Northern Laos

The morning after our nice restful night in the rice paddy resort, we had a nice breakfast at their restaurant (big breakfasts seem to be important here), we loaded up and took off through the mountains for Luang Probang. We started out on the same windy, pot hole filled kind of road. We passed through countless little villages. We began to see individual gardens as well as fields with beans, corn, cabbages. They also grow their herbs in the small beds raised up to about waist high. Looked like onions, but we were whizzing by pretty fast, so who knows. Speaking of driving fast, let me just say that Lao people are resourceful. They get around on bikes, scooters and larger motorcycles  and TukTuks frequently. And is common to see as many as 2-4 people, including babies on those bikes or scooters. It is apparently expected that if you are driving a car or a truck, you can just pass anyone at anytime no matter who or what is approaching in the oncoming lane. It is scary, but no one honks, everyone scoots over to one side or the other and people just keep going. 

We arrived in Luang Prabong late in the afternoon and checked in to our nice hotel right across the  street from the river banks of the Mekong and Nom Kai junction. 

This is the front of The Mekong Riverview.

 

The courtyard between our rooms. 

The Mekong river across the street from us. 

We walked across the bamboo bridge which carried us across the river and found a place to eat.

Yes that's us eating while sitting on cushions on the floor. Luckily there are sno pictures of us getting up from the floor after eating so much.

Were able to walk around that evening and see a little bit of the town, but we were tired from traveling and needed a good night's rest because....

The next morning we were up bright and early to go to The Elephant Village!  We had a van, driver and guide arranged ahead of time, so off we went.

We arrived and were promptly given basic information and a short lesson in elephant verbal commands. 

Next, we were shown how to climb up onto the back of this big creature. Trust me, this picture does not do justice to how big this female elephant was when I stood nose to nose with her. 

And while I won't show you pictures as to "How" we climbed up, indeed we did.

We visited the two babies and then took our turns in pairs, riding down the river bank, into and down the river, then back out and finally down a rode past homes of the workers and back into the sanctuary.

After disembarking, we fed the elephants, then fed ourselves at a nice buffet and ate under a palapa overlooking the river. 

Finally, we rode across the river in a small boat and some of us climbed back on our elephant and took them into the river for a bath. The elephants then went into the jungle for the night's rest and more food. 

As we left, we were able to see a real live cock fight between roosters owned by the sanctuary employees who live out there. While I don't really support the idea of cock fighting, I have to say, these men seemed to care greatly for, their birds and No bird died. In fact there wasn't even much blood. Birds then got a bath after fighting and were put back in their cages. I guess if your grandchildren have to see a cockfight, at least it was a gentle one. 

It was a very good day. These elephants have been rescued from various difficult situations, one has survived a fall when she was a baby, another survived stepping on an unexplored ordinance. She is missing toes, but keeps on going. They might have been out doing labor but instead are giving rides and earning their own living. Each has a trained Mahoot that lives on the sanctuary and is responsible for her care. While it isn't freedom, I guess it is at least protection.