I had made up my mind that today I would cover the many temples of Luang Prabang all over the city. I started out by along the main road and visiting all of the temples that line the city center. Many of them were some of the same old same old that I've seen before and my spoiled ass didn't stay long. However the city has many that are combined with French influence and well worth checking out. It was at one such temple where I was approached by a young novice monk who was up for a chat. I obliged and a very long chat was off. Forgetting that most young monks are not in the monkhood for the religion, I soon found out he was here because his family are farmers and don't have much money, and he's using the monkhood as a way to find a sponsor to pay for his college. Talking to visitors improves his English which was actually very good. and improves his chances of getting a job later. I was quite touched at his speaking 3 languages and his ambitions. All self taught, truly great what can be done when you really want something. Departing, he asked if I'd take his photo graph so I'd remember him which was touching again, and then exchanged contact info in hopes I'd be a supported of his learning later on.

     Going from temple to temple there are just so many amazing pictures, it makes it so hard to chose 2 or 3 to slowly upload to here. But one for sure is the golden dragon headed boat I found at one temple. Inside a small temple building, I entered expecting a buddha but was quite surprised by 5 dragon heads glimmering of gold in front of a huge boat. I couldn't seem to find out the story behind it, but you can bet it has one. Making my way towards the outskirts I stopped at maybe 3 or 4 more temples, each of which had its own unique design. I chose a few photos out of hundreds, including a shining silver elephant head hanging from the side of a temple:

     Once again crossing the bamboo bridge after the temples, but this time for a different reason. I was going to the farther away temples and the top on a hill called Phou Si. Rumored to have some of the most amazing views in Laos, I had to see it but was afraid of the climb. After about a 30 minutes walk and a stop or two at some smaller temples along the way, I could see my destination sitting atop one very large "Hill". See that little temple up there? Yeah, that's the tip of where I'm headed.

      Approaching the steps that would lead me top the top, I had zero idea of just how much to see this place had. Lining every few feet of this mountain combo temple are amazing Buddhist images and temples. Hanging cliff-side all the way up, statue after statue lines my path, followed by the occasional lizard or snake. Happy Justin? :-)  I'll get a closer one of a colored one in my room.

     It was during my accent that I was able to take the most stunning picture I think of a Buddha image to date. a close up of a large reclining Buddha. The pictures just stand out to me.

      The climb is tiring, but at least theres steps the entire way. Unfortunately/Fortunately it levels off every couple hundred feet or so giving you amazing views but also the false impression your done climbing. This fully forested mountain temple gave me more than I could have asked for, but nothing prepared me for the top. Sitting higher than I think I have in any temple before over looking the entire city of Luang Prabang. This place gave me goosebumps it was so nice. While I was in the middle of my head daydreaming, I was approached by another novice. We chatted away much like before and I was amazed at how eager the young monks where here to practice English. It went much like before except this time it was a much longer chat and at the end I asked for a photo. The first one I've taken with someone that I asked for. There have been hundreds of great photo's I could have had involving village people etc, but I made a choice early to try my best not to use people as scenery on my trip. I feel very uneasy about taking photo's of people unless I can ask them. Hence why people are a rare thing in my photo's. Maybe I need to open up about it, as for the first time the other day at the Hmong ceremony I felt regretful about not having taken photo's of the amazing attire of the people. But there's no paparazzi culture here. and most people find it very impolite. Maybe But my photo with the nice monk was very nice.

      Just as I was preparing to depart, I had pointed out by the novice that a Lao Airlines plane was about to pass by us. Because of him I got this great picture of being eye level with the airliner:

      On the way back down the opposite side of the mountain I came up, my way was blocked quite a few times by an army of roosters and other birds. This place teamed with animals. It's so much easier going down, and if it weren't for a sight I saw half way I would have been to the bottom in a few minutes time. But the tree I saw in the corner of my eye made me stop. Turns out it was a bodhi tree given by India as a gift on the 2500 anniversary of Buddhism. If your wondering why from India, it's because India is where the Buddha is said to have attained his goal and the home of Buddhism, although little to none exists there today.

    
    Somehow bypassing the curving river by going over the mountain, I was back on the side I started and didn't need to cross back over the river. I passed by a few places I my see tomorrow on my way back to my room. A very long day indeed, but certainly one to remember.

( Until I can get access to Wifi and use my laptop, unfortunately the photo galleries are going to be idle. :-( But I'm sure I'll come across it somewhere soon.... )

 
    With there being little to nothing else to do in Phonsavon aside from the jar sites and villages, I was off this morning to the world heritage city of Luang Prabang. Given it's status on the UNESCO list of cultural places, I was expecting alot. The ride once again was through some serious mountains for the entire 6 hour ride, which caused everyone on board to nausea. The scenery is so amazing, it's a shame you only get an hour or so to enjoy it before all the back and forth gets to you. Stopping half was at a village market which had some neat eats for sale, from spiders to any meat you could possibly put on a stick. I settled for fruit and got a bunch of asian pears and got back on the bus yo wait out the much needed rest stop.

    Arriving, I didn't look around for a room as I was approached by someone offering at room at there place which normally is a no go but I was tired and the room turned out to be a good place on the river. Eager to explore, I followed along the river take in the view. Once I found my way to the center which is really a single road that just seems to never end, I saw the real Luang Prabang. Boasted as "The" Lao destination, it has alot to live up to and does for sure. I dub it " The Paris of Laos " as the French buildings are everywhere, romantic restaurants line the streets, and elegant western cars dot the front of them.

    That of coarse is the city life of Luang Prabang, and is about as close to Lao culture now as LA is too Londons. Quite by accident I found a quiet Lao village just on the other side of river, tucked away across a very old bamboo bridge. Crossing the bridge gave me a chance to get some really nice shots of the river. On the other side, I managed to get mud all over the bottoms of my pants. :-P The entrance to the village is nice with an arch shaped path of bushes lining the way. Once I reached the village I slowly walked along the pure dirt paths to nowhere. Dogs run from houses barking away, jacks of all trades hard at work. A truly nice glimpse at life here outside the travel trade.

      Having arrived late in the afternoon, The day was pretty much finished by the time I left the village. Walking back to the room I past some places along the river with boats for sunsets and thought about it but passed, maybe tomorrow. Tonights just relaxing and a movie on the laptop.

     Left Vang Vieng this morning after getting an arrnaged tuk tuk pick up from the guesthouse to catch a minivan to Phonsavon. There were only a few people for the ride and we quickly got to chatting. A guy from germany and 4 girls from England, I was the only American as always. We exchanged all the normal questions.. How longs your trip? Where are you from etc. You can gain some really useful info by chatting away about places you want to go as more than likely one of them has been there. I soaked up all my needed info and once the chatting died down I began to stare out my window. The rides in northern laos are rough, really rough. Almost all travel is down through the mountains, only coming down upon reaching your destination. Around bends where the clif is inches away over and over, swaying left to right. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded from the altitude are all too common. But as soon as you look out the window, and realize were you are its all OK. Your thousands of feet above ground, with nothing but lush green mountains for miles in every direction. These moments are broken only by the passing of an occasional mountain village that flanks the cliffside. The sheer amount of people living on these mountains in small bamboo huts is remarkable. Throughout the entire 6 hour ride through the mountains, you pass not a single building that you could recognize coming from a western country. No stores, no businesses... Nothing but small bamboo places hanging along the cliff edge, and an amazing amount of farming for such high elevations. Truly remarkable place, and its simply the side of the road....

      Arriving after a very long journey late in the afternoon, the six of us decide to stay at the same guesthouse and do the trip to the plain o jars together in the morning. We all settled in and after planning everything and eating, we set off to watch a documentary that a guesthouse was said to play at night about the history of the bombing here. After a short walk through a few very dark and unlit roads, we found the place and sat down inside on mats and began watching on a small TV. I had really no idea what to expect and actually thought it was going to be a film about the jars, not the town itself. The film threw a serious curveball, and aside from being touching really opened my eyes to where I was. In brief, it was a description of the 2 million tons on bombs the USA dumped on Laos civilians during the Vietnam. Called " The Secret War " due to the US denial of it for so many years, it shows the real horror the place went through and this town in particular. When US planes failed to complete a bombing run in Vietnam, the pilots didn't want to risk landing with live bombs. So there orders were to dump the bombs on the Ho Chi Minh Trail running through Laos. This dumping created 30 million bombs that never detonated, and still kills thousands every year. With 200,000 being found every year, its no wonder there used as anything from cups to chairs here. 

      After finishing and feeling drained from the reality of the film, we all sat by a make shift camp fire made in what else, a giant empty bomb shell. The night went great by the fire with others seeing us and joining. The 6 or 7 year old boy that lived there came along and kept keeping us amused with tricks of his, like whisling with local leaves from bushes or pulling his eyelids inside out. lol. Quite an interesting night indeed. Walking to the room for the night I was ready for tomorrow and very excited, the plain of jars just sounds awesome.

      Waking up at 7am, I got ready for my day at the vast jar sites and some side events along the way. The places are only accesible by a vehicle, so we all split the cost and were off. Stopping at a small office along the way, we picked some info and some back stories and the jars. Our irst stop was to Site #2, skipping #1 to save the largest and probably best for last. The long climb up the dustiest road I've ever been on was interesting, Anything that was once green on this road was covered with a golden layer of dust sitting lightly on the leaves, simply waiting or a wing to bring back the green. At the top was a very interesting site indeed. Although not as large as I'd though, scattered upon the top of a hill were giant Granite jars, most larger than myself and weighing up to 6 tons. How these massive stones where carried so far up here is unimaginable to me, nevermind how they got them from the quary 3km away. The stones here are given greatly beauty by the views behind them. A view of the entire area is clear as day from the hilltop.

      Heading from the jar site, we drove about 5 minutes away to a small village that makes Lao wiskey. While certainly not something I wanted to do the others did so what the hell. It was surprisingly interesting seeing the most primitve way aclhohl can be made. I was shown the 10 day process of rice being fermented in large bowls, the inside of the small bamboo hut where the refining took place. And best of all the very elderly woman who had been making it for over 40 years here. At less than $1 a liter, this is stuff is cheap and I imagine very dangerous for anyone who can't control themselves lol.

      Not staying too long we were off again soon, this time heading to the smallest jar site. Although there was a few very large jars, nothing here warranted more than a few minutes. It was the most recent site to cleared of bombs by the UNESCO team and we were some of the first ever tourists to see it. So it was disappointing but all the same, a little speacial.

      Next up in was what shaping up to be a day chalked full of things to be done was the ancient captial of this province. Was a massive French city during the time Laos was a French colony, the war reduced it to rubble and it is now nothing more than small villages made up of the Hmong hilltribe minorities. There was a quite impressive temple and buddha image here, and the fact that it survived the bombings have the people here considering it all the more special, and I don't blame them. I couldn't believe it was there either.

      We happened to arrive when a ceremony was taking place between the young Hmong men and women. Dressed in there traditonal attire and headdresses, they got to know there future husbands and wives by passing a ball back and forth to each other in line or hours an hours, trying to trick someone into dropping it. This courting takes place for a month. Imagine playing a game of catch for 6 hours a day for an entire month! This was a truly remarkable cultural ritual. The people here have largely arranged marriages, with marriage taking place at 15. There's an ancient practice of kidnapping's if someone preffers someone other then the arranged partner, but it has all but been phased out over time. A truly amazing visit. I only took one photo from far away due to the tribe being quite camera shy.

      Arrining at the final stop, Jar site #1, I was not expecting much assuming the jars had been a let down. I was dead wrong. Site 1 consists of over 300 of these amazing objects, with one over 6 tons. Scattered over such a vast distance, the feeling is undescribable. Not even climbing almost a thousand feet can you fit all the jars into the camera's lens.

     So high, every jar seems the an impossibility in its own right. Yet here stands over 300 of them on some the most lush mountains, sun shining in beams through the clouds upon them. Something was truly speacial about this place, and upon upon completeing the hours walk through I had no desire to leave. I stood at the top on the cliff staring at the view, the now massive stones looking like ants from my perched position. Somehow the places just keep topping each other... And yet I'm still surprised every single time....

       I've really come to enjoy my time here, and although I was a little under the weather yesterday and didn't do much I still found ways to relax and enjoy myself. Reading by the river, shakes and lao dishes on couch beds watching Friends at an empty place.... This being my fourth day here I've probably stayed too long and will be leaving tomorrow morning. That said I'm glad I spent as much time here as I did, and would come back again in a heartbeat. While certainly not the epicentre of Lao culture, there's more than enough to make this a must see lao destination. It seems every road in this happening small town has a view of the mountains at its backdoor, flanked by endless TV's playing there endless hours of "Friends" which for me never seems to get old.... 
      

     
      That said I'm ready to head off to my next destination... Off in the AM. Going to phonsavan, also known as the plain of jars for its massive fields of stone jars ranging in size from small to larger than myself. Relatively little is known about what they were used for, but from the pictures of seen I think it will be a very interesting trip, if not just for a single day. Little bit of an added interest factor is that this place is also the most bombed province in Laos, and that's really something coming from the most bombed country in the world. Unexploded bombs take alot of lives here every year and so going outside the cleared trail to the smaller jar sites is risky. Probably sticking to the main ones.... I'll see when I get there.

     Also Vang Vieng Photo Gallery is up. :-P Almost impossible to keep up, and by the time Vientiane's photo's are up there will be a hundred more from phonsavan....

  
      After resting up yesterday afternoon I decided to check out the town at night and maybe find a place to relax. If I could take the massive amount of people this would be my heaven. There are places like cafe's that play "Friends" all day long sun up to sun down, every single episode. Thats all they ever play. And instead of tables they have couch beds with coffee tables so you lay down have your coffee or beer and watch endless friends! Most of these places however are always full and I wasn't going to go in. Later though I happened upon an empty one and made myself at home... Pinnaple shakes and 3 hours of "friends"... This is the life.

     Photo below is from the place itself, so I left there tag to show it's not my photo:

     This morning after waking up I was very excited about tubing, only to walk out of my room to a very cloudy day. Not a spot of blue in the sky. So I decided it could wait until tomorrow and decided to use today to explore the numorous caves that lie in the limestone mountains. I rented a bicycle and peddled my way over the bridge. Cutting through muddy paths deep in the woods, a few cuts and a muddy shirt later I cave upon a huge rice field that I had to ride through to reach the caves. The view was really something, but made that much better by the animals quietly grazing in the front of it. I stared for a moment and layed down my bike to enjoy it before heading to the cave entrance.

     To say the caves were remarkable is understating there marvel. Upon entering I realized these were not meant to be entered, having to get on my stomache just to enter. Inside, like something from a movie set, the ceiling opened up to gigantic icycle like pieces of limestone hanging from every inch of the ceiling. I had to sneeze but literally wouldn't let myself for fear of a falling piece would impail me. Deeper and deeper I went, Crawling through crevice after crevice, desending lower and lower. It was incredible. However I was getting asthma like symtoms the lower I got due to air quality and had to turn back early. :-(  Even worse was I didn't get to take any photo's before that happened.... Sigh.

     A little down and out of breath, I walked out of the cave hunched over and took a breather. Amazingly when I lifted my head, there were no more clouds! Now back in full form and it only being 10 am due to an early start, I decided to tube and returned the bike early. I found the tube rental not long after and got a tube and a a rubber dry bag for my camera while on the water. Grabbed a tuk tuk and was off to the river! Upon getting there, I noticed there was absolutely no one here . Puzzled I set my tube in the water and got in, I was off. Looking around it was official, I was the only traveller there. It took me a minute, but then I realized it was so early the traveler's who come here only do so in the afternoon and drink at the bar cabins on the rivers edge. This was amazing! Happily solo floating down Lao's usual busiest and only real tourist playground, I floated past the first bend. On the otherside was a stunning view of what lay ahead, flanked by limestone mountains, lush forests, and many riverside bars on stilts waiting to cater to the young drinkers.

     Floating endlessly down river, finding myself daydreaming in the peacefulness of it , I decided to video a portion of it which will be up as soon as I get video's working again!  Not to far downstream, I passed my first set of bars and slides. Really something to see, small bamboo bars with tarzan swings and makeshift slides going into the river. Truly can see the attraction of why so come hear.

     Almost 3 hours of floating later, I came upon the shore. Here it got a little less fun, finding out my "dry bag" had a hole and my things were soaking wat, money included. And then I have a little girl swim over and pull my tube to shore on her own and then beg for money for doing. I of coarse felt guilty and caved and gave it to her, but still I hate those positions. Anywho, back to the room to dry things off. Camera luckily stayed dry. Out for dinner and some internet. :-)  Tomorrow perhaps more caves and some pictures!

     After deciding to leave the capital literally upon waking up this morning, I was off to find a bus north to Vang Vieng. I realized I'd have to hit Vientiane again heading south and made sense to leave things to do there for the 2nd stay. I was really excited about Vang Vieng having seen pictures of the people floating down the river on inner tubes for hours pulling to the shore only for another beer.... I couldn't wait. So I was off to the bus station where I planned to take a 5 hour bus there, however I was talked into taking the minibus bus a tout at the station. Taking only 3 hours it ws double the cost but much shorter and in the toyota 4 row minivan. The ride was interesting with 5 different languages being spoken between the 12 people in the van. I listened to a Japenese man talk about what  dolphin and whale tasted like lol. The ride on the only semi-paved roads into the mountains was horrible, swaying back and forth I was dizzy in no time. Luckily the 3 hours went by fast and I was arriving at my destination in what felt like only an hour. The drop off for the van was in front of a very nice resort like set up with dozens of bungalows facing the river and mountains. I was hooked into staying, hence exactly why this is the drop off. I took the more expensive bungalow for the view even though I should start cheaping out for a while. But it just was such a nice room with the greatest view.

      Having settled into my room, I walked down to the river and took some amazing photo's before sitting and taking it all in. It was truly great.  After a while by the river I wanted to get my feel of the town so I walked around for an hour or two, over the bridge that leads into the mountains, and got a serious feel of what I was going to do in the next few days. Having arrived late I wasn't tubing today, but the stunning scenery is an attraction that could take up an entire day. The photo's below are from right in front of room except for one:

     After getting a feel of the town, walking past dozens of places to eat all playing Bob Marley and every TV had on re-runs of friends.... If it wasn't for all the heavy drinking in them I'd be in heaven. But not for me.... The scene in town thought is of little convern, since my guesthouse in a 10 minute walk into town. I'm pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Back over the bridge I went back to the room to eat dinner and get some R & R before going out to find an internet cafe... which I did. :-P The interesting site of the day was definatley the bombs lining the bridge. I know Laos has been bombed more than any other country, but when you start decorating with them you have waayy to many.

     Tomorrow am going to be floating down the river for a few hours! So excited. Taking it slow here, I think I'll be staying for 3 days or so.....

( The photo galleries for Laos will probably be a work in serious progress due to the lack of internet in rural laos. Just putting the photo's on this blog cost me $3 because of the time it takes here.... )

       It's official. At just about 9:20am I did my first overland border crossing into laos across the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Walking through the Thai immagration booth, I watch my passport be stamped out of Thailand, and directed across the bridge to enter Laos. It's funny being technically "nowhere" for about 5 minutes. On the bridge I'm neither in Thailand or Laos. I've been stamped out of Thailand but not yet into Laos. Maybe I have a dry sense of humor. Anyhow across the bridge I reached Lao customs where getting a visa was really as simple as filling out a small form and handing my passport, a picture, and $36 through the window. Try getting into America that way. Having been stamped into Lao PDR ( People's Democratic Republic ) and a very cool looking Lao visa in my passport, I was off to the capital, Vientiane. I looked around for a guesthouse for a while but having found nothing to my liking I settled for the place listed on travelfish as the best bet. The room was very nice but wasn't in it longer than dropping my bag in it. I was in Laos, and it was time to explore..... Vientiane is quite an amazing place. The capital city of an entire country, yet it's not a city in my book. It has the look and feel of a large town or village. Trees line every sidewalk in large numbers, fields outnumber buildings, no skyscrapers or even buildings higher than 3 floors for the most part. Vientiane is a perfect mix of new and old.... Paved roads only in the center of town, all other roads are rocky as hell and dirt. Lao flags sit along side there communist flag on nearly every home, quite nice actually the look of it. I'm already in love with Laos.... Riding around seeing the Thai side of the mekong river, there's something amazing about being on the side I was staring at for so long.....

       After a quick breakfast at a great place with a english menu, I bartered hard for almost 5 minutes with a tuk tuk driver and cut the fare nearly in half from 200.000 kip down to 120,000 kip. Yes it's incredibly amusing dealing with a place that the smallest bill is 1000 kip and a US dollar is equal to 8,490 kip. :-) I had my driver for the day, and was off to Xiang Khouak. Turns out the amazing statues I saw yesterday was actually the master piece of a Lao artist who fled to Thailand after communism to continue his art. I was no on my way to see his first sculpture garden on the Lao side of the river. Once again, this guys stuff kicks some serious ass. This place had a cave that you could get to the top off and view the entire park! The inside is incredibly small and even my skinny body had a hard time making it through the narrow openings... finally reaching the top I took a photo through the last opening....

      After soaking up more of Asia's greatest statue's, I was off to That Luang and the  Patouxai, Two amazing structures right next door to each other but couldn't be more different. The golden temple that is That Luang is quite impressive, although the act that you can't enter leaves much to be desired, However the massive amount of glimmering gold on the outside is surely still enough to impress....

     Soon after, at the arch de triumph of Thailand called the Patouxai, I found here what my just top more than half of Thailand by its sheer perfect placement of architecture and the park around it.  Here I found a truly remarkable structure, and one that I was allowed to go on the roof of at that. The view from the top was nice, and you really see just how much of a town feel this place has outside the few center blocks... Nothing but tree's and small houses for miles....

     Leaving my wonderful arch, I head back to town to eat and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the many cafe's by the river...... Not sure how long I'll be here as the capital is a little expensive but it's worth it.... The main thing that's hard is getting used to a new money system! I was so comfortable with baht I could instantly know what the price was in dollars when told in baht. Now it's like that will be 89,000 kip,,, What? lol Takes a bit to get used to but so did baht... Guess I'll have to make up for my overspending here by being cheap later....