Laos and then some

Sabaidee! For the past two weeks, my travel buddy, an American Peace Corps volunteer (who thankfully speaks Thai) and I traveled around Laos, a gorgeous and friendly country. Unfortunately, I lost my camera, but photos from his camera to come soon. For now, here are the highlights.

We flew into the capital, Vientiane in central Laos and took a turn south to Si Phan Don (4000 Islands.) We swam in the Mekong, enjoyed the stunning sunrises and sunsets as well as the variety of bugs this place had to offer. But the real treat was a chance to see the endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins with a view of Cambodia and Vietnam in the distance. After a few days, we were back on another lengthy bus excursion to experience Konglor, a massive seven-kilometer cave close to central Laos (two hours outside of Vientiane). Creepy, enchanting, vast -- to say the least. In Luang Prabang (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), we visited a few wats (temples), biked along the Mekong, and shopped at the night market in this comfortable well-kept town, a much needed respite from the constant traveling. Finally, a quick trip to laid-back, tiny Chiang Khong, Thailand.

In the past month, I've certainly learned a lot while backpacking, which is a culture in and of itself. Regarding lodging, there isn’t much time to compare hotels/hostels/guest houses. One must quickly size up available amenities. Is it important to have the bathroom in your room? A worthwhile consideration. Do you really need a toilet with automatic flush, or can you deal with scooping water and pouring it down the toilet to flush it? Good because this is a fanciful feature not to be concerned with. Bathrooms without sinks are common. At first, the missing sink was so bizarre, it was upsetting; but after a few times, I came to learn that it’s a rather superfluous if there's a shower.

Speaking of, I found myself highly concerned with a proper shower. I loathe soppy dirty floors, so a self-contained shower as opposed to a simple spray that drenches the toilet seat, walls, and floor is more attractive. But now, I know better. An overall comfortable and reasonable stay is most important, so I learned to accept a range of accommodations that fit my current minimum needs. If there wasn’t power in the city from 5 p.m.-9 a.m., I opted for a room with many windows. If I spent a whole day in 90-plus degrees outside, air conditioning was the holy grail. A real shower isn’t a necessity; heck, a vat of cold water and a bucket will do. And the squatter is fine, too. Just give me the air con. And you say there’s a fan in the room, too? To die for!

By the end of the month, I thought I had experienced every possible combination that my tolerance would allow. However, a slight oversight my last travel day. I ended up with food poisoning while in Chiang Khong. The room was without air con, and as my luck would have it, the power went out for some odd hours, so I hadn't a working fan to cool me down while I was feverish. The restroom had a self-contained shower (yippee!), an auto-flush toilet, and sink -- but no bathroom door. Need I say more? Props to my understanding travel buddy.