March 13, 2008

Vang Vieng (LAOS)

Vang Vieng to Vientiane by Bus

I took advantage of the fact that it was my birthday to sleep in today, but even so getting up at 10:00 am didn't feel like much of a break. Perhaps I would have been more relaxed if the circumstances were different, but I wanted to sort out our transport to Luang Prabang later in the day and that couldn't be done from my bed. In the end, we ended up catching a 13:00 mini-bus with a group of Laotian field workers for the cut-rate price of 60,000 kip ($7USD), and five hours later we arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang in Northern Laos.

We checked into a newly opened hostel offering a 80,000 kip ($9USD) triple room tucked away on a small side street, and soon afterward toured a large night market offering a variety of food and knick-knacks. I bought one of the baguette sandwiches the Laotians have mastered making, which is one of two benefits of being a former French colony - the other being that they are no longer associated with the French. Although we were all worn out from the long day of travel and the extensive mileage we have covered since leaving the island of Koh Tao only six days ago (!!), I finished half a bottle of beerLao to "celebrate" my 22nd birthday with Neil and David.

Personally, my day-to-day life over the past year has been the greatest celebration for being 22 years old as it was a year I could only have dreamed of as a child. It would be impossible to trump so many experiences in a single day, and I am glad I didn't try. Of course, the midnight curfew in the city of Luang Prabang would probably have negated any last-minute attempts at "partying like its my birthday," but I slept securely knowing it would still be my birthday in the United States when I woke up in the morning (courtesy of an 11 hour time difference.)