Fab.u.LAOS!

We started our time in Laos doing what we do best (besides scuba dive, that is). Driving the Thakek Loop on motorbikes for three days. One stop along the way was a cool spring pool which was full of locals. We were invited to drink BeerLao and eat grilled fish, sticky rice and tamarind fruit. They were very hospitable and even offered to drive us to the next town to stay overnight so we would stick around longer and drink more with them. We respectfully declined the offer,drank responsibly and left after the feast and a freezing cold jump off a rock into the 'cool' spring.

The night we finished the loop, we were on a bus north to the capital city of Vientiane. We did our usual city wandering after a short nap and breakfast. We found the COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) where we learned how they work to help the locals, especially those affected by UXO (unexploded ordinances) by providing prosthetics, along with mental and physical therapy. We also sat in their small theater and watched documentaries about the history of American impact in Laos, which basically involved us dropping a ridiculously large number of bombs (on the neutral country) during the war against Vietnam.

Vang Vieng is an infamous tourist destination for floating down the river in a tube and stopping along the way for drinks and a free shot at each bar. We watched people return from these outings completely wasted, and I wasn't necessarily looking forward to a peaceful tubing down the river being crowded with drunk, loud backpackers splashing me. Luckily for us, we bypassed the bars, including most of the people and had a relaxing ride on the river with one beer to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We had earned it, too, after our 20 kilometer kayak trip that same morning. We needed a break on the river, especially since we had one complete kayak tip over. A corner, tree and small rapids were involved. It was also the first time Kristina and I had kayaked on anything except flat water.

The next day, we took a bus to Phosonvan, to check out The Plain of Jars sites. These are, apparently, ancient burial jars.

From there, we went to a city called Luang Prabang. We did our usual city wandering, checked out the night market and took a day trip to swim at a waterfall.

Our final stop in Laos was Luang Namtha, where we organized a trek into the deep jungle of the NamH Protected Area (NPA). We rented mountain bikes to explore the town and surrounding area on the first day. We crossed paths with three other travelers who were biking and ended up booking a trek with a bigger group of all of us together (for a cheaper price, too). Our two day, three night trek involved a lot of climbing up and down steep hills. We spent the night in a nicely built wooden, traditional house at the edge of a local village. Our guides cooked us a traditional meal with the help of some of the local villagers. The company we booked with tried to include the locals in being involved in and benefiting from tourists as much as they could. The day after we returned from the hike, we rented a motorbike and drove to the neighboring town for fun. There wasn't much of anything to see there, but the drive was beautiful and green. We drove past a lot of rubber plantations and, surprisingly, a bunch of banana plantations. From meeting a few people here, Kristina and I were inspired to cross the border back into northern Thailand and then fly to Taiwan, where we would spend my final two weeks in Asia.

Notice my leech protection in the picture? Long pants and long socks overlapping equals no leeches for this girl! We took a few days in Chiang Mai, in Thailand, until our flight left. We did a zip line adventure just for fun. I didn't find it scary, but it was an exciting adrenaline rush.