Happy Fathers Day!

June 16

HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!

6:49am Laos time

I don't know why I can't sleep past 5 or 6am. It's ridiculous and not enjoyable late at night.

I was correct in my assumption last night. I have been reintroduced to Delhi belly upon arrival in Laos. I don't think it's as bad as it was in India though, but we shall see...

1:13pm Laos time

We just got on another private bus. We are going to take a 3 hour bus ride to Vang Vieng. Well be there for 2 nights and then we head to Luang Prabang.

Our local guide is named Home. He was a monk for 5 years. He is from Vientiane but studied in Luang Prabang.

Sab bai dee= hello

So this morning we hopped on 2 tuk tuks and we were off for our mini Vientiane adventure. We had 5 people in one tuk tuk and 6 in mine. I was with Robby, Zara, Laura, Saskia, and Melissa. The tuk tuks here are again, different from everywhere else. It is a motorbike hooked to the part that pulls people still like it was in Cambodia (I think) but it looks really different. Both the motorbike and the carriage are covered by a roof. The sides are open. There are seats on 3 sides of the part you sit in. So, for example, I was sitting with my back to the driver at one point and facing the road behind us. It's pretty high off the ground compared to other tuk tuks I feel like. It also rocks like crazy when someone gets in and out. It literally shifts with the weight and where it is being placed. The brakes squeak a lot and it takes a bit for it to start getting up to speed, but it does the trick!

As you drive, it is mostly just simple buildings as I mentioned before but then you'll pass this beautiful pagoda or temple or something sandwiched in between all the simple buildings. As usual, the pagodas are very colorful and beautiful. We passed a huge gated area at one point as well. I couldn't get a photo of it. I don't know if it was the palace or what, but it was huge. And it had elephants statues in the front for a fountain or something.

First we stopped at the Phra That Laung Museum. This is a huge golden temple that is pictured on all the money in Laos. It was so gold and so shiny and so large. It was really impressive. Matt isn't entirely sure when it was built because the Thais burnt Vientiane to the ground in 1825 and everything had to be rebuilt. It was made to replicate the unopened lotus flower. It enshrines a relic of the Buddha... His collar bone. Therefore, it is a sacred place for people to worship.

There are 4 sides to the golden lotus and on each side there are little prayer areas to go up and pray. There is a grass area between the outer walkway (which is covered) and the inner golden lotus and temples. I went up one to take some photos and didn't take my shoes off. Then a bunch of people and a few monks came up as well and I felt really rude I hadn't removed my shoes. I stayed for a bit to watch what they were doing. They all sat down and were praying together. They did a little chant and bowed and then I left. Everyone was waiting for me. I'm the new Mars!

We then walked to the side because Matt said there was a really beautiful temple there. There were a bunch of people gathered at the steps with a man in white dress robes. The women had flowers and flowers with a candle and the man was blessing people maybe? It was hard to tell because they were surrounded by people. Then all of a sudden they threw a bunch of flower petals in the air and everyone went up the stairs to the temple. We don't really know what they were doing. Ed guessed it was maybe a christening type thing. We followed upstairs (this time we removed our shoes) and stood at the back of the temple to watch and take photos. There were a number of monks in their orange robes lined up, sitting along a raised platform in 2 lines opposite one another. Then the man in the white robe was on the floor with the people and everyone else was sitting around him.

We also went in another really cool extravagant looking building. Inside there were some monks as well as another empty temple and 2 rooms full of artwork. There are gardens in front of this building as well and a few smaller buildings or temples or something nearby.

We walked back to our tuk tuks and our driver let us each get on the motorbike part and take photos as if we were driving the tuk tuk. He took a really good picture! The other group got a little annoyed waiting because they were all already piled into the back of their tuk tuk and they ended up heading to the next attraction. This was actually a replica of the Arc de Triumph from Paris as well as the Champs Élysées. It was really cute! Apparently the Americans donated the concrete to build it and due to that it has been nicknamed the vertical runway.

The outside of it had a lotus flower looking petal design going around it. It had a lot of detail as well on the carved areas. We were able to climb the Arc de Triumph to the top. The view was pretty spectacular. Things seem a little more spacious/spread out here. The ceilings are pained or jeweled as well. And, of course, on each level on the way up you could stop and shop in the little market area that was set up. I'm saving up for Luang Prabang! Matt ranked the night markets for us again:
1. Luang Prabang
2. Chiang Mai
3. Siem Reap
At what I thought was the top level, until I realized there were more stairs inside the middle where the market area was, had a lot open area for people to view things. There were higher walls though but they had open spots so you could see. Then, to climb to the top level you had to go up a small spiral staircase. The windows up here had wire Buddhas over them. It still looked really nice. I think a blue sky always helps make things look amazing as well.

There are elongate tractor type things here that have a wooden plank on the back that people sit on and drive down the road. Similar to the style of people riding on whatever they want in Thailand.

The other group finished before we did and headed back to the hotel maybe 20 minutes before we did. After we got all our photos in, we headed back to the hotel as well. We were back with 40 minutes before we had to check out. I finished "Room" though! Yey! I can start another book! It was really good and actually a pretty cool perspective for thinking about some OT stuff as well.

We checked out at noon and then Matt took us to a bakery that is the Starbucks of Laos. Joma. I got a salmon bagel with cream cheese, an amazing tasting banana and chocolate milkshake, and a spinach quiche for later for 79,000 kip... A little less than $10. I thought that was pretty good. There, you get a number after you order and they bring you your food as well as pick up your dirty plates for you. It was a nice coffee shop for sure.

Kat and Sarah didn't join us for the morning tuk tuk tour. Poor Kat is sick and was up all night puking. Sarah's stomach was just bothering her a bit. Kat tried to drink some sprite but she couldn't hack it and she also thinks she has a fever now. It was pretty warm in the building and she was freezing. Hopefully it passes quickly. Matt has been really good about helping the people who have felt sick with special remedies.

2:39pm Laos time

I think we're more in the countryside now. The houses are a lot more spread out and there are a lot of trees around as well as open fields.

2:56pm Laos time

Now were driving and there are a bunch of mountains just covered with trees. You can't see anything else.

3:07pm Laos time

Oh boy. The first classic Rachel story came out. Cara, Laura, Sarah, Courtney, and Laura were witnesses. They thought it was the funniest thing ever. That is the first one of those I've had since I have web away. I literally just told them about how I saw a little girl in a Disney princess dress but it wasn't a Disney princess dress it was just a dress with the Disney princess on it. They were waiting for more and that was it haha. And I stuttered. And did the whole awkward pause thing. So yea. Haha. It still exists watermark friends! But in my head it was important because of Jenn. I took a picture and sent it to her. Even in Laos!

7:08am the next day Laos time

We drove in to Vang Vieng and its so cute. It's not very big and the town is literally a stop over for tourists traveling in Laos. It's also very chill and I haven't seen too many cars but the roads aren't very busy at all.

We pulled up to our hotel and Matt told us to make sure we take our shoes off before entering the lobby. It was an open area with a roof covering and tile flooring. There was some furniture and a desk. We got our rooms and walked in and it was ridiculous. There are mosquito nets and a bunch of windows and the view is beautiful. It's a beautiful room. The view is like a bunch of mountains. Kind of like in Halong Bay with the islands rising from the water... But there is no water.

Matt wanted to take us to a bar to see the sunset. The bar was cool. It was overlooking a great view. There were higher wooden platforms with small tables (it was long but short) and cushions around them to sit on. The beer was really cheap (10,000 kip for a big beer Laos aka $1.25). Obviously, since we came to see the sunset we couldn't see it because it was too cloudy. There was also a baby goat in the bar at one point until the girls working carried it out.

We had to decide what we were doing tomorrow. A lot of people wanted to go tubing. I didn't really want to tube. I think when the river is slow that it is pretty boring and I would rather go see something. There was a bugee tour that looked so cool that I wanted to do. You drive around in a bugee and see a lot of the countryside and go to some caves. It was $100 but I was willing to pay because when will I be back? While other people were booking their tours, Matt took me to book mine but I couldn't do it. They require at least 2 people and I couldn't ask anyone to pay that money too. Soooo I decide to go hiking instead. Bart was really happy because he wanted to hike but it was too expensive to go alone. So now Bart, Melissa, and I are going hiking. It includes some caves and swimming at the end. It should be a good time. It'll be nice to get to know them better too.

The only places to eat here are TV bars. You can choose friends, family guy or South Park. We ended up going for friends as a group. Again, it was on a wooden platform off the ground and there was a table and cushions to lay/sit on. The sitting area was only on the side facing the TVs. It was interesting haha. Robby, Saskia, Bart and I basically got our food after everyone else had already been finished for a while but it was okay because of the watch TV set up. People just lounged around.

That was pretty much our day. I was exhausted by 10pm and already falling asleep! That's what waking up early will do to you I guess.