New Year in Laos

I was Laos when the clock turned midnight on new year's eve. My Filipino friends and I barely made it to the fountain where the countdown took place because we were so caught up in some chitchat in a nearby cafe in Vientiane. The fountain was packed with revelers, with quite a good number of Thais on holiday and Western tourists.

But half an hour into 2011, the plaza was slowly getting empty, while we looked for alternative venues for some dancing, but alas it was sleepy Vientiane after all, so we too went back to the hotel, walking in the deserted streets of the city with a chilly air blowing from the banks of the Mekong river.

I was in Vientiane for a workshop, which ended on 30 December, so, I decided to stay a few more days to spend the New Year there. Laos has always been so charming, with its gentle people and dramatic landscape. And of course, who can resist drowning one's self with Beerlao, the best beer like EVAH!

I swear Laos is one of my favorite countries in the region. Other than Vientiane, I have been to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Champasak on previous holidays. I'm always impressed how Laos relaxes me like no other place; perhaps it's too much beer or because life is just absolutely laid back there and the people are very polite, with wide, beaming, and sincere smiles.

On New Year's day, I hopped on a bus to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is like the hub of young backpackers in Laos and is famous for its water tubing, parties by the river, endless drinking, and some drugs, I heard. It's not exactly a place to find a quiet time in; you just cannot escape the endless thumping of techno music, drunken revelry, and replays of Friends in the many restaurants in the middle of the town.

However, Vang Vieng definitely still has quiet parts, especially if you venture out to the fields, go inside caves, or find a peaceful spot on the river banks while watching its always splendid sunsets.

This is the peak of the tourist season though, so, having some peace and quiet is the last thing can one expect. Luckily, I snagged the last room in a cheap guest house by the river (a little less than 8 USD). Unluckily, it was freezing in Vang Vieng, and freezing I mean something like, I don't know, perhaps 20 degrees in the evening. Again, I have to remind you that I'm a tropical bayot and anything less than 27 degrees is automatically winter for us in Surigao.

So anyway, before I went to Vang Vieng I was completely convinced that I would spend my time getting carried down the river on a tube, which after all is what Vang Vieng's all about. I packed tank tops, shorts, and sandals, only to find out that the river would instantly kill me. I don't understand how those tourists dare dip in such freezing waters all day long!

In fact, I stayed inside my room most of the time, napped like there was no tomorrow, while covered with a heap of thick blankets. I could not even take a shower because the guest house's water heater was purely a wall accessory. It did not help that the hut's walls were so thin, I felt like everything was sooo damp.

I enjoyed Vang Vieng nonetheless. I really did. Well, there's always Beerlao for some company, and damn, I could marry Beerlao any time. Obviously, I'm not alone in my undying love for the beer as proved by the many drunken backpackers slouched on daybeds in the restaurants.

The only time I could go out to enjoy the scenery was like between 10 am to 4 pm when it was warm enough, but even then I was wearing a sweater while being surrounded by girls in bikinis hanging from the arms of equally half-naked men.

When I went to Vang Vieng last time it was the rainy season. The river then was muddy and totally uninviting, hence, we ended up doing a mega photo shoot. What to do, aber? This time around, the river was clearer, shallower... but cold.

I just refused to get wet or else it's instant hypothermia for me. I took a boat tour instead, which brought me upstream. I got a glimpse of some river life - people washing their clothes, kids swimming, men fishing, etc - and then eventually of the tourism-oriented aspect of Vang Vieng: floating bars, river swings, and so on.

The next day, hours before I left, I ventured across the river to the corn fields where I saw signs leading to a couple of caves. I chose the farther one, about 40 minutes hike under the shadow of the karst cliffs surrounding the fields. I don't know what to say about the cave, really. We know how they're like: dark, damp, and slippery. Note to self: don't do caves again.

So it's back to Vientiane where I managed to catch the evening market by the river bank. I love those colorful embroidered bags! And then, as a tribute to my wonderful stay in Laos, of course I had to guzzle one more big bottle of Beerlao.

Leaping in Vang Vieng

After Luang Prabang we took a six-hour ride south to Vang Vieng.

We were crammed in a van of backpackers whose stench drove us Pinay bayots crazy. Ugh, I cannot help hating them. Not even the sight of imposing karst cliffs in the distance could divert our attention from the reeking smell of unwashed hair and who knows what else.

Thank god there were stops along the way that allowed us to breathe a bit... such as our stop in a place called Cleanext Village.

We found ourselves in a guest-house fronting yet another river. Not too far away from the banks of the river were more tall karst formations draped in low clouds.

We wasted no time in exploring the area. We crossed a small bridge towards the other bank, leaving behind a trail of unbridled camwhoring.

The river is obviously important in the life of the people of Vang Vieng. We saw kid who came from school stopping by the river to take a dip in the murky water. Ladies wrapped in their sarong wash their hair on the other side of the bank and not far from it are men cleaning their motorcycles.

The river also draw numerous backpackers to Vang Vieng, which has gained reputation for river tubing and kayaking. Gibo and I were really planning to go tubing as well until we saw the muddy water. Honey, I don't want to contract some bloody skin disease over such a brainless activity as tubing.

It was drizzling early the next day. This worried the bayots because the main agenda of the day was the photo shoot. Fortunately the sky cleared up later on and the shoot pushed through.

Oh dear, where do I start about the shoot? I was in the unbeatable creative hands of Gibo and Don, for whom I have profound admiration for their passion.

I was only willing to werq the modeling part like my life depended on the shoot. A model does not ask questions... he/she simply follows instructions. When Gibo says leap, I leap the life out of me. And I think the whole collaboration worked sensationally, the result of which you can see in Fuschiaboy and Window Exit. I know you love us, bitches.

The next day, Don had to ride back to Luang Prabang to catch his flight the following morning.

Gibo and I had a day to explore Vang Vieng. We decided to rent bicycles and explore the cave about six kilometers from the town... unpaved road that is. The scenery of karst cliffs, lush rice fields, meandering streams, etc., was breathtaking. Perfect for more camwhoring indeed.

That evening Gibo and I wandered around the town and ended up crossing a foot bridge to a tiny island that sits in the middle of two tributaries of the river. We wished we had discovered the place much earlier coz the location was just supreme.

The bar was made of separate huts, each having a couple of hammocks. We watched the sun set behind the karst cliffs while sipping Lao Beer and smoking sticks and sticks of cigarettes.

We had to go back to Vientiane the following day. The ride is a short four hours and we were in the capital at about lunch time.

Again, Gibo and I rented bicycles (his bicycle kept on breaking down, and our hands ended up looking like a mechanic's). We dropped by the Putaxai, supposedly Vientiane's Arch de Triomphe, and Pha That Luang, the national symbol of Lao PDR.

Other than that, I find Vientiane charmless and lifeless, at least compared with Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

Predictably, Gibo and I ended up in the banks of the Mekong. Just across the river is Thailand. We can even hear the karaoke bars from another country! We caught a mesmerizing sunset in one of the bars perched over the Mekong. The sunset drove us nuts, we took dozens and dozens of pictures.

Gibo flew back to KL in the morning and I took a tuk-tuk and a pick-up truck to the Thai-Lao border and all the way to the Udon Thani airport. Just as I crossed the bridge I was totally relieved to be back home.

To say that I had wonderful memories of the trip is an understatement.

First, it was a joy to have Gibo and Don in the Lao experience. It was incessant talakfest again with topics ranging from the war in Iraq, solving poverty in Africa, and the Kyoto protocol. Hihihihihi.

It was bonding galore! And we are planning more trips ahead of us. (Feel free to join us, bitches!)

I realized how different our traveling styles are. Gibo is very spontaneous, Don is laid back and enjoys just sitting down and feeling the mood of the place, and I like planning activities down to the last detail and I follow it strictly (give me something to plan and I'm there). Our contrasting styles, surprisingly, complemented each other and no sampalan and sabunotan happened... although that would have been a better story to tell, dontcha think?

Second, Laos is such a treasure of unparalleled beauty. It truly exceeded my expectations and I want to see more of it... probably the south, such as Savanaket and Champasak, next time around.

Oh, did I mention that the Lao boys are exceptionally gorgeous? Holy Mother of God, they are mesmerizing and if there's any other reason for me to go back to Laos, it would be to ogle at them men of raw beauty. Why didn't anybody tell me about this?

But then, I would understand why, because like Lao, that has to be kept a secret.