Luang Prabang Day 2

Today we met up with the crew from the boat and headed to the Kuang Si waterfalls. Its a 32km trip with 13 of us piled into the back of a songthaew and we got the first taste of the water throwing part of the new year festival.



The rules are simple.

1. It is fine to throw water into moving vehicles. In fact its better as they can't retaliate.

2. Water pistols are fine but buckets are more effective

3. Tourists are the favourite targets



We were drenched 10 times before we arrived at the falls by giggling locals. One bucket landed so effectively in my lap I was left with a small pond with a beetle floating in it.

We arrived at the falls and had some minor haggling arguments between the group on price but that was 10 minutes that couldn't spoil the day.

The falls were gorgeous. The water cascaded down into a pool that was turqoiuse and slightly opaque (I assume from the mineral content). The water ran over rocks but they were coated in what looked like stalitites but muddy and moss covered. The first two ponds you couldn't swim in so we took some photos and then went in search of the swimming area. We climbed up the side to the top of the falls and the water was much clearer and normal coloured and ran over rocks which you could walk over. It felt lovely to have cool water rushing over your feet and hear the roar of the falls. There was also this hole in the rock that ran all the way through to join the water coming out the end- like a reverse blow hole. We have this great video of it.



We then began to think the swimming thing was a farce but saw a sign to a cave and spring water 3km away. So we headed off. The distances quoted are always only loosely accurate and it was a fair trek to the cave but it was worth it. The cave extended for about 50m into the mountain. About half way in we caught up with 4 other guys who were navigating there way around with the flash off their cameras. There were glad we arrived with a headlamp. The cave had lots of little buddha statues and two larger ones as well as crystallised areas of the walls. A bit like jenolan but the mini version (one without lights or pathways). We explored in for a bit before seeing some bats. A which point the two females in the group decided rabies would not be fun and suggested we head back. The boys were a little dissapointed they didn't get to the end but I think were glad for the excuse we gave.

We powered back in the hope to find somewhere to cool off before meeting the songthaew to go back. The swimming area was huge and had three tiers (reminding me of the 46m buddha that was hiding from us in bangkok). There was a small waterfall you could jump off into the water and a rope swing that the locals made good use of as well. The water was beautiful and cool and it was rivalled Ko Rok for the best swimming so far. There were lots of locals being the weekend which made the atmosphere that bit more jubuliant. Jono jumped off the top of the waterfall, somewhat hesitantly but survived nonetheless. On our way back to the front gate we saw some rescued sunbears hanging about in their kindergarten playground enclosure. It was a mile in front of the elephant enclosure in Thailand. These sunbears had been poached and the poachers caught and hopefully dealt with, while the sunbears were put in a safe enclosure because they simply would have been caught again if they had been released back into the forest. They are the smallest bear in the world, but still have some big teeth.

We watched the sun set from the hill over the Mekong the had a few drinks with the Irish couple we met in a garden bar that serves Beerlao as well as buckets of tiger beer, lao lao (whisky) cocktails and gives a free shot of pink whisky on arrival.

Pink whisky is not good for you.

We had to run the last few hundreds metres home to escape the torrential downpour that started at 12am. As if the weather was enforcing the nightly curfew here.