The whole time we were in the south we kept saying we didn't want to cut our time in the north short but after being here we know that 10 days was too much even with the extra time we spent in Chiang Mai.
Did some bus research today and decided we're going to book all the pieces of our travels to Laos ourselves instead of over paying a travel agency to do it for us. I'll let you know at the end if it we actual saved anything. Busses run every hour to Chiang Khong which is a Thai boarder town. And where we'll be crossing over to Laos. We decided to head out tomorrow so today we rented a scooter and went in to the country.
First stop was to a white temple called Wat Rong Khum. Most Wats are ancient but this one is a private Wat started in 1997 by a Thai artist. We heard its just a tourist trap but we actually enjoyed it a lot. It's beautiful and the first place we've been in the country where things are well taken care of. The landscaping was unbelievable. Although we were told tourist trap there was no trapping, we weren't charged for anything and no one was selling anything. This place has an odd twist on it I guess because it was designed by an artist. The walls inside the Temple are painted and it's one of those murals where there are pictures within pictures but there is a lot of American influence: the twin towers being blown up, superman, batman, angry birds, Neo, Harry Potter, pinhead from Hell-raiser, star wars, and lots more. Weird how all this was painted on a wall in a building that houses something very scared.
There were some waterfalls in the area so after we headed further into the country to visit one. We arrived at 1700 and see that the sign says it's 1400 meters to the waterfall. Hiking at sunset is something that happens all to often for my liking. Michael apparently loves it because he always sets us up for darkness in the woods and its generally in a place we're completely unfamiliar with. We walk through the woods only seeing a few sane people who are on there way out and make it to the waterfall drenched in sweat. We snap a few photos before I notice some bees hanging around Michaels legs. He completely freaks out and I ask if he's allergic (have I mentioned we've been together almost 10 yrs), he responds that he "use to be", what the heck does that mean? I don't have time to ask because he's running, jumping and screaming down closer to the waterfall. We think we're out or range and I'm just about to hop in this awesome tree that reminds me of one from Pete's Dragon when I see bees (yes plural) on me. One is on my shirt and walks over to my neck, Michael is right next to me screaming which I can't understand why because the bees not on him. I watch as the bee goes down my shirt so I hold it out, it's hanging on the inside of it and my options seem limited I can also feel two others on my legs and I still have Michael screaming. I finally flick the one on my shirt off start heading up the trail and just get one off my leg before it stings me, success! I hurry Michael along before the mosquitos walk away with us and we make it out of the trail before darkness takes over.
We head to town where I get a fabulous foot massage and we have ice cream sundaes as a make shift birthday cake since we'll most likely be on the Mekong River for the big day. We tried to plan around it but theres no good way to do it, so we'll have to celebrate when we get to a place worth celebrating in.
The white temple, it's just white wash with little glass pieces around it. Michael hanging from a vine
Me at the base of a huge tree at the trail head to the waterfall
Us pre-bees at the waterfall
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