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6/26/13
Luang Prabang
So yesterday was the coolest day so far! We got up at 7:30 and had breakfast. Big surprise- it was eggs and bread! We gathered our things and headed to our van at 8:30 to go to our elephant riding adventure.
We traveled about 25 miles out of town toward the jungle. Everyone in the group came except for Charlotte because she had already spent a week working with elephants and rode them all the time.
We pulled up to the jungle and made our way (in the mud) toward a raised platform. A couple people broke their flip flops in the mud because it was so sticky! We all got up on the platform and got together in twos. Laura and I decided to ride together. Our local guide went over how to sit on the elephant and what the commands were. "Bye" would make the elephant go and "how" would make it stop.
We got on a female elephant with a guide. We sat on a little bench that was perched on top of the elephant and was held in place by being tied around her tail and her stomach. We were a bit nervous about the stability of the seat but realized it was actually semi stable.
The guide sat on the neck and we made our way up through the muddy jungle. Our elephant, named "Sexy Pancake" was a bit feisty and didn't listen to commands very well. At one point, she was near some other elephants and pushed her way past.
About 15 minutes into our walk, I asked the guide if I could sit on the neck. We switched places so I was in control of the elephant. It was so weird sitting on her neck and grabbing her head. She kept bending down for leaves which would freak me out because she would bend her head down and I felt like I was going to fall. Her skin was a bit rough and had lots of prickly hair on it that tickled my legs. Eventually Laura joined me on the neck and we rode there together. It was especially cool when the elephant crossed through the muddy water.
We eventually returned to our platform after about an hour and a half. The guides all took off the seats and the blankets so that we could bathe them in the river. Laura and I got back on a different elephant and headed down a steep bank toward the river. I sat in front and Laura found it hard to sit in the middle because she was on the shoulder blades. She was kind of freaking out but we made it down to the river just fine.
Some of the other elephants got right into the water and went all the way under. It was so crazy to see the elephants one second and then not see them the next because they fully submerged themselves in the water. Some of the girls looked like they were going to fall off! They all got soaked! Our elephant went part way in but did not seem too excited about going all the way in so she turned back after a few minutes and went back toward the platform.
After we all got off our elephants, we couldn't stop talking about how much fun it was! I had taken so many pictures! We headed back to the hotel and got there around 11:45. We all had to wash off our flip flops because they were so muddy. We then decided to shower and met up at 1 for lunch.
Some of the group went to a waterfall and lagoon and the rest of us went to Joma bakery/cafe for lunch. I was craving something other than noodles so I had a Greek salad and a cup of chili. It was soooooo good! I also had a pineapple shake, which is basically pineapple and ice.
After lunch, a group of us headed to one of the more famous temples in the city. It was quite a far walk and some other people in the group hyped it up to be amazing so we hoped it would be worth the walk in the humidity. We had to pay about $2.50 to get in. And we thought it was a nice temple but not the best. It was also quite run down. The paintings were nice and there was a really cool Buddha statue. We didn't spend too much time there and decided to get a tuk tuk back to the hotel.
We had a few hours before dinner do that meant it was nap time! At 7:30, we met in the lobby to walk about 15 minutes to the Lao Lao garden restaurant. Sarah and I decided to order a traditional Lao BBQ meal. They bring you tons of noodles and veggies, eggs, garlic and peppers, and 3 kinds of meat: pork, chicken and water buffalo. They also put a bucket of hot coals in the center of the table and put a metal grill on top. You then pour water on the sides to cook the veggies and the noodles. On top of the grill is pork fat that you put the meat on to cook.
We put everything inside the pot with the help of Chen and our server. It was so got and steamy and you have to make sure to flip the meat or it burns so it's really a group effort to prepare the meal. I was sitting down wind so I was basically choking on the steam while trying to eat and trying to cook. My eyes were getting swollen and I was coughing a lot but there wasn't much I could do about it. The soup was quite delicious, though!
After dinner we headed to the night market again so Laura and I could get some cotton pants with colorful prints on them. We bargained with a lady and got them for about $4 each. I got a green and white pair with elephants on them. We walked back toward the hotel and got some drinks and snacks for the long boat ride. At about 10:30 we had been packed and ready to go because we were going to be up at 5 to give alms to the monks.
All in all it was such a great day! And we had no rain which was a miracle considering we are here during rainy season!
Until next time!
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