Luang Prabang, Laos

LAOS

We flew into Luang Prabang on a Lao Airline turbo prop from Chiang Mai, Thailand.  It was a one-hour flight at 15,000 feet that revealed the mountains, jungle and the Mekong River below. 

Luang Prabang from the air

We saw a soccer field

Barb gets off the plane

Small airport

“Ben pen nyang” means “no problems” in Lao and sums up the easygoing attitudes of everyone we came across.  It’s extraordinary that people who have suffered through decades of conflict could be so happy.

The French Navy blockaded an important port in the late 19^th century and demanded that the King of Siam turn over parts of Cambodia and Laos.  The French won the day and had a presence in Southeast Asia for over 50 years.

We wonder how we, as Americans, might be received since the US armed forces dropped 2.000,000 tons of bombs on “neutral” Laos from 1964 to 1973 in an effort to cut off supply lines to the Viet Cong.  This bombing and the use of chemical defoliants, such as Agent Orange, killed 50,000 people and were kept secret from the American public until October of 1969 according to a tourist information book on the coffee table of our hotel room.  But people are happy and quick to smile.  When I asked about the Lao government people are pleased with the progress and the quality of their life even though the standard of living is probably one of the poorest of all Asian countries. 

Life centers on the mighty Mekong River in Luang Prabang.  The river winds through mountains.  The river and the mountains are part of the cityscape of Luang Prabang.

The river and mountains

Pretty scenery.  The water is very muddy and opaque though.  If you drop anything that doesn't float, you will never find it.

Someone's hut on the bank of the river.

Woman doing her laundry

Young kids swimming.

It looks as though that boat could take on water at any time.

City life

Novice Monks

Long boats shuttle people back and forth across the river for their jobs and for shopping.

Ever since we rode elephants in India we have wanted to have a “Mahout” elephant trainer experience.  We want to learn how to ride on the neck of an elephant and give commands to control these animals.  In Laos we got our chance.  We learned from the hotel manager at our Orient Express hotel that there is an elephant sanctuary and camp about 40 minutes away reachable on a dirt road next to the Nam Khan River.  The manager called the camp for us and they agreed to take us for one day and allow us to learn how to feed, bathe and control the elephants by riding on their necks and giving them verbal and foot pressure commands.

Elephant camp

When we arrived at the camp we had the general tour and orientation and visit to the elephant veterinary station.  Soon thereafter we were up on top of an elephant in a chair. 

Five minutes into the ride the Mahout abandoned us and jumped down off the elephant and told Barb to jump onto the elephant’s neck and start driving. 

Voice commands and leg pressures make the elephant respond

There are no reins or saddle to hold on.

The elephant has hair on the top of his head and on the end of the tail.  It is very course.  Jewelry is made from elephant hair.

Hair on the elephant's head

Hair on the tail.

Twenty minutes later it was my turn.  It is not easy to keep your balance on the neck of an elephant.  There was multiple times I thought I was going to hit the deck when the elephant turned her head one way or the other. 

It's a long way down to the ground from here.

Barb's Chauffeur

Steps down or up also proved to be difficult for me to keep my weight centered over the elephant and I often felt like I was going to tumble off the elephant to the ground.

To instruct the elephant to move forward you yell “PIE”.

To make the elephant stop you yell “HOW”.

To make the elephant go left you yell “SIA” (say it like “sigh”) and you kick the elephant with your right foot.  The elephant is trained to move away from pressure the same way that horses are trained.

To make the elephant go right you yell “KWA” and kick with your left leg.

To make an elephant get down on her knees so that you can step up on her leg and jump up on her neck you yell: “MAP”.

                                                         
                                                              Elephant training video

These animals are smart.  When you put your foot on her leg and apply pressure to push yourself up on her neck she will actually lift up her leg to give you an elevator ride up to her neck.

Scott climbing up for his training

Pie Pie

Trying to get a comfortable seat.

Along our rides the elephants ate pieces of the trunk of banana trees. 

Banana tree stalk

Elephants love bananas and bamboo and sugar cane. 

Barb feeding her elephant bananas after her ride.

Barb climbing up with the help of the elephant's "knee up"

It's a long way up.  I better practice more yoga moves!

Practicing leg pressures

It's not quite like driving a BMW

A hug and a thank you.

This is fun.

Then we each got on an elephant and took them down to the Nam Khan River to take a bath.  This was a blast!!

MAP.  The elephant gets down for us to climb up.

Whoa.  Hold on!

We drove our elephants down to the river.

Our elephants lay down in the river.  “MAP, MAP”.

They love their baths.

Scott's elephant is being prompted to be a little naughty.

They like being scrubbed.

We stood on top of our elephants.

We scrubbed the ears and heads of the elephants.

Barb's elephant loved to have her face scrubbed.

My elephant was a naughty girl and tossed me into the river three times.  I think my Mahout knew a special word to instruct my elephant how to toss her trunk up and down and splash and shake her head wildly.  My elephant would stand up and thrash her trunk in the water and then she would sit down in the water again.  This makes it very difficult to stay on top of the elephant and three times I was launched from the back of my elephant and into the river.  I am glad there are no crocodiles in this river.

Getting thrown into the river

The current was quite swift.

This is got to be the most fun you could ever have with an elephant!

How often do you get a chance to take a bath with an elephant?

After our elephant bath we said “KOP CHAI LIE LIE” to thank our elephants and waved goodbye.

We then jumped in a long boat with a long motor and our guide drove us up river to the site of some river falls that were fantastic.  The Lao people farm and fish along the rivers.  They net and set traps for the fish.

Taking a long boat upriver to the waterfalls

Where the falls run into the river

The river falls were beautiful.  They were a series of cascades stretching for a few hundred yards.  We began to climb up the falls.

Let's go.

In some places the water was so swift we thought it would knock our feet out from under us.

We sat down along the way to enjoy the views and the sensation of water rushing around us.

There were pools that looked like they were formed in the shape of hot tubs but this water was cold, but tolerable.

I didn’t think Barb would keep climbing up the waterfall but she kept going so I followed. 

Barb was the first to jump off the rope swing.  Barb is CRAZY!!!

I was not going to do it but I had to do it after Barb did it.

Weee Weee Weee Weeeeeeeeee

Heading back to the boat

Back down the river

Later that night we hired a captain and took a guide from the hotel for a sunset boat ride on the MEKONG RIVER.  (You can never do too many things in one day)

Our private boat

Another romantic date.

We climbed a couple of hundred vertical steps to a Buddhist Temple.

No need to go to the gym and use a stair climber.

Barb testing a piece of fruit from a tree.

Stupas at the Buddhist Temple

View from the top of the temple

We went inside to make and offering and donation to the Monks.

This was a very small temple

Our guide was a “novice” Monk until he was 17. His mother became deathly ill and his father wanted him to quit being a Monk and come home.  He went home and his mother died within the week.  His father wanted him to stay home.  Now he has a girl friend that is 18 (he is 28) and he wants to get married soon.

All Monks are “Novice Monks” until they reach the age of 20.  Then, if they commit to keep all 227 rules they are accepted and ordained to be a full Monk.  At that time they cover both shoulders with their robes.  Novice monks only cover one shoulder with their robes.  Novice monks only have 10 rules to follow.  Don't kill, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t have sex or girl friends and don't lust, don’t drink or take intoxicants, don’t dance or sing or party, don’t eat after 12:30 in the afternoon, don't wear lotions, perfume or wear decorative accessories, don't earn money, and refrain from sitting on luxurious furnishings or soft beds and don't sit higher than the high monk.

This young novice monk was at the temple

A beautiful evening view from the boat 

A sunset toast.

Beautiful romantic sunset cruise.

Laos is so undeveloped and so pristine.  We wonder what this might look like in 10 years after tourists discover the beauty of Laos and its people.  We are grateful to have the chance to travel together and discover wonderful places like Luang Prabang, LAOS.

While we are thinking about the wonders of Laos we went to the spa and have a Lao massage.  It was something like a Thai massage only more gentle and not as forceful.  They give you clothing that makes you feel like you are suiting up for your first lesson of Kung Fu.  But then they lay you down on a large mat and start pressure point work followed by yanking on and massaging different parts of your body.  At one point I was going to yell “uncle” since I thought she was trying to pin me to the mat but I bit my lip instead. 

Our hotel was the Residence d Phou Vao owned by Orient Express.

Our Bedroom

Bathroom

Patio

View out of our window

Pool

Dining

Pool

Barb floats to relax

Hanging out at pool

Amazing flowers