Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Did you know you can barbecue bananas? Just put them right on the grill and cook them like sausages? Well you can. We just spent two days in a tiny Lao village called Nong Khiaw, and got a taste of the Lao lifestyle, which includes barbecuing almost everything on little fires outside the homes. We stayed in a guesthouse on a dirt road right amidst houses and a local school, where children were out playing at all hours of the day and all wanted to say hi, or in Lao, "sabadee" to us. The village is set right on the river and surrounded by huge limestone mountains, with boats being the main mode of transportation.
We took a boat up the river and visited two smaller villages, each with populations of about 200 people. These villages were almost completely self-sufficient, using bamboo for houses, and growing or hunting all their food. We trekked up to some waterfalls from the village and got to cool off in the pools! We ate lunch up at the top. Our guide pulled out all the food wrapped in banana leaves and served us rice, bamboo, and a spicy puréed eggplant dish, all served and eaten with our hands of course. Instead of taking the boat back to Nong Khiaw, we kayaked for over two hours back along the river. We conquered rapids we would have never been allowed to attempt at home! We had so much water in our kayak, it is a real miracle we even made it through, but it was so fun. The kayak trip was a little further than we thought, but we finally made it back in time for a good dinner.
We arrived in Nong Khiaw on a mini van, but were told on arrival that no minivans go back to Luang Prabang. Our only option was to take the public "bus" which is a giant tuk-tuk. Basically it's the bed of a really old pickup truck, with benches lining the sides, and plastic chairs down the middle, to seat a total of twenty-two passengers and fifteen chickens, with our bags all strapped to the roof. That was an interesting four hours! It was nice and breezy at least! We got to see some of the most beautiful scenery though as we made our way through the mountains. We made it safely to Luang Prabang, although completely coated dirt, and we are flying to Vietnam tonight! We only had a week to enjoy the culture and natural beauty of Laos, but we are so glad we included it in our travels.
- comments
Barb Sabadee girls! What a lovely visit you had. Your pictures from Laos are so fun. Glad you're enjoying yourselves. Stay safe!
Shelley What an adventure you two continue to be on. How wonderful your trip continues to be!
Nikky What an adventure! Did you take any puctures of the "bus?"
Sandra Woitas You got to see and feed baby elephants? That is on my bucket list. Good for you for not taking 59 years to do that!
Ronald and Nono The food sounds interesting..are u enjoying it? Kayaking for hours must hv bn an experience..you r going to hv muscles like the Hulk if you keep that up. The water looks extremely inviting..great stuff..look forward to reading more. Luv u
June McLellan I want to taste all your delicious dishes when you get home. The boat and kayak sounded like fun, glad you made it back safe . Glad your bags arrived safely on the bus. Stay Safe,