Or, DO go chasing Waterfalls.
David and Lynn and I hired a Tuk Tuk driver for the day to take us up to see Kuang Si Falls. Along the way we stopped at a Buffalo Farm where I got to milk my first water buffalo. Then we stopped at the Elephant Camp, which did not seem to be a sanctuary, so I only opted to feed the elephant (though the place offered Elephant Rides, which I declined to take).
After that we headed up to the falls right as the day was getting hot.
The entrance to the trail was at the top of this small hill with vendors on either side. Lynn kindly paid for our entrance tickets and we walked in. The driver had given us towels to take with us from the hotel. Very nice service.
The first stop after you enter the trail is a BEAR SANCTUARY. Now this is a proper Bear Sanctuary, mostly for Black Bears who were part of Bear baiting or else injured or tortured. They get to live out their days in the cool jungle by a beautiful waterfall.
I also ran into Joe and Jodi for yet a third time. Small tourist town, you keep running into people. He was still wearing the Nevada Wolf Pack shirt. He said he wore it again the next day after meeting me and ran into someone else who knew about the team. So he said he was going to keep wearing it.
Jodi rolled her eyes, “I keep telling him he can’t wear the same shirt every day.”
It’s a short hike to the waterfalls. The water is blue and beautiful. You’re allowed to jump in and swim. I let David and Lynn go first while I watched our things, then I took my turn. It was by far the coldest water I’d been in in SE Asia, brisk, cool, but not quite chilly like Lake Tahoe. Just enough to give you a thrill, but not enough to give you the shivers.
I have a video of me diving in, might be worth checking my IG account…
It felt so good to dive in and be by the falls. The water was deep, so you could really swim in it. I went up the base of the falls and sat below it and let the water thunder on my skull. Just an incredible moment.
After that we walked up a little higher to the Upper Falls, which were much more dramatic and picturesque but you couldn’t swim there.
There was a trail which led to the top of the falls. David decided he’d wait for Lynn and I to explore it. Had we known how long it would take we probably wouldn’t have gone all the way to the top.
But I’m glad that Lynn and I went because we made it all the way to the top. It was a hell of a hike, and switchback after switchback. The whole loop to the top and back took about an hour. Here are some steps along the way that have water running down them. Very slick, must hold the hand rails.
The top of the falls are really just a big quarry. But there was a small cafe up there (man I’d hate to be to poor son of a bitch who has to carry up a case of beer for tourists).
Lynn and I stopped and chatted with some young folks from Spain. Lynn would be lecturing in Madrid this summer and asked for recommendations of where to go. They were all very nice and one of the gals was from Mexico City, she worked in production, her name was Lisette and she gave me her info— “in case you ever do a film in Mexico!”
Lynn and I took the long, steep steps back to the base of the Upper Falls. We met David who had several Chinese tourists lining up to take photos of him. “Must be my grey hair and my Hawaiian shirt?”
We took the truck back, feeling cool from the falls. As we were passing a small town two sets of children were lined up alongside the road. Less than three seconds after I saw them I was DRENCHED from a bucket of water. Lynn screamed. She was facing me and didn’t even see it coming. In the next second we were NAILED AGAIN from the other side of the road. This time David got soaked.
We looked out the back of the truck as we sped off. The children were laughing and yelled “Happy New Year!”
Songkran had come a day early, I suppose.
I retired to my room and sat on my porch. And CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT MY PORCH FOR A MOMENT???
I mean… swoon city. A rocking chair? River view?
That night I went to a Storytelling Theatre where one actor talked about the myths and legends of Laos while a musician played Laotian music. It was wonderful.
I ate at The Elephant again, and took a walk across a Bamboo Bridge, that is only set up during the dry season. When the rains come they have to pack up the bridge as the water gets too high. For their pains they ask 5,000 kip to cross, which is about seventy five cents.
My last night in my room… and CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THIS ROOM???
I sat on the porch until quite late sipping tea. I didn’t want it to end. Laos was becoming my favorite place I’d been this whole time in Asia.