Laos

So, Laos. I wish I had a long, exciting, redemptive blog post about Laos. I wish I could write about the beautiful places and fun adventures. But set backs appear to be a part of my time in Southeast Asia. I intended to visit Luang Prabang and then head off for a bucket list adventure.. three days ziplining, hiking and sleeping in a treehouse on a tour called the Gibbon Experience. Until I arrived in Luang Prabang to find an email saying that all tours had been cancelled for the next week due to an accident. This was hard to take. I'd actually rearranged so many plans just to make it in time for the tour I had booked. First, I had a minor pity party with others whose tours had been cancelled. Then I counted myself lucky when I heard the tours were cancelled due to a death, not just an accident. I spent my time exploring Luang Prabang before heading to northern Thailand early. So here's my short tale of what I did in Laos...
First, exploring the Kuang Si waterfalls...

Enjoying a hike up to a great view..

The amazing pools..

And a swim in the beautiful blue water...

Then a bike ride all around the city. Enjoying views of the Mekong..

A visit to the temple at the Royal palace..

Climbing the stairs at Phou Si Mountain for a great view ..

And a stop at the UXO visitors center for some quick learning about the cluster bombs dropped on Laos during the Vietnam war. Once again realizing how much I can learn about the countries I visit. I found the bombs and flower display outside particularly striking...

So there you have it. Laos seems like an incredibly interesting, quiet, friendly country. I am sad that my experience was tainted. But I'm also happy to be able to spend extra days exploring the north of Thailand. Getting good at finding those silver linings!!