Quite a journey to one of the most laid back places ever!

Across the river lies Laos.
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Before sharing the wonders of Luang Prabang with you, I feel it is imperative to tell you about the 3 day adventure of getting here. We started off in Chiang Mai at 9 am. After a five hour or so bus ride we arrived at the border of Thailand and Laos (Chiang Khon and Houi Xai respectively).  We got a bit gipped on our visa, but I think they need it more than we do anyway. We crossed the river (which serves as the border). Can you imagine a river border? The familia down in Mexico would have a field day with that one! Anyways we stayed in Houi Xai where everyone got ripped off on the exchange. Again...they probably need it more. The village was very small. Unfortunately Rach and weren't carrying much cash...haha only 100 baht ($3) and $60 in travellers checks. Neither much good. This awesome girl Eleanor let us borrow $60 to exchange for kip! Angel from God! I promise that i will pay forward this kindness 100 fold! I don't know what we would have done otherwise. Not eat. Not sleep probably.

Our slow boat to Luang Prabang
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The next morning we took a slow boat towards Pak Beng. A fast boat is a bit more and fatalities are very common. Hmm...thanks but no thanks. Imagine doing a 14 hour two day journey in 5 hours on a fast boat!?! Anyways the boat was very narrow, but we made lots of friends and it was quite fun! Pak Beng was better than the last village. We ate and enjoyed the company of fellow tourists. But the best part of Pak Beng was the hot shower!!! My first one in over three weeks! Oh it was heaven! I don't think i've ever felt so amazing. I had gone to the restroom (aka squat toilet) to wash up before bed & i thought i'd check the water....just maybe i thought. As soon as I felt the hot water, I ran back to the room practically stripping. I yelled, "Rach its hot! Where's my towel!?! Shampoo..I need shampoo!" Haha it felt like a Dane Cook bit (Where my shoes Ma? Where my shoes!?! haha) I'll never take hot water for granted ever again! Haha yeah right i'm sure i'll forget how precious it is after being back home for a week or two. Sad truth. The next day was another 7 hours on the boat to Luang Prabang.

Sunset in Luang Prabang
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Luang Prabang is definitely a tourist haven, but it is not without its charm. A french influence and delicious pizzerias give this city an A in my book. We splashed around at the waterfalls, meandered the awesome night market, climbed Phu soi at sunset...the works. There is even Le Cinema where it feels like you are bunkering down in your living room for a movie treat. I loved the French film "A Very Long Engagement!" We also felt that it was our duty to take advantage of a $3 one hour Lao massage. Less violent than a Thai massage but very relaxing. Unfortunately we will be unable to go to Vang Vieng (another tourest hotspot) because we must get to Hanoi. We have decided to extend our time in Asia and must get to a big city to work out the flight details! Needless to say we'll be flying on a 70 person plane to Hanoi! That should be interesting.

Our friends Eleanor and James.
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I wish that we could have ventured to other places around Laos because it is so beautiful. Taking the slow boat down the Mekong was gorgeous! God's wonders get me everytime. The people are also all about relaxing and sipping on a Beer Lao. A huge beer for one dollar mind you. We tried our best to get a bus to take us to Sam Nua border but without success. Supposedly, tourists rarely travel that way...more the reason to go I say! Oh well, sometimes I forget we're girls and shouldn't stray to far from the beaten track.

The night market.
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I've been helping Rach become more adventurous on this trip and so far she has. I'm proud of the little one. Swinging off rocks and climbing up mountains! I'm also reading an amazing book called "My name Lon..You like me?" I recommend it to all. It tells about the terrible life in sex tourism and the extreme poverty of Thailand and surrounding countries. Literally, everything costs pennies. I can't even barter anymore because my heart knows that they need it so much more. I mean how do you tell someone that you don't want to fork out the extra 50 cents? Can you believe the average salary is $120 a month! I suggest to those who come to SE Asia to look hard behind the tourism. There lies a lot of struggle and hardship. The countries are full of corruption, and one can't help but feel extremely sad. Its all fun and games to come and enjoy cheap beer, clothes, and delicious food but you're really not seeing the bigger picture if you feel unchanged. I know that I've always been told about how poor other countries are, but it doesn't really wake you up until you see it square in the eye. Well anyways I've been thinking a lot about that lately and I figured i'd share.

Rach and I at the waterfalls.
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Anyways there is a 50 cent buffet calling my name! Plus I want to meander the night market one last time before taking off to Vietnam.