Day 670 - Black water caves and turquoise streams

Since Laos refuses to go at our pace we (along with Sam and Nicole - who have been travelling with us for the last week or so and continue to keep us company as we all make our way south towards Cambodia) decided to take matters into our own hands by renting a couple of motorbikes and pulling the throttle open.

Our first stop of the day was a nearby market where we stocked up on the Lao staple of sticky rice and picked up some bananas, roast chicken, fresh rice paper spring rolls and water.

Fueled up we headed out of town on our way along the scenic route 12 towards Buddha cave. This cave was accidentally found by a local as he climbed the cliff in an attempt to catch some bats for his meal, he fell through scrub to revel a cave full of about 200 Buddha statues and has become a local hero by bringing the wealth of a tourist destination to his village - we have no idea if he actually got his bats for dinner though! The cave was a nice break from the bumpy off road trail we took to get there. At the cave we watch as a group of monks cruised the waters into the depths of a connected cave.

Motoring on, we eventually made it to the second cave of our journey (Xieng Liab), after having to ask directions a numbers of times, but the locals did in the end send us on our way and on arrival it was well worth it! We descended some rocks into a dark cave with a shallow stream running through it. We then wound our way 100 metres deeper before being emerging at a 2nd huge opening that had a glassy smooth pool at its feet. We enjoyed a picnic here in the shade of the massive cave, enjoying our market goodies and the respite form the hot day.

Back on our bum-punishing bikes we headed off road in search of a swimming hole to clean off the layer of dust our bodies had accumulated as we negotiated our way through the roadworks. We rolled through an awesome town where the kids waved, smiled, and screamed hello. As we bumped along 2 cute wee girls took position on either side of the road to bow at us as we passed them and repeated the adorable gesture on our return leg!

With the hot sun bearing down upon us and no shelter like those villagers resting on their hammocks in the shade of their verandas, we stopped sightseeing and parked at the edge of the turquoise river that flowed at the base of gigantic karst peaks.

Here we spent the next hour in absolute bliss, for the first time in days we weren't hot and sticky as we swam in the cool waters and jumped off rocks into the deep river. Down stream a local fishermen balanced on his small canoe and attempted to catch the fish we were probably scaring away!

We reluctantly remounted the bikes a little after five in the evening as we still had to get back to town before dark. We cruised down to the riverside stalls and dined on a huge variety of dishes including barbecued fish, pork balls and salad, pancakes, and doughnuts!

As darkness fell over the town we returned our bikes and chilled the evening away by talking with other travellers and then packing for our bus journey tomorrow.

Adlibing welcoming waters.

Day 669 - Another Mekong town

After a few buses this morning we made it into Tha Khaek, a middle-sized town resting on the Mekong riverside. Nothing much happens in this town and anything that does happen, happens very slowly.

Adam, Sam and Nicole spent a good hour or so wandering the markets in search of fruit, snacks, and souvenirs all of which they succeeded in accumulating while having a ball interacting with the friendly locals as they went about their slow-paced life.

We grabbed the opportunity to catch up on the blog, as finding internet in Laos is sometimes impossible!

We saw the day to an end over dinner and then set about playing a few games of cards, Adam even managed to entice Sam into some exercises but still has no luck with Liv!

Adlibing it to the next town.

Day 668 - Motoring amongst the mountains

Today the 4 of us hired a couple of motorbikes and headed the 40km to Tham Kong Lo (Kong Lo Cave). On the way there despite being surrounded by the karst peaks and flowing rivers we zipped our way through the villages hoping to reach the famous cave as soon as possible. This limestone cave is justly famous due to the fact that it is 7km long with a beautiful green river flowing right through it. If you ignore the smug Laos men ripping off the tourist you're in for a treat as your rickety canoe motors its way through the pitch black. After an hour the light at the end of the tunnel is almost blinding as you pop out into the lazy river that looks much less threatening in the light. And since you can see, you can enjoy the striking mountain scenery that surrounds you.

At half way, the boat docked to give its engine a chance to cool down, and we enjoyed a snack on a bridge surrounded by trees.

As we headed back into the cave you feel like taking a huge breath of warm air before the cool of the cave encases you. Our driver seemed to be in one hell of a hurry - on the way up we had to disembark several times to get over shallow rock beds, but on the way back we were seated permanently as our motor roar struggled to escape the carnivorous stone jaws bearing down upon us as we battled the snaking black water in search of light. Back on our feet again we watch as some young boys played and dived in the lagoon at the mouth of the cave, but soon we were back on the bikes ready to explore our surrounds at a much slower pace.
We turned off at one point and drove through the dusty village, greeted at all points with waves, smiles and shouts of "sabaidee" from the locals kids and grown ups alike. On the main road the mountains and the fields at their feet continued to amaze but our attention was often drawn to the animals along the side of the road: from monster pigs, ginger buffaloes, the contrast of a giant white duck with its tiny black duck buddy, but best of all the family of buffaloes cooling down in a huge mud pool!After a battle for a disappointing lunch (in a town where they're happy to sell you beer everywhere, but not so keen on selling food!), we made our way into the hills we came over yesterday for a closer look, and just as the sun set we rolled back into our guesthouse to relieve our aching bums.

Adlibing it through a river cave.

Day 667 - Winding our way to Ban Na Hin

This morning we didn't shy away from the hard-benched pick up truck - but today we only had 50km to travel, and wow, what a great 50km it was! We passed through the fringes of the Phu Hin Bun National Park, along route 8, which is studded with tonnes of amazing sites: karst peaks loom overhead, some are sheer cliffs, others are blanketed in lush greenery. At the peak of a large hill we got stunning views over the plains and right back to more peaks that surround the entire area where rivers run at their feet.

We were dropped off at the market and then the 4 of our set out to drain the last of our energy walking in the hot sun to find a room and commit ourselves to a day of chilling out and recovering with food and books.

Adlibing it not far.

Day 666 - A very long day on buses

Before the break of dawn we were standing on the road ready to wave down the first bus that passed by heading to Vientiane. It was nice seeing Vang Vieng at this time of the day when all the tourists are sleeping off their hangovers - kind of how it would have been before it became overrun with our kind!

We retraced our steps to Vientiane and while Sam and Nicole headed for the Vietnam Embassy we headed to the internet and completed some errands.

At the nearest bus station we were lucky enough to score a free ride to the south station 10km out of town, from where our bus to Vieng Kham (just south of Paksan) would leave.

While we were sitting down to yet another bowl of noodle soup we caught a glimpse of Nicole and Sam who were going to be on our bus heading south - it sure is nice to have their company!

Our 3 hour bus ride turned into a nearly 6 hour one after stopping for snacks or toilet far too often (not to worry though, as time in Laos runs mmuuuucccch slower), and 14 hours after we started this morning we were deposited in a dark town and were directed to a guesthouse in the wrong direction! Not to fear though, because the locals here are so friendly that lots of people stopped to help us out - even offering us rides on the back of their motorbikes, which Sam took them up on so he could wave us in to the right place.

After dinner of, you guessed it ... noodle soup ... we settled in for the night, with the thump of the next door disco lulling us to sleep.

Adlibing it a long way.

Day 665 - Back to Vang Vieng

When we got to the bus station this morning the "bus" to take us to Paksan, was actually a wooden bench pick up truck that would take a minimum of 12 hours on shocking roads - we're usually uncomfortable after an hour on these trucks so we gave that a miss!! Instead we decided on a round-a-bout way to get to Paksan by going back through Vang Vieng. The scenery was just as stunning on the way back and we still got a laugh watching the young, pantless kids run between their houses. We enjoyed watching this old dude jump off the bus as keen to get his few minutes of tobacco as any ciggy-smoking Westerner.
Since we'd already spent 5 days checking out Vang Vieng and its surrounds we made a beeline straight for our favourite restaurant before lazing the entire afternoon resting in hammocks perched on the edge of the river. We had a beautiful melody of children's' giggles mixed with the peaceful sound of the river running over the rocks to keep us company as the sun set. Adlibing hammocks.

Day 664 - Plain of Jars

After 20+ months of Adlibing Asia we found ourselves on our 3rd organised tour of our trip - at the end of the day we were reminded why we normally go to a lot more effort (and even spend a bit more money) to do things ourselves. But at least this way we don't get blown up by UXO (unexploded ordinances). This is actually a huge problem in Laos, which has the unfortunate title of "the most bombed country in the world".
The Plain of Jars are an archaeological wonder and mystery - the most common theory about these gigantic rock jars sitting out in clusters in the middle of nowhere is that they are funeral urns. The other theory is that they are celebratory whiskey jars for ancient giants!!Some date these jars to 2,500 years ago, and some are 3m tall - perhaps their size and the fact they're made of rock is the reason they're still around today.We spent most of the day going between the 3 major sites that house anywhere from 50-100s of jars, enjoying site number 2 the best where the forest has the power to claim back their territory by growing right through the middle of these massive jars. Apart from checking out jars, we also had a brief but boring look at a rusted old Russian tank, and had a quick meal of typical Laos noodle soup, and a brief stop at a family home where they were busy making Lao Lao. Lao Lao is home made whisky made from fermented sticky rice and has one hell of a kick!

At the end of the day we returned for some more good food at the local market and checked out the wares as we still had nothing else to do once back in town!Adlibing the Jars.