This is a larger city, the historic center is bounded by a moat full of water and the remains of a wall. Its interior consists basically of guesthouse, tourist offices, and restaurants, bars, cafes … anything a tourist might need, and that’s what there is, tourists … the exterior of the old city is a city that moves almost foreign to tourism.

The possible tourist attractions are the Buddhist temples inside.

And its markets, such as the Sunday market, among other tourist markets, which lose their charm after 5 minutes or the Warorot market, the fantastic local market for food, clothing and others, surrounded by shops of any kind. thing you may need Following the river to the north is also the Muang Mai market, a large local food market, which we found quite curious.

We stayed at Lamchang guesthouse for 250 Baths a night, although afterwards we found a better price at Nomadic bed and bar, 200 Baths the night bargaining for 5 nights.

Jaume on the hunt for mosquitoes, with the super electrifying racket, indispensable in all houses in Thailand.

The purpose of my visit to Chiang Mai included a training time in Thai massage at the hands of Pichest Massage School, in Hang Dong, one of the best teachers of Thai massage in the north, who offers his knowledge to anyone who wants to learn, paying 1000 Baths per day. The experience did not disappoint, I was 3 days of training, and I decided to leave the extension of my training for later because this was not the purpose of the trip, and economically yes it was noticeable.

After contacting some artistic associations in relation to our clown projects, we were in contact with Gathe Theater, who invited us to the premiere of their latest work, so we were delighted, we got really good and enjoyed !! Up the curtain!

One of the jewels of Chiang Mai were the fruit smoothies KhunKae’s Juice and Smoothie bar, where for 40 Baths you can drink all the vitamins you need to shine.

The second place and the best one for me is a street food stand where they prepared the best Kao Soy I’ve tasted, and I’ve tried it everywhere I’ve been … a gem on Moon Muang road with Lane 7, do not you you can lose …

Oh and by the way … in Chiang Mai we also celebrated Mayra’s birthday, and for that we autorelagamos a pizza !!!!!!! A pizza in one of the best pizzerias with wood oven … the truth is that after a month of rice, noodles and vegetables … eating pizza was an orgasm …

Our next stop is Arunothai !!!!! to do a Clown project at School of Hope.

At the bus station we took a “Fan bus”, a pickup car with space in the passenger cargo area that cost us 80 Baths each, beware that normally at the station they tell you that there is only a van for 150 Baths … they lie . The road that reaches Pai “literally” climbs the mountains, in an endless labyrinth of curves, 3 hours of apparent pleasant walk in the mountains, which can turn into a nightmare … hehehe …

We arrived in Pai, it was already dark and we were surprised by the illumination of the night market, a street full of shops, above all hippies artisans quite perroflauticos and mainly food stalls. Chicken skewers, sausages, PadThai, noodle, papaya salad, fruit smoothies, ice cream, even lasagna, pizzas, spaghetti … what else can you think of? The atmosphere is quite hippie, dog-flautico, relaxed, so the first impression was quite good.

And as always to the search for accommodation! Asking tourists, on Agoda (a booking style website and not very useful for us and the price is never the end and they always add a last minute tax … chorizos !!) so we kicked the whole area in search of accommodation cheaper, backpack on the shoulder. On the other side of the river we found a small bungalow for 200 Baths, in Pai Loess resort, it was not bad, however giving another opportunity to the web Agoda we saw a guesthouse for 150 Baths, Tony’s guesthouse … although it was far from the center but there We went and … go antro !!! A cabin that fell apart, a greasy and dirty mattress, a bed cover full of stains that we did not even want to imagine what they were, sheets with holes and stains … a real disgust !!!! There we do not stay or charging! So we left.

To walk back to the center again … by chance we saw a sign of rooms, entering by Pai Scooter for rent, we asked, and haggling we agreed to do 2 nights at 150 Baths each … private bathroom, hot water, and everything correct and clean! !!! Great!!!! Fuck Tony’s guesthouse !!!! Really … how can you be so dirty …

happy in our CLEAN and yellow tutifruti room

The Garden of the Guesthouse and its charming lounge

Once in Pai, compared to Chiang Mai, time stopped, tranquility among the crowd, people but at another pace. The best scenario to work, there began to gestar more seriously this Blog.

The food that gave us the most value was Kao Soy with tofu for 40 Baths, delicious, although less than in the small stand of Chiang Mai, the papaya salad for 35 Baths, the chicken breast breaded on a skewer for 10 Baths, and the Delicious street ice cream for 10 Baths.

After two nights we looked for free sleep in exchange for 3-4 hours work, a volunteer, with the web “workaway”. We contacted a bungalow resort and they accepted us, the contact was a certain Dominic, very friendly, he showed us where we were going to stay and … surprise !!! Another Tony’s clubhouse guesthouse … but much worse … nor living on the street would sleep on that mattress … in a cabin that was falling apart … go rock … there are people for everything …

With backpacks on his back, we kept looking and in the street we saw a sign of a Thai looking for people to help him on his farm, Ban Numhoo homestay. We called him and he came looking for us to take us to see him. He was Pete and it was a bungalow resort gone down, well, it was falling apart, but Pete wanted to reform.

We were in a bungalow that was not bad, maybe there were some bugs, fruit of which the surroundings were pure vegetation … bathroom in the room with hot shower.

We stayed for a week and helped to build a bamboo kitchen in the center of the farm, we cleaned leaves and weeds around our bungalow and an esplanade to make an ecological garden. We also made a profile of Workaway, Helpex, Worldpacker and updated social networks. If you are looking for something similar do not hesitate to contact him http://www.bannumhoohomestay.com

In the resort also lived Mr. T, a nice Thai musician happy to spend some time with us and so be able to play the guitar and / or harmonica some of his Thai or American country classics … all an adorable character …

After five days of work followed, we took a break and the day before our departure, we rented a motorcycle for 100 Baths with a deposit of 2000 Baths; We never left our passport … and we went to some beautiful hot springs, Sai Ngam. They charged us; 20 person and motorbike baths (total 60 Baths) to enter the natural park and 20 Baths per person to enter more in the hot springs, at first I grumbled about the continuous payment, but afterwards I recognized that it was worth it … the waters are about 30º, if there are no children and the water is calm it looks completely transparent !! a joy of relaxation.

We also went down to the river, and we bathed in the current near Buffet 55, friends of Pete, very close to Pai.

 

From Bangkok, we went to Sukhothai, for about 200 Baths / person. Once in Sukhothai, supposedly the cheapest accommodation was next to the bus station, but it was all full. Walking down the road we found a guesthouse where we stayed for 150 Baths / night, it was correct.

Sukhothai is a small local town, with its market, its food stalls on the street and a large night market with all kinds of food. There are very few tourists, which makes the local people more friendly and relaxed. Although nothing special, we found it pleasant after the mass tourism of the south and the madness of Bangkok.

The biggest tourist attraction in Sukhothai is its historical park, a world heritage site by Unesco. It is 12 km away, so we rented a motorbike for 150 Baths. The entrance to the historic park is 100 Baths / person. At first it does not seem like much, but as you get closer and walk you can breathe the magic of Thai history. It is about the archaeological remains of the kingdom of Sukhothai from the XIII – XIV century, considered the time of the beginning of the nation of Thailand, together with Ayutthaya, one of the Thai capitals of the time. A set of chides, temples and budha statues. So after the visit to the market we rented a motorcycle and there we went!

Going through its different points you lose yourself in the antiquity of its stones, in the solemnity of its temples, a place where you can get lost for a while.

Unexpectedly, in the afternoon during a little walk before our expected dinner at the night market, a nice monge inside the city’s temple grabbed our attention, or rather absorbed us. He made a long tour of the entire temple, explaining all the reforms carried out and proudly showing the gardens and estaancias, then insisted on posing with us to take photographs. That if we went perfectly, where and how to pose, Pedro Almodóvar style … with your finger indicated … you there, put yourself like that, from that angle … hahaha … a crack!

From Sukhothai we went to Chiang Mai by bus, it cost us about 250 Baths, so … there we go !!!!

Arunothai, a different project

To go to Arunothai we rent in “Mango motorcycles”, Chiang Mai, a motorbike a week for 900 Baths (with a deposit of 1000 Baths). We left in the morning, traveled 137 km away and arrived in the afternoon, we took it easy. Once in Arunothai, we were surprised by the high prices of the place, we assume that due to the transit of the border with Burma, the most economical room cost 400 Baths / night.

The town is not very nice, a central street with shops, some restaurant and people up and down by motorcycle. However, there is a corner that we especially liked, a lake within the village that with the mountains in the background make up a beautiful landscape, and if you add some flowering trees full of butterflies fluttering, you already have a place where you can be absorbed for a while.

The reason why we went precisely to that town and not another is that crossing the road to the lake you reach the Wat Arunothai temple where is the School of Hope, a center for children, mostly Burmese, where we collaborate as volunteers in a project of Clown, with our non-profit Clown Science Dreams. (We recommend reading the post, it was a very emotional experience)

Once finished, excited about the experience of School of Hope, we went to Mae Sai, to extend the visa.

Mae Sai, the Mecca of the Visa Run

From Arunothai we traveled the 175 km to Mae Sai, the road crossed the mountains, it was not a fast road, nor easy, but its beauty compensated, thick forests throwing into the jungle, mountainous nature in its purest state, mixed with coconut palms, banana and papaya trees.

Once there, around 5 pm, we got to the queue at the border crossing. After a slight wait we crossed the bridge of friendship, on the river Ruak, a quite ridiculous bridge, we waited a little more solemn, the same of a place as uncertain as a border crossing … Once on the other side, the officers of the On the other hand they asked us for the Burmese visa, we told them that we only wanted to extend the Thai visa, then, without saying anything else, they asked us for 500 Bath each, they put a stamp on our passport and returned to Thailand. We returned to fill out the form with our data, we delivered it in the Thai visa window and we already had 30 more days in Thailand.

In total, the run visa lasted about 20 minutes … very fast and painless! and as Mae Sai is just a commercial street without too much attraction, we took the bike and went to Chiang Rai … brrrrrrrrrrr ….

Chiang Rai, a friendly city

We arrived around 8 pm to Chiang Rai, we went to the Night Bazaar area because it is where there is more density of guesthouse, as usual, after visiting all we saw, we stayed at Baan Bua Guesthouse, three blocks from the Night Bazaar and for the modest price of 200 Baths per night … we started well! : D

Chiang Rai we especially liked because one way or another everything was easy, or maybe we had the luck necessary.

The first thing we did was go to dinner at Night Bazaar, a typical market with items for tourists, including crafts. We also found a large square flanked by small food stalls, most were tempura, or fried, soups, fish and something else that we just do not understand. We ate a Pad Thai dish and a tempura dish that left us more than satisfied.

In the same square, while you savor the dish you have chosen, you can enjoy the traditional concert or dance that is shown on the stage, sometimes very pleasant, others something to forget … For dessert, here is an important fact: in one of the extremes from the “food court” there is an ice cream stand that you can not miss. Sell ​​artisan and natural coconut and mango ice cream in different formats and sizes, they are good anyway, but the star is the coconut ice cream, it is spectacular … I do not tell you more, we have to try it … we fell in love …

The next day we took the bike and went to do some sightseeing. First we went to see the Wat Huai Pla Kung Temple, a Buddhist temple with a giant Buddha 25 meters high, it is impressive similar construction. The Buddhist temple next door is also very rich in ornaments and it is a pleasure to see it … as it is worked …

We also went to a mountain located next to Chiang Rai, a natural park rich in forest, high density of vegetation, where there is a viewpoint with a spectacular view of the mountain. If you continue on the road it takes you to crown the mountain, with a chide in the middle of the forest where Buddhist monks go up to pray and meditate.

The road is like a roller coaster, full of potholes in a very small space for two-way traffic … so be careful!

Jaume doing the Bruce Lee with bamboo rods

Finally we visit the White Temple (White Temple), Wat Rong Khun, a modern architectural piece. It is a private Buddhist temple designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the owner. It consists of a white temple surrounded by different themes quite gone from pot. It was built by, vindicating the loss of Buddhist customs and enhancing them in today’s society. It is something curious, but for my taste too contemporary. You can visit the surroundings for free, but the entrance to the white temple costs 50 Baths per person that we did not think it would be convenient to pay.

After enjoying Chiang Rai, we headed to return the motorcycle in Chiang Mai, but on the way we took a random road to the mountains, took us to some cascade of water that we never got to see, but ended up spending the night in a guesthouse In the middle of the mountain, John’s Hut Guesthouse. Taking advantage of no one, we got the night for 250 Baths in a room with 3 double beds for us alone. We were in the middle of the mountain, pure nature, and the inhabitants of the place were not used to seeing tourists. With the motorcycle we take advantage to enter narrow mountain roads to get lost in the densest vegetation of the jungle … a taste!

After the motorcycle ride, more than 300 km, we left the vehicle in Chiang Mai. We stopped to make two more projects of Clown, in Kids Ark Foundation and Bann Dek Foundation, a gift for the spirit, and we went to Pai, supposedly, a hippie town of artists and tranquility.

Frontera and Huay Xai

From Pai we traveled back to Chiang Mai on the Fan Bus, for 80 person Baths, in Chiang Mai we took a bus to Chiang Rai for 80 person Baths and in Chiang Rai another bus to Chiang Khong, the border, for 65 person Baths. Note that in Chiang Rai we dedicated the few minutes we had to go back to taste the coconut ice cream … the station is 3 blocks away.

The bus from Chiang Rai to the border was spectacular, a very nice tartana, with an equally nice driver, a smile trip …

At the border, we had to take a bus for 25 Baths (20 Baths from 9-17h) that took us to the customs control of Laos. There we paid 36 dollars for the visa (in Baths it comes out more expensive, 1400). Important, you must bring a photo ID. Once crossed the border, the only option to get to Huay Xai is to take a tuk tuk bus … something weird, we negotiated between two couples paying 280 Baths, 70 Baths person … you could still pay with Baths.

about to cross the border

on the soil of Laos for the first time

Once in Huay Xai, as always, we looked for the cheapest room, and found it for 60,000 kips. Welcome to the Kips !!!!! What a mess of coins awaits us … We stayed in Friendship guesthouse, bathroom in the room, hot water and non-existent wifi. We dined for the place and we could already see that the prices had gone up …

The next day we went to the bus station, which was 8 km away … that mania in Laos to put the stations 8 km away from the most populated areas … And since we are anti-taxi driver, because they are the ones who try to abuse the most, we try to do hitch-hiking. Mayra asked for the station a girl in a brand new all-terrain and … bingo! Agreed to take us !!!! : D

Luang Namtha, pure Laos

The ticket to Luang Namtha cost us 45,000 kips per person. To understand us, 1 euro is equivalent to about 8700 kips, although we pass it to Baths (1 Bath is 230 kips), you can not look for equivalence in Western life, we compare it with Thailand, the proportions in the lifestyle are more reliable.

We went in an overloaded mini bus, among local people. The Laotian gentleman who travels by my side spoke very good English, had been in Barcelona and everything. We talked a little and he explained that Laos was more expensive because unlike Thailand, nobody here gives a stick to the water. The roads have been made by the Chinese, as well as the water dams and most of the schools, the Laotians love to sleep, drink beer and sing at Karaoke … we do not start well … And the truth is that in a land where we only look something grows, we did not see as many fruit trees and crops as in Thailand, at least in the north.

After a very long and uncomfortable journey … finally in Luang Namtha !! and … surprise! The city is 8 km from the station … how weird … (ironic tone). After the ritual attack of taxi drivers to the new arrivals with abusive prices, we decided to make a stop. We throw ourselves to the road under a torrid sun and with our backpack … if we do not learn … hahaha … the adventure is the adventure !!!! Well after a while walking … nobody stopped, until a taxi driver asked us, we told him we did not have money (it was true, we needed a cashier) and he took us for free … an isolated case of taxi driver kindness … thank you very much !!!!

Once in the city, to look for the cheapest room, the usual traveling routine … after visiting many Chinese buildings, with high wooden ceilings, and annoying workers to have to get up to attend, we stayed at Yuranan Guesthouse. It’s easy to find, it’s on the main street in front of the night market and it has a huge Honda advertisement on the facade. It cost us 50,000 person baths, with bath, hot water and wifi, all quite correct.

Breakfast, at the bar next door, Manikong restaurant; a sandwich (bread sandwich baguete) for 15,000 kips and a pitcher of tea made in Lao for 10,000 kips, breakfast for two for 40,000, not bad, the tuna vegetable sandwiches or chicken of good size. Our first sandwich after two months … you do not know what it is to savor a sandwich after so long … For a few days, the breakfasts were extended to hours, this place was constituted as our office. In this way we could move forward with blog post … finally! Ole ole ole … and now you read us … what an illusion! : D.

The only drawback of the place was that the Pi Mai Lao was approaching, the Buddhist New Year in Laos, and a week before they were dedicated to putting the techno music to the limit, the worst music I’ve ever heard, drinking beer and throwing water and wetting whoever passes by. This happened every day from 1pm to 6pm … a Chinese torture …

The Night Market of Luang Namtha is a precarious place compared to those seen in Thailand. It consists of an enclosure with food stalls, without too much hygiene, the overall aspect is quite dirty. After walking calmly for 10 min, we ate at the post that gave the best impression, a padtahi and a papaya salad. We risk taking another plate of Larb, minced meat with fish and lime sauce. We were not displeased, although the hygienic state of the place did not give us much confidence and the meat itself cost us a bit to understand it …

Luang Namtha is famous for its trekking excursions, kayaking, etc … through the jungle of northern Laos. It must be beautiful, but since we are making a long trip we need to keep it “low cost”, so what we did is rent a motorbike for a day. The cheapest one we found, a fantastic 100 cc Zongshen … Chinese motorcycle identical to the Honda equivalent model 100 cc semi-automatic, for 40,000 zips (and 200 dollars deposit).

We headed towards the border with China, it is a road of about 60 km crossing the jungle of northern Laos by a fairly dusty road parallel to the Nam Tha river. The landscape is spectacular, it is pure life, in more life, on more life, hiding even more life … a portent of nature, it is the first time I see so dense vegetation. The river opens clearings in areas that were cultivated, mainly rice.

The road passes through different towns, quite impressive, it is difficult to explain. These villages consist of bamboo houses, straw, sometimes brick, red mud streets, chickens, goats and free pigs everywhere, small children unattended, walking on the road, in the streets, to their own, with no other vision of the world that the chicken that pursue … Without putting us to value, avoiding evolutionary moralinas, that if they are not perverted by the modernity or they continue lost in the past, I do not know, value yourselves … with the images you can make an idea.

About 20 km away from reaching the border, our Zongshen started making strange noises … help! A part of the chain cover was bent, but with the help of a man who stopped to help us we fixed it. Resuming the march, the engine kept making new noises … to stay lying in the mountain of Laos was not the best thing that could happen to us, so we went back, little by little and good lyrics … No more problems, although on the edge so nothing more to get home and we gave it back …

And the day came to go from Luang Namtha to Nong Kiaw and we caught a taxi to the station. He caught us off guard and we paid 20,000 kips each … aaaah !!! What anger! You can not be confused !!!! You end up straining … that’s why we do not want to take taxis!

From Pai, we go to Wat Pa Thum Wua, a Buddhist monastery in the middle of the mountain where you can make a retreat to meditate.

To get there, we took the local bus in Pai. This bus is caught right next to the Pai bus station (outside, looking at the station on the left). It is a yellow Fan bus that goes to Mae Hong Son, it costs 100 Baths per person, you pay when you arrive, and it leaves at 11:30 am each day, although it is better to make sure a place arrives at 11am. If you ask at the bus station they will tell you that there is no … so you can take your A / C van which costs 150 Baths.

Once there, a woman receives you very solemnly, we guess German, who explains the operation of the monastery and its schedules (see photo). It is a Vipassana, but you choose if you want to remain silent or not. The routine includes about 6 hours a day of guided meditation, sitting, walking or stretching, as well as individual meditation in the room.

Guided meditation is based on Samadhi, a state of meditative consciousness, composed of Samatha and Vipassana, they explain how to practice, with theory and practice. They also leave any books in the bookstore for you to read in the room and learn a little more about Buddhism and meditation. An interesting Vipassana book, if you find it, is: To See the Truth, The teaching of Venerable Pramote Pamojjo.

One of the discoveries for me was the Walking Meditation, we performed it around 8 in the morning, walking for an hour in a row, in silence, barefoot and around the lake of the monastery. Certainly very special moments.

You have to dress white, but if you do not have clothes they leave you, clean and smelling of roses … not like ours … By dressing all in white it looks like a sect or a mental hospital … nothing is further away, it is based on the discovery of wisdom … The meditation area is untouched, as are the rooms. Perfect place to be comfortable and meditate at ease.

They feed you twice a day, at 7 am and at 11 am, vegetarian menu, rice with vegetables in sauce, not very tasty but healthy! and for dessert a little fruit. All right, the problem is that this is the last meal of the day … luckily for sinners gluttons like us, there is a shop at the entrance of the monastery so you can buy something if you can not stand … hehehe … let yourself decide the hardness of the experience.

Some of the norms, were men and women separated so much to meditate as to sleep, and as not (machismo absolute) the men in the front rows before the retinue of monks. Neither could there be physical contact between women and men (and I could not give Jaume … with what I like) and at 8.30 pm, communication between women and men is prohibited … lest the night awakens the beast we all carry inside.

There were different rooms; some of large size sharing with 10 people approximately, sleeping on the floor with a thin mattress, pillow and two blankets. And another small cabins for two people with their own bathroom, but with the same conditions regarding the mattress ….

Definitely, all this was a great and sometimes hard experience, because for people somewhat restless, slightly hyperactive and not accustomed to silence (as something uncomfortable) can be quite a challenge … and just that is, a challenge to find a to spend time with oneself and to talk only to oneself … even if we do not like what we hear, see or feel … that is just learning … being with oneself to learn to love oneself, to learn to accept oneself.

Another remarkable aspect is the landscape, in the middle of the mountain, surrounded by forest, with immaculate gardens, attention to detail, walking meditation was a walk through paradise, more than 50 people lined up, in complete silence, walking through the gardens del Eden … centennial trees, blue-headed reptiles, dense vegetation in harmony with us, monks, the world, a lake full of huge catfish, fruit trees everywhere … experience that we will not forget and we will surely repeat … we thank you from the heart When you leave the place, you can leave a voluntary donation, without reminder or pressure, and leave it at ease …

As they leave, they call the yellow Fan Bus that takes you back to Pai for 100 Baths.

We arrived at the bus station, our destination: Nong Khiaw. There was no direct bus, so we went to Oudomxay (it cost us 40,000 kips / person) and from there we had to take another one to get closer … we did not have it very clear. The other alternative was to go directly to Nong Khiaw paying 100,000 kips per person in a van, not to mention … too expensive, tourist option !! So we arrived at Oudomxay and at the ticket office of the station they told us that we had to go to Pak Mong for 40,000 kips / person and once there to take a tuk-tuk to Nong Khiaw … it gave us a bad feeling, they did not respond to our questions … so we asked more and discovered that there was a new station with more options, guess … 8 km …

Well, we went there … We hitchhiked again, we were taking the gustillo. We were caught by a very shy Laos couple, they almost did not speak to us. We got on the back of his truck and to the station !!

Once in the new station they told us we could go to Pak Mong in a van (this time for 30,000 kips) and there take a tuk-tuk to Nong Khiaw … we accepted, there was no other option. The van left at 1:00 p.m. When the time came, the van did not leave, we were the only passengers … they told us that it would leave at 2pm … well, patience … and it did not come out either. Action-reaction, we got angry and asked that they give us back the money … I ordered them! So, we had the money but no transportation alternative … With a couple of noses we hit the road and did a hitch, we had 106 km ahead … hahahaha …

We were very lucky, we were picked up by a small truck that was going in the same direction. Without understanding, or where he was going or where we were going, we climbed. In the cargo area, outdoors, we traveled with two bikes, a boy, a chicken and a lady. Without knowing how much journey would go in our same direction we started the march! What a thrill!!! We controlled where we were going with the mobile browser. Finally, we arrived, the truck took us to Pak Mong !!!! Good luck … Ole ole ole!

Third part of the journey, from Pak Mong to Nong Khiaw … well to continue trying … this time we did not stop anyone … we went to take a tuk-tuk when suddenly we saw a kind of bus full of locals, we asked if they were going to Nong Khiaw and everyone nodded. We climbed almost with the vehicle underway and already on the way !! In one of the stops the driver told us that we would cost 50,000 kips the two, we told him that better 40,000 kips and he agreed … it’s done!

Nong Khiaw is one of the most beautiful places we have been. It is a village crammed into a small valley between steep mountains, covered with dense vegetation, jungle, in a space created by a large river, the Nam Ou. The town is divided in two by the river and connected by a large bridge.

We got accommodation in Phulisack Guesthouse, a room with bathroom and hot water, all very clean, for 50,000 kips a night, perfect !!!! In the village you can also hire trekings, kayaking, biking, etc … You can climb a lookout overlooking the entire valley, which costs 20,000 kips per person, you can also visit the caves where people were sheltered during the bombing , they also cost 20,000 kips.

We walk up the road, an earthly paradise of nature … beautiful. Also, some friends on a previous visit met a local boy and his father, and they passed us their contact. His name: Ku, a boy from a village upriver from Nong Khiaw, Sop Vanh. We met and chatted a little. He invited us the next day to visit his town, we would come to look for him in his boat, we would visit his town and then we would have a picnic, all bathed in LaoLao whiskey … what excitement!

The next day, at 8 am, he came to look for the river with his narrow canoe, typical of the area and with a typical Asian motor, these are a stick with a propeller at the end that gets in and out of the water … We sailed about 30 minutes upstream, the scenery was spectacular … beautiful, television documentary … and finally we arrived, the Sop Vanh jetty. They were bamboo sticks stuck in the shore to tie up the canoes, a clay beach, with a staircase sculpted in the mud. Among the streets of the village music was heard, do not forget that we are still in the Pi Mai Lao, the end of the Buddhist year, the whole village was based on dirt and mud. The houses were made of cement, bamboo and natural fibers. As usual, the typical food animals were walking through the streets, including a water buffalo, a beautiful animal that we could even touch … that meek and adorable. We also visited the temple, simple but beautiful, we talked to the monks while everyone, especially the younger ones, looked at us with curiosity …

We entered his house and were greeted by his parents, very charming. They prepared the table with different dishes, after a while other people from the village came in and we all sat around. Touching the table with the fingers of the right hand and raising the left recited a series of words that we did not understand, were like wishes or prayers, each one did it individually, but all at once … suddenly they got up and they all came to us , and they began to tie some white cotton cords on both wrists, while reciting good wishes for us … very emotional.

We finished with about 10 cord bracelets on each wrist … then we ate a little of the dishes they had prepared: noodles with pork, glutinous rice, soups with various herbs, all very rich, for dessert there was sweet rice dough (Kaopat), Coconut with a kind of black beans (Kanumneap) and a pumpkin dish with coconut milk and some balls that was delicious (Kenvan). And from time to time we got a shot of laolao whiskey, a high-grade white liquor. All a ceremony in our honor, they wished us good entrance of the year, the next day they would do it for themselves.

Then, with his brother and sister-in-law, we went for a picnic on the river. We were 5 in his boat, loaded with baskets with food and a speaker for music. We continue up the river, wonderful place and stopped at a small beach. There, in a moment they lit a fire, picked banana leaves as a tablecloth, cut some branches so that they fixed the fish we were bringing to put on the fire. It was a fish barbecue! Then they picked some leaves from the place, covered them with a banana leaf and cooked them in the fire, when they opened the leaf they were cooked, they were very good, they were like borage but more tasty! All bathed with lalao whiskey shots and boiled water.

After eating everything, we went back to town in the canoe. We unloaded in his house and just as he was going to take us back to Nong Khiaw it started to rain … as we were tired, we decided to ignore the rain and that Nong Khiaw would take us, all right. We took the canoe and when we were on the way it began to pour down !! We were in a canoe 2 feet wide and one high, crossing a huge river, falling a downpour I had rarely seen … it was exciting … and of course, the landscape was still spectacular, a fantastic natural combination of land and water … Mention that when going down to the canoe on the jetty and when we got ashore when we arrived, we almost gave ourselves a couple of slips with the reddish mud that covers everything near the river.

This is the end of an impressive day, living one of the most authentic experiences we are going to experience on this trip … we will not forget it easily …

Finally we did not go to Muang Ngoy, as we had anticipated, because it was hard to get there, we had to spend the night there and we had already taken our authentic experience on the river and in a village in the area …

From Nong Khiaw we went to Luang Prabang. At 8 a.m. we were at the Nong Khiaw bus station, from there, at 9 a.m. the bus left to the northern station of Laung Prabang. The ticket cost us 40,000 kips per head … Great! Next stop … there we go!

We arrived at the northern station of Luang Prabang, a station like all, Laos style, but more crowded. We went to the area with the largest guesthouse in the center of Luang Prabang, and of course, we walk … under a torrid sun, Mayra a little dizzy, but whatever it is rather than accept the ruinous haggling of the tuk tuk drivers … Walking we cross the neighborhood of artisans, where there are workshops of paper, clothing and other local crafts. The streets are dry mud, you could bake an egg on any stone and on the horizon the Mekong river looming …

Following the road, we find a tributary to the Mekong, Nam Khan, you have to cross it to get to the city … problem, but … oh! What do we see there in the background? It is a bridge made with bamboo that allows crossing the 50 meters wide river! Saved! We started to cross it, it is a bridge more than artisanal … always stepping on a bamboo crossbar to avoid any unforeseen on the floor of little resistant … At the end of the bridge there is a group of locals, under a bamboo roof, sheltered from the sun, we passed in front of you and a lady tells us something … we ask her to repeat it to us, and she says: 10,000 kips each … Eing? Yes, they were charging us to cross the river on the aforementioned bridge, back and forth … hahaha … we got a little angry, but when we came to our senses we told him that we were not going to return and that we only paid 5000 kips each … In Laos, they charge everything … the amount is not very high when it is converted into a euro but the ability to charge the minimum without hitting the water is annoying … and who are we to judge it? Now … we’re more beautiful, quiet …

The search for a guesthouse was fortuitous, just entering the city a boy yells at us and offers us the lowest price we will find, 60,000 kips, which by haggling we reduce it to 55,000 kips. A double room with fan and private bathroom quite acceptable.

Luang Prabang was the capital of the kingdom of Laos, although it is now the third city in population of Laos, but the first in tourism. The city is Buddhist, with more than 50 temples, considered the most beautiful in Southeast Asia. You can perceive the bustle of its multitudinous ceremonies the indicated afternoons, beautiful, with colorful colors, spectacular for laymen like us.

Although, possibly, its main attraction is the architecture of the city center. French colonial style buildings are proudly displayed over time and wars on Sisavangvong Street, which in 1995 earned him the title of World Heritage Site by Unesco. Its cafés and restaurants invite you to relax and enjoy time, in a city where time has stopped.

In the center of the city is also Mount Phousi, a 100-meter high elevation that allows a spectacular panoramic view of the city. Climbing your eternal steps will cost you 20,000 kips per person …

On the main street you can also find the Night market, full of souvenirs and crafts, colorful and colorful, nothing more.

Another market, for us more interesting than the previous one, is the Phosy market. A local market with its unhealthy corners and colorful vegetables on the ground, we love chafardear through the corridors, while locals look at us without understanding what we are doing there …

How is it de rigueur, and like a good French colony, there are also baguette sandwiches here. In the center there are about 100 meters with sandwiches stalls side by side, where you can eat a vegetable sandwich with chicken (or the combination that comes to mind) bathed in a refreshing fruit smoothie. For us the trick was to find the place to toast the bread … umm … On the street we also found a post of noodles for 5000 kips and another one of grilled meat where we bought the famous Luang Prabang sausage (10,000 kips), like a longaniza from Huesca but spicy … very good! Perfect menu at the best price … live the backpackers !!!

If you want to go to an original place, bar Utopia is your place. The prices are high, but the view of its terrace is spectacular, perfect place to stay lying dumbfounded with the river …

and there we went later, with José, a very nice boy from El Salvador who accompanied us to take a bath in the Nam Khan River. There were also a group of Lao children that we joined to play in the water !! What memories when we knew how to have fun with nothing … the current was high, we grabbed a branch of a stranded tree, then we went upstream to let ourselves be carried away by a fast mini … pure fun, and the children took us accepting us as part of the group, proud to show us their knowledge of the terrain … so it’s fun to travel …

And finally the day arrived, after several visits, haggling and checking, we bought a motorcycle !!!!! Ole Ole ole!!! This bike will take us the rest of the way as real nomads, only depending on our instinct, the navigator and the desire to see more world!

It’s called: Vietnam! a machine prepared for the modern world, it crosses roads, mountains and deserts … We bought it from Carlos, a very nice Valencian who came from traveling with her, and who continued on his way by bus. At first we were sure that I could not with two people and our backpacks … but surprise, it’s over! Go machine we just bought …

With the bike we went to see Kuang Si waterfall, a spectacular and idyllic waterfall that turns into pools where you can bathe. It costs 20,000 kips, but it’s worth it … At the entrance there is a park for the protection and recovery of Laos bears that have been found injured by poaching … you can see them in a kind of game park in the middle of the forest, quiet and playful, oblivious to the sights of tourists.

Then there are different natural pools at different heights, up to the largest waterfall, spectacular, turquoise blue waters … very beautiful. The path continues and you can climb to the top of the waterfall, where there is a wooden step above the marsh that forms on the summit … pure nature!

We found a spider like my fist that apparently is poisonous ciborium, and speaking of ciborium, we met a very nice Basque, I take this opportunity to greet Egoitz! All beautiful, in a cooler micro climate, among fantastic jungle … It is clear that here the good is cooked in nature! Stop colonial styles or tortilla sandwiches … hehehehe.

And … we go from Luang Prabang, in Vietnam, loaded like a mule … we leave without being very clear that it can take us … hahahaha … weight calculation, checking the baggage … then lost to the river … there we go!

We made 186 km in 5 hours and a half with La Vietnam … hahahaha … we are chalaos … we had the square ass … But the landscape was spectacular, the road passed between walls of rock populated with jungle. Crossing villages where time does not pass, we saw people taking showers in the center of the town, using a water tank made of cement, in which the tap was a stopper … We crossed mountains with 12% gradients, climbing in first … and then down sandy roads … luckily this motorcycle does not exceed 60 km / h, because the road is safari … Traveling by motorcycle has its Cons, but its Pros compensates, the contact with the environment is maximum …

Next stop Vang Vieng, a town in the middle of a beautiful spot, invaded by hordes of teenagers looking to make “tubing”, go down the river in a truck wheel chamber as a float and go making stops to drink beer and other liquors. People die like this, you can imagine the stupidity of this … So we stayed alone one night, in the most disgusting place we have been … often hovel … and it cost us 60,000 kips …

In Vang Vieng you can do any adventure sport you want (and the place allows), like driving boggies, zip lines, riding a motorcycle, but the most popular is to fly in a balloon, because it’s very cheap here. A nice place to visit is the Blue Lagoon, a lake with beautiful turquoise waters.

amazing …. a motorcycle passing through a bamboo bridge!!!!

even more amazing … two bikes passing by the bridge!!!!!!

The next day we went to Vietnam and we went to Vientiane !!! The capital of Laos !! Váaaamonos !!!!

After a long motorcycle trip from Luang Prabang, with our wonderful and tireless Vietnamese Dynamite, we arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The first sensation was of rest, we arrived at a city with the shape of a city, more or less ordered, leaving behind all those half-done roads, between rows of (precious) mountains and muddy towns …

As always, first step, go to find an accommodation, remember that it is still hot, so we go walking around the central area, near the river, like champions, next to the Night market, to find the guesthouse, good looking and cheap … After visiting various hovels, or receiving offers outside of our budget, we found Sport guesthouse. A clean room with private bathroom and fan that, haggling, charged us 70,000 kips a night … very expensive! (considering background) but the best we found in all the time we were there.

Like everything else in Laos, Vientiane is a city with little movement, a bit bland … with little to do … a bit soporific … every so often a jazz or rock concert from a Thai band … or some singing will be announced. Indian author who comes to explain that as a child he was told that he was not good for anything, that he has had many diseases, and as a colophon playing the titanic song with a Peruvian flute … seriously! We were there … without words (whoever wants to have a small video that shows it …).

But to our surprise, in Vientiane we had a lot of work, between NGOs and enthusiastic international schools that hired us to act. So we stayed a little over three weeks … At this time we could take advantage to catch up with blogs and prepare the projects we had scheduled among other millions of things.

We were lucky to be accompanied by friends who have lived in Vientiane, Alexandra and Alberto for a year, a lovely couple who helped us a lot. They started the same trip as us a year before, but the third month of the route, the destination and a wonderful job offer, led them to stay and live in Vientiane !!! Do not you think that the surprises that life offers us are incredible? Now they live in the capital of Laos, working accumulating endless experiences of Laotian life.

With them we share many moments of zenings, walks and talks about life. We recommended you contacts for the project, restaurants, routes, mechanic to fix the Vietnamese dynamite, until Alexandra made us a professional photographer in one of the shows. Thanks a lot to both of you for so much !! And good luck and happiness with your next personal project; )

During those three weeks we did millions of things …

After an arduous search for peelers in the market, I could finally cut my hair, it seems easy to find a simple peeler … but it took us more than five days to find it at a reasonable price!

One of the points of interest of the city is the COPE Museum (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise). It is an organization founded in 1997 to provide prosthetics to the population of Laos victim of mutilation, due to the explosions of remnant bombs scattered throughout the country. These bombs were thrown by the United States between the years 1964 and 1973. The USA threw more than 2 million tons of bombs on Laos, a brutality. Laos is the most bombed country in the history of mankind. The bombings took place to destroy the supply routes of the northern Vietnamese army, but they got out of hand …

Of all those pumps, 30% did not explode !! So imagine, they left 600,000 tons of explosives still to be exploited by the fields of Laos, an underdeveloped country that is almost entirely devoted to agriculture … Even today there are 300 new explosions every year, that means 300 people killed or mutilated … The main problem is that the bombs used by the USA were mostly cluster bombs, composed of a carcass that opens during the descent releasing some 202 sub-units of explosives (see photo above) that are scattered over huge areas … crazy…

The truth is that before arriving in Laos we had no idea about this fact, we were horrified to learn that an innocent country, without any involvement in the war, since it had been invaded by North Vietnam, was punished with impunity by those who they call the defenders of freedom … someone won a lot of money along the way … Well, we better stop making judgments of values, that is not the purpose of this blog … even if it lights me up like a torch …

Another point of interest in Vientiane are the numerous Buddhist temples, they are everywhere. We visited one that was in the area of ​​our guesthouse, by the way very beautiful. One of the most important temples is the Wat Si Muang, the mother temple of Vientiane, from the 16th century.

It is said that in this temple a pregnant woman volunteered as a sacrifice to calm the angry spirits and threw herself through the hollow of one of the pillars, then was crushed by the pillar itself when it was placed … often nonsense … what things are found Google … This pillar was the center of Vientiane from which the city grew … I believe everything, except what was offered … because these people a lot of pro-activity does not … finally …

The shore of the Mekong River is a hive of people and activities when the sun goes down. People go out to do various exercises, from aerobics to walks, and how could it be less, we have the Night market! a huge walk full of outdoor stands with clothes, food, electronics, toys … almost anything you want to buy … and above all do not forget to bargain !! You can get very good prices!

One curious thing that we saw in this market, and in other places but that we had not commented, was a group of Westerners asking … There were three pairs of young people who looked like Eastern Europe, who were sharing the market with a guitar playing and asking … This phenomenon has been called “Beg-packers”, coming from “Back-packers” (backpacking) but with “Beg” which means begging … they are people who carry out activities in the street asking for money to pay for the trip, or in some cases simply ask, without offering anything in return, with the excuse that they subsidize their trip …

The truth is that going to an underdeveloped country to ask for money to pay for the adventure we found it a bit out of place, but there are people for everything … the locals looked at them with the face of strangers, without understanding … in the market you could see to a local little old woman pretty dusty on the floor asking a few meters ahead of a couple of burly whites or a cute little blonde girl showing pictures of how to make a hitch … well, this is what gives you travel … you see everything little bit…

Another market that we visited was Morning market, a large local market, with food, textiles, cosmetics, electronics … it is always curious to see the local markets, for good and for bad, between the lack of hygiene and the bright colors of their vegetables and fruits … we love the markets!

In the capital there is another night market, but Hipster style, with modern food places and stalls of alternative and vintage clothing. We walked a couple of nights, the atmosphere full of very fashionable university students …

For eating, we found several local places that were not bad, especially a very grubby restaurant that for 15,000 kips we ate some noodles in black sauce very good! (as a reference, near Serene’s works of art). One day they took us to the Vietnamese Restaurant Banh Cuon by Hongthong, great and cheap, it was worth it.

And to rest a bit of Asian food in the Italian Restaurant Aria we found 2×1 on pizzas !! Very good, they cost us 40,000 kips each pizza.

Also, in the Restaurant Le Vendome, in the center of the city, the half-day menu offers you two typically French dishes, although simple, at a more than reasonable price, 24,000 kips. Ideal to relax and recover strength.

If you are looking for a place to work, we made our office in the Kingbox hamburger, run by very kind and friendly Koreans. For 28,000 kips you have the beef burger with potatoes and Pepsi. There we stayed for hours and hours working so to gustito, the A / C was our religion, we adored the god cool … with more than 40 º C on the street.

At the level of work, we must emphasize that we were in the Fanglao dance and theater school, composed of a group of young people who teach modern dances (hip-hop, etc …) and that every 2 months represent a new production made by them same. We were surprised by their professionalism and quality of the show that they invited us to witness … Bravo! In return, we made them a Clown workshop that they enjoyed a lot.

Also we were offered to act with the National Circus of Laos !!!! But we had to refuse the offer because they asked us to stay 3 more weeks … an exceptional opportunity … but we would have cut our wrists if we stayed longer in Vientiane !!!

And after a long stay in the capital of Laos, we got on our Vietnamese Dynamite to follow our route !!!! Next destination … Thakhek and its fantastic loop tour !!!!

After a long trip from Vientiane we finally arrived at Thakhek !!!!! Ole Ole ole!! On the way, we stopped to sleep in Pakkading, a road town more expensive than usual for being a bus stop, with people quite unfriendly and without any attraction …

Thakhek is a small town on the bank of the Mekong River. It has French colonial buildings in its center with a nice restaurant. The best way to eat and save money is to dine at the Night Market. This is called by default, since it is a square surrounded by food paradites, there is nothing else. Here you can have a rice or noodles for 10,000 kips, although it is worth paying 15,000 kips increasing the quality and flavor of the dish a little more. There are also rolls, sausages, rare balls, and the dessert you want, fruit juices, ice cream, and a kind of chocolate pancake balls that were very good! We stayed at a filthy guesthouse, Daokhame guesthouse, which cost us 30,000 kips a night. It was dirty, old and it was all broken, so in general … although there were also two French guys delighted with the site … there are people “pa tó” !!

The best thing about Thakhek is that it is the starting point of a tour called the “Thakhek Loop”. It consists of traveling 3 days on a motorcycle through a region of the interior of the country drawing a rectangle to return to Thakhek. So we left the huge backpacks in the guesthouse, we got on our Vietnamese Dynamite and we got to ride the loop !!!!!

Before leaving to make the loop, we went through the mechanic to fix the lights, change the oil and make the set-up of the motorcycle.

The first stops, Tha Fallang cave (cave) and Tham Sa Pha In, two caves not very large and unattractive. Within which you always have someone who does not lose the opportunity to ask you for pasta. You can save them perfectly … Then, we visited the town of Mahaxay, because it was on the way. It is a very local rural town, and everything local is curious to see. We toured the place, streets of mud, children playing on the street, among hens pigs, cows and dogs … like being in another century … we never cease to amaze …

And following the road we arrive at Thalang, our first stop. A very small town that is in land surrounded by water. It is reached by a road between lakes, full dead trees, is like a giant marsh, and the town is in the center of it. The landscape is strange and very beautiful. We stayed at Phosy Thalang guesthouse, a little wooden cabin with a balcony to a river, you could see the charm (albeit throwing a cutrillo). It cost us 40,000 kips per night. The other resort is Sabaidee guesthouse that costs the same but has a restaurant with a variety of food, even a meat buffet that looked good … In itself the town has nothing, just the landscape of the road. The next morning we follow the route through the impressive marsh, full of trees, like a ghost forest under water …

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And more dead trees among the lakes…

After a few kilometers we reach the road that leads to the Cool Springs, a cold natural pool. This red clay road is the most picturesque, it crosses a very cool rural town, with its people there, children and food animals. After the village, a herd of water buffalo, one part ate grass, while the other portion of the herd went to a large pool to cool down submerging to the snout. We had them at 2 meters, they are very quiet and scary animals, they stared at us, cautiously, attentive to our movements, like scared children, however they are one-ton beasts with scary horns, because of these characteristics they seem endearing to us .

Following the path we found a riachuelillo with two women fishing in a curious way, holding a stick with a square net suspended at its end, submerging it in the water for a while and then raising it, the image is perfect for a good photo , and we did not go unnoticed by the fisherwomen, who smiled shyly when they saw us standing watching.

Just before the road a girl about 6 years old stopped us and we started playing with her, how funny! she was amazed with us, while her parents continued their work in the field. When he continued he wanted to come with us, he asked his parents with a shout and they told him not to talk … We arrived at the Cool Spring, as it was late there was no one to pay for entry … great!

It is a very beautiful natural pool !! The water is transparent, you can see the whole background, it has a dark turquoise green tone, surrounded by large rounded rocks. We put the foot to check the temperature and … it’s frozen !!! Likewise, we have come to play !! So here we go … but little by little or I break … while Mayra observes my faces of suffering and my shrill screams not at all masculine …

We continue our way, we reach Nahin just when it gets dark. We looked for where to spend the night, we looked for the main road of the town until we decided to stay in Vangphouthong guesthouse for 50,000 kips a night. A correct and spacious room. The “restaurant” however did not convince us, so we went around, everything was closed … it would be around 8pm … finally we saw a sign on, a guesthouse where all the backpackers stayed, next to Sanhak guesthouse. There we had dinner with a beer and we met Joe, an American from San Diego, very nice.

The next day we continue our way to Kong Lor. The road is spectacular, 42 km of road drawn between mountains, crossing very basic villages, with red clay roads, wooden houses supported by logs, pigs scampering on the verges, children greeting tirelessly, rice fields on the sides, until arriving to steep mountains, a vision of peace and nature, pushed by majestic and at the same time endearing water buffalo …

Finally we reached the caves enclosure, in a large esplanade protected by trees we bought the ticket to visit the cave in a wooden hut. It costs 110,000 kips for one person, 120,000 for two and 130,000 for three. They gave us a life-saving vest and a front.

With the boatman, a small man always smiling, we headed towards the boat. We enter the increasingly dark cave. We climbed into the boat and entered the darkness. The cave has a length of 7 km, its height and breadth are considerable, so it is not claustrophobic at all. While everything is covered in dense darkness, you can only perceive the rock where the frontal lights, the sensation is of meditation, total darkness, and only the rumble of the engine is heard. We arrive to a more open area, they make us disembark and we take a walk through the partially lit cave.

Spectacular columns of stalactites and stalagmites, formations of all kinds, very poetic, see how the rock is formed visibly, growing as if it were a tree … We return to the boat, we continue through the cave, in some parts of the river you notice the low depth in the hull of the boat, even the boatman has to dodge rocks, climbing rapids upstream, until … we see the light, and suddenly the river breaks through the jungle, a beautiful vision, after rock and darkness we pass to brightness and a majestic green.

We stopped on the mainland, in a tourist picnic area, for a short break, where in addition to selling fresh drinks they also sell handicrafts (handkerchiefs, skirts, foulards …) We were able to see how a local lady wove the fabrics … we love to see how everything is made manually!

Once the rest back to the boat finished, to return to the beginning … about 7 km were waiting for us again under the magical darkness of the caves … We go back to cross the cave, when while sailing in the darkness the boat is stuck in the background making a spin, almost we go to the water! the boatman makes us get off the boat and move away, we must walk following his footsteps through a zone of narrow rock, out of his steps the depth increases, everything is dark, it is slippery, better not to do nonsense …

After several maneuvers we return to the boat, how exciting !! Finally we arrive at the starting point. It has been an experience between mystical and exciting, highly recommended!

Mention that back to the bike we saw a snake on the road !! It fled in terror of our footsteps … how exciting!

So we took the bike and went back to Thakhek. The way back to Nahin is by the same road, a gift for the sight … and from there, direct to Thakhek without any stop.

Once in Thakhek we did not return to the same guesthouse, it was too filthy, Mayra would get another herpes … We found a hotel, Hotel Semsanlane, which charged us 40,000 kips for a decent room. The next morning we went to get the backpacks from the rusty guesthouse and went to Savannakhet.

On the way back we had some mechanical problems with the bike, so we had to ask for help at the house of a family, who delighted us by climbing the bike in their pickup to take us to a mechanic. Another shows more the hospitality that they have shown us for their passage in Laos.

Savannakhet is a surprisingly large and quite pleasant city. It has a pretty temple at the beginning of the city. In the central part there is a square where there are accumulated food paradites, similar to Thakhek. We stayed at Leena guesthouse for 50,000 kips very comfortable.

Mmm … reward of the day, chocolate waffle with condensed milk … no words.

And the next day … we went to Pakse !!!!