Falling In Love With Laos

Again, I'm on the move and Internet isn't terribly reliable, so this post will be short and to the point.

Tuesday: Took a long but incredibly scenic bus ride to Luang Prabang and explored on foot. Climbed to Phu Si, a temple situated on a hill in the middle of town with a heavenly view of the surrounding quaint city against the backdrop of rugged mountains and the peaceful Mekong.

Wednesday: Caught a tuk tuk to Kuang Si waterfall where we hiked and took advantage of the rope swing into the falls. Again explored on foot and sampled the ubiquitous Lao food with it's discernible French influence.

Thursday: Drove a few hours to a put-in point on the Nam Ming River and paddled the whitewater down to the Nam Khan River. Continued on the Nam Khan until the afternoon when we reached a Hmong village (accessible only by boat) where we ate a delicious Lao dinner and stayed for the night.

Friday: Woke at the crack of dawn (the Lao way) and paddled the Nam Khan all day until we reached Luang Prabang. Ate another good Lao dinner on the banks of the Mekong with a picturesque sunset and chilled out by the river for the evening.

Saturday: Soaked in the atmosphere of Luang Prabang for one last time before catching a quick flight to Hanoi. Arrived in Hanoi and ate a scrumptious dinner of Vietnamese pho at a streetside stall and explored part of the city on foot.

It's a bit weird being in the city again after spending time in eternally tranquil Laos. I absolutely fell in love with Laos; the people were warm, the natural beauty stunning, and the generally relaxed pace of life appealing. It definitely won't be the last time I travel there.

Signing off from Hanoi, Vietnam.