Catching Sunset

From the guesthouse balcony.

Into the North

We've left the Mekong river valley and have entered the mountains of Northern Laos. The roads are rarely flat, which is a nice change from the south. 

Sou weding her way up a hill.

Lotus blossoms

Bussing back to Vientianne

I knew it was going to be a long trip after the bus stopped not a hundered yards from the bus terminal to pick up another passenger.  So began our two bus trips back from Southern Laos to Vientianne.  Riding the bus was an experience to say the least...  The bus was packed full of passengers and stopped repeatedly to either pick up more people or let off people.  When all of the seats were full, people sat in the isles on plastic stools. Lao karaoke played on an endless loop. The bus had all manner of luggage from chickens, sacks rice, our bikes and a motorcycle tied down on the roof.   We were very happy to arrive back in the capital. 

Our bus averaged 25 miles per hour over the course of our trip. 

Si Pan Don (4000 Islands)

After Wat Phu, we rode another four days, with a short stop in the city of Pakse, to the 4000 Islands.  Si Pan Don, as its know in Lao, is an archipeligo in the Mekong.  This is one of the southernmost spots in Laos, and we were looking forward to a few days of relaxation and swinging in a hammock before bussing it back to Vientianne and heading north. 

Champasak and Wat Phu

After visiting Sou's family, we headed South towards the old provincial capital of Champasak and the ruins of Wat Phu.  We turned off the highway and headed towards the Mekong.  The ferry crossing consisted of two canoe's lashed together with planking overtop and a lawnmower engine. 

Campasak was a sleepy, one street village which we both found really laid-back and pleasant.  After finding a guest house with views of the river, we rode 10k out to the ruins of Wat Phu.  The temple was built around the 16th century and is built into the side of a mountain near a spring.  A set of perfectly straight stairs leads to the terrace which houses the temple complex. There are several different temples all with spectacular views of the Mekong river valley.  Sou and I looked around the site and found a couple of other carvings: a crocodile, an elephant, and several buddas.

Laab Flavored Lay's

Sou writes:

Laab is a national Lao dish made of beef, chicken, pork or chicken. It is a salad made of minced meat and mixed with chili flakes, paddek (fermented fish sauce), lime juice, khao khua (sticky rice roasted until black and then made into a fine powder), cilantro, mint and shallots. The meat mixed in can be raw or cooked. It is eaten with sticky rice and various vegetables including lettuce, cucumber and other fresh herbs. It is one of our favorite dishes to eat!!! It is often spicy and is definitely a wakeup call for the tastebuds.


Imagine our surprise when we came upon Laab flavored Lays potatoe chips!! We took our tasty package back to the guesthouse in great anticipation.

Not as we expected but a something to write home about.
 
This package went for about .25 and had about five chips.....

A Present First .... Lost in Translation

Going Home

Sou writes:

We are now in a a town called Pakse, 659km from Vientiane.  It's been quite the whirlwind few days with two nights in my parents village, two blessing ceremonies, harvesting rice and lots and lots of family.  Uncle in Savannakhet drove us to the village with our bikes in tow.  When we left the paved road and started on the dirt path to the village, things started becoming a little surreal.  As uncle pointed out, 'this is the road I walked on for 7km and the river I had to swim across to take my finals to pass the 6th grade.'  And, 'these are the palm trees your grandfather planted so many years back.'

After a bumpy ride, we arrived and walked through the forest to a small clearing where I believe is the stupa of my ancestors.  (I am not certain) But we lit incense and words to the effect of "your child and son-in-law have come home.  Please do not be surprised."  A small pig was offered to the spirits.  We ate and drank there and the story of our biking from Vientiane was told to much laughter.  They laughed at my brown tanned skin and they wanted to know what Bryan eats.  "Does he eat sticky rice like us?"  

We went to several houses, my dad's birthhome, my mom's, my aunties.  We went to several wats to light incense at the stupa of many relatives who have passed.  An afternoon later, city Uncle returned home and we went to village Uncle's (my mom's younger brother) house where  we had some quiet time to relax and chat.  He took us on the back of his pickup to tour the village and see his fields.  It was very nice.  We saw his fish pond and his organic garden.  He showed us how he harvests rice.  I saw his water buffalos, ducks, chickens, cows, pigs.  I saw how he catches crickets to sell in the city (a delicacy).   We toured the old village where he pointed out craters formed from bombs during the war and stupas where clearly bullets had left their mark..  It was an amazing experience. 

The next day, we went to Auntie's house (dad's younger sister)  They took us out to the field and we harvested rice.  It was funny.  Auntie gave me her shirt to wear so my skin wouldn't turn dark and she gave me one of those cone hats to wear.  Bryan even tried chewing betal nut with Auntie.  It was hilarious --  his mouth was all red!!  We returned to Auntie's for a blessing ceremony and ate lunch.  We returned to Uncle's house that evening for another blessing ceremony.  The next morning, Uncle dropped us off at the main road and we have been on the road to Pakse ever since.

Pictures from Savannakhet

Pedalling South

Sou and I headed south out of Vientiane on Highway 13, the national highway.  We've had to leave really early in the day to try to beat the tropical heat and the unrelenting sun. Our days thus far have consisted of waking up around 4:30 or 5:00 and heading out under cover of darkness.  Orion's belt, the big dipper, and the milky way are visible until day starts to break around 6:30. Fortunately, the traffic is light.  We quietly slip through small villages, rice paddies and farm land.  Roosters crow and we dodge the morning traffic: cows, goats, or the errant dog.  As morning progresses, we accompany kids on bikes en route to school.   They barrage us with "Hel-Low!" or "Sa-Bai-Di!"

The terrain has been mostly flat thus far.  The highway is nicely paved and has kilometer markers that read the distance from Vientiane and to the next town.  The Mekong is usually meandering along somewhere to our right and the mountains are off in the distance to the left.

Once the sun is up, the day turns hot very quickly. We bike usually until around 11AM or noon, then try to find a guest house. We spend the rest of the day exploring the town or sightseeing.  We are now in Thakek, about 332 km from the capital and are continuing to head south.

In Vientiane

From Bangkok, we flew to Vientiane, Laos. We've been experiencing sensory overload since we've been here.

How do I describe it in a few words?

Read:

Hot, humid, soupy air. 

Delicious street food cooked to order. (prawns, grilled chicken, sticky rice, mango, french bread)

Maniacal drivers (pedestrians and bicyclists beware)

Diners next to the Mekong River while enjoying the sunset

Wats and temples everywhere

Monks browsing at the shopping mall

A steady stream of motorbikes

Construction and modernization amid memories of the past




Sou enjoying the sunset.

Sunset over the Mekong.

Sushi in Japan

Sou and I had a brief layover at Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan while en route to Bangkok.  We wanted to try some 'authentic' Japanese sushi, so we found a sushi restaurant in the airport. We should have figured out the exchange rate in advance, because our tiny tray of sushi went for a whopping $25. Whoops.  (But it was delicious....)

Sunday Sail on Lake Union

Yesterday, Sou and I headed to The Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union in Seattle.  The Center showcases Northwest maritime culture and also offers a free afternoon sailing on Sundays.  The wind was a little calm, but it was great to float around Lake Union on a sunny afternoon. 

http://www.cwb.org/

Flying around Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula

Scott invited us to tag along on his afternoon training flight.  We took off from Tacoma Narrows airport and flew over the Olympic Mountains and out along the peninsula.  Awesome. Here are a few photos that I took from Scott's phone (forgot the camera again...)

Halloween Wedding

Sou and I tied the knot again weekend in Tacoma.  Thanks to all who took part in our traditional Lao wedding

                                             Photos: Gabriel "Toaster" Nagmay

http://gabriel.nagmay.com/