December 16-23, 2011

Laos is a lovely landlocked country that is bordered by Myanmar, China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Laos was another country on my agenda but by the time I got there I was feeling quite emotionally and physically tired from Vietnam. My original intentions were to travel through the country over 7-10 days, but when I arrived in LP, I wanted to stay put.

I was in LP from December 16-23. I arrived by air on the 16th at around 10 pm. Going through immigration for my tourist visa posed some challenges. I had to pay cash for the visa, either in US dollars or Thai baht, neither of which i had. Nor did they take Visa. It was poor planning on my part. Immigration made me surrender my passport so that I could seek out money in the airport. The sole ATM was broken and the money exchange shop was closed. Immigration kept my passport and the gentleman at the office gave me his phone number and told me to phone when I had the cash. He told me that he would deliver my passport when he got my call.

It was 10:15 pm and as I left the airport, I felt unsettled and stressed about being without my passport. Anyone who is well-travelled knows that surrendering your passport is a big no-no. I envisioned difficulties at my guesthouse as one must show his/her passport upon arrival. My only option was to roll with it.

As I stood waiting for a taxi, a woman named Sandra (from Switzerland) asked me how immigration went. We had chatted very briefly at the airport in Hanoi and were on the same flight. I shared my self-imposed debacle. What happened next was totally unexpected. Sandra graciously offered to give me US money to pay for my visa. She had expressed the same concerns about me having surrendered my passport. I kept saying ‘are you sure?’ and ‘I will pay you back’. In response she said ‘I know you will’. I was so touched to have the trust of a total stranger. In total, I had 10 minutes of conversation with her before she offered the help. Travellers are a nice bunch of people! Once I paid my dues and with my passport securely in hand, we shared a taxi into LP and exchanged information.

The next day, I journeyed across town to her guesthouse. She wasn’t there, so I left a note indicating the time I passed by, suggested dinner at 7 that evening, and wrote that I would pass by her guesthouse to pick her up.  I went about my day visiting the various temples, wandered the markets and shops, and enjoyed people watching. I ran into Sandra at the palace and as soon as I saw her I asked ‘did you get my note?’. She said she hadn’t and asked ‘did you get mine?’. We shared the content of our notes and discovered that almost word for word they were exactly the same. We shared a laugh and agreed that our meeting at the airport was meant to be. She will be a friend with whom I will be in contact long after my travels. She too was travelling a long time. She was a great friend in LP and we hung out quite a bit.

I ended up staying in LP for longer than initially thought. LP was delightful and the people so kind and gentle. As it it a UNESCO protected site, everything is fiercely protected from greedy developers. There are no buildings higher than 3 stories and all are beautifully preserved.

I loved so much about this place – rising at 5 am to watch the hundreds of monks collect the daily alms from people on the street; settling into my morning ritual of Ovaltine and some kind of deep-fried donuts at a local coffee shop; having beers while watching sunsets on the Mekong; visiting the morning markets with bizarre veggies and meat products (rats, mice, or squirrels anyone?); eating from the buffets in the food market for a dollar; cycling about the town, and wandering the romantic streets in the night market.

It was here that I met fascinating people. I loved conversations with Thorsten, a man from Switzerland who has been travelling 5 months of the year for the past 27 years! Amazing! When i asked him which countries he hadn’t visited, he noted only 5 countries – Bhutan, Japan, Korea, and a few others that I cannot recall. His tales were fascinating.

It was also the place where I met Julie and her 8-year old son Fintin (Oxford, England) who were taking the year off to travel the world. What an adventure for an 8-year old. If I was a mom, this us exactly what I would be doing. I enjoyed sharing a couple of meals with them, although for one of them, I had food poisoning that I carried with me to Bangkok. They will be in Alberta in July and I hope to have them as guests in my home.

I enjoyed conversations with Dieter, a musician from Germany. He travelled overland to Laos from Germany and started his trip in August. It’s hard to imagine the number of trains he took. He spent 3 months just in China. In preparation for the trip he learned Chinese.

Then there was Michael, a divorced 55+ year old man from England. He and Thorsten had met travelling a number of years ago and unexpectedly were in Laos at the same time. He was totally eccentric and hilarious. Sandra and I met them at dinner one evening and Michael gave us a rundown of European men and which to avoid or take as lovers. He talked non-stop, was hilarious. Post-dinner he sent me an incredibly detailed e-mail outlining an itinerary to Myanmar, Thailand and several other places. The details included times of trains. His memory and recollection of details was admirable. He was also a Jehovah’s Witness which didn’t really fit with his consumption of alcohol (well, he is a Brit). Oh and the email ended with some scripture references – maybe it does fit.

The people I have met have made this journey extra special. I have been constantly impressed by people and their stories.

I will find a way to return to LP…..hopefully the next time I will be able to share it with someone from home. Sometimes that’s a hard part of travelling independently – seeing beautiful things and having grand experiences but being on one’s own. It is so hard to fully describe what happens on a daily basis and nice to share it with someone.

Luang Prabang was lovely and a nice refuge to recover from the craziness of Vietnam. I was sad to leave. It is a place that I will definitely go back to and to date, it is at the top of my favorites along with Chiang Mai.