Same Same but Different

Luang Prabang, Laos

Sabai Dee! Yes, I'm back in the land of same same.

We flew to Luang Prabang Saturday morning from Hanoi. With the inhabitants of this city being only 30,00 it was surprising that there was an airport at all. But alas, it is a tourist destination. Has been on the backpacker "banana pancake trail" for some time. And with the convenience of vegetarian food, tuktuks, and the jaw dropping night market, it looks as if it's been that way for a long time.

The UNESCO city of Luang Prabang boasts over 40 gilded wats, and although touristy, has an authentic community of monks. One of the highlights of any stay in the town is to wake at dawn to watch them making alms from a myriad of mindblowing religious sites. This is not something you have to look for, as the color of saffron flows through many streets, in a silence that is so beautiful. Yes, it's true, it is strange to be sitting silently on the sidewalk across the street from a gorgeous wat, at dawn, pre-caffeinated, and see busloads of tourists jump out at the last minute, and get super close to take videos. But even with them, it's an amazing experience.

Luang Prabang lies alongside the Mekong river, at the base of many mountains. No trip would be complete without a trip to one of the many waterfalls. I was skeptical at first, having been sold trips to falls that were just a trickle in the past. But Laos put on a spectacle for us this day. There were not only several different falls, but there were several different ways to get to the falls. One way took us past a bear sanctuary, where bears who have been held in captivity in tiny cages for their bile, used in some Eastern medicines, were rescued. They can no longer survive in the wild, but the people at the bear sanctuary make the rest of the bears' lives free of such treatment. We were there during feeding time, where bear handlers hide meals inside bamboo or under leaves, to keep their foraging skills up. The pool at the bottom of the falls is quite close to the sanctuary. The milky blue was so inviting after hiking in the heat. Inside, there were little fish that nibbled at the skin on your feet, which has now been marketed all over Southeast Asia as a "fish spa" where people Simon benches beside a fish tank, and leave their feet in the tank to be nibbled on.


Five days slowly slipped by between fabulous French inspired food, smoky mountains (we were there during crop burning), and wandering around the town and across rickety bamboo bridges over the river. This was in such sharp contrast to Vietnam, where motorbike horns were part of every minute of every day.

This was our only stop in Laos, and I know the country has more to offer. Time was a constraint, and I do hope to return.

How to Cross the Street in Vietnam

1. Look both ways
2. Stay calm
3. Disregard everything your mother told you, wait for a big bus or car (they're rare) to pass
4. Walk
5. Resist the urge to flinch, run, step backwards, or scream. Keep moving forward with consistent pace.
6. Ignore every motorbike that looks as if it's going to hit you. If it does, you ignored number 5 above.
7. Do not put your guard down when you get to the other side. Motorbikes are also common on sidewalks.
8. Go back to your regular heartbeat

Monkey Island, Halong Bay, Vietnam
March 14, 2013

Chris and I just marked week two in Vietnam. It is both nothing and everything I expected it to be. It's incredibly crowded, fast,and signs of growth are all around. Quite frankly, I have been surprised as what was described to me as a "third world country" seems nothing like that at all. Ho Chi Minh (saigon) and Hanoi are bustling, extremely modernized gigantic cities, with everything any foreigner could ever want available. Language barriers prevent me from asking locals if they feel the same. Hanoi, the more international of the two, is covered with parks and lakes and tree lined boulevards. Tourism infrastructure is plentiful, in all budget classes.

We began our journey in Saigon, taking in the vibrant bustle of this Asian megalopolis. Impossible to see even a tiny fraction, we focused on what was nearby. Chris, who has never really been anywhere, was stymied by the traffic, and that we could be staying in a hotel in a small alley, a stones throw away from what we were told is the busiest intersection in Ho Chi Minh, and couldn't hear a thing. A highlight of visiting Saigon was watching the sunset from the Saigon Skydeck, 49 floors high, with windows around the entire floor. Once the sun went down, the city lights were on display. No ordinary city lights, but bridges with light shows, tall buildings with floating messages up the side. Truly remarkable.

After four nights in the bustle, we headed for a two day tour of the Mekong delta. We lucked out by booking a tour that left on a Sunday. We expected a giant tour bus to be picking us up. Instead, it was our guide, Thien, and our driver, in a small sedan. A personalized tour, on accident. Here, we visited craft makers villages, tropical fruit gardens, and a traditional floating market- one that actually wasn't designed for tourists. We saw how different foods were made, and stopped for tea about five times. The people of the Mekong were very hardworking, many living and working on their boats and rarely coming to land. So many things were reminiscent of the Mississippi. Down to some of the houses we saw along the riverside, where French influence is apparent, both in new and old architecture.

We then flew to Hue for a few days, taking another river trip to see the old citadel, similar in design and purpose of the forbidden city in Beijing, the tombs, complete with a motorbike ride, something I swore I would never do. From here we took a four hour bus rise to the tourist mecca and UNESCO heritage site of Hoi An, where we treated ourselves like kings. The ancient city of Hoi An is so atmospheric, especially by night. The city is along a small river, and a beautifully lit bridge connects different parts of town. The entire town is covered with glowing lanterns, and in the evenings, adorable children sell candles in colored paper bowls to float down the river, where you can take a small canoe through the beauty. Hoi An is also a place to have clothing custom made for you. Tailors dot every street, from handmade leather shoes, to wedding gowns and everything in between. We both ended up buying more than we thought, and left extremely satisfied. From here, we booked a flight to Hanoi but were delayed by one day so we decided to check out Danang, home to the famous China Beach.
A large city without a true town center, we weren't particularly impressed. But the city is definitely progressing. Two gorgeous bridges are being built, and beachfront hotels are up and running at a rapid pace. In ten years, maybe this will be a place to be. But not yet.

Hanoi is busy like its southern city, but far older, cooler, and more international. At the moment, we are sitting on the beach at monkey island, in halong bay. We took an overnight cruise on a boat, with an extra night here on the island. Halong bay is beautiful, though crowded. This morning when the sum rose, I looked outside and saw about 25 ships, almost exactly like ours, docked in the bay with sleeping passengers. It was kind of like our own floating city.

We are getting ready to leave Vietnam, to spend a week in Luang Prabang, Laos, and I look forward to seeing something different and being in a Buddhist area. Vietnam is a surprising mix if religions, and it's cultural heritage being influenced by so many different places. We have found people here very kind and warm. They seem over eager to please, and methinks its because of TripAdvisor. It becomes so important to be on the top of that list. When we check out hotels, we are immediately asked to post a review. Move over, Lonely Planet, there's a new kid in town!