Hotel: Bus to Chang Mai (200B for bus and board the following night in Chang Mai).
Sunday 11th to Friday 16th Janauary 1998 (not including 2 nights on the trek).
Hotel: Chang Mai Holiday Guest House
Room Type: double room at 140 B (first night free, included in the bus ticket))
Verdict: Good; tempermental hot showers, good people but loads of shouting kids from the schoolyard in the early morning
Chang Mai
Chang Mai was freezing when we reached the city at 7am.
We were collected from the bus station and brought to the Guest House where a humerous business-woman explained the customs, tours, regulations etc. to the group.
Eating
There are plenty of places in Chang Mai to eat local and western food. At the night market there is a huge outdoor courtyard with many tables bordered by about 20 stalls, each seperate stalls offering every kind of Asian food. This is a good spot for a crowd in the evening but watch out for the bat droppings. McDonalds and other fast food joints are just aound the corner.
Chang Mai has its fair share of pubs both local and pseudo English/German/Irish. We located the Irish pub and had a makeshift Irish Breakie: ham instead of bacon, a single withered sausage, cold scrambled eggs and tomatoes, and a lovely warm bread roll. Also on the menu were tempting spuds garnished with spring onion. This Irish pub is not called, Molly Malones, Scruffy Murphys, Kitty O'Sheas', DarbyO'Gills, The Old Shebeen or anything as imaginative as those usual foreign drinking establishments claiming Irish culture. It was simply titled "Irish Pub", no beating about the mulberry bush.
Of course the 'Irish Writers' with Seans' and Jimmys' intense mugs was pride of place on the bar. Other posters of Killarney, Co. Armagh donned the walls as well as the tea cloth with the letter from an Irish lad to his mum writing about the crazy Americans on a piece of cotton! There was a bicycle with a front basket parked outside but alas it belonged to a backpacker and was not part of the decor - an oversight by the manager.
Sightseeing
Within the old city walls surrounded by a dried up moat you will come across plenty of Wats and other hidden wonders. Take a taxi up steep windy mountain to Wat Phra that Doi Suthep. Reached by a curvy dragon/serpent lining the 300 steps uphill, this temple is a great Sunday outing for all the family. There is cable-car up to the top if the heart is weak or unwilling. Female monks vend incense, candles, flowers and paper parcels of gold foil to worshippers. The candles and incense are burned under any of the many Budha shrines. Exquisite white single blooms and roses are placed on the outstretched arms of Buddhas and gold foil from the paper parcel is stuck on to the figure. The gold, red and blue metallic temples, stuppas and walkways light up the peaceful relaxed atmosphere. While we sat in one of the Budhist shrines, feet and toes facing away from the figure as is the custom, we were invited to be blessed by Mr Buddhist monk from his seating position to the side. He waived branches tied together and whetted from an urn beside him, chanting a he scattered the droplets over our bended bodies.
Markets
The day markets in Chanag Mai are located by the moat. Night markets are more expensive and directed towards tourists. You can get trinkets, crafts and clothes everywhere in these.
Treks
A Description of the 3 day, 2 night trek we did from our hotel ($16)
The squeez in the Ute (short for utility vehicle) lasted for 3 hours before coming to a halt at a marketplace in a race with many other vehicles - ute city. Hundreds of backpackers relieved themselves, bought whisky, bog roll, chocolate and water and some fresh fried rice. Boarding the ute again we drove off into the sandy horizon. It was cramped and hot and a few people were ill. Lunch was served by a hot geyser. Eggs were boiled in the bubbling sulphur pool and eaten with the rice. Our final destination was a remote village two mountains to the west of the highest mountain in Thailand (2,500m) which we were warned that we would have to climb in 2 days - a thought which remained in my brain for the followng 32 hours. At 4pm we set off trying to beat the setting sun to reach our destination 3 hours into the vales. Needless to say the mountains gobbled up the sun and our footing failed on many occasions. Arms grabbed at tree trunks, rambling roots and large fresh leaves to steady our wobbling bodies. Wet tiered rice fields bordered colourful mountains and smoke rose from the many fires that had ignited in the hot sharp sunshine. The forest jungle is hot and dry but the leaves exhibit autumnal colours and your pace crackles as you step on the crisp leaves. The Thai farmers here wear the tringular straw hats and walk on raised pathways between rice padies with their burdens balanced at the ends of the bamboo poles about the shoulders - just like the movies (without te American jet fighters and helivcopters buzzing overhead). Lodging for the night resided in wooden teak stilt-houses with a veranda and a welcoming fire. Dinner was served on a large mat before we smoked, sang and drank the night away. Turns were taken at bashing local drums, spluttering in wooden pipes, strumming the guitar and picking at some other similiar but smaller instruments. Accompanied by 14 wailing out of tune voices the result was pretty terrible but the banter was great. We settled down to sleep in our wooden room on woven mats to cover the holes in the floor with something burning to keep scorpions at bay. A version of Hotel California sung in a Magarita Prakatan way ( Clive James Shpw) and Jason Donavans "Sealed with a Kiss" made us long for some sleep and escape from this reality leaving with that lucky sucker on that jet plane.
We were woken the following morning while it was still dark by the throaty calls of cockerals at 4am in the morning. This was followed by the pounding sounds of women bashing rice and babies crying in the next room. At 7.30 we were called to breakfast; cold toast an runny eggs which succeded in running down my face and fleece. Down at the fire the women and babies gathered in the slowly warming day. Us tourists took photos as they posed in the usual Thai-hill-tribemother-holding-child pose. Then they decided to play the ' look what the pink people do when we do this', game. One young woman sat on the makeshift swing and her chldren followed suit looking so cute cuddling against her breats. Sure enough 4 cameras were pulled out and 4 pink people hunched on honkers pointing appariels at the sight. This cynic took a photo of the hunched pink people from behind and the coveted photograph content in the distance.
Five elephants trumped up to the village house and we mounted from a ledge. Kim and myself got into the basket and Andrea tucked herself on the neck between the ears, Tarzans'-Jane style. Hubon, our elephant led the way and was extremely well behaved. Five loaded elephants wobbled though paths and trees, up and down hills, over streams and under low hanging branches laden down with gigantic spider webs. Over warbling brooks, dropping our bags at a local house and we dismounted and climbed up to the waterfall. The vicinity was shaded and the water icey cold. Nervously we waded into the shallow pool and edged over to the cascading mass. It was fast and heavy and still freezing so we did not linger long. Lunch from the bonfire stove brought forth noodles and tuna while we dried out, packed up and trudged back to our bags. At the top of that mountain, beyond the picturesque shrivelled cabbage patch fields (no room for potential nurturing of ugly baby dolls) we witnessed more Kren village life. Daughters ground rice, women cooked, babies toddled in the mud and cheeks bloated trying to blow up the balloons that us pink people brought as gifts. Men grinned through beetlenut stained teeth as they sold us coke in bright red cans in the middle of nowhere. We struggled on down vales and across streams on makeshift bridges constructed from two bamboo poles cut and laid over the shallow waters gathering fresh loafas from trees and bushes for our iminent wash in the brook. Yes, loafas grow on trees, not on the sea bed. They come in pods and when dry one can peel the cloak layer, remove seeds and hey presto a loafa for the shower.
One of the many the things you learn when you travel!
After side stepping over and back numerus times like Moris dancers we came to a halt at a hut on the stream. Offering benches as well as the welcoming fire we laid out our sleeping bags for the night.
The girls bathed by the trickling stream while the dinner was prepared including a pumpkin which we had picked up on our trek through the fields. Around the fire that night we ate, drank, told jokes and asked questions. I now know monkeynuts gow in the soil like a root vine, lentils come in a pod, loafas grow on trees and how rice ends up in Mr Bens bag. At least these were some of the various explanations being thrown around for numerous queries some of which were very bizarre. That night was extremel funny - enough laughs to fill a year and enough tears produced by the laughter. No sleep again and very little opportunity as we were not horizontal for long.
Up early, one and a half hour trek in the blistering sun. The jeep brought us to the edge of another river where we boarded our makeshift bamboo rafts strung together with rubber from tyres. After a fried rice lunch we mushed in to the ute and headed for the hills, or rather the highest mountain on top of which we saw pagodas; the tombs for the president, the view and the Golden Buddha. Dusty and wrecked even though we had driven and not climbed we got back to Chang Mai, showered and had a wonderful Thai massage before relaxing with a few beers and another few laughs in the Irish Bar.
From Chang Mai we got a bus back to Bangkok, collected our visas from the Vietnmese and Laos embassies and got another bus up to Na Thrang and across the border at the Friendship Bridge into Laos where we gota tuk tuk - now called a jumbo if they are the larger version of the samlor (a 3 wheeled motorbicycle) to Vientienne.
Best Route between Laos and Thailand
The best way to go from Thailand to Laos is to cross over beyond Chang Rai in the north of Thailand into Laos. At the Duty Free you meet a lot of people crossing the border and gossip is the best research. Then board a slowboat for the trip down from Huay Xai to the Mekong to Luang Praban. The trip lasts 2 days and chuggs past remote village life. We did not take this route because we had to go back to Bangkok from Chang Mai to collect visas.
LAOS
$1 US = 12,5000 Lao Kip $1 US = 58 Thai Bhats in a bank in Laos!
Saturday 17th Janauary 1998
Hotel; Santisouk Hotel, Vientiane
Room Type: 3 bedded room at 12 US$
Verdict: Superb, clean crisp white sheets, ensuite bathroom with shower, bath and hot water, chairs, bedside lights, wardrobe and table. Fantastic and the cheapest around this city as there are no really low budget beds.
Loas
Laos is a tremendous country. It has a beautifully scenic landscape and is homeland to smiling friendly faces. Best of all this quaint and peaceful land has not yet being too tarnished by tourism, high rise buildings, extensive infrastructure and pollution. Let's hope it will remain innocent for another few years at least though there is a tourism campaign by the Government at the moment similiar to Visit Nepal 98 and Amazing Thailand, campaigns. The country population is only 4.8 million for the 200,000 sq km (compared with Thailands' 58 million living in an area only 2.5 times the size). The population is well dispersed around the country so rush hour in the captial (480,00 people only!) is a doddle to jay-walk through. To top it off Laos is also extremely cheap to travel and has numerous french restaurants and bakeries with tremendous food. Lack of comfortable transport is the only annoyance.
The best route through Laos is coming from the north of Thailand across the border east of Chang Rai, going down the Mekong to Luang Praban, Vang Vieng and then down to Vientienne. You can also go east to the plain of jars but roads are hazardous and you my have to fly. Next go down to Savannahket and Pakse from where you have good access tothe Bolevian Plateau which is supposed to be beautiful.
Needless to say we only found this out i retrospect so we did not take this route.
Vientienne
Arriving in the capital city one immediately notices the French influence with houses romanitcally nestled behind bursts of flowers, serene shuttered windows, and the giveaway french translations on signposts. Laos was under the protection of France from 1893 until the Franco-Laotian Treaty of 1953 granted full Independance to Laos and thereafter internal tensions between royalist, neutralist and communist factions ensued.
During our walking tour of Viantienne we sat by Buddha in many of the Wats, visited churches, strolled along sandy main roads, greeted locals and received warm smiles in return. Children ran up to us asking 'What is youor name?", Buddhist students bade us "Good Morning " and conversed in english with us. Spie was a 15 year old chap dressed in is bright orange robe and holding a London black umbrella above his shaved smiling head to shade out the sun. After snapping his image with his permission at the Sacred Stuppa he waited for us to chat as we walked down the 3 km stretch towards the Victory Memorial - Arc de Triomphe. We all love Laos and plan to stay longer than our original few days depending on which areas are accessible and not in too much danger from rebel geurillas which tend to cause disurbances on the aptly chosen Route 13.
The natural sauna that day at a Wat convent a few kilometers outside the centre is great. This house on stilts has a fire on the ground over which was placed a barrel of water and herbs. The steam and smoke sifted upwards to the shack-room where the sauna was located and we puffed in and out in between breaks. A 'natural sauna' in the true sense of those words. and really cheap.
Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd Janauary 1998
Hotel; Dokhuon Hotel, Vang Vieng
Room Type: Large double room at 5,000 Kip ($2)
Verdict: Lovely, clean, ensuite bathroom with shower
Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng is one of the most untouched unspoilt places we have been to thus far. Traffic congestion consists of motorbikes, bicycles, strolling villagers and the odd car. At sunset locals wash on the banks of the Nam Song river. Kids kick a football on the sand spit in the middle of the shallow river, their silouhettes against the severe jagged fierce mountains against the pinky misty hazey skies the perfect National Geographic cover as they laugh and cheer when the camera flashes. Sounds that fill the air are grunts and whines of pigs, cockerals begerking, new born chicks chirping beside cows maternally licking their day-old calves still unsteady on the spindly legs.
The evenings sounds change to the banging of women bashing the culinery offerings for the night and the sizzling of fresh food while distant radios hollow out Thai music. The bright round faces of kids light up in luminous smiles of Sab-ay-di as you pass, their stretched arms hand-in-hand reaching up to a radiant young mother. They are so cheerful greeting every one of the few westerners with the same enthuiasm and infectous smiles. Come here before the tourist coaches do. Explore the limestone caves and delightful brooks, flowing waters and sectacular landscapes. Come here to relax and be contented to succumb to the lazy atmosphere wandering with no maps save for the ones drawn by fellow travellers after discovering hidden wonders during their explorations. Reminders of technological developments are limited to the pilons for electricity, copies of TIME magazine on the balcony of our white-washed hotel.
Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th Janauary 1998 (inclusive)
Hotel; Vienkeo Hotel, Luang Praban
Room Type: Large double room at 12,000 Kip ($5)
Verdict: Clean, outside toilet and cold shower, which I still cannot get used to.
The road to Luang Praban
Our mission for the day was to arrive safely in Luang Praban 450km north of Vientienne. We did not fly to as advised as we spoke to travellers who had come down by road.and had encountered no problems.The long journey is trecherous both in terms of road covering, mountainous regions and alleged geurilla guns. Pigeon French and hand signals led us to believe that there was a bus coming from Vientienne between 10am and 11am which we could stop at the junction 1 km. out of town. We arrived at same junction at 9.30 and sat comfortably on our rucksaks by the roadside poised and ready to pounce in front of the passing bus. Many local vehicles stopped to offer us a ride to Kasy (a quarter of the way to Luang Praban) but we heard that Kasy was the trouble spot so passed up on the offer. The problem being that anti-government geurillas had decided to take foreigners off the bus and shoot them in the head on numerous occassions in the last year. The number of occassions depended on to whom you spoke to and how many people you met. Two weeks ago 3 locals were shot on the same Route 13. We did not know whether to take this change in target as a good or a bad sign. The bus eventually came at 11.15am but passed by without stopping, full to the brim and overflowing with people perched against baggage on the roof. A discussion ensued. Some wanted to go to the bus station and reask the hotel owners about a possible direct bus at 12 midday. Others wanted to stay at the junction and await the next bus coming form Vientienne The girls headed off for the bus station and found out that the 12 o'clock bus only went as far as Kasy and from there one must get a bus the rest of the way. With no other option we waited while in the meantime the guys strolled back from the junction announcing with smirks that an empty bus had passed which they could not get on because of us. Eventually a packed bus left at 12.30pm stuffed with locals and foodsuffs and us. The journey itself was enjoyable, through remote countryside and villages with life momentarily interrupted by the kids bunching up beside the truck with bright eyes beaming though dirty faces sreaming "sa bai dji' at us and waiving frantically. I made faces at them and they returned the very same contortions with extra enthusiasm for the game until I had 20 cute little faces sticking their tongues out and awaiting a response. We arrived in the small one road town of Kasy at 2.30pm. and were told by the proprieters of the tiny restaurant at the dropping point that a bus to Luang Praban would be along very soon. Well at least that is what we thought they were trying to say. They recognised the words Luang Praban and pointed to the clock and grinned in affirmation when we shouted bus and pointed to the road. After soup we had some fun with the locals which consisted of us, ears pricked, jumping every time we heard an engine, and them sitting back and laughing and indicating 'no not yet'. At 4.30pm we boarded a truck that was bound for our destination. The journey continued up windy dirt roads which are due to be paved soon and past numerous men carrying big guns.
We got to Luang Praban at 11pm without a clue where we were when we were dumped outside the town. Luckily a taxi was probing the pavemets late at night looking for vulnerables to rip off so on we hopped to find our hotel around the corner. Rooms were available which was a double fortune as we had arrived against all odds in one piece and got the hotels rooms which we heard were limited. I guess most people did not dare Route 13.
Luang Praban
Sight-seeing
Exploration of this lovely city began when we decided to take a route up steps that looked interesting. The ascent lasted longer than expected but we were rewarded with a fantastic view over the city and the meeting point of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers together with old Wats, stuppas and Buddha images amongst hedgegrows and caves. Descending to the north we visited the Royal Palace (Haw Kham) built in 1904, which has been a museum since Kind Savang Vattana and his family were exiled to the north after the 1975 revoloution. Along the banks of the river we observed life in this french-influenced beauty. Long boats and larger colourful cargo boats laze by the shores of the Mekong while their weighty cargo is painfully carried on bended back up the sands to the markets. Roadside stalls sell fresh fruit, fish and meat including bats and rats. I only got as adventurous as an orange which was tasteless. Maybe the speciality of cooked moss is tastier but I did not give it try. Niether did I try the other breakfast treat, the old jam made from local herbs and dried buffalo skin - which we all know and love.
Eating and Entertainment
There are many roadside stalls and markets for cheap eats. Luang Praban has also a tremendous range of great restaurants especially superb french cuisine and bakeries. Recommended is the elegant French bar and restaurant Duan Champa on the Nam Khan river. Dine on chunks of pate, scrumptious salads and succulent gnarlng steaks, wonderful french cuisine - for about $3 each. La Saladarie another french treat.
Music at the one and only nitclub is delivered from the stage by a young band who sang all the old favourites live like Engelbert Humperdinks XXXXXX while local lads slow-danced wth slight giirls and some foreigners joined in towering over the vertically challenged locals.
Women form remote minority villages sell crafts on the roadside along the main route in Luang Praban. A German gentleman has opened an impressive craft and natural products shop and is awaiting permission to add a bookshop up near the main Wat.
Around Luang Praban
Kuang Si Falls are huge Limestone water cascades 29km south of Luang Praban. The jumbo which cost 5,000 kip each. En route we strolled around a small village watching children throwing marbles, mothers breast feeding newborn infants and young girls weaving reeds into roof canopies as they listened to the slow songs on the small transitor radio at their feet. In the rice paddies our driver explained the method of growing wet rice. Seeds are placed in extremely wet square fields until the saplings grow which are then planted by hand for 4 months growing when they are ready to be cut, cropped, dried and separated. The moist green fields and the bended locals with clonical straw hats planting the saplings in unbelievably straight rows was just like a scene out of one of Olivers' or Stephens' movies.
Having reached the waterfall we climbed the left side with difficulty, absolutely wrecked and slipping in our sandals. We ended up past the top of the waterfall -missed the turn off
so back down we trudged looking for a possible turning point. We eventually came cross the secluded bathing point. Here the water was cascading from on high and the limestone formations had formed natural pools with ragged branches and undergrowth in the milky acqua water
.
Monday 26th January 198
Hotel;Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientienne
Room Type: Two large double beds ($15). We arrived in at 1am and had no choice.
Verdict: Clean, ensuite bathroom, loads of mossies.
From Luang Praban to Vientienne
There is definitely a bus / truck from the main bus station at 5.30am. and perhaps a few more there after. We did not get any two answers on timetables the same so we got on the 5.30am vehicle to be sure of a seat. The truck broke down and we spent 6 hours in a remote village awaiting a spare part to fix the steering. Once again be patient while travelling in Laos. We finally arrived in Vientienne at 1am the next morning.
Tuesday 27th January 198
Hotel;Savanbahao Hotel, Savannahket
Room Type: One large double beds (4,500kip). .
Verdict: This cheap acommodation was not good.
Bus from Vientienne south to Savannaket
There is a private company bus for 10,000 kip (same as the public one) south to Savannakhet. Look for posters in restaurants giving the phone number.
Savannahket
The bus arrives in the small sleepy town at 4pm. The riverbank is not as nice as Luang Praban but has a lovely hue as the sun sets in the west over Thailand. Befriend a local student trying to practice english and you will get free information and perhaps even a quick tour.
The Four Seasons cafe is not very french at all but suffices for a few beers. Stroll through the markets.
From Savannahket you can go further south to Pakse,Champasak and the Boleauvan Plateau.
Wednesday 28th January 1998
TO VIETNAM VIA LAO BAO
Up at the gorgeous hour of 4.00am to take a jumbo to the bus station for the 5.30am. truck.
A truck would be taking us on what the Lonely Planet describes as a harsh 10 hour journey over 100km to the border! I settled beside a Lao lady with 8 trays of eggs resting precariuosly at the side of the chair. Under the seat were sacks of produce, boxes of plastic drinking straws and other goodies to be brought to remote villages. A truck is worse than a bus because it is open and exposed to the elements. Granted it has a roof and plank benches but the wind and sand blows through from the front and slaps you in the face. Hard. It was absolutely freezing. Suprisingly the truck was going quite fast and the roads were very good (the only downside beng the stronger blasts on your face).I peeked at the map and it seemeed to be 200km to the border which at this speed would take usbout 6 hours, not too bad,
We reached the border at 12 midday and trudged up the one sandy dirt road. Around the next bend a white-washed building in the middle of nowhere was the exit point for Laos. Across 10 metres of no-mans-land into Vietnam we had to wakeup the soldiers to take us to the locked office and stamp our passports. It was TET, the Vietnamese New Year and cause for celebrations and holidays. Few cross from Laos to Vietnam over land as Lao Bao was the only border crossing open to tourists at the time.
Our Passports were stamped with a 3 week visa instead of 4 but we did not complain or bribe as this sufficed.
Because of TET everything was shut and everyone was merily drunk. Aftr 30 minutess walk we reached the place where lone bus was parked and were told $20 to Hue. We knew that we were being ripped off but had no choice. The bus was the biggest crank-pot I have ever had the misfortune to experience. The backwindow was not there, the wooden floor filthy, no support in the benches which were so narrow to you had to balance with your legs and toes cleched to the floor. We found out pretty soon that there was no suspension or if it is possible that the structure of a bus can exaggerate bumps and holes then this bus was an example.
ADVICE
Talk to other people who have cossed to see if there is a soloution. The cost of the ticket is negotiable but the comfort not. Maybe it would be better not to undertake the whole trip in one day and you'll be in better spirits Perhaps I was just in grumpy form.
B>ARRIVAL IN HUE
I recommend the fantastic Duy Tang Hotel in Hue with ensuite bath and shower for a total $12.
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