ideas for cheap stuff

Hey all

It’s me Dee, sorry i havn’t written in ages but ya know this is Luang Prabang and not much gets done here!!! Im sinking into the way of life way to easily!!

Firstly i hope all of ye had a great Christmas and scoffed lots of good food and secondly i hope u all enjoyed New Years … Happy New Year to u all!!!

Family im glad i got to speak to ye even if u were all a bit worse for wear, Kev i hope u managed the walk on Stephens day and didn’t collapse half way!!, Mam i hope u managed to make it outta bed, Ciara i hope u sobered up and enjoyed a sausage meat breakfast, dad sorry i missed you but ill get ya again and Laura ya lazy cow u could of gotten up and talked to ur big sis!! afterall i havn’t spoken to u in ages……!

So its 02.01.2006 and we are back in town, we have been on a 3 day trek and I spent New Years asleep!!! anyone that did the same please comment!!!, hehe

3DayTrekking Tiger Trails $80 - Biking/Trekking/ Elephant Riding / Kayaking — Bargain

DAY 1- Mountain Biking and Trekking

We started out at 09.15 on Friday the 30.12.2005, Firstly we had mountain biking, we got to sample our bikes before we took off and they all seemed fine. We met our tour guide Tong who was pretty quiet and there was one more guy on our tour named Atoshie from Japan who was very tall. Anyway all was going good and it was a beautiful day but then my gears were all over the place and wouldn’t stick, so Tong tested my bike and said i could only use gears one and two, this ended up to be fine but then tee’s bike went wonky but she swapped with Tong and after a rocky first half hour we were getting really into it. We thought it was a beginners cycle but found out it was a medium one, there was lots of up hills which we ended up walking up except for superman Atoshie who made them all. But having uphills also meant there was lots of downhills and they were brill, we picked up lots of speed at them and luckily there was no accidents.

We finished up about 13.00 and we got a boat to the That Sae Waterfall where we had lunch. Although we asked for vegetarian food there was a lovely ham salad baguette waiting for us which we were greatful for. After lunch we went swimming and jumped off some rocks and messed about for about 2 hours.. The water was freezing but the sun was beaming and we were happy. After that we began our trek to the first village where we were to sleep and have dinner at. That took us about 2 hours, Tong became more vocal and we were having alot of fun, superman Atoshie found it easy but it was pretty tough. We finished it though quicker than expected and Tong kept saying it was because we were young and very strong “u strong women” he would say to us every 20 mins!!!!

We met other travellers at that village and we were staying in a hut with an oz couple and their 8 year old blondy haired boy MAX who the local kids had their eyes glued too!!, We had a good dinner there and was in bed for about 20.30. The village was called Ban Houay Fay and had about 250 people in it. The chief was only about 45 and we didnt really notice to many old people, just alot of children. We saw some of the toys the kids played with, Sling shots are the most popular but the smaller children had a toy which consisted of a water bottle between 4 wooden wheels attached to a stick which the kid held onto and wheeled about. Some of the waterbottles had big holes in them but the children were happy out and always said sabadee!! and one trouserless kid about the age of 3 was fond of a twig, he didn’t seem to part from it at all but later when we saw him crying he was twigless!! The day wrecked us but me and lids were the last to go to bed, we got quite hyper and stayed up talking to an american couple and then the other tour guide - Tongs best friend Pong!!! we found this very amusing and laughed alot about it and even made up a poem about them - u can imagine how it went, just get rhyming, anyway the funniest was just how dark everything was.. the stars were amazing but the darkness made it difficult to go to the bathroom!!, the bathroom was basically all of the forest and u could choose ur spot. Before we went to bed me and Lids attempted to find a spot but Midpee we were interupted by a moving flame on the hill above us which made us laugh and fumble.. hehe we werent sure what was going on but we were followed!!! we think it was the boys who we had seen earlier in their shorts and then they had gotton all dressed up.. We found this quite amusing cause what do they do?, why bother getting dressed up?, the night life of this village consisted of a tv room packed out with kids but fair play to them they must of got a good laugh from us. We wondered why the locals dont play more tricks on the tourists that come to stay, so much potential there!!

DAY 2 - Trekking
Anyway after a good nites sleep we arose at 8.15 to a baguette and jam breakfast, Today was the day i was dreading as it was a full day trek. Me being the lazy one wasn’t sure i would manage it but it ended up being a brilliant and challanging trek. The countryside was beautiful and the uphills were difficult but satisfying when finished, we trekked from 09.30 till 13.00 mostly uphill and stopped for lunch at another local village. During our trek we got to know Tong more and he told us he wanted to marry soon and be a teacher and have 6 -4 kids!! what ever that means!!! We had a lovely lunch of vegatables noodles and rice and rested there for about 1.5 hours. On again we went but this was all down hill which is more annoying cause its constant, sore on the feet and less controlled but we made it in good time cause we are strong women!!!! and Atoshie is superman and the perfect gentleman who always stayed at the back and looked out for us!!

Next up was Hmong Village which was bigger and we stayed in a concrete house which had a shop to the side of it and was accross from a primary school. We were all roasting so went down to the river to wash up. Unfortunately when we were down there we saw a pig being tied up and was squealling really loudly, this was quite upsetting but they got him tied and put him on the boat, we thought that was it but it was then pig no. 2 ’s turn and that was just as upsetting.. they were crossing the river to be put on the back of the van and be brought to the market.. We’ll we had a local wash in the river and it was very pleasant. We also had an audience but that didn’t bother us too much!! Later we played with the children the shuttle cock game which we played until we couldn’t see the shuttle anymore!! The kids loved it and so did we, the kids ah we love the kids!!

So this was New Years Night and i knew the minute we got there we wouldn’t make it till midnight. But Tong made us a big chicken dinner and the family ate with us, Before dinner we did a traditional New Years Ceremony which consisted of woolen bands, Each of the laos people at the table put a band around our wrist whilst wishing us good luck / find nice handsome husband / lots of children / riches and long life .It was a lovely ceremony and we did the same back to them, we ate dinner which wasn’t especially nice and drank beer. We also tried chicken blood which was horrible and Tong brought out the head of the chicken which he had killed earlier, it was all very strange!! Then the Lao Lao Whiskey came out and we drank individual shots while making a small speech. That too was lovely but that whiskey is strong stuff and Tong gave us big ones and small ones for himself!! Well about an hour and a half after dinner we went to bed tipsey but didnt sleep until the three of us did the laos ceremony on each other which ended up in alot of laughter!!!

DAY 3 - Last day - Elephant Riding and Kayaking
New Years Day we get up just before 7 which is New Years back home so we celebrated again with coffee and bread!!!, this day though there was alot of waiting around. We waited on the boat for about a half an hour. When we got to the Elephant Camp we waited another half hour to be told we were not going to do it till 12.00 so we got back on the boat and went to the waterfall. Had lunch there early and went to the place where the elephants where to pick us up. I hadn’t been on an elephant before but the girls had and were really excited, i was more scared. The two of them went on first and i followed with Atoshie, All going fine until we reached a up hill and my elephant was moving veeery slooowly, trust me to get the lazy one, and then there was a elephant jam and there was elephants up our rear, My elephant was not budging and then the Mahout behind us shouted to get on his infront of him (as in on the elephants head). Happy in my seat i wasn’t so sure but Atoshie was out in a flash so i had to jump on and stand on the other elephants head and sit in front of the Mahout!!!, it was all very scary and i was holding on for dear life but it ended up quite comfortable. My Mahout guy held onto me well so i felt safe but thinking back now and the girls laughing he might of been a bit too close!! haha but there wasn’t much room up there!!!, I held onto the elephants ears and rubbed his head and shouted at it too move while the french ladies in the seat on his back laughed and enjoyed the ride!!, I could see the girls up ahead and they were leading it on their own, Fairplay to them, the fearless two!!!

After that was kayaking and the last leg of our trip, I went with Tee, me in front and Tee behind, It was alot of fun but tiring on the aul arms, we got very wet and splashed at Lids and Atoshie. The rapids were not as fast as i hoped but it was all good fun and it was all just enough time, We did it for about 2 hours, kayaking all the way back to town!!,
Got very sunburnt that day but was all good fun!!

So thats it, sorry its so long and i put u through that, the girls were slagging me i hadnt written in so long so i was put in charge to fill u in on New Years while they apply for jobs in Oz - it doesn’t seem fair!!! Ah no but since re reading this tee has pointed out she is putting up pics so fairplay Tee

Well im glad im back in the Post Game and keeping u updated, Eyes sore now and going to go back to bed. Didnt get a good sleep last nite so need a Power Nap!!

Just one last thing -

On Stephens night me and lids went to the local disco with the local guesthouse boy, - this place was just like being at a 21st and was alot of fun- lids filled u in on her post but i caught a present that was thrown from the stage - it was a pair of nike socks and its all very ironic cause the word for goodluck in laos is Sokdee!!!! so they all think im very lucky and Sabadee is hello so i’m feeling very special here!!

Lots of Love

Dee