The long slowboat to Laos

To enter Laos we booked a package with our guest house in Chiang Mai that took us down the Mekong River by "slow boat" to Luang Prabang over two days. We had a bit of a row at the beginning of each day because the tour co. tried to put 130+ of us on one boat. Not to toot our horn, but each time we instigated the solution. The first day we brought the tour operator down to deal with the problem and then watched the crowd overwhelm him. The second day we boarded the boat that was already full, much to their objection. We forced the issue and a group of people lead by a women seated up front, convinced that we weren't going to leave, stood up and lead a group of over thirty people off forcing the operators to get another boat. Not everyone was onboard, one girl even jumped the line telling us "she has to get on this boat, I don't want to get stuck here". Our boat left first due to a separate issue with the local police. After we settled into the second boat Stan went straight over to the women and thanked her for helping. Anyway, back to the river. Once underway the river took on many different characteristics. Twisting and turning around large sandbars it got surprisingly violent at times. Rapids and powerful fjords caused the long narrow boat to dip and slide around large rock formations jutting out of the water. The shores and hillsides were mostly empty, except for the occasional riverside bamboo hut village. During the trip Bevin befriended an adorable little Thai girl traveling with her family. She was shy and reluctant at first, but soon warmed to Bevin's charm and camera, as did her uncle, a Buddhist monk. The monk, we found, had been travelling for about two years, spending over a year of his time in the most unusual place, Stamford, Connecticut. Just as a note our overnight stay was in Pak Beng. An indiscriminate village at the rivers edge that was uneventful other than a few too many Lao Laos(homemade rice wine). Next stop Luang Prabang.

Chiang Mai: Town and country Thai style

After growing bored of rock climbing, snorkeling, the beaches and beauty of the Thai islands we decided to jump a flight north. Chiang Mai a sprawling town of nearly one hundred thousand, which felt much smaller, was warm and welcoming from the start. Thanks to Bevin we stayed at the perfect guest house. Our hosts were a former trekking guide, his wife the manager and the boss, their inquisitive 4yr old son and his faithful companion a small white and brown blotched terrier. They made our stay comfortable and rewarding. Through them we booked an overnight trek into the surrounding hills and Bevin took a traditional Thai cooking class. Her day began with an early ride into the valley outside of town to shop at a local market for ingredients followed by a full day of cooking instruction on a farm. She returned from her day with spring rolls which she was justly proud of as they were excellent. I spent the day touring exploring by motorbike. The town center is surrounded by a wide moat that forms a rectangle separating it from the remainder of the city. In the center it's more relaxed and full of tourists and ex-pats, tons of ex-pats. Not to be outdone by Bangkok, Chang Mai has its own massive outdoor shopping market. Needless to say Bevin was in heaven and soon after a package was dispatched stateside. The mountains and some exploring was calling however. Our first stop was the "long neck" tribes people where women wear a stack of brass rings around their neck from an early age. Everyone of us felt conflicted about being there. We felt were exploiting them and weird for walking through their lives on a tour like one would through a zoo or museum. We were comforted somewhat when told that our visits help them sustain their way of life and without our money they would forced to abandon their land and society. While it was rational and true it was still weird. On to the trekking which wasn't too bad and was kicked off by an elephant ride. The hike took us straight up a river gully with numerous stream crossings and a waterfall. The final pitch was about an hour or so of steep switchbacks before we made the summit and our accommodations for the night. There were about fifteen of us ranging from Italians to Koreans and we sat down in the bamboo hut to a meal and were serenaded by our guide and his six string. Bevin and I couldn't resist his encouraging us to join in and after a few local beers we were leading the way, Oasis no surprise got Bevin going. The hike down took no time and was highlighted by a incredibly refreshing(cold) waterfall shower. Time to move on, Laos awaits and a slowboat down the Mekong River.