Farewell Laos, hello Thailand

Heading back to Thailand we arrived in the late afternoon at the town of Nan. The kindness of the locals was astonishing.  After making our way to the first guesthouse by pedicab (bicycle rickshaws) 

we found that it was full. Walking around the corner, we tried another nearby guesthouse but found that it too was full. By then our cycling taxis had disappeared, the owner of the guesthouse didn’t speak English and we seemed to be stuck! But no ... someone overheard our conversation and offered to take us across town to another place – and luckily we found a room there. Next challenges were to find an ATM and to get back to the bus station to try and buy tickets to Chiang Mai for the next day – not easy when it was going to be New Years Day. B and P ended up getting lifts on a scooter to the ATM and B was then scooted off into the night to buy the bus tickets, aided in translation by the Good Samaritan on his little scooter. So much hospitality and goodwill.

But now it was time to welcome in the New Year! Off we went to the town centre where a big celebration was underway – lots of food stalls, tables and chairs for the crowds to sit and eat and even an outdoor stage with entertainment. 

 
 The highlight (and it literally was high lighting!) was the sending up of dozens of lit lanterns that went soaring into the night sky like a myriad of luminous jellyfish. 

I cheered myself hoarse (or is that donkey?). It was indeed one of the best New Years parties I’ve been to. Here’s hoping 2011 will be an exciting year for everyone with plenty more adventures.

Off on an elephant trek

‘Twas early morning and the valley was shrouded in mist.  We all (dogs included) set off to the morning market.  It was quite unlike any market I’ve seen before.  The place was buzzing with colourfully dressed people and an amazing array of goods for sale. 

 
Having bought a selection of interesting foods for our lunch Monika took us back to Jumbo Lodge for breakfast.  She had a special treat in store for the day – she had arranged an elephant trek!  At 8:30 the dogs rushed out into the garden barking, announcing the arrival of our elephant and her mahout, together with a local guide.  I stayed well clear of those enormous jumbo feet while P and B climbed aboard from a platform in the garden.

and off we all went  - with me trotting along behind.

 
I resisted the temptation to have snack from the veggie gardens we passed and on we went through forests and across rivers  to reach a nearby village for lunch.  

I suspected that a donkey would be something of a novelty for the local children and the elephant and I decided to stay on the outskirts of the village so as not to alarm them.  Whilst the others went to visit the school we were invited to enjoy some corn on the cob for lunch 

before setting off back home.

Slowboat up the Mekong

I’m the kind of guy that tends to go against the flow, so whilst most tourists opt to travel downstream on the Mekong we boarded a slow boat heading in the opposite direction.  The captain had never had a donkey as a passenger before and he had some doubts about how I was going to manage getting up the gangplank.  But I’m game for anything.  I tried to look like a cool dude sauntering up the plank but I nearly missed my footing and landed on the boat with a skip and a hop.

We all settled down and watched the assortment of cargo and remaining passengers following us aboard.  Soon we were on our way and I could put up my hooves and watch the river world go by. 

Our destination was the village of Hongsa so we had to disembark at Tha Suang.No gangplank this time – we had to leap from the boat onto the beach.  

Now that’s all very well for people with big feet but my hooves sank deep into the sand and I went right up to my knees in water.  I managed to scramble up the bank and join the others in the sawngthaew.


It was dark by the time we reached Jumbo Lodge in Hongsa but Monica welcomed us with a tasty meal and I enjoyed meeting all the dogs and cats. 

Breakfast with the monks and lunch at the waterfall

“Get up DD!” I heard someone saying. “If you want to see the monks collecting alms you’ll have to get a move on”.  It was still dark outside – this didn’t seem like a respectable hour for a donkey to be stirring but I was keen to see age old early morning tradition of novice monks collecting rice and other foods from villagers kneeling on the pavement.


We then had our own breakfast before climbing into a tuk-tuk to head off the Kuang Si waterfalls.  On the way we stopped at Tat Paen where I was intrigued to find a little workshop where models of Pu Nheu and Nha Nheu are made.  They form part of the Songkran Festival which takes place in April and is the traditional start of the New Year.

 

 The circular walking route at Kaung Si follows the river as it cascades down a series of waterfalls, leading from one tranquil spot to the next.

Lovely, lovely Luang Prabang

Now we’ve had time to explore the beautiful town of Luang Prabang in daylight I’ve decided this is definitely my kinda town.  It’s on the World Heritage list and with good reason!  How do I start to explain the charm of it?  Perhaps it’s the brilliant colours that have the first impact.  The lush tropical vegetation is daubed with bright reds and yellows; the bouganvilleas drape over fences in scarlet profusion – and every now and then you catch a glimpse of a passing saffron robe.  In between the quaint French colonial architecture are the brightly adorned temples.  And best of all, from a donkey’s perspective – there are no noisy trucks and lorries – I say we should all get around on get around on four hooves or bicycles.  Well, I guess you could add the odd scooter to the list.

As we strolled around the lanes a cool cat relaxing in the shade leapt up and offered my one of his rice cakes which I found surprisingly tasty.

Service with a smile – Dan and Lavang provided the perfect answer to sit back and relax on the terrace and watch life in the slow lane on the Mekong.

Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon

I couldn’t help humming the tune as we watched a big yellow hot air balloon take off from a field next to the guesthouse and go sailing off into the sky. But we were on our way northwards to Luang Prabang so we opted for alternative transport.

It was another journey over the mountains, passing stilted houses at the side of the road. 

We arrived in Luang Prabang in time to visit the sprawling night market with its colourful stalls of wonderful handcrafts.

Christmas in Vang Vieng

Woke up to find that P had brought along a special Christmas treat  – a chocolate reindeer friend!  He had managed to survive the journey in her backpack, still intact.  




After breakfast we set off on a hike to Phu Kham cave.  The scenery was really impressive but the sun got hotter ... and hotter... and I was glad to arrive at the Blue Lagoon. Everyone was having a great time swinging on ropes and jumping into the refreshing water.  

As you know, donkeys are pretty nimble on their feet so climbing up the mountainside wasn’t a problem for me.  But spelunking (that’s just a fancy word for exploring caves) is not my forte.  We donkeys like to be able to see the sunlight and aren’t so keen on crawling around in confined spaces.  But I was really glad that I did go in.  The rock formations inside were impressive and best of all I got to see the reclining Buddha.  

 

Back down at the pool it was time to chill out and have a picnic.  




 





We then hitched a ride back to the guesthouse with a local farmer on this tractor. (Yeah, okay, so tractors can be useful when a donkey has had an exhausting day in the hot sun).

Nose to the north

Heading northwards now, the bus was full and the conductor had to clamber over passengers sitting on sacks and bags in the aisle.  

At first we passed through flat countryside with rice paddy fields but soon we started to climb into the mountains, passing little huts on stilts as we zigzagged higher and higher.  

Finally we descended to reach the town of Vieng Vang with its surrounding karst formations.

Although I’m having a really grand time on this trip I’m a little disappointed that I still haven’t met a single donkey on our travels.  Perhaps one reason is the presence of the ubiquitous Laos tractors.  The locals manage to modify them in ingenious ways to perform many of the tasks that we donkeys would tackle in other countries. But, hey, they're not as good looking and clever as we are!

Lotsa wats today

In contrast to the temples we’d seen in Cambodia, here in Vientiane it was time to explore lotsa wats (temples) that are currently still in active use – like Wat Si Muang. 

At That Luang I found the dragons rather scary at first but was told they are just there to guard the entrance to the temple and they are in fact rather fond of donkeys.  

So I behaved myself and took care not to disturb the figures sleeping nearby.  

 
We found a stall selling “mystery balls” and decided to give them a try.  Well, I liked the eco-friendly disposable “plates” made from banana leaves but preferred the munchies  I’d brought along in my nosebag to these funny “mystery balls”. 






























Afterwards we visited the Patuxai monument, which is also nicknamed "the vertical runway" as it was apparently built with cement that was supposed to have been used to build a new airport. 

We climbed to the top to get a view over the town of Vientiane.

Flying off to Laos

So much still to see in Cambodia, but it was time to move on to Laos. Because I  wanted to have a good view I asked for window seat on the flight from Siem Reap to Vientiane  ...

 and this is what I saw – the mighty Mekong River with little settlements with fields of crops.  

After finding our way to the hotel in Vientiane we went for a stroll down to the riverfront. 

Floating off to the stilted village

I’m not a great swimmer so when I heard we’d be doing a boat trip today I was a little concerned.  But I’m really glad I went along!! After passing through Roulous village the tuk-tuk driver took us as far as he could along a little track that led down to Tonle Sap lake.  I don’t know my starboard from my port so I decided to just sit up front for a good view. 
   

Our “captain” was a young kid but he certainly knew how to get around on the waterways.  In no time we caught sight of the unusual village of Kompong Phluk. 

The villagers live literally on and from their watery surroundings.   

We disembarked to wander around exploring their unusual way of life. 
Not only am I not a good swimmer but I don’t have a head for heights, so visiting these folks at home would be a bit too much for a donkey guy like me to manage.





 




Exploring the nearby swamps involved a canoe trip!  After the heat of the midday sun it was cool and refreshing to glide around in the shade of the trees.


 

That evening I wanted to see the night life in Siem Reap so we went off to the night market. 

Off on a tuk-tuk safari

Today we decided to venture further afield.  The places we wanted to visit were “off the map” and our tuk-tuk driver tried to explain that this was going to be a bit of a cross-country safari – and so it was!  

Puttering along in a tuk-tuk is a great way to see the countryside.  Instead of whizzing by at great speed I enjoyed pottering along, being able to watch the locals going about their daily lives at the side of the road and feeling the wind in my mane.  

The first stop was at Beng Mealea.  

Being more remote this is the ultimate “lost-temple” experience.  

Climbing over tumbled stone structures was quite a challenge for a little guy like me but the climbs were always worth the effort. In amongst the toppled ruins  and foliage are some great carvings. 
  

Our tuk-tuk driver, Mr Hong Meng Cheang, had assured us that he was a good mechanic and that his vehicle was sturdy so we left the tarred road and set off on a bouncy but exhilarating short cut, getting a real glimpse of rural life.  



 
Visiting Banteay Srei is like walking through an ancient Hindu doll’s house.  What it lacks in size it makes up for in design.  It is a collection of  small buildings, each with elaborate and complex carvings that have somehow stood the test of time.