LUANG PRABANG, Kuangsi waterfall and crazy Dutch invasion

Woke up without a hangover, not everyone was feeling the same :-) Kent, Flemming and me joined Birgit and Marit to go to the Kuangsi Waterfall. There are 2 waterfalls around Luang Prabang that are woth a visit, and this was one. Just take a tuktuk for 30:000 Kip each and pay an entrance fee of 20:000 Kip. The waterfall is just a few minutes walking from the entrance and you can swim in several levels. There is also a coll ropeswing, but I was to scared to climb the slippery tree...I know that I'm not that lucky with slippery rocks and trees, believe me.

When we got back we had some pizza at the Hive Bar, just be patient...you have to wait for an hour! After that we met more and more people we already met before in different places. The group was getting bigger and bigger. After a while it just l;ooked like Holland was empty, there were so many Dutch people in the group and more new Dutchies were joining us. We took them to all the cool places and showed the other countries how crazy Dutch can be :-)

PAK BEN - LUANG PRABANG, slowboattrip again

Unbelievable, they want to put all the people from yesterday (2 or 3 boats) on 1 boat. It was already fully packed when we arrived at the pier. We had to sit on a small piece of the floor for 9 hours, no way! So me and some other people refused to go with this boat. The Laotians kept on trying and said there was only 1 boat today. Well, just keep saying no and get you backpacks off. We ended up in a quiet relaxing slowboat with a lot of space and soft seats. The trip was same same as yesterday. We left at 09:30 and arrived around 18:00 in Luang Prabang. We started with a group of 30 people to find a cheap guesthouse, impossible with so many people. So we ended up at the end of the peninsula and I shared the rooms with Kim, Kent and Flemming. Got some amzing tastfull Oreo-milkshake at the nightmarket and had all-you-can-eat food in one of the alleys of the mainstreet.

We ended up in the Lao Lao Bar, in a nice garden with a relaxing atmosphere. We tried all the cocktails. We invited more people and met some cool chicks from Melbourne and played shakey faces. They took us to Utopia, another relaxing bar and a volleybalfield. Everything closes at 23:30 in Laos. But not the Bowling Lane, just outside of Luang Prabang. Crazy place, with drunken people and good music.

Fleur and Matthijs helped me and got cash out of the ATM after transferring some of my money to their account. Many many thanks to you guys! ;-)

Kent, me and some chicks from Norway decided to walk back to the guesthouse, but that was not a good idea... it ended up in getting lost and a 2 hour walk. We woke up all the dogs in Luang Prabang and a lot of local people were a little bit scared of us. And many peoiple try to sell you drugs. Luckely I recognized some places again and we finally got back at 05:00 in the morning.

HUAY XAI - PAK BEN (very) slow boattrip

After 5 days it's still not possible to get moeny here in Laos. I hear from other Dutch people that this only happens with people with Rabobank. The normal bankcard is not accepted/working on the ATM's here. And with the creditcard it's not possible to get money at the bankoffice. Creditcard is accepted, but when they try to make a connection, it's not working. I'm almost out of money, so it's gonna be a surprise to see what happens...

We jumped on the slowboat, it leaves at 11:00 and takes about 6 hours on the Mekong River to arrive at Pak Ben. We got our tickets the day before at the boatoffice. The boat was a little bit to loaded with people but it still left. The Kiwi's from The Gibbon Experience were also on the boat, and also other people I know. So it was a fun trip. Maybe some of us were a little bit too noisy for some people :-) The trip on the Mekong is nice though, lot's of rocks, mountains, fishermen, small villages, buffalo's, sandbanks and dead pigs in the river...

Arrived in Pak Ben, discovered that those assholes (from the boat) put my backpack at the bottom of the slowboat, so it was soaking wet! We had some buffalo for dinner in a cheap guesthouse. There is nothing to do in this town, so we are happy to leave tomorrow morning.

THE GIBBON EXPERIENCE, Day 3

Woke up at 05:30 for our little jungle walk, searching for the Gibbons. They split up the group in 2 small ones. Rob, Han and me went with Boon Mai and he was running through the jungle like crazy. Off the tracks, cutting twigs. I ust got more scarves after running through some spiky trees. We chased the Gibbons, but didn't see them. Don't expect you see much wildlife during The Gibbon Experience, and also don't expect experienced guides as well. Ziplining is were it's all about. And the last day had the best ziplines! You just feel so free flying over the jungle 150 metres above the ground, screamingn and going crazy. Treehouse up to 150 metres above the ground, ziplines up to 1.000 metre long. Damn, what an awesome experience...

At 11:00 the expereince is finished. It was Newyear for the hill tribe village so we joined the kids with some games. Han and Rob stayed for an extra night at the village of Boon Mai. But I want to take the next boat to Luang Prabang.

In the evening we went to the How Bar, and I think they never had so many customers...we asked everybody that past us to join us. And is was a real good night. I also met Kent and Flemming (Denmark) again from the Koh Tao diving. The staff of the bar was so happy with us, they gave us free food all night and took lot's of pictures from us.

THE GIBBON EXPERIENCE, Day 2

Woke up and started ziplining in the mist. They told us the guides should bring us breakfast in the treehouse but they didn't. So me and some other groupmembers went out for another ziplining adventure. The guides made a map for us yesterday so we should know where to go. You can do as much ziplining as you want, every day. Be careful, it's addictive :-) And when you are the first one on the zipline in the early morning, the lines are full with water because of the mist. So I took the longest zipline as the first. I was soked, had my morning shower on the zipline, couldn't see a thing because all the water came in my eyes and mouth...but it was fun!

The rest of the day we spent on other parts of the reserve, hiking and ziplining. Till it got to dark. And after getting more experienced in ziplining is was easy to film yourself while ziplining.

We had a group full of Dutchies and Begians (and 1 Kiwi) so it was easy to communicate. Han, Rob and me spent the night on the second floor in our new treehouse, enjoying the Lao way of life.

BOKEO RESERVE; The Gibbon Ecxperience is wawsome! (Wicked - awesome)

Walked in the office at 08:00 and asked if they had any cancellations. I had t0 wait for an hour, and after me another Dutch guy (Han) joiuned me with the same issue. We were so fucking lucky. 2 other people didn't check in the day before so now they had 2 spaces left. We watched the instructionvideo with the rest of the group. Laos instructions are pretty strange, they tell you in the video: 'Put on the harness like putting on a dyper' ....uhm, how the fuck should I remember that?! Just after signing sopme papers that the company isn't resp[onsible for anything, the other 2 people showed up. They didn't look very happy after hearing they couln't join anymore.

So at 09:00 we left for a 2,5 our minivantrip the the hill tribe village where we entered the reserve for The Gibbon Experience, the Waterfall Edition. This editions takes you with a group of 8 people to a small, freezing cold waterfall for a swim an has more hiking in the program (3 - 5 hours a day). And I didn't knew that a standard minivan could just drive into the river and cross it... The tracks on the first day are very easy going, you cross most rivers by walking over bamboo trees. AFtergetting back on temperature again we did our first ziplining experience. Damn this shit is wicked! But you know, afyter a few times you want to do some stunt and now I have a scarve on my arm with some burnings. Because I was turning rounds while zipping and did the ziplining backwards.

At 17:30 it gets dark and there is noithing much to do. Better bring some drinks and snacks next time. Because they only have water, coffee, tea, fruit and sticky rice in the treehouse. We installed our big mosquito nets and you always have to sleep with somebody else in 1 tent. During the night we had company of a few huge treerats and spiders, they were just running around and over the mosquito nets.

CHANG MAI - CHANHG RAI - HUAY XAI

After breakfast said goodbye to Karien, two amazing weeks with a new good friend. Gonna miss her. Took the 11:30 bus to Chang Rai, after 3 hours arriving at Bus Terminal 2 in Chang Rai. You have to take the red open taxi, it will charge you 10 Bath for a 10 minute drive to the old bus terminal, where the busses to Chiang Khong leave. When you are in Chang Mai, you can better book a direct bus to Chiang Khong, it's no difference in price.Bargaining was not possible this time.

Arrived after a bumpy ride at Chiang Khong at 17:25, walked about 15 minutes to the Immigration Office to arrange the departure from Thailand, just in time to take the last longtail boat over the Mekong River for 40 Bath, after 18:00 not possible. You have to fill 2 forms for the Laos Visa On Arrival. Pay 35 US Dollars and you're in Laos legally. Oh, and they charged me 1 US Dollar fine, because I was 1 minute late for the passport check (18:01).

Dropped my stuff at the BAP Guesthouse, and walked around to find WiFi (no have...), food and an ATM. Well, my bankcard is broken and not working anymore. But you can also pay in Bath and US Dollars. Joined some people in the bar that just did the Gibbon Experience. Just have to find out if I can join the tour tomorrow, because it's fully booked for the next weeks.

CHANG MAI, Tiger Kingdom and many hours on the Sundaymarket...fried insects for dinner, Dutch kroketten for breakfast

We will stay another day in Chang Mai, just switched from Eagle House 2 to Gap's House (guesthouses). Gap's house is a more expensive place (700 Bath for a wonderful bungalow with more rooms), but it's just like staying in the Jungle in the middle of the town. Lot's of teak furniture and free breakfast. But this morning we had breakfast at a cafe called The Wall, they have Kroketten, Bitterballen and Frikandellen!!! So I enjoyed the real Dutch fastfood :-)

Karien wanted to visit the Tiger Kingdom. Just take a taxi for 300 Bath and it will bring you and take you back. It's ha;f an hour driving from Chang Mai. When we arrived I just watched the sad sleepy tigers in cages and some of them taking pictures with the tourists. If you definately want yourself on the picture with the tiger do it... But I just felt bad about this, imagine yourself captures in spaces as big as your bathroom or livingroom for the rest of your life, beeing sleepy all the time and constantly pictured with tourist that put their heads on your belly... Not for me. So I waited for Karien and went back to town.

After our dinner at the Chocolate Factory (damn today is getting too bad with all these sorts of food), we went to the huge Sundaymarket of Chang Mai. And when I say huge, it's fuckin' huge! We spent almost 6 hours shopping and eating and there is 5 kg extra now in my bagage :-) Oh I almost forgot to say what we did today that was a little bit different...we've eaten some grasshoppers, they tasted a little bit salt and it was crunchy. Also visiting the Nightmarket, Thai boxing stadium and a sort of sexclub street. At the end we had our last cocktails together at John's Place, with a nice view over Chang Mai on the third floor.