JBR (late) BBK to Luang Prabang in Lao

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#69275 - 12/20/07 06:44 AM

JBR (late) BBK to Luang Prabang in Lao

shwaygwailo
Member

Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 254
Loc: OZ

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More blog than a Just Back Report.
Hope it helps.
Lifted from my Journal.
CathyP keeps egging me on.
Thanks Cathy, make me lift my game.

Thursday 18th October

Took just over 3 hours to get to Bangkok airport.
Traffic stopped on the bridge.
Off to Luang Prabang in Lao.
Met two American retired ladies of leisure Pat and Janet on the plane, turns out they are staying at the Apsara. Same as me.
Hotel lovely, no TV, that’s okay, but where the hell is the fridge?
Answer, no fridge!
Met two Danish guys at lunch and Luang Prabang's tourist area being as small as it is I kept bumping into them.

Friday 19th October

First full day in Lao.
Off for a walk down the banks of the Nam Khan River which is outside my window thank you very much.
Reach the peninsula where it meets my old friend the Mekong and follow that back to town past an ancient Wat. Very nice.
Walked up the 296 steps of Phousi Wat for 360 degree views, it’s hot, I’m covered in sweat and the camera decides these are the ideal conditions to not work.
Hungry, I descend the mountain by the other exit through the Wat and a little alley that came out on the main eating street next to the Italian restaurant (or one of them). Perfect timing.
Fed and watered, okay, fed and beered, I buy a Lao tourist SIM card for 100,000 Kip that includes 100,000 kip in credit. That’s $10 US to you and me. Can’t argue with that.
Off to the waterfall, very nice, more water buffalos and home.
Hit the nightclub district.
Well about 4 bars next to each other, Hive bar was quite popular with the young.
Got offered ma ma (opium), said no, what about boom boom? (woman), no, tuk tuk? No.
Time to go, it’s coming up on 11.00 for shut the bar time because curfew starts at 12.00.
If you’re a thirsty tourist after bar close you have to go to the bowling alley, no,I don’t know why, but it’s the only place open after curfew.
Just a note, that doesn’t mean your hotel/guesthouse, will be open when you get back.

Saturday 20th October

Start the day with 70,000 Kip (about 7.00 US) in my pocket so need money, also have to confirm my flight to Siem Reip.
Hit the ATM’s in the main street but they don’t take VISA, only MasterCard and I think Cirrus?
Look up the banks, BCEL will give me US dollars with my passport and it’s next door to Lao airlines head office in town.
Too easy.
Check the map and decide it’s too far to walk so grab a Tuk Tuk.
How much? 30,000 Kip.
Get to the airline office and don’t see any bank.
Reconfirm flight with my passport and ask “Where is bank?” and show map.
Staff says "too far your map".
What?
Get directions and do the sign language thing with the driver pretending my map was bigger.
Get to bank and am very impressed it has an ATM that takes VISA but that is out of order.
It has a door. Very nice.
Stand in line.
“Sorry no electronic”
What?
“No electricity”
It was then I noticed I was standing in a dark bank, and this is the biggest bank in town, it has a door remember.
Sh!t.
Because of the detour I now have 9000 kip left, or about 90 US cents.
Walk into the lobby and am asked “Where you go today sir?
“Not far, bank no good but did confirm flight, no money.”
Them, “How much you want? $100 US I charge you $3 on top”.
What?
“I can confirm flight”
What?
“You still want to go to Budda cave? I fix. Charge to your room”
So I sit here with $100 US in my pocket, a private boat to the caves, and a smile back on my face and it’s only 11.00.
What a guesthouse!
Time for lunch and a celebratory G and T.
By myself on the boat to the Bam Ting (sp?). Maybe a 14.00 departure to the cave is not so popular? The Budda cave is where they put all the old Budda statues as a retirement home, being as they can’t destroy a Budda from a Wat.
Actually I don’t think you’re allowed to destroy them at all.
There must be a lot more caves around here.
One and a half hours up river to the cave and only 40 minutes back, the view of the locals on the banks was very National Geographic.
Up the street for dinner and have a chat to Pat and Janet back at the Apsara.

Sunday 21st October

Screw fell out of my sun glasses so off to get them fixed or new ones.
I won’t bore you but you can’t buy sunnies here or get them fixed.
Return to hotel with my bottom lip a bit low until the front desk sees my problem and off they go, 15 minutes later, sunnies as good as new.
Have become an expert at killing cockroaches, they are big and hard to miss, so easy prey.
At lunch a Dutch guy at the next table sneezes. No, he didn’t sneeze with an accent, I found that out later.
So I said “bless you”, one, because it is polite and two, because almost every table was for one and they mostly had their heads buried in a travel guide instead of talking to the people around them. And yes that does drive me nuts.
The child trinket sellers are a bit pesky and I tell them I don’t wear jewellery.
They say “Hungry” so I offer to share my food, if they are dodgy they say no and want money.
Nothing for them.
Got offered more opium.
While looking for dinner I bump into my new sneezy Dutch acquaintance Fred.
He has a bad stomach complaint and is trying to medi-vac himself to Saigon and asks where I’m having dinner. I think Tum Tum Bamboo, but if he is that sick why does he want dinner and more importantly why medi-vac to Saigon when he could go to Bangkok on his travel insurance?
Fred arrives after I’ve finished eating, eats with me and as we discuss his situation six other people agree with me for Bangkok, put he’s made up his mind and bought very expensive tickets. $300 and he has to go via Hanoi. Nuts, but a genuine really nice guy.
Home to pack as I’m off to Siem Riep in Cambodia with my good friends Lao airlines.

_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"

Editors Recommendations : The Peninsula Bangkok

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