Part 2: Laos

Before I keep on explaining my route, I would like to recommend those who are looking to do something in this region to a couple of resources that I have been using. First and foremost, many travelers alike have probably already heard of a wonderful little resource called Lonely Planet. I bought the travel guide, "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring", and its filled with invaluable information for every destination imaginable.

The second resource that Andrea, Henry, and I have been using is TravelFish.org - an online web community for those who have experienced the same type of thing.

Lastly, Henry pointed out this resource for all the types of things he hopes to eat: Weird Meat. Dedicated to all the seemingly grotesque Asian Delicacies that would normally induce some serious vomit-action to westerners.

Keep in mind that there are various other independent bloggers, and other traveling sites which we've been using. The ones I listed above just make life easier!

This leg of our trip begins after a border crossing into the Bokeo province of Laos. Refer to the map...

1) We'll be coming from Chiang Rai, crossing the famous Mekong river, and into a town called Huay Xai. Town? I'm not sure what it is, actually. This province is known for its sweeping landscape, rich with wildlife and its rain forest. The reason for heading into Laos from this side is because we wanted to experience the Gibbons. You can experience living several hundred feet up in this giant tree house in hopes to catch a glimpse of the nearly-extinct Gibbon monkey. I love monkeys. :) You stay in these "houses" for a few nights, and sleep in the jungle with like-minded travelers, and have a good time. Oh, did I mention the only way to get from tree to tree is via crazy-ass ziplines that are suspended a few hundred feet in the air? HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!


Apparently there are giant spiders that are the size of my hands - sure to scare the living crap out of me. Maybe I won't be so happy sleeping up in a tree house after all... hmm.

2) After the monkeying around, we'll be making our way over to another town called Luang Prabang. Henry suggested that we should take a slow boat along the Mekong river, which will take approximately two days. There is a lot of fun to be had! Except for the leeches........ and giant mosquitoes......
http://youtube.com/watch?v=17mMojaj8qk&mode=related&search=

3) From Luang Prabang, we'll make our way down to Vientiane - the capital city of Laos. Although the map doesn't show a huge distance, relatively speaking with say... Calgary and Edmonton - the mode of transportation is SLOW. So slow, in fact, that what would regularly take 3 hours, will take about 12. Hot sweaty bus? Check. Crammed? Check. Smelly? Check. I think this spells for a good ride... Yeeeaaahhhh. In Vientiane, I'm not entirely sure what to expect here. Apparently, its not so developed, and its not the most exciting place to be. But, it serves as the hub to the next destination/country in our trip...
*drumroll*

4) Hanoi, Vietnam! More on this leg in the next post...

The further I get into describing this trip, the less concrete things are going to be. Especially about Vietnam, and the continuation into Cambodia. My friends and colleagues have let me know that everything could change. Perhaps we'll find a giant Triceratops and take it for a ride into Burma...

Who knows? :)