Farewell South East Asia

     Morning came early.  With a new moon high in the sky, Cynthia and I made it into the street before dawn.  What was the catalyst?  The Buddhist monks' "Call to Alms".  Luang Prabang, our final stop on the trip, is a city of Buddhist wats.  It is said that over 600 monks live in the old part of the city.  So each morning the same ritual is repeated.  At sunrise the monks "take to the streets" to bless the followers and receive their sustenance for the day. Mostly women have their seat all arranged and their offering, usually sticky rice or some fruit, prepared to give the monks as the procession goes by.  Though it has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, it does not majorly detract from the ambiance the event creates.  Well over a hundred monks in their orange robes giving and receiving.  By 6:30 a.m. it was over.  The streets returned to normal and the monks disappeared with no further fanfare.
     We have been here in Luang Prabang for 5 days now.  We left Vang Vieng in the pouring rain, a sure sign that it was time to move on.  The usual confusion reigned as we arrived in LP 4 hours later, having no idea where we were, no luck with English-speaking help, and not a taxi in sight.  We finally made it to what we thought was our hotel and were greeted by blank stares.  Nope, no reservation here.  It turned out there were two hotels with very similar names and all we had read in Trip Advisor had been about the one we didn't booked!!!  Rats!!!  Well, we got lucky and ended up really liking our digs, once we found it that is.
     Luang Prabang gets a lot of hype.  Most travelers who come to Laos come here, and it gets great reviews.  I have to say I concur.  Situated right on the Mekong River, it once again has that very laid back Laotion feel.  No buildings over two stories, easy to get around on foot, a well preserved river front that lends itself perfectly to that 5:30 beer as one watches the sun set over the Mekong.  And there is plenty to do.  For those who haven't been in S.E. Asia before the Wats would be a great attraction.  They are working Wats in that the monks are very much "in house" taking care of the various chores that need to be done.  Cynthia and I, for the most part, took a pass on this; not out of a negative attitude but because we didn't want to ruin a good thing by overdoing it.  So much of the countries we visited, with the possible exception of Cambodia, has the Pagodas, the Buddhas, and the Wats taking the main stage. That is as it should be since many of them have been there for over a thousand years, yet one can get a bit jaded and that it what we were avoiding.
     Our days were taken up by going up the Mekong, doing a wonderful day with the elephants, and visiting some breathtaking waterfalls.  When one goes up the Mekong it is obstensibly to see some caves that have the requisite Buddha's tucked away inside.  Well, that was ok, but the trip up the river was the real draw for us.  Jungle, some villages, seeing the different type of long boats that ply the river; all this was a real treat.  Plus we stopped at what is billed as "whiskey village." Well, they are not kidding as the tribal village is known for distilling whisky and rice wine, and one is enticed into trying it as soon as you hit shore. Not bad is my revue!  I bought two small bottles at an eye popping $1.20 each.
     One of our favorite days of the entire trip was visiting Elephant Village.  Laos is known for its elephants but as with so many living things the elephant population is being severely threatened by changes to their environment, as well as poaching. There used to be thousands of elephants in Laos and now they say the population is about 1,500.  Of those some 500 are in the wild, another 500 are doing logging, and the rest are plying the tourist trade.  I know that on the surface the tourist aspect doesn't sound so good.  But in actuality there is definitely an argument for it. The logging industry is on the wane in Laos.  Thus less "jobs" for the elephants.  They are losing their natural habitat and they are an expensive animal to keep in captivity.  Food alone runs big bucks, especially in a country with limited means like Laos.  So there are many "elephant camps" popping up where the elephants are the go-to tourist draw.  They are well fed, live in rural places, and have medical care when needed.  And do the tourists love them.  Cynthia and I learned the basic commands, go, stop, left, right.  (I paid particular attenting to STOP, how how!)  Then we took a short test ride on the elephant.  Getting on and off is a bitch at first.  They are way the hell up there!!  Then after our lesson we took about a 45 minute ride.  One has the option of riding in a "basket" on top of the elephant, or on its neck right behind the head.  It was a trip.  Again, Cynthia has the photos and they will be fun to check out.  After lunch and a bit of a respite it was time to wash the elephants. They are done working at 2 in the afternoon and the elephants are ready for their afternoon bath in the river. One gets on their assigned elephant once again, and goes through the whole washing thing.  It was again, so much fun.  Their mahouts, each elephant has his own handler, gives a command and they spray water all over the place, for sure on the person sitting on the elephant.  Cynthia and I just couldn't stop laughing.  What made the day more enjoyable was that we made a wonderful connection with the 4 other people that were in our group.  We were a diverse lot from all over the place and a representive from each decade.  I, of course, was the oldest.  Oh well, better get used to that!
     Finally, the last two days we have rented a motor bike and made our way to the Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls.  It was a beautiful one hour ride out there on a paved (yes!) road that ran through mountains and small villages.  The falls themselves were truly impressive. There were several pools to swim in, they fell from dizzing heights, and the jungle atmosphere topped it all off.  Getting there on the bike beat the hell out of the back of a tuk tuk.  The fact that we went two days in succession makes the statement.
     This evening we watched our final sunset over the Mekong, drinking the last of our Beerlao.  The price was right for sure.  $1.20 for a large beer, sunset included. Tomorrow we start the long journey home.  We fly back to Bangkok in the afternoon, spend a quick night, then head to the airport for the LONG flight the next morning.  I can't say enough about this trip (or maybe I already have!).  There have been practically no negatives.  I have certainly enjoyed doing this blog and, as I trust you know, really appreciate you reading it. When in Canada my intent is to post one final blog.  I want to give my overall impressions of the trip, travel, and what it has meant to Cynthia and I.  At the same time Cynthia will be able to begin posting some of her excellent photos.  I have been totally impressed with them and I am sure they will be appreciated.  So again my friends, we are happy, healthy, learning more each day, and somewhat sorry to be at the end of our journey!!    JB