Itinerary 2008 - China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos

Date(s): Location(s): Transport
--------------------------------
1/1: Shanghai -> Kunming: Air
1/2: Kunming
1/3: Kunming -> Lunan: Bus
1/4: Lunan
1/5: Lunan -> Kunming: Bus
1/6: Kunming -> Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma): Air
1/7-1/10: Mandalay
1/11: Mandalay -> Pyin Oo Lwin: Shared Taxi
1/12: Pyin Oo Lwin
1/13: Pyin Oo Lwin -> Hsipsaw (Thipaw): Train
1/14: Hsipsaw (Thipaw)
1/15: Hsipsaw -> Mandalay: Train + Pickup
1/16-1/17: Mandalay -> Bagan: Boat
1/18-1/21: Bagan
1/22: Bagan -> Kalaw: Bus ride from hell
1/23,24: Kalaw
1/25: Kalaw -> Pindaya -> Inle Lake: Hired Car
1/26-28: Inle Lake
1/29: Inle Lake -> Yangon (Rangoon): Fly from Heho to Yangon
1/30-2/2: Yangon
2/3: Yangon -> Vientiane, Laos: Air
2/4-2/6: Vientiane
2/7: Vientiane -> Vang Vieng: Minivan
2/8-2/11: Vang Vieng
2/12: Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang: Bus
2/13-2/19: Luang Prabang
2/20: Luang Prabang -> Nong Khiaw: Boat
2/21: Nong Khiaw:
2/22: Nong Khiaw -> Muang Noi: Boat
2/23-24: Muang Noi
2/25: Muang Noi -> Nong Khiaw (Boat) -> Oodomxai (Van) -> Luang Nam Tha (Bus)
2/26: Luang Nam Tha
2/27: Luang Nam Tha -> Muang Sing: Van
2/28-29: Muang Sing
3/1: Muang Sing -> Luang Nam Tha: Van
3/2: Luang Nam Tha, Laos -> Mengla, China : Bus

I love technology

We are in Muang Sing, Laos, a tiny town 10km fom the Chinese border.
There are no internet cafes here, but our China Mobile phone started
working! This entry is posted from our Nokia N800 using our cellphone
as a modem via Bluetooth.

Our Canon Powershot S70 ... (updated)

... has become a paperweight. The lens barrel started to have trouble retracting and I got the dreaded E18 error code. After several days of intermittent troubles, it finally stopped working at all.

There were only 4 brands/models of compact digital camera available in Luang Prabang - all overpriced. So after some online research, we bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS70. Ho hum. No wide angle as we were used to, so it has taken a while to get familiar with it.

Laos - A lot of tourists

Chinese New Year has come and gone. There are still a lot of tourists in Laos. In Luang Prabrang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, arguably one of the best preserved historic cities in SE Asia, tourists easily outnumber locals. During the morning alms collection, there are more tourists photographing than monks with alms bowls. I know we are subtracting from the experience by being there ourselves. LP has long been on my list of places to be. It is a little underwhelming, but I could not say that I am disappointed.

Monks receiving alms.


Now we have gone up the Nam Oo, a tributary of the Mekong, to a tiny village called Nong Khiaw. Again tourists almost outnumber locals here. It is easy to see why people are attracted to this place, the scenery is awesome.

Nong Khiaw: Our bungalow on the far right.

Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Here in Vientiane, the local Chinese are marking the new year with offerings to the ancestors - food, paper money, incense, candles - and Lion Dances to drive away evil spirits. But no fireworks. One family had a whole roasted pig set out on the sidewalk in front of their small store.

Yesterday, we spent an hour at the largest Chinese temple watching the young men and boys practice their lion dancing, martial arts routines, drumming, and flag bearing. This morning, they all piled into three large trucks and are going around to businesses and temples to perform the rituals.

The.local Vietnamese are also celebrating Tet, their Lunar New Year.

Vientiane is hopping...

... with tourists. In the last 24 hours we have seen more independent travelers than we saw in the whole of Myanmar in four weeks. John exclaimed, “there are more tourists here than in Rome!”

We had a such a hard time finding a room that last night we took the last available room (without a bathroom and up 3 flights of stairs) at the Orchid Guesthouse, just 3 minutes ahead of another couple from the same flight.

After looking at over a dozen places this morning, we now have a nice home at the RV Riverine with bathroom en suite, Wi-Fi, and breakfast buffet. Yes!!!

Burma to Lao

We will be flying from Yangon to Vientiane via Bangkok on Feb 3rd,
which is the last day for our Burmese visa. We are expecting to get a
30-day visa for Laos. This will put us back in China no later than
Mar 4th.