With the end of our month in Laos coming quickly. We only had four days left. These four days were set aside for one purpose, to relax in the 4,000 Islands. The 4,000 Islands are an Archipelago in the middle of the Mekong river in the southern tip of Laos. It's truly amazing how this mighty river opens itself up so wide as to allow for all these islands. Also, this stretch of the Mekong is home to Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins. Only a few of these Illusive creatures are left in the world and only a few of them are known to be living in this area.

So, with relaxation and high hopes for the scenery, we set out for the island of Don Det. Don Det itself has a few restaurants and several riverside bungalows for rent at quite possibly the cheapest prices in all of The Laos P.D.R. It's a quiet place with no motor vehicles and electricity only in the late evening hours.

It was there, right on the river bank, where we found the quietest and most beautiful place to stay. Our stilted bungalow had a large porch with two hammocks and a perfect view of the evening fisherman checking their nets and fishing with bamboo poles, as the sunset turned the sky from bight blue to a million shades of pink and orange.

One of our favorite activities on the island was bicycle riding. For about a dollar a day, you can rent a bike to explore the various trails and back roads through the rice paddies and over the bridge to the neighboring island of Don Kong, were we saw the most amazing waterfall.

The food was also really nice here. There was an Indian restaurant were we ate three times. There was also a woman on one of the side trails who made the most incredible samosas. There is also an Australian guy on the island who runs a small bakery, featuring some amazing cinnamon rolls ( a rare treat in Asia).

As for those wiley dolphins, our first attempt to see them was from shore, were we sat patiently waiting for one to surface. We didn't have any luck with the dolphins that day, but we did manage to make friends with a couple of friendly puppies.

Our second attempt was a little more thought out. We and a few friends hired a boat driver to take us to prime dolphin spotting territory. It was a beautiful boat ride down the river and through the islands to our destination, a big rock in the middle of the Mekong. Here on this rock, we sat with our eyes glued on the water for two hours, waiting for our first glimpse. As good as our second plan was however, no dolphins were spotted. We were forced to resign ourselves to total relaxation for the rest of our stay. The search for the dolphins will perhaps continue another day.

All in all, it was just what we were looking for, a quiet, beautiful place to digest our Laos experience and prepare ourselves for the Cambodian adventure to come.

written by  katieandmichael on May 23, 2009 from Ban Dondet, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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From pakse our next move was south, to the small town of Champasek, to see ancient ruins of a temple from the Anchor era. So, as we were heading out of town to the bus station, we saw our bus had already left, and flagged it down as it was going past.

It was the beggining of the rainy season, and a few downpours had already taken thier toll on the unfinished road, that amounted to a wide dirt trail cut between the two small laotion towns. The old bus filled with people, rice, chickens and us was having a hard time with the road and slipped and slid, detoured off of the road and finally met its match with this muddy stretch of road.

We were pulled out in no time by some road construction workers who looked as if the spend as much time pulling people out of the mud as they do finishing the road.

After we reached Champasek, we knew that our time there was limited and went straight to the temple ruins after setting our bags down at the guesthouse.

Also, we ran into our friend Steffan randomly for the fourth time, I think. We only stayed the night in town and pressed forward the next day. Next stop, the 4000 islands.

written by  katieandmichael on May 22, 2009 from Champasak, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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Vientiane, the sprawling Laotian capital and the largest city, is home to about 160,000 people. Here you will find the only convenient stores and the only supermarket in the entire country. After being in Laos for a couple of weeks, it was a little strange to see so many varieties of candy and soft drinks. Furthermore, the were even in electric refrigerators and kept cold. Other than these extravagant luxuries, it was business as usual for the residents of Vientiane. Everyone was laid back and seemed to have little worry or stress.

In an attempt to modernize Vientiane some years ago, the U.S. government gave the money to the Laos P.D.R. to build their first international airport. It was said to be a gift to the people of Laos, to connect them to the world. It was a world that had turned its back on this quiet country so many times. So, to stick it to the man in a very French Colonial way, they gratefully accepted the money and built an almost exact replica of the famous French Arc De Triomphe (pictures will be added to this post later).

We also celebrated my birthday while we were there and we had plans to meet up with some fellow travelers. While it wasn't the feel good party you would expect on account of my stomach staging a revolt against some spoiled chicken, it was a good time. we had some of the best Indian food with some of the coolest people we've met in our travels.

It was also a great matter of luck that we were in town for the rocket festival. every year, in order to bring the rains at the end of the dry season, there are these festivals all over the country. At this time, the local people divide into teams and build enormous homemade rockets and shoot them off. They are judged for distance and style, and in the end, a champion is crowned. It was a wonderful time. it was a family affair filled with good, clean, and kinda dangerous fun as only the Laotians can do so well.

written by  katieandmichael on May 15, 2009 from Vientiane, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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I loved Luang Prabang. It's a diginified and lovely alien of a place, like a runaway Parisian neighborhood that started a new life in the tropics. The roads are lined with soft-hued French colonial mansions, many now turned into guesthouses, and giant shady trees. The city just begs to be the setting of some pre-war era romance novel.

Every night, locals set up matching red tents and strings of tiny lights down the middle of the city's main street. It's the most relaxed and beautiful street market I've ever seen. The sellers smile at you but never try to attract your attention, and if you ask about a price for something they give you a fair one. If you decide to buy, they're happy to do business with you. If not, they smile just the same.

And the bakeries! And REAL coffee! Don't get me wrong, I love rice, and think instant coffee mixed with condensed milk to a dark chocolate flavor really grows on you, but our few days in Luang Prabang were like a luxurious little European holiday to break up the odyssey we're undertaking.

But this is a place that begs for photos more than description, so here are ours ...

written by  katieandmichael on May 8, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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Muong Noi is a tiny town that most tourists to Laos miss. It sits at about the same latitude as Huay Xai (I used that city because it's closest - the map on this site doesn't list Muong Noi) but on the opposite side of the country, close to the eastern Laos border. It would just be a dusty, homely town consisting of four or five blocks-worth of slapped-together wooden buildings and narrow dirt roads, if it weren't set against a spectacular backdrop of sheer, massive cliffs and lush jungle. No road goes there; if you want to visit you have to take a boat an hour upstream from another tiny town that's vehicle-accessible.

Muong Noi's charm is in its peace, only occasionally broken by rooters. The closest thing to a traffic jam here is a couple of ducks with flocks of ducklings in a puddle in the middle of the road. It's not the kind of place where you plan your days. Michael and I wandered down paths in the forest, played in the river and relaxed.

We also, randomly, had the closest thing we experienced to a wild party night in Laos here. We had met an Australian couple the day before who had been planning to organize a trek. When we bumped into them the following day, they were sitting in a circle of plastic chairs outside a trekking office with all of its employees. Everybody was laughing, having a great time and passing beer around, and it was pretty clear that our Aussie friends' hiking plans had been derailed and they weren't too broken up about it. They asked us to join, and the party moved to someone's backyard down the road.

When we arrived at the house, one of the guys had already begun the process of killing a duck. Dinner was fresh. They served the ex-bird in courses throughout the night, bit by specially prepared bit. The heart was fine, but I drew the line at the cilantro-flavored coagulated blood. Rice and actual meat came out last.

Michael brought his guitar out and he and one of the guys took turns playing while one glass for beer circled the table. When it was your turn, you drank the contents - preferably in one gulp - and handed the glass back to the pourer who would refill it and hand it to the next person. There was no turning it down. They said that was rude, and we certainly didn't want to be rude.

Every so often, someone would said, "bi mai!" and then everyone would repeat it. It means, "happy new year!" When I asked when the actual Laotian New Year had occurred, since I had understood that it was the same time as the water party we'd attended in Thailand about a month earlier, our host replied, "oh, yes, we celebrated for two months!"

Why shouldn't New Year's just be a state of mind?

written by  katieandmichael on May 4, 2009 from Houayxay, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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Luang Nam Tha, in Northern Laos, is a little town by any standard. Not much can be seen in this dusty little strip, besides a small market, a few guest houses, and a restaurant or too. It borders the Nam Ha National Forest, and for this reason, it's a great place for jungle adventures or kayaking down the Nam Tha River.

We had just rolled into town and were looking for something cool to do that was low impact for my foot, which is healing nicely, when we were approached by an Australlian girl named Megan. Megan was trying to recruit people to come with her Kayaking, to dramatically lower the cost. So we and four of the coolest people we've met in our travels, said yes. There was Leigh and Bryce from South Africa, Ian from Scotland, and Steffan from Austria.

The next day we started our adventure from the landing point near town. We zig-zagged back and forth, got hung in trees and rocks, and turned our boat around and around in circles, in attempt to follow the straight path ahead of us. Everything we did counter acted the efforts of the other, until we had to stop and take a good look at our technique. Finally after much trial and error, we were headed down the river with great precision. Okay, maybe not great prescision. It was more like average precision, but we were much happier. On the first day, we paddled 20 km through scenic forest views, stopping along the way at little villages of hill tribe people.

At long last, we reached ther village were we would be staying the night. We were greeted by a group of about 20 young children with wide smiles, eagerly lined up to say hello. About 5 minutes later, when all the pleasentries were over, they grabbed our boat paddles, stripped down, and made a mad dash for the kayaks. It was like Christmas. They were piling in boats, racing them, splashing each other, flipping them over, and constantly laughing. A few of us coudn't resist their friendly invitation to play with them. It was absolute chaos. Everyone was splashing and jumping around like we were all the same age (about 7). We played and played until we were all completely worn out. After this we spent a couple of hours teaching them card games and showing them our photos, much to their amazment. It was so much fun. Then, when was time for the children to head to thier homes, the chief himself showed up to share a wonderful traditional meal and a lot of homemade whiskey (not as good as the meal) until it was time for bed.

The next morning, we we all woke up sore from a long day, but ready to press on. It was a bit more relaxing than the first day, as we stopped many times on the way to swim or just take in the sights. All in all it was a great experience, a great workout, and a chance to get to know some great people. Great.

I'm sorry for the lack of photos. The internet conection is so slow. Check again soon

written by  katieandmichael on May 2, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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(** I was just scrolling through the blog entries and realized I wrote this one three months ago, saved it as a draft and never published it. Oops! Oh well, here you go! :)

Strolling down the road on our evening in Houay xay, I noticed little dogs running around everywhere, baguettes and french pastries for sale in shops, and little old men knocking around at a French version of bowling for evening entertainment ... where are we again? Here, only minutes across the Mekong river from Thailand, evidence of the strong French influence in this far-flung corner of former French Indochina is unmistakable. And it is definitely welcome.

Michael and I arrived in Laos after a pretty unpleasant trip from Pai, and we decided to catch our breath for a night in the border town rather than follow our plan to immediately depart for our next destination. We didn't expect much from the stop, but we ended up spending a wonderful evening with a really lovely French woman named Saundie who kept commenting that being in Laos was "really a dream come true" for her.

She was fascinated with everything she saw, and she told us that she has grown up with romantic visions of Laos and has always wanted to visit. I can't remember hearing anything about this country when I was young, so talking with her helped me feel her passion for this place. I imagine it must be similar to how I felt when I left America for the first time and landed in Paris, one America's most romanticized cities.

After dinner, the three of us sat by the Mekong for about an hour, talking and watching the murky river roll along. Then we made our way back up the hill to walk along the main road in town. When we got to the road, she started laughing with surprise: she saw two little old men playing pletanque, a very French game she had grown up playing with her family. She asked them about it, and they invited us to play with them. Basically, there's a small ball, and then you throw some larger heavy balls as close to it as possible. It was so much fun, even though I was really bad at it.

All in all, I had an unexpectedly great time in this little stop-over town, and I can't wait to see the rest of this country!

written by  katieandmichael on April 27, 2009 from Houayxay, Laos
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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The teeny-tiny town of Pai is about 5 square blocks of peace, adventure, and great dining in the northern Thai hills, and it has been our home and place of convolescence for the last week and a half. We've stayed here longer than planned, due to a now-healed sprain Michael suffered while we were hiking through the jungle last week, but if we could have chosen any place we've been to get stuck, this would be it. As our new Aussie friend Kaz put it, this place exudes rejuvenation.

This is a sleepy, charming place with voluminous menus at almost every restaraunt, and those that limit themselves to about 20 dishes or so make them in earnest. I've had the best Thai food I've ever tasted, along with the best cheeseburger I can remember in years, and lots and lots of amazing fruit mixed with yogurt and granola or just blended with ice into shakes. I don't know if I've ever eaten healthier or felt better.

Poor Michael is also feeling great again, although he twisted his foot while we were on the first day of a two-day jungle trek, about an hour and a half from the village where we were to spend the night. He limped the rest of the way there and, though we were both terrified he had broken a bone, I think he enjoyed the hike as much as he had before his mishap. I kept looking back to check on him, and he kept telling me to walk ahead of him and to look at some flower, interesting plant or butterfly along the trail.

Up until that point, it was amazing. Well, okay, it was amazing after that point too, but I was a little too distracted watching him wince in pain to continue feeling as awe-struck by the beauty of our surroundings. We walked through what felt like 4 different ecosystems, from a tragically burned-out former forest, to a bamboo forest, to a true jungle, and then the next day I walked alone with our guide through what looked like a North American-type oak forest. Michael's foot had swollen and he couldn't walk, so he rode on the back of a villager's motorbike down potholed, dissapearing and reappearing trails to the nearest car-accessible village.

We hiked about 10 miles the first day in 100 degree-plus heat, but a lot of it was along a river and under the jungle canopy so that cooled us down. It took us about 7 hours to reach the village, including our stops, because of the heat and the fact that a lot of our path was uphill. Since completing the hike, I'm pretty sure I'm superwoman.

Along the way, our guide showed us wild ginger, cumin, grapefruit, dung beetles and other edibles, and he could identify several species of birds by their calls. He also pointed out orchids growing on the branches of trees, and he seemed to be able to name everything we saw in English.

We spent the night in a hilltribe village. The people who owned the home we stayed in were really nice, but we couldn't help but notice how very, very few possesions they had. I probably have three times as much stuff in my huge backpack as they have in their whole home, and that is not an exaggeration. In their yard, they had some chickens, a cow and a couple of dogs, and inside it looked like they had nothing but a couple of outfits, some cooking utensils and a mat and mosquito net for sleeping. I don't think they would consider themselves particularly poor, though; they just lead a simple life and don't have much need for things.

When our guide, Micheal and I met up in another village on the second day, we cut our trip short and drove back to Pai. Our guide, whose name sounds like "Some-sock", kindly drove us to the hospital. Man, there is nothing in the world like spending a day in a rural Thai hospital to make you feel glad to be from a fully developed country. We heard one child screaming while several nurses held him down and pulled glass out of his knee without any anesthesia - it made me feel ill. I watched a gurney roll past with blood stains on the sheets. Luckily, Michael didn't have any open wounds and they had an x-ray machine, which showed his bones were all intact. They gave him some muscle relaxers, super-doses of ibuprofen and tylenol, crutches and a sort of half-cast that went under his foot, held on by an ace bandage.

He's walking normally now, so we're about to jump on an overnight bus to the Laos border, which we will cross tomorrow. Next time you hear from us, we'll be out of Thailand (moms, feel free to breathe your sighs of relief) and in sleepy little Laos. Internet isn't as common there, I think, so it might be a little bit before we write again.

Gotta run, so I'll post pictures of Pai, our trek, some nearby waterfalls and our elephant ride soon. I hope everything is going well with you all! Michael sends his love too.

written by  katieandmichael on April 26, 2009 from Pai, Thailand
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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Katie zip-lining

Starting off not too high off the ground, the first leap is a cinch. From there, each trip you take is higher and higher until the forest floor becomes a frightening distance away. For us, it was a thrill and a chance to see parts of the rainforest that would be imposible to see otherwise.

The most impressive part for me was seeing how big some of these trees really are.

Big tree or tiny people?

We have some videos that are worth a look, but we can't upload them here. As for now, I hope the pictures will do.

Greetings from the peaceful north!

Not sure if you've been watching the news, but in case you haven't, there's been a little unrest in Bangkok recently and we're not anywhere near it. To briefly explain what I've surmised, in 2006 the elected president, Thaksin, was kicked out by the military, which has a habit of kicking out presidents and taking back control of the government, on all sorts of charges that it never bothered to try to prove. So, Thaksin's had some time to gather support, and now his supporters want him back in office. We left Bangkok before the protests really picked up, and, both geographically and politically, it seems the north is worlds away from anything that's going on down there.

We've been having a ridiculously great time up here, and we were laughing so hard during all the Songkran festivities my stomach was aching. We'll write more and post pictures very soon, but right now we're going to go catch a bus to an artsy little town called Pai, northwest of Chiang Mai.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter and got lots of egg-shaped chocolatey deliciousness!

written by  katieandmichael on April 15, 2009 from Chiang Mai, Thailand
from the travel blog: Katie and Michael's Travel Blog
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