After catching a last minute bus for Kunming to Jinghong, China, I was lucky to nab a ticket for the next morning's bus to Luang Nam Tha, Laos. Not originally part of my Lao itinerary, I am incredibly fortunate to have had this change of plan. But, as my bus to the border wasn't until the next day, I had a night to spare in Jinghong. Without Internet, I wandered the streets seeking accommodation. Unfortunately, all places were overpriced and the city was terribly cheesy, like a poorly done, Chinese version of Las Vegas. After failing to find reasonable accommodation, I retired to the comforts of the metal benches of the bus station for the evening.
In the morning, I hopped the bus southbound along with another American traveler on holiday from his job in Beijing. And as soon as we crossed the border, I was excited. The landscape changed to lush jungle almost immediately and you could sense the awaiting adventures in the warm tropical air.
I arrived in Luang Nam Tha and had dinner at the quaint night market with the same American fellow I met on the bus, as well as two other fellow arrivals; an Italian and a German. On offer was Papaya salad and sticky rice; Lao staples. And they did not disappoint. The papaya was freshly cut and mixed with a spicy red pepper native to Southeast Asia as well as some tomato and lime. Over dinner we discussed our planned itineraries for Laos and decided motor biking was all on our agendas.
We awoke the next morning and headed out, sans the Italian who had to work, and ventured north into the jungle toward Muang Sing. After climbing into the national park and passing small villages and a cool waterfall, we swooped into the plains surrounding Muang Sing and cruised along enjoying the fresh air and sights of the Lao countryside. Before lunch, we decided to follow the road outside of Muang Sing to see where it would lead. The answer: China. We nearly crossed the border at the small, locals-only checkpoint without realizing, but turned back in the nick of time. I had had enough of china for the moment, and didn't want to get stuck on the wrong side of that border. The rest of the day was spent exploring the villages and admiring nature's beauty as we cruised by at about 50km/hr. Or so I estimate, as my speedometer was broken, a commonality on all the scooters I rode in Laos. By day's end we had all vowed to scooter again the next day, trying a different route.
On the second day of exploring northern Laos we headed west from Luang Nam Tha toward Vieng Phouka. On the way, we stopped and explored a cave with the company of two Catalunyans traveling in Laos. We continued on to Vieng Phouka and lunched riverside on more sticky rice, papaya salad with rice, a grilled beef dish and some stir-fried vegetables. Good eats! Then, while wandering the village we happened upon a Lao wedding, where we were invited in by the bride and groom for some Lao dancing. As the evening approached, we bid farewell--and Congratulations--to our new friends and made our way back to Luang Nam Tha in time to return the scooters. Afterward, my fellow America and I hopped a rather bumpy night bus to Luang Prabang, the largest city in northern Laos.
While Luang Nam Tha had a distinctly rural feel, Luang Prabang was very colonial. Clearly influenced by the French colonization, baguette vendors and cafés littered the streets, interspersed with some fine temples. We wrestled up some accommodation and hit the streets to see what the city had to offer. After a few hours of walking, we retired for the afternoon to our fanned room before seeking out some Lao food for dinner near the brilliant, if repetitive, night market. Fried rice and Beerlao were on the menu, and that suited us just fine. On our way back, we met some Lao footballers who invited us to play bocce ball with them. Price of admission: Beerlao. We spent the evening getting whipped in bocce ball and debating the chances of Manchester United winning the Premier League.
We had heard about some waterfalls nearby and decided the next day that exploring them by scooter sounded much more interesting than a tuk-tuk, so we sought out Tim and his motorbike shop and got outfitted with two hot rides. After taking in Tad Sae waterfall, we were headed to Kuang Si waterfall when I had, shall we say, a boo-boo. After a fall on the motorbike, a passerby from Luang Prabang generously drove me to the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital, where I was ever-so-lucky to discover a broken right collarbone. Initially expecting--and then hoping for--a dislocation, the bone was broken in two, and upon reading the x-rays, the technician, nurse, my incredibly generous new Lao friend and I let out a collective groan, "Ohhhh..." We might not have all spoken the same language, but we all knew what a broken bone looked like. A mildly humorous moment to lighten the mood a bit. A sling and a few pills later and I was released from the hospital. Luckily, my American friend was able to coordinate my scooter return to Luang Prabang and cart my clavical-ly impaired self back to the guesthouse to make what I knew would be an...upsetting...Skype call. Thankfully, my wonderful parents took it in stride and, though the experience has provided for a few sleepless nights for my mother, no doubt, they were generous in helping me decide on what to do next. After a day of weighing the pros and cons, I decided to keep traveling, though I knew it would be cumbersome during the healing process.
A few more days of loafing around Luang Prabang buying souvenirs and visiting the temples while the swelling subsided and I decided to head into the slightly more...modern conveniences of Hanoi, Vietnam.
But, as I would find out, getting there with two healthy collarbones would have been an experience in itself, and with only one was quite the trip.
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