KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT!Archive for Laos
#12. Border Crossing: Laos to Thailand; Lampang: Thai Elephant Conservation Center
Hey friends. So, I started my journey into northern Thailand on Friday. From Luang Prabang, it went like this: slow [cargo] boat up the Mekong to Pak Beng, slow [cargo] boat up the Mekong to Huay Xai, ferry across the Mekong to Chiang Khong, mototaxi to bus station, bus to Chiang Rei, bus to Lampang, mototaxi back to Lampang after missing Lampang bus station, bus towards Chiang Mai with an exit at “Km 37″ road mark, and walk 1/2 mile towards Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC). It’s Monday. How was *your* weekend?
#11. Luang Prabang: Love/Love
I reserve the right to change my mind, and though I haven’t totally (overtourism still gets a thumbs down), I’m happy to share some positive news: today, I got out of Disneyland.
A ways down from my guesthouse is a NGO-type organization called Big Brother Mouse (“Mouse”). It’s dedicated to improving both English and Lao language literacy among children. Apparently schools here are good and kids can learn how to read, but there just are not enough books for them to actually do it.
#10. Luang Prabang: Love/Hate
Yesterday I got up at 5:15 a.m. By 6, I was a block away on the main street, sticky rice and bananas in hand, to feed the monks. Locals call this “giving alms.” It is a type of charitable act, and common in Buddhist tradition. There are a lot of monks here, and a lot showed up that morning. They aren’t allowed to look at or speak to women, so it was a relatively quiet process, but still an absolutely awesome one.
#9. Siem Reap: Angkor Temples; Luang Prabang: Morning
Yesterday I woke up at O-dark-thirty (specifically around 4 a.m.) to go out to the Angkor temples by sunrise. It’s said to be a peaceful, magical time there, the world’s largest religious site, and I can confirm that as true.
