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In the last few weeks, I’ve wandered from Bangkok’s massive markets, to a cooking class in the north of Thailand, survived a flood, and landed in Laos. It’s been an exciting few weeks. In many ways I feel like the real travel is just beginning… Beach time is over and now I’m really hitting the road.
I mentioned flooding in Chiang Mai in my last post. Well… it had been a month since the flood when I got there, and the night market was JUST reopening. The city was hit pretty hard.
I decided to try my hand at left-of-the-road motorcycle riding and happily clutched the keys to my shiny rented 100cc red Honda Dream. Of course I picked rush hour to start, and managed to get myself completely lost. Reading signs in Thai can be a problem. ;) After four and a half months of being in left-lane countries, driving on the left was luckily a snap. It was dealing with what I call “flow motion” that was more exhilarating… It was interesting to both be aware of everyone around me while at the same time figuring out where to turn.
On my birthday, did a quick visa run to Burma and spent the evening bar hopping with new and old friends in Chiang Mai.
The Rolling Birthday Bar - best invention e.v.e.r.
How to drink from a bucket
Soon after that, I took a day-long cooking course with a couple from New York who are also travelling the world with no schedule. Learned how to make red curry, cashew chicken, and mango in sticky rice. Mmm.
The result of a day's cooking class: mmm...
After this, we continued north to Pai in the north of Thailand. I was hoping for some more adventure: rafting, hiking, whatever!
So, here is some trivia for you: apparently, in Thailand, it is “good luck” if Gecko poo lands on you. Kind of like how it’s “good luck” if a bird poos on you. Who is coming up with these?? I was sitting in an office booking a rafting trip when tap something hit my head, and then landed on the desk in front of me. I took a closer look, thinking wtf – it looked like a petrified potato bug. The Thai woman sitting across the desk burst into a grin and exclaimed “Good luck! Good luck! Gecko sheet, Gecko Sheet!!” pointing happily at the ceiling, where indeed a gecko was positioned directly above me. Ha. I smiled politely as though it was the most wonderful thing in the world that I’d just been crapped on. Hooray!
Anyway it must not have worked, because we proceeded to get flooded out of town the next day, which obviously also meant the rafting trip was cancelled. (hmpf, no rafting in a flood? what?) This was the storm from the recent typhoon that hit Vietnam, which some of you may have heard about. My aforementioned NY friends escaped from their bungalow in water over waist deep! They had to wade through a strong current of flood-soup before they finally made it to my place.
Luckily (OK, maybe the gecko poo does actually work) I was in a guesthouse that was on higher ground and stayed dry. I still decided to leave immediately to stay ahead of the water… Back in Chiang Mai, they were awaiting the same flood (it’s downstream) and I didn’t want to get stuck. I booked a ticket to Laos for the very next morning, and from the plane I could see just how flooded it got. Word is the river rose 4.7 meters.
And that brings me to Laos. That’s pronounced “Lao” btw – the French added the silent ‘s’ which apparently has resulted in most of the world mispronouncing the name, including me until I got here!
I flew to Luang Prabang, which has sleepy old French colonial buildings and sits peacefully along the Mekong river.
What. A. Wonderful. Place.
The Mekong in Luang Prabang, Laos
I really shouldn’t tell you about it. This is the best kept secret EVER. Well, maybe it’s not such a secret anymore… people are definitely discovering this country, which I am calling the New Zealand of Asia. Alas, you can see it changing before your eyes. But it was everything I was looking for in northern Thailand and couldn’t find… it isn’t hard to get off the beaten track here and is quite a lot more genuine.
Temple in Luang Prabang
The Mekong at Sunset
Still itching to go rafting, I signed up for a kayak/rafting trip from Luang Prabang. Ended up breaking my right middle toe during a river rescue where a couple tipped from their kayak in the middle of a class III rapid. (Nothing like being in a boat together to get a couple to fight). ;)
I learned a lot about river rescues that day. Namely that it’s wise to keep your sandals on, so when you walk along the sharp riverbank afterwards (after your kayak also tips due to mishandled rescuing), you can protect your feet… I also learned that it’s best not to paddle toward the frothy side of the river when towing a panicked swimmer. I totally went the wrong way. It was fabulous.
Happily kayaking just before "The Incident"
Children on a natural waterslide (better said, mudslide) :)
Child during alms-giving at dawn
From there I went north to a very small village (with only 4 hours of electricity a day) named Muang Ngoi where I got to go hiking a bit, complete with broken toe. I’m not one to sit around much, but I did limit myself to day hikes. :) The highlight of the trip was walking through striking green rice paddy fields surrounded by limestone karsts up to a village only reachable by foot, trying to communicate with locals in Lao, and trading serenades with three little girls. We sang “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and they then sang beautiful (much more sophisticated) melodies in return.
Children in a small village north of Muang Noi
Rice Farmer
Playing around in a waterfall
Now I’m back in Luang Prabang and just had a fabulous 2-HOUR massage for SIX DOLLARS. Life is good. Heading south in the morning. We’ll see how things go down there – I hear this place has no end to its wonderful experiences. I can’t wait. :)
p.s. More roosters in Muang Ngoi. I have no qualms about eating chicken.
p.p.s. Yet another Dori reference from folks I met in Bangkok. Hmm.
