My break-neck tour of Laos lasted just 10 days, which is probably something like the average but was a shock to my system, as I'm used to giving myself about twice as long as I need in every place to account for work days and days where I just can't really be bothered to go out and would rather watch Red Dwarf and eat biscuits. I've been travelling for two years without a break, got a problem with that?
Laos was a testing ground to see whether I could get all my work done on long distance bus journeys to free up time once I got to my destination, now that I've replaced my laptop with one that has a battery life longer than two hours (how did I cope with that for so long?) This new system works well for me, but I still could have done with spending a little longer in the old capital of Luang Prabang - the first and last place in Laos that didn't just stress me out and reminded me a lot of Chiang Mai in Thailand.
Apparently, you can take a seven-hour speedboat journey between those two places, so could theoretically divide your time between Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang until your respective visas expire, making the trip across the border every two to four weeks until your inevitable death. Not the worst retirement plan.
Luang Prabang
(ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ)
The Mekong river. That's another one checked off my life goal of tracking down the namesakes of Deep Space Nine runabouts - only nine to go! (There wasn't a USS Nile?)
I warned you last time, it's mostly going to be temples and monasteries from now on
Wat Xieng Toung at the least photogenic time of day. Thanks a lot, sun
Snakies
Doodles
(I'm showing the appropriate level of cultural respect, right?)
(I'm showing the appropriate level of cultural respect, right?)
Laos can be surprisingly expensive for tourists compared to Thailand and some other South East Asian countries, but you can still find the local bargains - like this buffet that costs 10,000 kip per heaped plate (about 79p).
It's one suspect for the diabolical diarrhoea that overcame me a few days later, fortunately after the bus journeys were all over. That wouldn't have been fun for anyone
It's one suspect for the diabolical diarrhoea that overcame me a few days later, fortunately after the bus journeys were all over. That wouldn't have been fun for anyone
Phou Si Hill
Maybe it was the lack of sleep on night buses or concussion from the tree, but these guys didn't exactly make me feel welcome
Chom Si stupa. Like the waterfall, it looks more impressive from down below
One of my rubbish cobbled-together panoramas. It's been a while
Cretins waiting for sunset. It was only about 5PM and the views already looked spectacular, what are you hanging around for? I'm so over the sun
Precarious cat
Laos route map
A Vientiane
B Xieng Khuan
C Vang Vieng
D Luang Prabang
E Kuang Si
