March '06 Journey III : Laos Day 3

Laos Trip : Day 3 (15 Mar 06)

Now, we are already in the middle of the Laos series. I will try to finish my March'06 Journey as soon as possible. Let's move back to the story of Laos. The gang & I had to leave the city of nature, Vangviang. We woke up early like yesterday to touch the Vangviang last morning and then packed all stuff to be ready for a long way to a world heritage city of Luangprabang.

We had breakfast at the resort during waiting the van picking us here.
Today, I changed the breakfast from the-always-ordered Pho to Porridge with chicken.
Saying GOODBYE to Thavornsuk resort at 9.10am.
Thank you to the owner Uncle&Aunt for your very warm hosting.

The way to Luangprabang just began....
(I had a stomach-ache due to too-good last dinner while sitting besides the driver...)

So many sharp curves along the way from Vangviang to Luangphrabang.

After about 4 hours, we took a rest to go to the nature toilet and stretched our arms and legs.

We eventually reached the ancient capital of Laos around 14.30 (5h30min). During walking to find the guesthouse to stay for the first night, we were accidentally stopped by the vehicles procession of the Cambodian King. What a luckiness of us!!

We walked around for a while and finally decided to stay at Phu See 3 guesthouse (เฮือนพักพูสี 3)which is quite closed to the spot where the monk walk through to beg for food บิณฑบาต in the morning and also located just behind the Buddhist temple.

This is a very stylish cafe in the classis Luangprabang, but so expensive. Just next to Phu See 1 guesthouse.

Another classic but repainted building in this city.

After finishing all guesthouse thing, we decided to have some food and drinks because of very small lunch in the van. We escaped from above cafe to another one and bought this local food to eat with...... don't know the name but another damn good one. คล้ายๆก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอด ราดน้ำหวานๆ อร่อยมาก

After adding some energies, we climbed up to the Phu See hill and temple.

...Wat Pra That Phu See...

Lots of tourists especially Japanese waiting for the sunset at the top of Phu See.

This is the picture that all people waiting for.

Trip members picture at the top of Phu See.

Another nice and classic cafe and restaurant in the city.

After absorbing the sunset view, we walked through Talad Muud ตลาดมืด แต่ไม่เถื่อน เป็นถนนคนเดิน ขายของแบกะดิน , a walking shopping street selling lots of handicrafts, silk clothes and lost of souvenirs. We spent more than an hour to pass thorugh this short shopping street and unconciously bought some souvenirs, eventhough we already talked one another that we would just look and ask for the price only, then would buy them tomorrow.

After getting so tired with the price negotiation, we had so hungry and looked around food street stall. Then, stopped at the vegetarian stall ร้านมังสวิรัติ. The all-you-can-put-in-your-plate of vegetarian food was my worst meal in this trip. (.... These are for western tourists only, I think....)

However, at this vegetarian stall, we met a very nice local girl working as a part-time job there. She was so talkative and very friendly. We had quite long conversation and before we left the stall, she offered us to bring sticky rice for offering the food for the monk tomorrow morning because it will be cheaper. Besides, she volunteered to take us around the city by bicycle to see UNSEEN-Laos in the afternoon as welll. What another luckiness of us!!!! Her name calls Khao น้องขาว, a high school student in Laungprabang.

March '06 Journey III : Laos Day 2

Laos Trip : Day 2 (14 Mar 06)

We woke up around 7am to breathe fresh air in the morning of Vangvieng along Xong river.

Morning view from the resort.

More expensive rooms in the resort because it is closed to the river.

Pho (again), my breakfast at the resort.

E-tan อีแต๋น , a basic vehicle in rural area, was tried to cross the river.

Then, we went to Water Cave in the morning. It was very fun to float inside the cave.

After getting wet from the Water cave, we were back to a small village to have lunch. This is a small hill nearby. (See the monks upthere)

My main lunch, Fried rice - BBQ - Baquette

We ordered another dish, Lab Kwai ลาบเนื้อควาย

Very kind Laos people gave us this dish which made us so happy because we were disappointed with the two above. -- Khao Piak

A wooden bridge around there.

After lunch, we finally took a Kayak along Xong river back to the resort.

Such a nice weather today, quite cool.....

We dropped by at the rest area which has its very western style. I tried this jumping once... so fun and exciting. (it is not me in the picture.)

Everywhere has BEER LAO...

After taking rest for an hour, we continued kayaking back to the destination which is just at our resort. Our kayaking members included a young couple from Germany and a business man from the US.

Very nice nature view of Vangvieng before sunset.

Another great mountaineous view shooting from the resort. After taking a shower, we aimed to the downtown again to find a local restaurant, not western-style ones.

Somtum or Tumbakhoong again. Damnn good....

Laab (again), a bit different from Thai style one because they put cow-pea (ถั่วฝักยาว) and bean sprouts (ถั่วงอก) .

Grilled pork

Eventhough this meal was my most favourite along the trip, it made me have diarrhea on the next day during on the van. Thanks to the driver that he dropped by at a nice shop which has a very clean toilet for me. It is time to say bye to Vangviang, a place of nature -- mountain and river -- which is called as a sister city of Pai (Thailand) and Guilin (China).

March '06 Journey III : Laos Day 1

Laos Trip : Day 1 (13 Mar 06)

Finally, we reached Nongkhai station at 6.10 am with only 10 mins late from schedule.
Then, we took a tuktuk to Nongkhai bus terminal.

After we had and easy meal at a small restaurant in the terminal area,
we took this international bus to Vientiene.

It took about 1 hour to pass two customs boundary (Naongkhai and Vientiene).

Pra tu xai, one of the symbol in Vientiene.
(a very zoom shot because we didn't have time to go there)

Khao jee (ข้าวจี่) or Baquette, A long french bread with lots of stuffings
is a very common Laos food. We bought this for lunch in the local bus to Vanvieng.

14:30 is time to reach Vangvieng.
Thanks to this uncle sending us off here eventhough he made us confused a lot.

Thavornsuk Resort, this is a place to stay for 2 nights in Vangvieng.

A bridge to Jung cave, it took less than 10 mins from the resort.

147 steps upto the entrance of the cave.

Inside the Jung cave.

Back to a very small downtown of Vangvieng in the evening
which is under construction everywhere, thanks to a driver (อ้ายหงษ์) for helping us a lot.

We were so hungry because of very small lunch, so we immediately headed to
a good restaurant for early dinner. (of course, BEER LAO first)

Pho, Vietnamese noodel in Laos style.

Somtum or Tumbakhung, a Laos style papaya salad.

We took a rest in the restaurant for a long time. then, we went back to the resort to be ready for tomorrow's kayaking trip that we reserved with a small agency after dropping by a Roti street stall for a dessert.