Let's go

Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Finally, it's time to go, but the past few weeks and days have been strange. I have felt more sad than excited, not being able to see family, friends, and important people for a long time. Even on my most exhausting flight, I still couldn't feel any excitement. Before takeoff, the oxygen masks fell down in some rows. After the technicians fixed everything, someone decided they wanted to get off, but it was too late. Then there was a thunderstorm in Düsseldorf, but after that, we took off with about an hour's delay. No food, no movies (because somehow I forgot to download movies on Netflix), and not much legroom. In front of me, there was a person who couldn't sit still for 30 seconds, and my kneecaps suffered because of that. Eight hours of the flight had already passed (four more to go), and suddenly a loud alarm sounded every 30 seconds. What the hell is this? It turned out that someone needed an oxygen device but didn't have enough oxygen. After the crew helped with a replacement 2 hours later, the problem was solved. After that, it was impossible to sleep, and the descent began.

I arrived in Bangkok almost fully rested at 7 o'clock local time. For the first time, I had a big smile on my face, with the feeling that I won't be going back in 3 weeks.

I was very excited because Yannick was already waiting for me at Luang Prabang airport, and I was looking forward to seeing him again after 6 months. Also, I didn't have to go alone immediately, as I still had enough time for that. In the evening, we briefly went to the night market to eat something and then went to bed.

The next day started with sightseeing. Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city, with some nice streets of French colonial architecture and a beautiful viewpoint. Definitely worth seeing! The next morning, I went to the temple to watch the monks' morning alms giving. The monks leave the temple at 5:45 a.m. There was an unusual silence, even though hundreds of locals were out. The residents usually give sticky rice to the monks, which they collect in a container. Monks are not allowed to possess anything (including food) and rely on donations. This was the first time I experienced the advantages of the low season. Besides me, there was only one other tourist on the streets. During the high season, there are supposed to be more tourists than monks and locals here.

Afterwards, I took a minibus to Vang Vieng, which took 5 hours.

The city itself is not special; the highlight is the nature around it and, to a moderate extent, the parties and drugs in the countless bars. In the past, there have been several tourists who died here due to drug and alcohol consumption, both while tubing in the river and in the surrounding bars. The government has torn down many bars and limited drug and alcohol use.

Of course, we still tried it! Tubing, of course!

Conclusion: Lots of fun! Unfortunately, only until the point when we left our bag at a short stop. After noticing our mistake 5 minutes later, I immediately went back. Barefoot through the jungle and against the current, passing sharp stones. The bag was, of course, gone, including both of our phones. My feet and shins showed clear signs of the adventure, which I will remember for some time.

In the evening, we talked to some locals who wanted to help us the next day, but for now, there was nothing else we could do but wait for the next day. Later, we reviewed a video from Yannick's camera, and then we were at least certain that someone had taken the bag, and we hadn't lost it somewhere else.

The next day, we went to the people who wanted to help us. Except for the name of the owner of the nearby restaurant, we didn't get much information. So we rented a scooter and went back to the scene. Nobody there knew anything, and nobody bothered to find out anything. Nobody even wanted to accept money in exchange for the bag. So we sat down in the restaurant and looked angry :)

After about 1 1/2 hours, Yannick talked to the manager again. He said he would make a phone call, but we could also check the videos ...

After another 30 minutes, he asked us what was in the bag. Then he said goodbye, mentioning that a few children would come and bring the bag, but he had to go to the city to do something, yeah right. But then it actually happened, and three little girls came and gave us the 'found' bag. We gave the girls the equivalent of 20€, and we were more than happy the whole day.

I have my own thoughts about it; of course, it was our own stupidity to leave our bag behind, but sending three little girls who weren't even there the day before is somewhat strange.

In the afternoon, we took a scooter to a viewpoint (Nam Xai Top).

A short overnight stay in the capital Vientiane (with about 350,000 inhabitants) is not worth mentioning.

The next day, we visited one of the largest caves in Laos (Kong Lor). The tour went through a 7.5 km long cave. It took us about 1.5 hours one way by boat. Luckily, my phone is waterproof because we almost capsized in one of the underground rapids just before reaching the exit. We made the return trip through the partially 80m high caves slightly faster downstream. Absolutely impressive, and the 5€ for 4 hours were very well spent. In the afternoon, I had to explore the area with a mountain bike since it wasn't possible to rent a scooter on-site, or rather, nobody could understand me. Also, in our accommodation, only one person spoke English, and I'm still not sure whether it was a guest or a staff member.

Yannick and I then said goodbye for a few weeks, let's see where we meet again. After 5 hours on the back of a pickup truck, my ass is really not feeling well, and I also got a dust-filled lung from the never-ending gravel roads.

In Thakhek and Pakse, there isn't much to see except for a few temples. In both cities, you can take a multi-day motorbike tour, but I'll save that for later. In Pakse, I rented a scooter to visit some waterfalls and a viewpoint. As the photos show, the tour was definitely worth it!

Next, I'm heading to the '4000 Islands' on/in the Mekong River.