Ecobiketrip

Amazing Laos heading North

• Author: Johannes
• September 5, 2008
• Category: Laos

Arriving in Laos and reading and hearing so many stories from the most beautiful places to go here I decided to move even further north what Carlos didn’t like so much, because he is now interested in these amazingly beautiful beaches we heard about further south. We made some three days travel together the three of us and Carlos decided to go back. Up here is jungle, mist, hills and wet season. So everyday rain and sometimes hard, two weeks ago so many places were flooded here next to Mekong river and others.

Here in Laos people are very friendly, smiling a lot, kind and polite though prices raised quite much for a developing country. They received a lot of help from other countries and about 600 NGOs work here in this decelerated country. Buddhism is their religion and orange robed monks receive food and shelter for free, it is a good omen if you can help these dedicated believers.

Laos has one of the highest percentages of country surface covered with real national parks or woods in general. There is almost no garbage thrown away next to the road and eco-tourism booms. There is only one place that reminds me of touristy islands in Greece and drunken tourists are as common here, Vang Viang.

Moving northern shows the mystic beauty of this mountain dominated region. Ranges of steep mountains are slashed and burned, which leaves a typical landscape. We are fascinated every day once more of these impressions.

We have been into a water cave and slept in unbelievable places, everyday camping eating domestic fruits and vegetables like Rambutan or wild varieties of cucumber. We crossed muddy and steep roads and also sometimes without road at all. We booked adventure holiday and expected to little.

Luang Prabang finally 380 km north of the capital Vientane and one week later is a UNESCO World Heritage town. It lies at the delta of Nam Khan into the Mekong River and is residence of many different former tribal people as well as monks living in one of the uncountable monasteries and temples. Its laotic or buddhistic flair mixed with colonialistic influence is extraordinarily picturesque. This is our last broadband touristic stop as we will go northern and another way back.

Some places close to Vietnam War were carpet-bombed during the war and many UXOs (unexploded ordnance) still explode nowadays in north eastern territories, were we decided not to camp nor leave main roads when we cross it.

I hope I will catch Carlos on his way at some point; we once had in our minds to travel together till his hometown in the Andes of Argentina…

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