our decision to take the slow boat at all, because, well – the photos speak for themselves: http://picasaweb.google.com/Lia.Brezavar/LaosSlowBoat#.

We spent the night (in between the two slow boat days) in Pak Beng, Laos. This is a nothing, nowhere, small, mountain town, that I believe only exists because of the slow boat. It is half-way between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. When we stepped off the slow boat, in the dark, we were bombarded by flashlights shining in our eyes and bargaining voices all around. The guesthouse ‘bargainers’ were out in full force to greet the slow boat passengers with places to stay, poster boards full of pictures and amenities that are offered, and prices to bargain with. However annoying this may sound, it actually worked out best, as it was dark out, and it allowed for great deals! We were instantly surrounded by at least four men trying to sell us a room in their guesthouse for the night, and we went back and forth from one to the other, until we got the best deal. The other men kept lowering their offers to compete, but we eventually went with the guy who made the first, lowest offer. We followed him up the single, main road, lined with guesthouses, restaurants with menus in English, and little ‘bodega’ shops.

After a comfortable, relaxing, candlelit, delicious dinner, we tucked ourselves into bed, in two separate rooms. A few hours later, Bridget (my roomie) and I awoke to pounding on our door. It was Beyonce, the young man that sold us the guesthouse room, probably drunk and knocking on our door. His bed, oddly enough, was right outside our window. He then proceeded to try and get in through the window. Bridget and I froze in our beds in silence, until he finally gave up and fell asleep. Only an hour or so later (who knows, because we were sleeping), we awoke to drunken, hymnal songs in the hallways. The next morning, we found out that Georgeanna, Kelly and J also had awoken in the middle of the night to random pounding on their door. It was scary in the night, but we could only laugh about it the next morning. And, then… back onto the slow boat for another eight hours.

Kelly and J on the slow boat

Bridget and I in Pak Beng, about to start day #2

Chiang Mai/ Chiang Khong

No hassle (no getting kicked off the bus this time) 2 1/2 hour bus ride from Sri Racha to On Nut BTS station in Bangkok. Took the BTS to Asoke, then transferred to the MRT line. Arrived at Hualomphong train station, got my ticket: 2nd class seat w/ A/C. 7:20 departure. We left on the dot to the minute- unbelievable in Thailand. I almost missed the train, with my stuff on it while out on the platform having a cigarette.

The train was just a few cars, as the sleeper car (on which there were no more available seats) was unattached to this train. Maybe it left before. I never saw it. I would have thought all the classes and cars departing at 7:20 to Chiang Mai overnight would have been attached. Who knows... it's Thailand.

The floor was littered with dead and live cockroaches of all sizes. They were even crawling on the seats, so I was armed with my book shoving them off the seat next to me, and made sure to keep my feet up. The first seat I was in (at the very, very front of the train) started leaking. The light on the ceiling started dripping some unknown clear liquid (perhaps, just water), so I moved across. After about an hour or so, some unknown brown liquid starting dripping on the new seat, so I moved again - backwards. I finally got it right. They served me an iced tea and a small dinner with a little pastry dessert, as well as a blanket.

Bridget hopped on in Nakhon Sawan at 10:30 pm. By this point, the lights were already off. We were going to get a few beers to rock it on the train, but with the lights off and the few others on the train already nodding off, we rightfully decided against it.

All in all, we had a fitful night of constantly switching positions to try and get it just right. We did each have two seats, which had a nice, far recline. It wasn't the worst nor the most ideal by any means.

We arrived in Chiang Mai at 7:45 am. Met up with Georgeanna, Kelly, J, Emily, Caroline (and some others) at Smile Guesthouse. Went to a most awesome breakfast, and then chilled out at the pool all day. (I will fully do Chiang Mai another time). We went the weekend night market - and I bought more than I have my entire time yet in Thailand! Really, I just bought fisherman pants and a scarf (I don't know, but we all bought scarves, because you know, we need them in Thailand and all)...

We are now waiting for the 5 hour bus (departing at 1:00 pm) to Chiang Khong, the Thai border town, along the Mekong River. We will cross into Laos tomorrow morning.

Last Week!

So, it is finally and actually my last week this semester! I will be staying next semester in Sri Racha, beginning on November 2nd. Until then, I have 6 weeks (unpaid) vacation! My plans ...

On Saturday afternoon, I am getting on a bus to Bangkok (and hopefully, won't get kicked off this time), and then onto the BTS to switch to the subway to get to Hualamphong train station. Then, I am getting on the 7:20 pm overnight rapid, express train to Chiang Mai. Bridget is getting on the same train in Nakhon Sawan, and hopefully we'll find each other. There were no more sleeping cars available, so we will be rockin' the night out on seats in an air-conditioned 2nd class car. We should arrive in Chiang Mai at 7:40 am on Sunday, September 20th. We are then meeting up with Georgeanna, Kelly and J, and headed to a small town outside of Chiang Mai to spend the night.

Early Monday morning, we are catching the slow boat (2 days) into Luang Prabang, Laos. Our plans there are that we have no itinerary, so I will write from there. I plan to spend about a week in Laos, and then the rest of the girls are headed into Vietnam. I will leave to head back into Thailand, probably via bus with a night stop over in Vang Vieng, Laos. Once I get back into Thailand, I have to make my way to Mochit Northeastern bus terminal, and catch a bus to Sangklaburi in Kanchanaburi. From there I will get into a truck and head to Ban Dada Children's home (www.bandada.org), near the Myanmar border. I plan to spend almost 2 weeks there.

Kara arrives in Bangkok on October 16th at 7:00 pm, so I will head to Bangkok that day, check-in to our hotel (still to be determined) and then go pick her up at the airport. We plan to spend a couple days in Bangkok and then go to Sri Racha for a couple of days. From there, back to Bangkok to catch a flight on October 21st to Phuket. We will do one or two nights in Phuket, then head to the island of Ko Phi Phi, and from there a boat to Krabi. October 29th, we will fly from Krabi back to Bangkok, with four hours to spare before Kara departs Thailand. And, I will head home to Sri Racha...

Lots up ahead... keep following. I will try to update as much as possible. Love you all!!

Sunset

Thanks Jacqueline for grabbing this photo. (My camera is having serious issues at the moment) This photo was taken from her apartment's balcony. Wow!