From Laos to Vietnam to Laos

From Laos to Vietnam to Laos
31 July 2014 at 06:44

After two days on the slowboat we arrive in Luang Prabang, Laos. A steep slippery muddy kind of pier is waiting for us to be climbed. We do need to climb this to get to the streets, where the sellers of hotelrooms and tuk tuk drivers are waiting to attack us. 20 kgs of luggage on our backs and bellies, some travellers with simple flip flops, I mind you, this is not an easy task. Though we fullfill it. Next: bargaining on the tuk tuk prices to downtown Luang Prabang. Together with a South Korean couple and a Polish man I get on the tuk tuk to town.
I didn't book a guesthouse in advance, and just for a moment I slightly hate myself for that, since it's already getting dark, and me exhausted. Well. I decide to stroll around through town and find a nice guesthouse. The 20 kgs are not that bad actually. I got used to carry this around and it's not heavy at all. Quickly I find a romantic guesthouse near the river banks of the Mekong. Eric, the lovely French owner, came to Luang Prabang a few years ago, after leaving his carreer and all the hustle and bustle of Paris behind.

I stayed three nights.. First day I relaxed. Had breakfast on the quiet terrace of the guesthouse, with an excellent view on the Mekong. After strolling around town for hours, I went to the Red Cross Massage Salon for an awesome foot, neck and head massage. The Australian Red Cross, as part of the international red cross organisation, started this initiative as a community based programme. All revenues and money earned in this salon will go directly to the Lao people of the community of Luang Prabang. Also due to the fact that only Lao people work and get their education there.
The sunset arrived and coloured the Mekong river. I stranded at the most fancy river bar in town. Utopia. Bar and restaurant. It was hidden in between little Lao houses and quietly located on the river banks. In this bar I met Breana, a, as i call it (and she knows..) free American soul. She lives and works in Australia now, though she used to travel around in her own country with car, tent, dog and cat. Now she does the same in Asia, though instead of with her tent, dog and cat, she drives a motorbike all over South East Asia.

With her, Marco, Robyn and Sam, we will be travelling to the Khuang Li Waterfalls. They are absolutely breathtaking. The same day I already witnessed the Bat of the Monks. The monks daily come to town around sunrise, to receive fresh food from the people in town. A girl I met at the slowboat, wanted to give food too. Since I do not believe in any god, as for myself I found it disrespectful just to wanting this as a tourist kind of 'thingie'.

I got to know Robyn and Sam, a warm Australian couple with a great sense of humor. They happened to stay in the same guesthouse. I was very surprised to read that on their trip to India, they've travelled together with my neighbour Gerrie for a few days. It's a small world after all. We met eachother again in town that evening, had deep, refreshing conversations and drank BeerLao and ate some springrolls.

One of the things which touches me deeply of travelling (alone), is the fact that you meet beautiful people. Beautiful. Not in the physical sense of the word. No. Real beauty. From within. Interested in what touches you the most in life. Not interested in things or clothes. Well, who am I to judge on this? Anyways. Most travellers I've met could be a member of the minimalist club... The guys and girls I've met did ask questions. And this is what touches me. The fact that I travel alone, have to go through everything alone (when i choose to), frees my mind. I am able to think about the decisions and choices in my life which I want to make.

Heading to Vietnam. Bye bye lazy Lao Lao. See you in a few weeks. I'll be visiting the 4000 islands in the south of Laos. Although I really love Laos, and the scenery, i will not travel to Hanoi by bus. A 36 hours bustrip is not -how strange- on my bucketlist. I fly to Ha Noi from Luang Prabang, and leave this lovely lazy Lao town. I was really biased about flying with other airlines than our one and only KLM, though I have to admit: I slowly let go of my prejudices...
It could help to slowly getting rid of your habits and prejudices by starting your travel in Thailand. For example: I still can not start my day with Asian food, although I really love it! It doesn't change the fact that South East Asia is beautiful, interesting and in a way bizar.

Bizar = Arrival in Ha Noi. Unlike the information the tourist guides at arrivals gave me, the driver of the minivan promised us to bring us to our hotels. We only have to wait till the minivan is fully loaded (read: overloaded) with people. The driver wants money before he starts to drive, or actually, he starts to collect money as soon he is on the busy motorway to town. No way. He gets my money as soon he drops me off at my hotel. (After a few weeks of travelling through SE Asia, I have learned to never pay before they do what you've agreed upon.
Ha Noi overwhelmes me. Dense, an overload of people and scooters. My hotel Aurora is like the office in the movie "Being John Malkovitch". All floors are taken. Even the ones in between the official floors. Men are sleeping there, and they listen to nice loud Vietnamese music. I am deadly tired and as soon as I notice my room is actually already taken by a big family, with their dirty households, I have a little break down, i.e. freaks me out.

Cochroaches run away from the bathroom. And they use my feet as highway. Normally I would have gone to the receptionists and ask for another room. Though it was two AM and the only thing i longed for was a good sleep. I made my castle (mosquito net), had a very quick visit to the bathroom, and slept in my fortress with the lights on. I get up very early to be sure I will be able to move to another (clean) hotel. The receptionist of the Aurora cochroach hotel, told me I could get my money refunded. On one condition. I had to inform the booking site that I was too busy for staying in the hotel.

No ....... way (please accept my apologies for my language). There were cochroaches all over. I don't like them. And I am sure other travellers don't like them either. Close to the hotel I find another hotel. Way above my budget. Though: it has a clean shower, bed and last but not least: no bugs......
After spending a moment at this little heaven, I wriggle myself through the traffic. Sweating like crazy. In one of the little streets of Ha Noi I decide to have breakfast on one of the nicely coloured little plastic chairs and tables. A few young Vietnamese guys stare at me like I am an object. Or at least a Porsche, or a golden watch. Dunno. Couldn't ask them. They only spoke Vietnamese. They take their phones, and within a few minutes five of their friends join them. Not akward at all. Eventually I could order a fresh Mango smoothie and nice breakfast. Here I am. Enjoying breakfast early morning in the most crowded city I've ever visited. A moment of peace. I am able to handle this city.

I am just about to reserve another night in this terribly luxurious hotel, as the receptionist apologises himself that it is fully booked for the rest of the week. As I don't want to move to another hotel again, I decide to continue my travels. As some people go to the north, the mountains and rice paddies of Sa Pa (which I absolutely go to another time and year!), I travel east and then south, to Cat Ba Bay, Lan Ha Ba Bay and Ha Long Bay. Unfortunately I was not aware of the fact that that Saturday was a terrible day (start of a vacation week of the Vietnamese people) to get a normally priced hotel. So I ended on an island that evening: Monkey Island Resort. There was only one bamboo bungalow left, and I took it.. Terrible resort food, way above my budget, though very sweet little bungalows with sea sight. You must know: it was a rough decision to sleep in a wooden bungalow, with the only nightly sound were the sea and the gecko's. That night I slept like a baby (and then I mean one who lets his or her parents sleep through the night).

Next day I left the island again. I booked a tour around Cat Ba Bay and Lan Ha Ba Bay. Really impressive. Karsts in the dark blue water. Unfortunately in Vietnam and Laos people still throw their rubbish over board and on the streets. This means that the bays are very dirty and full of plastic. I get sad as I write this down. A lot of work still has to be done. On that boattrip I met Paco and Aurora, a Spanish couple from Madrid, and we had a click. That same evening we enjoyed Vietnameze food together and had wonderful conversations. On the way back to our hotel we risk our lives by using the motorbike taxi services.
Spent a few wonderful days near and on Cat Ba Bay. Though the next day I will travel to Tam Coc, rice paddies in between karsts. Amazing again. Next couple of days I travel with Jan, a German who's travelling for ages already and showed me great pics of his travel through China, and learned me to drink /eat Sua chua nep cam. Fermented rice (I know.. Though very tasty!) with yoghurt and ice crumbs.

We both travel the same route, to Ninh Binh, Tam Coc. As soon as we arrive to Haiphong, we were taken (imagine yourself with a backpack on your back of at least 10kgs and one on your belly of 5 kgs) on a motorbike taxi with all our luggage, to our minibus station to Ninh Binh. Tam Coc was absolutely amazing. You sit in a little rowing boat with a lady rowing you (with her feet) through the rice paddies. Quite impressive. We had a great day touring around through the countryside on a motorbike with driver. We decided to take the nightbus together (didn't dare to do this by myself yet) since we both travelled the same route along the coast of Vietnam.

I had to let go of my expectations of comfortable travelling in Asia. Travel with humor is a good name for it. A tv with ladies who are doing aerobics and singing loudly in a sleeperbus. Well. I've got Spotify and a good read. Much travelagencies organised their busses very efficiently. Three rowes of beds, including beds in the aisl. They use these busses also as a taxi, or DHL.
That's why i love Asia. Very impredictable. A little as Eastern Europe and Russia as they were in the 80's 90's and before. In the meantime i already arrived in Hué. A town at the coast of Vietnam. With the sleeperbuss. Hallelujah. These angels can do it. Thank you dad. It'll sound weird for a few of you, though I really believe he's travelling with me. As curious as he was.
Hué is fun, though for a moment I am very tired. In all these weeks it seems I ate or drank something wrong. The next day I do as if I have a real holiday. I read. That day it's nobody else buth myself, a book and my hotelroom (and a few nice terraces).

And the travel continues. To Laos. The 4000 Islands in the south. Curious and therefore i find myself in a bus which rides on rough and bumpy roads. Again, a sleeper bus with singalong ladies who do their aerobics practices on tv. The sleeper bus wasn't agreed upon: "no sitting bus today madam, only sleeping bus". Remember: yes is no and no is yes in Vietnam. I travel with a Japanese couple. They are amazed by the chaotic traffic in Vietnam. No rules at all!! In Japan we have rules. And we never break them. Yes. Rules. There are no rules in SE Asia.
Love Babette