Banana Shake
Oh banana shake, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways, or sheer number of shakes I consumed while in Laos, and in Thailand. We arrived in Laos mid-day, and immediately had to get our visas on arrival. If there is one thing I've learned in all my travels, it is push, shove, trample, and trip everyone else so you can get to the immigration line first. Once again, my tactics worked and we were the second ones to get our visas on arrival, while those in the back waited for almost an hour just to get their visa. What is funny is that you must pay a $30 fee, in USD only, and in cash only, to get your visa. (Canadians have to pay more, $35. I am guessing it is because their accents are just weird) However, there are no cash machines, and they don't accept American Express or travellers cheques. Luckily, Ryan and I knew this in advance, but the Aussies in front of us, were in a bit of a pickle.
It turns out that Laos, though billed as a third world country going through development, was actually much more westernized, at least in Luang Prabang, than any of the other countries we visited on our trip, as were their prices. We immediately went out on a trek throughout the small city, and took in the sights. The town is very quaint, with just two major roads situated right on the Mekong.
The following day we went on a Kayaking trip on the Nam Ou river, down to the confluence with the Mekong. On the way, we visited several villages to see the different crafts. We saw a paper manufacturer in one of the villages. It was amazing to see them take the pulp of the tree and transform it into beautiful parchment. But, what struck me most, or at least it hit me in Laos for the first time, was the incredible amount of responsibility children bear in nations such as Laos at such a young age. I remember looking at one girl who was probably 6 or 7. She was holding a knife approximately a foot in length, and was carefully cutting a cucumber (one that I've never seen before. It actually looks like a cantaloupe.) in several sections and eating it straight off the knife. It struck me because I know my parents, granted they worry more than anyone on the planet, would never have let me cut anything with a knife at that age. This girl was an expert with it.
The next morning we visited the Kuangsi Waterfalls, about 35 KM outside of Luang Prabang. We arrived there at 9:30am, and were the first Tuk Tuk to arrive in the parking lot. We basically had the entire park and waterfall to ourselves. On the hike in, we passed the bear and tiger preserves. These preserves exist to protect the last remaining species that have been killed off by poachers in this region. After watching the tiger for some time, we moved on to the waterfalls.
The falls cascade down six or seven different levels through the course of the park. At several of the levels, there are natural pools that have formed that are perfect for swimming, diving, and swinging on ropes. The water was probably around 70 degrees, and was quite chilly considering it was still quite cool in the morning.
After the waterfalls, we headed back in to Luang Prabang, where I had another two banana shakes before taking off for the airport.
It turns out that Laos, though billed as a third world country going through development, was actually much more westernized, at least in Luang Prabang, than any of the other countries we visited on our trip, as were their prices. We immediately went out on a trek throughout the small city, and took in the sights. The town is very quaint, with just two major roads situated right on the Mekong.
The following day we went on a Kayaking trip on the Nam Ou river, down to the confluence with the Mekong. On the way, we visited several villages to see the different crafts. We saw a paper manufacturer in one of the villages. It was amazing to see them take the pulp of the tree and transform it into beautiful parchment. But, what struck me most, or at least it hit me in Laos for the first time, was the incredible amount of responsibility children bear in nations such as Laos at such a young age. I remember looking at one girl who was probably 6 or 7. She was holding a knife approximately a foot in length, and was carefully cutting a cucumber (one that I've never seen before. It actually looks like a cantaloupe.) in several sections and eating it straight off the knife. It struck me because I know my parents, granted they worry more than anyone on the planet, would never have let me cut anything with a knife at that age. This girl was an expert with it.
The next morning we visited the Kuangsi Waterfalls, about 35 KM outside of Luang Prabang. We arrived there at 9:30am, and were the first Tuk Tuk to arrive in the parking lot. We basically had the entire park and waterfall to ourselves. On the hike in, we passed the bear and tiger preserves. These preserves exist to protect the last remaining species that have been killed off by poachers in this region. After watching the tiger for some time, we moved on to the waterfalls.
The falls cascade down six or seven different levels through the course of the park. At several of the levels, there are natural pools that have formed that are perfect for swimming, diving, and swinging on ropes. The water was probably around 70 degrees, and was quite chilly considering it was still quite cool in the morning.
After the waterfalls, we headed back in to Luang Prabang, where I had another two banana shakes before taking off for the airport.
posted by Brian Katzman at 12:25 AM
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