Well, probably not. Don’t get me wrong - I’m looking forward to many more happy birthdays to come, but I’m fairly unlikely to return to the small Lanten village in mountainous northern Laos for any more celebrations. Many of the people there had only seen a handful of ‘falang’ – or white travellers – before in their life, and eating dinner with the chief and sleeping in a home was definitely a birthday not to forget.
During the overnight homestay on our jungle trek however, the feeling I had was 35% Bruce Parry, 65% visiting your girlfriend’s parents for the weekend – terrified you’ll say or do something silly that will humiliate yourself. Laura did come close actually, after inadvertently picking up a chicken head from the soup at dinner and nibbling at it timidly. Our tour guide quickly took the bullet, saving her by swiftly ramming the whole thing in his mouth and chewing wildly – yum!
Lanten village
In more traditional travel celebratory form, once back in civilisation, Lau & I spent a weekend in Vang Viang, where we kayaked down the Nam Song river. It is lined with bars selling cheap beer in the sun and offering enormous – and of course dangerous – swings and slides into the river. It reminded me very much of those primary school pool parties, but with more alcohol and arial acrobatics ball-shrivelling proximity to jagged rocks.
Laos is very different to Thailand, despite it’s proximity. Where Thailand is a commercial monster - chaotic, dirty and offensively loud – Laos is tranquil, charming and has enough French colonial influence remaining that it boasts more bakeries that you can shake a hot baguette at. Probably a lot like Thailand was 20 years ago I would imagine (minus the bread).
So it is sad then that we leave in a few days for Cambodia after having a such a brief amount of time here. But there in lies the beauty of travelling… you never now what’s in store for you just around the corner.
Laos across the Mekong
Ben x
Posted by bendydavies 
