Archives for 2012

Although I kind of wish I was finished writing about Thailand and Laos, I have quite a few stories, photos, and novelty snacks left to share. The plan is to power through and get it all up in the next week or two. Plenty of exciting things were happening during my last few weeks in UAE that I am eager to share.

But back to Laos…

On our last afternoon in Luang Prabang we took a tuk tuk out to Kuang Si Waterfall. The weather was warm and we were looking forward to a nice and refreshing swim.

We disembarked the tuk tuk and walked the rest of the way to the falls with a quick stop at Tat Kuang Si Rescue Center. The rescue center is a sanctuary for bears that have been confiscated by local authorities. Most of the bears are Asiatic Black Bears. Unfortunately for these guys, they are a key ingredient in traditional medicines. In 2003 the center was founded to protect the bears and educate the public about their plight.

After visiting the bears, we headed towards the falls, ready for a swim. Conveniently, a rope swing hangs from a tree that looks like it was grown for such a purpose. Mike took a few swings from the tree and a few jumps from the waterfall. I jumped once and spent the rest of my time trying to keep the fish from nibbling at my scabs. (Remember how I fell in Thailand?) Needless to say, that was pretty gross and generally unpleasant.

 

At one point I asked Mike and another traveler we were with if we should continue up the trail to see what might be around the corner. The other traveler, an incredibly interesting woman, assured us that we’d seen everything there was to see. Well… later that evening when I purchased a few postcards it was obvious that we missed the big falls. Oops!

After returning from Kuang Si, Mike was feeling a bit ill so we took it easy. I went into town for one last trip to the market and then called it a night. The next morning we took an early flight back to Bangkok.

xo, jill

It was interesting hearing your thoughts on my post about (not) giving alms in Luang Prabang. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one horrified by paparazzi-like tourists.

This little story didn’t seem to fit in that post, but it still makes me chuckle so I’ll share it now.

While at the ceremony we also enjoyed people watching a family with two boys (maybe 5 and 7?). Not only were the boys running around and fighting with each other, they were also going after their guide. The guide was polite but you could tell he was ready for the onslaught to stop. It was not play fighting people. Eventually each parent picked a child to quickly chastise. Then, the monks came. The boys ceremoniously dropped a few bills into the offering bowls while their mother beamed with pride… from behind her camera… that was in the monk’s face. I’m sure traveling with kids is tricky but it was comical to watch the precursor to the photo op that portrays the kids as thoughtful mini-Buddhists.

Sidenote: Guidelines we read about alms giving said that if you want a photo of yourself giving alms, you’re not participating for the right reasons and probably shouldn’t.

So in an effort to do more than just complain I thought I’d post some of the helpful information we found while in Luang Prabang, and highlight the especially interesting bits.

1. “Luang Prabang is not Ibiza! Nor is it Vang Vieng…” – You’d think it would be obvious.

2. “Always dress modestly in the city.” – I’m a pro at modest dress now and it drives me nuts to see people dressed inappropriately. It’s really not difficult to cover your shoulders, thighs, and decolletage.

3. “…this is not Thailand; there is no sex industry and you can only legally have sex with a local if you marry them.” – This line really stood out to me. I sometimes forget that some countries (like the one I’ve been living in) legislate sex to a greater extent than others. Plus, they totally called out Thailand!

4. “Don’t treat the monks like monkeys in a zoo.” – Well said.