The Slow Boat and Luang Prabang

So hot....I'm not sure how hot it is today, but it hurts to be outside. Even the locals are complaining a bit (and even breaking a sweat). Welcome to Laos--(don't pronounce the 's').

We hopped the Thai/Laos border about 5 days ago, which runs neatly down the middle of the Mekong River, and booked a two-day 'slow boat' journey. The flurry of the border crossing put us on a boat crossing to Laos, through customs, on a tuk-tuk ride, and back on the slow boat all in a matter of an hour. Pure chaos. But like most borders we've crossed, it somehow seems to work out...for better or for worse.

Although we were not in the most comfortable river-faring vessel, our trip down this main artery of Asian life was a pretty relaxing and entertaining experience. For a few days we got to see (albeit it from a distance) how the people of this country utilize the murky waters of this massive river for sustainment and entertainment. Naked little boys entertained the 'falangs' with crazy river antics, old men used massive fishing nets from the rock banks or from make-shift boats, and women sifted large pans on the sandy shores (maybe panning for gold). In the end we had pretty sore butts, but the experience had been great.Our end destination was the temple studded city of Luang Prabang. Like many cities in this country it is situated right on the bank of the Mekong, but instead of the rural life we had witnessed the previous two days while on the water, this place is a tourism magnet with plenty to do and see. After being witness to hundreds of Wats over the course of the past few months, we resisted our temptation to not visit any more temples, and we hit the muggy streets. After all, Buddha and the colorful monks who worship him make for great photo-ops.

To beat the heat we also spent an afternoon in the cool waters of a large waterfall near the city--a nice reprieve from the sweltering sun and crippling humidity.

We also ran into our friends Alan and Becky who we had spent time with in Nepal. As always, it was nice to see some familiar faces. Being the brave souls that we are, Alan and I hit the night bazaar and each got a small sample of the insect/reptile stuffed bottles of Lao Lao--the local rice based elixir. (In case the image is hard to see, one bottle is stuffed with a small Cobra and the other with a giant Scorpion.) Through our bravery, I must confess that neither concoction was the least bit tasty--in fact they were horrible, and in the morning I had a hard time keeping my balance. The point is that we are brave. Even Shanon had a small taste of the scorpion--and managed to hold it down. We all vowed, 'never again!'

This is a great country so far, full of lovely people and beautiful scenery. Since we have a lot to do we will head south tomorrow, taking a few days to relax and float the river before arriving in the capital city.

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Note on the Camera: For now our pictures seem to be back (not sure what's going on with the virus), but the internet here is painfully slow. As a result, the photo count on the blog may be kept to a minimum for a while.

Note on the Blog: For our dedicated readers....when you look at the comments, if you ever do, there seems to be several notes from various strangers who provide a link and say something like, "Click Here." Don't ever do it. I do believe it's something bad (i.e. virus).