Looking for the perfect selfie ;-) (Day 79 of the world trip)

22.11.2019

Sleeping in! Yay! But at 7:00am I was already wide awake and teasing Jonas a bit, since I have the bed below him :) We got up around 8:00am and went down for breakfast with the plan to fill up on fruit if needed, but unlike yesterday, I was satisfied with just my roll with scrambled eggs today ;-)

Until our appointment at the Vietnamese embassy, we made a few plans and had some things to discuss, which we then calmly discussed by the Mekong River :D Many people have asked me what it's like to be together with your partner 24/7 and often ONLY with your partner. Well. Luckily, it works pretty well for us. And when we disagree or get annoyed, we don't really have a choice but to talk it out ;-) Running away is not really an option^^

Anyway. Around 10:45am we arrived at the embassy and even though the appointment was supposed to be at 11:00am, our visas were already ready. This time, the officer even smiled! (yesterday they were very matter-of-fact and seemed rather strict). "Welcome to Vietnam" was already said and there is nothing standing in the way of visiting the next country :)

But that will still take almost a week ;-)

So we went back to the hostel, where we had a second breakfast/early lunch with bread and chocolate spread or jam <3 We also booked our next accommodation - in Nong Khiaw, where we will go the day after tomorrow.

Afterwards, we watched some YouTube, because at 1:30pm we would be picked up to visit the Kuangsi Waterfall :)

Actually, we are not (anymore) the type of people who go on guided tours for day trips. Exploring things on our own is often more exciting, but here the offer was just unbeatable. The waterfall is almost 30km away from Luang Prabang, so neither on foot nor by bicycle (especially not for inexperienced cyclists like us) is it accessible. We didn't want to rent a motorbike, so it was "Tuk Tuk or tour"? :D

The tour was offered for 3.50€ per person, including pick-up at the hostel, and well. We just treated ourselves to this luxury :p At 1:20pm we were typically German at the reception of the hostel and then waited for the minivan that would take us to the waterfall.

When we were picked up, we got into a really chic, modern minivan that was almost completely full. After two more stops, all seats were taken and we left the city.

The road was in pretty good condition, but because of the many curves and the apparently popular overtaking maneuvers by minivan drivers despite blind curves, it was quite funny and at least a bit "adventurous" ;-)

During the drive, we encountered exactly three tourists on bicycles, whom Jonas and I admired for their fitness :O But we also encountered about 20 other minivans, bringing their sheep back to Luang Prabang – a little preview of the crowds that await us^^

Shortly before arriving at the waterfall/national park, the driver suddenly stopped at a gas station. While the van was being refueled, the driver collected 2€ per person as an entrance fee to the waterfall, and only then were we ready.

As expected (or feared), the parking lot resembled the parking lot of an amusement park on a summery holiday :D Minivans were everywhere, and I think the photos are still an understatement because there were actually several rows. Our driver asked us to photograph his license plate so that we would get into the right van for the return journey ;-)

We also received the tip (or instruction?) "One hour walking, one hour swimming". All clear^^ After we passed through the entrance gate, Jonas and I separated from our group and set off on our own ;-)

At the beginning, I felt like we had been dropped off at the wrong place by mistake, because it felt more like being in a zoo :D The paths, which may have once been part of the jungle, were well-trodden and very wide, bridges were built over the small streams, and then after the first few meters, we also came to an animal enclosure :O

It is supposedly a sanctuary for bears that were previously kept in cages. The irony that these bears are now locked up in this park seemed to go unnoticed by everyone :p But well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about zoos, and for the bears, it is certainly an upgrade from wherever they were before! :)

Less than five minutes later, we arrived at the first pool of the waterfall. Usually, you walk the route the other way around - first up to the highlight and then further down to the pools, passing by the bear enclosure and then to the entrance/exit.

But walking "the wrong way" was actually even better, because at each step, you were impressed again and could end with the grand finale ;-)

All the people who were brought there by the minivans gathered at the pools to take photos in various positions and at various spots. Since swimming is allowed in the pools, the person in the water was of course a great photo motif. There was also a tree trunk hanging over the pool, on which mainly ladies practiced as photo models^^

Jonas and I remembered some very idyllic pictures from the internet and had fun photographing the reality: namely, that you share the place with countless other people :D In order to ensure the photogenicity of some pools and waterfalls, swimming is only allowed in certain areas, so it is still easy to create an image as if you were the only person there. This is of course used by "bloggers" and "influencers" to report on their exclusive trips to untouched tropical forests ;)

There are changing rooms, toilets, and even a restaurant - facilities that definitely do not belong in a jungle, but are probably necessary to keep the masses entertained ;-) There are also artificially created "trekking ways", which have little to do with the trails that can still be found outside of the major tourist areas.

Regardless of the "disturbance factor" of it being so crowded, the waterfalls are absolutely impressive and really really beautiful!! The water is clear and has a beautiful blue color <3 The pools and small waterfalls are really pretty and look as if they were artificially created, like in a swimming pool. And well, the actual waterfall is huge and also really amazing!!!

We also went swimming in one of the pools, but I was a bit of a chicken because it was sooo cold :D :D The water temperature was estimated to be a maximum of 20°C, probably cooler, and even though that doesn't sound too extreme, it was quite chilly^^ Jonas lasted longer in the water than me, the frostbite, but watching him frolic around was also not bad ;-)

In general, the Kuangsi Waterfalls are definitely worth a visit, but you should be aware that you are sharing the experience with a lot of other people and it is not easy (but not impossible either) to find a quiet spot - whether for a photo or just to look around :)

Jonas and I chose the afternoon tour, and I think we can recommend it, because we were the last group(s) to be there, so towards the end it really got quiet and emptier. That was pretty awesome :)

On the way back, we passed a night bazaar and we also saw food being offered in various places, similar to the night market here, but with only locals. Jonas and I wondered if the original residents of the city have moved to the suburbs (or had to move? :O) and there is a second nightlife there - namely the one of the actual locals. In the evenings, the city center of Luang Prabang is mainly in the hands of tourists. You only see locals behind the sales and food stalls ;-)

After a nice warm shower, we went back to the night market for dinner (just like all the tourists who want to eat cheaply here^^) and end the day in our newfound routine.

Depending on the time, we would have visited Big Brother Mouse again, but then we decided that it would be more sensible to go there tomorrow, maybe even tomorrow morning from 9:00 to 11:00 am, because we are generally already awake at that time ;-)

Otherwise, tomorrow is already our last full day here in Luang Prabang. The city is nice to look at, but it drives us back north^^

When you write it down like this, it feels like we are traveling really fast, but during the day, it never feels that way. Our pace is much faster than, for example, in India, but so far, we are both pretty satisfied with how things are going and we always have the option to change plans if something doesn't suit us or if we feel like we need some more "rest" again :)