Notes On Turning 42

42 - double the legal drinking age. If that doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what does.
However, spending your 42nd day in Laos is definitely the way to go.
We woke up in Vientiane, the sleepy capitol of Laos. Laos is a former French colony and it retains some of the old world European charm, including good coffee and baguettes. A plus in the land of rice and nescafe.

After slurping down a creamy cappuchino, Stephen and I took a tuk tuk, basically a motorcycle pulling some enclosed seats, to the bus station. The buses consisted of small Toyota pick-ups with a covers and benches in the back. This was our transport for the next several hours. the pick-up was loaded down with more produce than your average Safeway sells in a week, including 20 lbs. of green onion inside the passenger area. Stephen got to snuggle up to the onions for the journey.


Riding in the truck, called a sangthew, is close quarters at the best of times. At one point, we had ten people in the back and four up front, plus the driver. Our 'neighbors' were so gracious despite the complete language barrier; they shared fruit and baguettes with us and we shared baby wipes and gum with them.

After a few hours, we left our new friends to hook up with our kayak guides. We paddled in inflatable kayaks on the Nam Lik River. The river was brown due to the monsoon rains that seem to pull down half the riverbank everyday. The riverside was jungle - green, luscious & wet.

After a great day on the river, we were driven to Vang Vieng in the back of another pick-up truck. Vang Vieng is a former military airstrip turned into backpacker central. Think international Spring break.

Restaurants all serve the exact same menu of international greatest hits - pizza, burgers, fried rice and the potent Beer Lao. Each of these places plays episodes of ''Friends" repeatedly throughout the day and night. You can be at one restaurant and literally hear four episodes of Friends at other places, all different episodes, all with the same annoying laugh track.


Vang Vieng is famous for 'tubing'- more on that in a future blog. What the town itself lacks in charm, the setting more than makes up for it. After a dinner, had a three dollar massage and then settled down for the night in a riverside bungalow with a couple of Beer Laos and took in the view. Not bad for an old lady!

AS THE TUK SPUTTERS...

We are in Luang Prabang, definitely our favorite place in Asia. It is a charming, French colonial town set in the mountains of Laos right on the Mekong river. It is littered with Buddhist temples, beautiful architecture and excellent food. We've trekked to hilltribe villages, shopped for handmade Laotian goods in the night market and just relaxed in this beautiful setting. Tomorrow we are off further North to spend a few days living a treehouse surrounded by Gibbon monkeys.