A River Trip Down the Mekong

Slow and low, that is the tempo...

Travelers have many options when it comes to crossing the border from Thailand into Laos, however we decided to honor the Laos way of life by opting for the 2 day slow boat trip down the Mekong. For any traveler, the Mekong River is a treat to be seen, let alone traveled, and the experience was the perfect way to begin our stay in Laos. In total we spent about 16 hours cruising down the Mekong at a slow and steady pace with nothing left to do but sit back, relax and take in the scenery. Taking this river trip had always been on the top of Andy's to do list, but I on the other hand was slightly hesitant as 2 full days on the Mekong seemed like quite a lot, if not, too much time. But after our slow departure (and it was slow, we were in Laos after all) we began our descent down the river, and I knew right then and there that this would be a trip to remember. For three days we were part of an intimate community of travelers, all with our own journeys. Together we conquered the Mekong, took over border towns and saluted our beers as we shared our stories. With Laos to our left and Thailand to our right, we were mesmerized by our surroundings, and our days were spent watching the sky change and the jungle deepen. Andy was amazed and astonished the whole way through and I can't remember a time where I felt more at peace with the world around me. The Mekong is simply majestic.

How we got there:To begin our journey we took a small bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Kong (Thailand) where we had just enough time to find a guesthouse and a place to eat. Then early in the morning we took a ferry to Houeixai. After getting our Laos visa upon arrival we hiked with our packs to where the slow boat departs. After our first day on the river, we stopped for an overnight stay in Pakbeng, a small small town thriving on the tourists that the slow boat brings in. At the end of our 2nd day on the boat we ended up in Luang Prabang, Laos, which we were happy to make our home for a bit.

There are many tourist agencies in Chiang Mai offering package deals that cover transport to Chiang Kong, dinner, hotel, breakfast, a slow boat ticket and a lunch to take with you on the boat. We ended up doing the journey without the package and it saved us roughly $10-$15. We also had the freedom to choose our own guesthouse and our own meals, which for us was a big plus. If you are on a tighter budget you could even save more doing the trip on your own. There were plenty of guesthouses in Chiang Kong for only $5 a night. Also buy your passport photos at the dock where the ferry is. It is much cheaper than doing it through a hotel!

We boarded the ferry to the left in order to get into Laos

Andy was wearing a permanent grin the whole time!  I wonder why...

Children playing by the riverside.

A fisherman at work.

Simply relaxing.

It usually rained about once a day.  To be honest, we didn't mind, but when it got bad, down came the tarps...

It was a little crazy with the tarps down, but it never lasted long.   It felt as weird as it looks. 

Heart of Darkness meets Apocolypse now.  The jungle is serious and the Mekong just winds you through.

A fisherman at dusk.

Good night Mekong.







Elephant Love

Every single day on this vacation we do something amazing.  Literally. Every. Single. Day.  It is a life too good to be true.  We are truly blessed and we know it.  We acknowledge it daily, if not hourly.  We have spent our days swimming under waterfalls, exploring dark caverns, sailing down the Mekong, and to top it all off, living among elephants (a personal highlight).  For two days, we cared for them, fed them, bathed them, loved them and  made them our companions.  They showed us the jungle and a new way of life.  The experience was unforgetable and saying goodbye was a difficult task, but knowing they are in good hands is comforting to say the least. 

We actually never said goodbye.  We said we would see them again.  We will be back.

Before coming to Thailand, I did extensive research on which organization/tour to go through when trying to plan our time with the elephants.  Unfortunately, there are not many that treat them humanely or with the respect they deserve.  My friend, Rebecca, strongly recommended a day tour through Patara Elephant Farm, but when I requested a reservation, they were already booked for the entire month.  (Rebecca, if you are reading this, please don't be sad).  After two straight days of researching, I finally booked a two-day stay with Thai Elephant Home.  I figured if everyone raved about one day with the elephants, than two would be double the fun.  I chose them because on their website, they strongly stress the importance of treating their elephants humanely by giving them a rewarding life, and teaching others how to honor the beloved animal and the mahout lifestyle.  They also do pivotal work against deforestation in the jungle and work to rescue elephants that had been maltreated in the past.  I was so completely nervous about my choice, about where my money was going and about what type of organization I was supporting, that even upon arriving I scrutinized the grounds, the mahouts and the leader, Joe himself.  I knew the elephants would win me over in a heartbeat, it was the humans I worried about.  Well after two full days at their home, I witnessed exactly what was advertised, and I am happy to report that Thai Elephant Home lives up to what it stands for.  Joe, his family and the mahouts living there care for their elephants as they do their very own children.  They know their history, their schedule, their eating habits, their likes and dislikes, their personalities, and their spectrum of emotions.  They speak their language in a way many cannot understand and the bond they have with their animals is everlasting.  It was enchanting to witness and also to be a part of.

If you are thinking about doing a tour with elephants, I can whole heartedly recommend Thai Elephant Home.  It was a truly intimate experience and it felt as much like a homestay as it did an elephant farm.  Spending the night there was crucial to our experience.  Not only do you learn about the elephants, but also about the Mahout way of life.  Your time there is spent giving the elephants a day they deserve, not the other way around.  There are no elephant shows, no baskets to ride in.  Not to mention, it is family run, based in the jungle and truly environmentally friendly.  

We took hundreds and hundreds of pictures while we were there, and Joe (the owner) also documented our experience with his own camera.  Upon leaving, he gave us a CD with his personal photos, which we haven't even had a chance to look at yet, but we are both honored to have them, and can't wait to see them.  These are just a few of our own.

First encounter.

Elephant candy:  Sugarcane

Andy gave some a try (he didn't like it as much as the elephants did).



 

Joe (pictured left) teaching us how to ask the elephant to lay down so we get on. 



Meet Jampar.  He is 7 years ago and a little boy at heart.  It was amazing to spend the day with him.  Before starting our day together, I stuffed my bag with little bananas and fed them to him throughout the day.  I seriously love him!

My view from on top of Jampar.  This is his way of telling me he is ready for another banana. 

Embarking on a jungle trek.





While we trekked, our elephants ate...and ate...and ate.  They are supposed to eat about one tenth of their body weight everyday, and they weigh about two tons!  We made our way through the jungle at a slow and steady pace.  It couldn't have been more perfect.




The road less traveled.



Mid-trek we stopped for lunch.  Whatever we didn't eat, we fed to our elephants or atleast to the ones who wanted to eat it.  Some can be very picky eaters!

  

While we enjoyed lunch, Noi enjoyed cooling herself off in the jungle.  An elephant's happiness is truly contagious.  Look at her smile!



Thai Elephant Home is one of the only places that has access to black mud.  It is one of the elephants' favorite things, sort of like an elephant spa (but apparently humans like it too). 

Black mud love.

Playing in the river.

Soccer with the mahouts and some of the volunteers living there.  Things got sweaty fast!  While Andy played soccer, I learned how to make Bamboo sticky rice - that will be a post of it's own one day on my recipe page.

While we got ready for dinner, some of the volunteers were teaching the Thai children English by navigating them through a set up obstacle course.  Excellent teaching!

If you stay overnight, not only do you get to spend quality time with amazing people, but you also get to visit and feed the elephants at night as well as first thing in the morning:

Breakfast time!  I happily woke up early to feed the elephants.  One of the many highlights of my day. 



Feeding time and bathing time were some of my favorite moments.  (Notice how it looks like Noi is crying.  That's because she is.  Eventhough she isn't sad at the moment, we learned that her eyes permanently tear because when she was younger, her tusks were cut too low, which caused them to fall out.  Now she never stops crying.  Apparently this is common of a lot of elephants in Southeast Asia.  It is heartbreaking to hear of what some of these elephants have had to endure).



Andy's found a friend. 

On our second day there we also learned new ways to mount the elephant.  Here are some of the things we learned...

Retrieve!  Everytime my flip flops came off Jampar would get them for me.

Leg up!

Trunk down!

Much love!

Bathing time:

Time to get clean!

When you are in the water with these magnificent creatures you have to remind yourself just how big they really are.  And then you have to make sure you don't get squished!



Open up!  Time for a tusk cleaning. 



Jampar, always making time to play!

Experimenting with a hot herbal bath for our hands and feet after a long trek. 

Mahout love! 

Thank you Thai Elephant Home for an amazing time!  We will always remember the days we spent there and the things we learned.







Chiang Mai's Neverending Sunday Market

Without planning, we luckily ended up arriving in Chiang Mai on a Sunday afternoon.  This meant we were just in time for the Sunday market.  Visiting markets is one of my top favorite things to do when touring a new place, so I was very excited when finding out we were going to be there for this one (even then I had no idea what it had in store). Keep in mind, there is also a night market in Chiang Mai that is open every night on the sidewalk, but the Sunday market is something else and something special. It is only open once a week and they turn the streets into walking streets and vendors set up for what seems like miles.

We attempted to see the entire thing, but our tired bodies gave in and we ended up hailing a tuk tuk home after about 3 hours of touring the market. While the market is mostly comprised of artisans selling their handcrafted goods, it was the food that made us stop in our tracks. Spread throughout the market, are pockets of food vendors clustered together, and they offer what feels like a million different types of food for very very little money. Strategically we went to the market with empty stomachs and open minds, willing to try as many new foods as we could.
Needless to say, we ate...
                                   and ate...
                                                  and ate...
our way through the market, and  loved every single second of it.  If you are going to Chiang Mai, you MUST try to plan your trip so you are there on a Sunday so you can visit this extraordinary market (and don't forget to skip dinner before hand)!

I tried to take pictures to document our experience, but because it's the rainy season here, it was raining a terrible downpour making it slightly more difficult.  On a side note, it is simply amazing  to see how the market life in Southeast Asia thrives even in the rainy season.  Every night it literally rains buckets for atleast an hour - sometimes more, but the men and women working in the markets don't mind a bit.  While staying surprisingly dry, they set up their pop ups and tarps with ease and before your eyes the market is alive and well -  just as it should be.

Everyone there was so friendly.  We used a lot of made up sign language to communicate with this woman, and came up with our go-to sign for hot sauce (waving our hand in front of our mouth and sissing with our tongues - works everytime).

She makes rice omelets with and without meat.  This alone could fill your stomach!

The market offers your usual foods....sausage.

And corn.



And some unusual foods like this.  In Thailand we saw and ate a lot of meat (and fish) rolled into little balls. 
Sometimes they put them on a stick, but they are commonly used in soups as well.



This man was my hero!  I know I didn't come to Thailand to have sushi, but since this was the closest I had ever been to Japan (aside from a layover in Tokyo), I had to try it.  IT WAS THE BEST SUSHI I ever had and it costs anywhere from 10 cents to 30 cents a piece.   I ended up coming back for seconds and even thirds!  It was so good!

Shrimp dumplings = steamed goodness

Quail eggs (I think)



Here Andy is scouring the market for more.  You can see how heavy the tarps are with water from the rain.