6 - 8 February 2015
DAY 1
We woke up the next morning still questioning our decision to kayak for 3 days, but we can't back out now. We figured we better get a good breakfast for the energy plus we didn't know what to expect food wise for the next 3 days. I noticed on the menu something called Laos Pancake that looked interesting, so I ordered it. This is what came out:
We woke up the next morning still questioning our decision to kayak for 3 days, but we can't back out now. We figured we better get a good breakfast for the energy plus we didn't know what to expect food wise for the next 3 days. I noticed on the menu something called Laos Pancake that looked interesting, so I ordered it. This is what came out:
I think it is a sticky rice patty coated with egg and then fried making for a dense and yummy meal. Added an egg on top and pour some chili sauce on top and I am very, vey happy.
After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and met our tour guide, Kim, for the next 3 days. We packed what we needed into dry sacks and the tour company sent the rest of our belongings to Luang Probang where we will meet them in 3 days.
We were finally in the kayaks and going down river by 9:30 AM and by 9:40 AM we were wondering...yet again...what have we got ourselves into. The river wasn't running too fast requiring us to paddle pretty hard, and looking downriver it didn't look like it got any better. After 30 minutes Kim was pretty far ahead and stopped to allow us to catch up. I asked him if he was concerned and he said he wasn't then he said, "Well, maybe a little." Great...maybe we are doing as bad as we felt we were. What have we gotten ourselves into?!?
We decided to pick it up a bit and after about 1 hour Kim said that he was feeling a bit better about our ability to paddle. At 1:30 PM, after 4 hours of paddling, we stopped for lunch. We expected individual lunch portions, but instead Kim opened a bag of sticky rice and a bag of sautéed vegetables and said to please eat. This is what is called eating lunch Laos-style:
After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and met our tour guide, Kim, for the next 3 days. We packed what we needed into dry sacks and the tour company sent the rest of our belongings to Luang Probang where we will meet them in 3 days.
We were finally in the kayaks and going down river by 9:30 AM and by 9:40 AM we were wondering...yet again...what have we got ourselves into. The river wasn't running too fast requiring us to paddle pretty hard, and looking downriver it didn't look like it got any better. After 30 minutes Kim was pretty far ahead and stopped to allow us to catch up. I asked him if he was concerned and he said he wasn't then he said, "Well, maybe a little." Great...maybe we are doing as bad as we felt we were. What have we gotten ourselves into?!?
We decided to pick it up a bit and after about 1 hour Kim said that he was feeling a bit better about our ability to paddle. At 1:30 PM, after 4 hours of paddling, we stopped for lunch. We expected individual lunch portions, but instead Kim opened a bag of sticky rice and a bag of sautéed vegetables and said to please eat. This is what is called eating lunch Laos-style:
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The food was pretty good, but not as good as the scenery:
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Kim said that we only had about 3 more hours left of paddling today before making it to the village we will be spending the night. Only 3 more hours?!? He also kept telling us that today is the hardest day of the 3 since the river is wider here and doesn't run as fast. He also kept telling us that tomorrow is the fun day with 5 sets of rapids...great...something more to add to our worries. Oh...Kim then tells us that just before the end of today's paddle we have to tackle a dam that according to Kim is a bit tricky.
Tim at this point isn't very happy. For the next 3 hours he is mumbling behind me that he didn't sign up for this...that they said it was an easy paddle with no whitewater and today we have been paddling our butts off and now we have to go through a tricky whitewater section...that this kayak isn't the best quality and it is hard to turn...and that he doesn't want to go in the water and get soaked.
2 1/2 hours later we approach the dam. Kim tells us that as long as we follow him and keep the kayak straight we should be alright. So...follow we did with waves crossing the bow and hitting me in the face, but we managed to make it through without going over...although we felt like we almost did. 30 minutes later we landed at our overnight village.
The interesting part of this village is that it is only 6 months old. This village was located right by where China built the new dam. To compensate, China built a whole new village just down river. The houses are a lot nicer than the old houses, but the villagers do not like the new location since a lot of their rice paddies are now hard to get to, but according to Kim, they are getting used to it. Here are some pictures of the village:
Tim at this point isn't very happy. For the next 3 hours he is mumbling behind me that he didn't sign up for this...that they said it was an easy paddle with no whitewater and today we have been paddling our butts off and now we have to go through a tricky whitewater section...that this kayak isn't the best quality and it is hard to turn...and that he doesn't want to go in the water and get soaked.
2 1/2 hours later we approach the dam. Kim tells us that as long as we follow him and keep the kayak straight we should be alright. So...follow we did with waves crossing the bow and hitting me in the face, but we managed to make it through without going over...although we felt like we almost did. 30 minutes later we landed at our overnight village.
The interesting part of this village is that it is only 6 months old. This village was located right by where China built the new dam. To compensate, China built a whole new village just down river. The houses are a lot nicer than the old houses, but the villagers do not like the new location since a lot of their rice paddies are now hard to get to, but according to Kim, they are getting used to it. Here are some pictures of the village:
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Here is the house we stayed in and the family that hosted us:
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Notice the fish being grilled in the picture of our host family above? Well...I told them that I didn't eat meat but that I did eat fish, so they went to their neighbor's house and brought back a fish. After it was cooked they told me to help myself so I started eating it. After a few bites Kim came to me to tell me that the entire fish wan't mine that it was for the whole family. This fish was only about 8 inches long and i would have easily been able to eat it and probably still be hungry...luckily there is all the sticky rice I can eat.
After dinner we went to our room. Being a new construction our room was a lot nicer than we expected although we still slept on a thin mattress on the floor.
DAY 2
The next morning we woke up, had some scrambled eggs and sticky rice and headed back out on the Nam Ou River. As we launched, Kim told us that today we would face 5 rapids that he nicknamed cousin, sister, brother, mother, and father...each one gets progressively harder. Again, Tim isn't a happy person. We hit the first rapid that we survived, but it wound up being the "little cousin" so didn't count as one of the 5. Each rapid we hit and thought was legitimate Kim said it was the second little cousin or the little brother, but not 1 of the 5. Finally we made it to cousin and sister and successfully negotiated them. Then we hit brother...more like evil brother since it knocked us over pretty early in the rapids. Because it was impossible to get back on the kayak while in the rapids we were forced to ride it out by hanging onto the kayak and then ultimately, after Kim took the kayak from us, we had to swim our way to the edge, which we succeeded to do. Neither of us were injured and the water temperature wasn't too bad so all in all it wasn't too bad of an ordeal, except that we still have 2 more rapids that are supposed to be worse. But first we stopped for lunch at another beautiful location along the river:
After dinner we went to our room. Being a new construction our room was a lot nicer than we expected although we still slept on a thin mattress on the floor.
DAY 2
The next morning we woke up, had some scrambled eggs and sticky rice and headed back out on the Nam Ou River. As we launched, Kim told us that today we would face 5 rapids that he nicknamed cousin, sister, brother, mother, and father...each one gets progressively harder. Again, Tim isn't a happy person. We hit the first rapid that we survived, but it wound up being the "little cousin" so didn't count as one of the 5. Each rapid we hit and thought was legitimate Kim said it was the second little cousin or the little brother, but not 1 of the 5. Finally we made it to cousin and sister and successfully negotiated them. Then we hit brother...more like evil brother since it knocked us over pretty early in the rapids. Because it was impossible to get back on the kayak while in the rapids we were forced to ride it out by hanging onto the kayak and then ultimately, after Kim took the kayak from us, we had to swim our way to the edge, which we succeeded to do. Neither of us were injured and the water temperature wasn't too bad so all in all it wasn't too bad of an ordeal, except that we still have 2 more rapids that are supposed to be worse. But first we stopped for lunch at another beautiful location along the river:
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After lunch we hit more "little sisters", "little brothers", "uncles", and then finally we hit mother. Again Kim told us to follow him, which we tried, but it was hard to steer the kayak and we wound up taking a different line that ran us right over a small waterfall...which we survived...and then we went over. We don't know how or why since we were so close to exiting the rapids, but there we were floating down the river yet again. At least we knew the drill...hold onto the kayak, pass the kayak to Kim, swim past the rapids and head towards the edge. We get back on the kayak and Kim said that we only had one more rapid...another dam to get through, but worse than the yesterday's dam, that he calls "father"...great.
Although he said we only had "father" left, we went through more "little brothers", "uncles", "little sisters", and then finally we see the dam. Kim said, as usual, follow him and keep the kayak straight. As usual, we had trouble keeping the same line as he did, and wound up going right through the high wave section of the rapids, but somehow we managed to hold on and not go over...success! Around 3:30 PM, a little further down the river, we pulled into our village for the night.
Although he said we only had "father" left, we went through more "little brothers", "uncles", "little sisters", and then finally we see the dam. Kim said, as usual, follow him and keep the kayak straight. As usual, we had trouble keeping the same line as he did, and wound up going right through the high wave section of the rapids, but somehow we managed to hold on and not go over...success! Around 3:30 PM, a little further down the river, we pulled into our village for the night.
Here are pictures of the house we stayed in. Kim said that these people were rich and that the house is very large compared to his and most other houses.
 Looking through the front door. Dining area to the front right, living room to the rear right, kitchen in the very rear.  Bathroom, through the kitchen and out the back door.  Bathroom.  Upstairs guest bedroom. Family sleeps in the living room. |  Kitchen.  Cooking sticky rice.  Beautiful children of the host family. |
After another dinner consisting of mostly sticky rice we called it a night and went to sleep.
DAY 3:
We can't believe that we have made it through the first 2 days and we now finally felt like we were going to make it. We hit the river around 8:30 and 2 hours later stopped for a quick break:
DAY 3:
We can't believe that we have made it through the first 2 days and we now finally felt like we were going to make it. We hit the river around 8:30 and 2 hours later stopped for a quick break:
Although today was supposed to be the easy day there were still many rapids to negotiate and at this point we ready for a hotel room with a bed and a shower. Right at the point that we were tired it was time to pull off for lunch at one of the most beautiful areas on the river with sheer granite cliffs:
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About 1 hour after lunch we made it to the confluence of the Nam Ou River and the Mekong River. We turned downriver on the Mekong and made an immediate stop at the Pak Ou Caves AKA, the Buddha Cave, home to thousands of Buddha images:
  |   View down the Mekong from the cave. |
After the cave we had just 45 minutes on the Mekong before we got to our pull-out point. During the 1 hour drive to Luang Prabang we made a quick stop in the Whiskey Village where Tim tried out the rice wine with Kim looking on:
 Nice selection of rice wines and whiskeys. |  Tim not quite sure if he likes what he is tasting. |
Then, around 4 PM we made it to Luang Prabang after 3 days and almost 60 miles of paddling we made it. To celebrate we walked over the pedestrian bamboo bridge and had pizza for dinner:
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Tomorrow we sleep in, relax, and walk around Luang Prabang.
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