It’s ridiculous how fast the past week has gone. I’m currently writing from Pai in Thailand having made my way here from Luang Prabang in Laos. Of the week that has past, one whole day has been in some form of transport. My sense of humour has been tested properly with the Laos bus system. But all is well that ends well!
Laos
I did an Iron Man…sort of
If you know me, you will be aware of the fact that I take great pride in my rigorous gym routine. On any given Saturday prior to commencing this adventure, I would walk from my car to the Woolworths 10 metres away and stock up on a weekend supply of Romany Creams and Coke (Zero of course – got to watch those love handles). I’d then proceed to move to my couch and spend the next 24 hours watching ‘My 600 lb Life’ and feel good about myself. Monique – I still hold you accountable for this TV show by the way…
Vientiane, Vang Vieng and the Gibbon Experience
The past 2 weeks have been a pretty great mix of relaxing and adventure. Laos has a lot to offer when it comes to the great outdoors. In 2 weeks, I’ve trekked, kayaked, zip lined, swam and tubed. It’s like a standard Iron Man competition!
The Tha Khaek loop
This has safely been one of my South East Asian highlights, and the crazy thing is I wasn’t going to do it. It meant deviating from my ‘only ride a scooter on an island’ rule, to riding one for 500kms around Central Laos. Spending 4 days riding through beautiful scenery – sign me up any day!
The 4000 Islands
The islands are one of those places you plan to spend 2 nights at, but end up doubling your trip and then some. The word ‘island’ may mislead you – we’re not talking about the crystal clear blue water ones… it’s the end of the rainy season in Laos and the Mekong is 7 meters higher than usual. The islands are, in essence, gigantic sand bars in the middle of the Mekong River.
Crossing into Laos – the worst border crossing ever?
Every blog post and travel article I’ve read relating to the southern border crossing between Cambodia and Laos makes it sound like an episode of the Walking Dead. Some say it’s the worst border crossing of their lives – they clearly haven’t crossed between South Africa and Zimbabwe!
Dinks in Transit 