Journey Down the Mekong

I am writing this post from Ninh Binh, Vietnam. Since the last post I have been traveling through Laos and enjoying the beautiful scenery and friendly atmosphere that the country has to offer.

Here is a picture of my group heading onto our boat that would be home for the next 2 days. We floated down the Mekong river at a very relaxed pace. The river is surprisingly narrow and moves at a very slow speed. The scenery is beautfiul; there are rolling hills of green with vegetation overflowing. The boat ride was pretty relaxing: we played cards, read, napped and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It was a nice break from the faster pace of thailand that we had been experiencing for the past 3-4 days. We stopped in a few tiny towns and villages on the way which was a very interesting experience. The villages are so isolated and tucked away in the hills, it is amazing that people actually lived there. The facilities are very basic but at the same time there are satellite dishes everywhere... a very interesting dichotomy.



Eventually we made it to the magical town of Luang Prabang, Laos. It used to be the capital city a long time ago. It is very clean and everyone rides around the town on bicycles. It has a very ancient, mystical feel to it. It actually reminds me of Davis a bit because of all the bikers and the small town atmosphere. The locals are very friendly. I would wave at everyone and smile and say "Sa Bai Dee" (hello) and they would always give me a huge smile and wave back. We spent about 2 days in the town, exploring the temples, markets and local nightlife. We also got a chance to go on a 3 hour hike through the countryside and check out an amazing waterfall with pristine blue water and breathtaking scenery.




Next, we went to Vientiene, the capital city of Laos. The laid back attitude and friendly nature of the locals was similar to Luang Prabang, but the magic was missing. The city was hot and dirty, like Bangkok but not as crowded. Open sewers lined the streets and there was a massive renovation project to modernize the system. Our hotel bathroom reaked of raw sewage. Other than that, the city was very fun. The highlight of my time there was riding a motorbike around the city. The only motorized bike I've riden has been my brother Tom's motorized bicycle. The bike was amazing. I was nervous at first because I didn't know what the hell I was doing and how to control the bike, but I quickly got the hang of it. The rush of weaving in and out of traffic in a busy southeast asian city is unbelievable. I was careful to follow the lead of the locals and not go faster than them or act in a bizzare manner. The highlight of my adventures on the bike was when I accidently went into the crosswalk slightly during a red light. I instantly hear a loud whistle and to my horror I see a very pissed off official that looks like some sort of army policeman. He has a stern look on his face and is beckoning me to come towards him. Knowing that Laos is a communist country, I don't hesitate to pull the bike over and comply with whatever is in store for me. He immidiately asks for my liscence and pulls me into this vestibule with the other officers. In broken english he tells me I went into the crosswalk and points to a building and repeats "office! office!" I have no idea what the hell this guy is talking about. Thoughts are racing through my head that he wants me to go to the American Embassy before I can get my liscence back or even worse, he is about to take me to some delapitaded prison cesspool where disgruntled communist officials can torture me for sport. Luckily, none of these things happened. I gave the man a confused look, and then he said under his breath "$10" and motioned toward the bench he was sitting on. Without hesitating, I slipped him the $10 and immidiately he gave me a big grin, shook my hand and thanked me. I was instantly relieved, thanked him in Lao and was on my way. The thrill of bribing an police officer in a third world country was almost as exciting as driving around on a bike in traffic.

Laos is a really cool place. Everyone is very laid back and extremely friendly. It is rare not to see a smiling face when greeting someone. It is also not as heavily packed with tourists as Thailand. I have a feeling that will change in the next ten years, but as of now, it really is a hidden jewel of southeast asia.

I've been in Vietnam for approximately 6 hours, but I can already notice a huge difference between this place and Laos. The people are much more agressive and abrupt. They are still very friendly and welcoming from what I've seen. They also drive like complete maniacs, contstantly passing each other on the roads and honking their horns as a "friendly warning" to the other cars on the road. It is definitely a culture shock from the chill atmosphere of Laos, but it is a welcome change as I feel the need for some more excitement which I have no doubts that Vietnam will provide excitement and much more.