Now, don't get confused by the term "ferry trip." Our ferry actually consisted of about 80 people from all over the world crammed into a wooden, colorful boat, sitting on wooden benches for more than 12 hours, over the stretch of two days. A multicultural can of sardines, if you will.
We spent one overnight in a little village called Pak Beng - the first actually slightly scary part of the trip. Upon landing, little children came onto our boat to what we thought, would be to unpack our luggage. Oh no no no! Within seconds, they attacked Lauren's bags of snacks and happily walked away with her apple and bag of crackers! However, we found a cute guesthouse (only 3$!) and stayed in the night in literally, the middle of nowheresville Laos. Here is my best, "Where the hell are we?" face.
However, Laos is one of the most relaxed, laid back countries in existence, I am sure of it. People are friendly, never bothersome (even at the markets) and the pace of life is not surprisingly, a lot slower. The Laos coastline along the Mekong is dotted with small, wooden houses where Laos hill tribes live, making their living off the lush, green landscape. It has been such a beautiful experience to see such a different way of life. It is so peaceful, with the exception of the roosters which have woken us up every morning around 6am!
What saved me on the boat trip (apart from lots of snacks and my best friend, Mr. Lonely Planet) is my favorite part of traveling - meeting people from all around the world. In two days, I now have friends from Argentina, Israel, Slovenia, Canada and the United States, which has been the most lovely experience! Adrian, my new Argentinian friend (who is an Argentinian man in every sense of the word - tall, dark, with a swoonworthy Spanishness to him), has helped me practice my Spanish while Alli, our new Canadian friend, told us all about how she swung from tree to tree in the jungles of Laos!
Lauren and I have plans to travel with Or (from Israel) to China, then meet up with Mateuz (from Slovenia) in Vietnam! I love it! Here is Lauren and I with our new friend Mateuz - who happens to be absolutely hilarious and has an obsession with chocolate and banana pancakes, coffee and talking. Needless to say, we make a good pair!
Now we are in Luang Prabang, and it is sooo cute! Nestled in Northern Laos along the Mekong River, it is a huge tourist destination ever since being put on the list of Unesco World Heritage sights. Lined with little shops, cafes and restaurants, it serves delicious food - thanks in part to being colonized by the French. Surrounded by forest, temples and the river, I see now why so many people travel here.
Tough talking, hard bargaining young girls roam the streets, selling bracelets, and I couldn't resist the charming persuasiveness of Noa , the 12 year-old ring leader . She found us at dinner, lavished us with complements of "You're so beautiful!" and naturally, I couldn't resist. I spent 70,000 kip (about 7$) on three bracelets, only to discover other girls selling two bracelets for 5,000 kip (less than 1$)! In other words, I was outsmarted by a 12 year-old! How adorable is she though, seriously?
Naturally, I have a nose for markets, and I found Luang Prabang's night market and immediately began spending money! Beautiful, colorful scarves, pots, jewelry, blankets - everything handmade by the Laos people. I could have bought the entire market! The market was so serene, gorgeously lit by sparkling, yellow light bulbs which reflect off the red canopies. Am I gushing enough yet?
Last night, we mingled with our new international group of friends, where I had a delectably chocolate banana pancake, made right by the night market at a little stand. Unfortunately, I overestimated the power of my stomach and before I knew it, wasn't feeling too hot again. So, now I am being forced to take it easy with food, even with all these tempting pastries, baguettes and delish Lao coffee surrounding me!
Today, we are off to explore some temples, more shopping and who knows what? Here is a lovely sunset from our boat tour on the Mekong River to part you with - take care everyone and talk to you all soon!
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