lazy in Laos...

The border crossing in Laos was inconsequential and after only a bit of misdirection, we arrived at the hostel. The manager of the Amirid Hostel was great. As I walked up to him, he asked, "Amy, are you Amy?" When I told him yes, he developed an infectious grin and showed us to our room. On the way he taught us a few words in Laotian. We were all wiped out, but we managed to muster enough energy to head out to get dinner. After waiting for our food for almost two hours, we learned a very useful lesson-- make sure they have what you order. I ordered a dish that was on the menu, but unavailable. Instead of informing you that they don't have it, you will just wait until they find a way to give it to you. We fell asleep as soon as we got back to the room.

The next day, we wandered Huay Xai some, but mostly prepared for our bus to Luang Prabang leaving at 2pm. We boarded a 45 passenger bus that was supposed to be 13 hours long. It wasn't. I learned a great deal on this bus ride. I learned that you could become accustomed to almost any noise. Every corner our bus turned (every other minute), the driver did 5 loud honks. I learned that a 45 passenger bus can bottom out. It felt as though we were the first vehicle to happen upon this path through the mountains. I learned that no matter how long the drive, buses aren't required to stop for bathroom breaks. They would pull over every few hours and our bus would unload a dozen men to relieve themselves on the side of the road. There were no stops, however, which could be deemed useful for women. I learned that when you look out the windows and it doesn't seem like you are close to your destination, you probably are right. The thirteen hour bus ride ended up taking sixteen.

We arrived at 6am and slept. Aldous Huxley said "your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” We made this our motto of our time in Laos. The first day, we went to this wonderful place aptly named Utopia. We rented some books from a local bookstore and read as we looked over the Nam Tha River and Old Bridge. We ate, relaxed, and took in the beauty of the view at Utopia. The next day, we rented bikes and rode around historic Luang Prabang. We explored the National Museum and Wat Xieng Thong. Then, we were back at Utopia for the evening. We saw Phu Si Hill and wandered the windy streets along the Mekong River. The next morning, we woke up early to experience the giving of the alms with the monks. It was such a beautiful, yet simple expression of faith by the Laos people. We went to the fruit market and meandered back to the hostel before we headed to Vietnam.