Vzhod Laosa/East of Laos

Na poti iz centralnega Laosa na vzhod sem spoznala simpaticno Lauro (principessa iz Italije) in Luisa iz Spanije - totalne face. Ta predel je precej hribovit, nenaseljen, kar je pomenilo, da tu skozi na vzhod Laosa pelje samo 1 avtobus/dan... torej sredi dneva smo nepredvideno koncali v vasici sredi hribov (bogu za hrbtom), kjer smo cakali na edini bus, ki je peljal tu skozi ob polnoci. Imeli smo ogromno casa da smo raziskali tradicionalno zivljenje odmaknjene vasice,....

On the way from central Laos to the East I met Laura (principessa) from Italy and Luis from Spain-fun people... This part is very mountainous and rural, which means that there is only one bus in a day that passes through. We ended in a small village waiting for the only bus until midnight... we had plenty of time to experience the traditonal life in rural village.....

...nic elektrike, kar pomeni lusenje riza na roke in susenje mesa na soncu (ni hladilnika),/no electricity, no fridge (pilling rice by hands, drying meat on sun)...

...ni ledu (sam topla coca-cola)... sola narejena iz bambusa,... /no ice (only warm Coke), school made of baboo without windows and with next 'thought'...










....je pa reka za osvezitev in pranje perila :) Vsi se kopajo vec ali manj obleceni... sploh pa deklice in zenske, torej bele europejke v kopalkah smo bile prava atrakcija otroke... so kr pozabli na reko in slaufe (fotka pove vse).
...and river for swimming and washing your clothes :) Everybody are dressed while bathing, especially girls and women... so white european girls in swiming suit was real attraction for kids... suddenly they forgot all the joy of the river and tubing (photo shows everything).











Po 12-ih urah voznje z busom smo koncno prispeli v neturisticno oddaljeno mesto - SAM NEUA. Naslednji dan smo obiskali sosednjo vasico Vieng Xai - vasico z 400 jamami, kjer je med Vietnamsko vojno 10 let operirala Laoska vojska in kjer so ziveli domacini. Lahko smo videli sobe, kuhinjo, gledalisko dvorano in kraterje okoli jam, ki so jih povzrocile bombe. Brrrr. After 12 hours of bus ride we finally arrived in very distant town without any turists - SAM NEUA. Next day we visited Vieng Xai - village with 400 caves where army headquarter operated and local pepole were leaving for 10 years while Vietnam's war. We could see rooms, kitchen, theater hall and bomb carters around the limestone hills with caves. Very impresive.










Ob povratku v centralni Laos smo se ustavili v mestu Phonsavan - mesto s skrivnostnimi kamnitimi posodami razlicne velikosti. Posode so vec kot 2000 let stare. Zakaj so jih uporabljali, bo najverjetneje za vedno ostala skrivnost, predvidevajo da so bile uporabljene za zbiranje vode.
On our way back to central Laos we stopped in Phonsavan - town with misterious places of jars around. The jars different sizes made of stone are more than 2000 years old. Why they were used will always remain the secret. It is supposed that they were used for collecting the water...










Tegale pajkca si pa le poblize poglejte.../You shall see this spider closer...

LUANG PRABANG - CENTRALNI LAOS

Ze na Tajskem sem srecala dve Nemki, Evo in Aleks, in Americana Skee, s katerimi sem prezivela prvi teden Laosa. Po preckanju meje smo se vkrcali v barko, ki nas je popeljala po reki Mekong do zelo turisticnega mesta Luang Phrabang.

Just a few days before leaving Thailand I have met 2 German girls: Eva & Alex and American guy Skee. I have spent 10 wonderful days with them. After crosing the river to Laos we took a slow boat to the city Luang Prabang (center of Laos).

Ker je potovanje trajalo 2 dni, je bil vmesni postanek/nocitev v izjemno majhni vasici, kjer smo nasli sobo s pogledom na reko Mekong.

Because the trip as 2 days... so we stopped in mini village to stay over night. We found a room wiht a view over the Mekong river.

Ob 22.30 v vasi ostanejo brez elektrike, nismo se pustili pregnati v postelje in smo pozno v noc vztrajali ob zvezdah in svecah. Lastniki so nam pripravili nekaj domacih tradicionalnih jedi in ponudili tradicionalno pijaco - domace rizevo zganje - Lao Lao (pijaca znacilna za Laos). Jst recem SNOPC = SNOPC, pa ne glede na to kje ga pijes in iz cesa je. Vem, da se pivci snopca ne boste strinjali z mano... sam tok jst recem, vi pa ga kr pijte.
Nekateri so zakinkali in dejansko prespali kar na verandi.... drugi smo preganjali cas ob fotkanju s svecami.

The village has the electricity only between 18.00 and 22.30 in the night. But of course that did not bother us and the evening continued in the night with candels and night stars. The owners prepared us some traditional food and offered traditional drink - home made rice spirit - called Lao Lao. I say SNAPS = SNAPS - no matter where you drink it and of what is made. I know that most 'snaps lovers' disagree with me.... but that is what I think. Some of them fel asleep on the porch... the others spent time with taking photoes by the candels.

Po dveh dneh prispeli v Luang Phrabang. Mesto očara marsikaterega popotnika in turista, ponuja kar nekaj znamenitosti, predvsem pa je zanimiva arhitektura - majhne hiske v francoskem stilu... Ogledali smo si templja Wat Xieng Thong in Wat Wisunlat, slednji ponuja enkraten razgled nad mestom.

After 2 days we finally arrived in Luang Prabang. The city impresses every traveller and turist... Night market, architecture of the old citiy is interesting - small houses in french style.... there are some sights to see: the tempel Wat Xien Thong and Wat Wisunlat, the last one offers nice view over the city.

Seveda smo morali raziskati nocno zivljenje Laosa in po obisku nocnega kluba ugotovili, da so Laosani pravi zaspanci. Zurka se zakljucuje ze ob polnoci, ko smo mi sele zares zaceli zurat. Odvecno energijo smo porabili za fotkanje v mini taxiju t.i. TUK-TUK (bolje receno motorincku s kolibo zadaj).

Of course we needed to explore the night life in Laos.... after visiting the night club we found out that Lao pepole are 'asleep'. The party is ending at midnight, when we just started to party... The rest of the energy was spent for photo shooting in mini taxi - named TUK-TUK (better to say motorbike with hovel at the back).

Po 'naporni' noci smo se 'sestavljali' na čudovitih slapovih Kuang Si. Se bolj zanimivo je bilo pred odhodom nabiranje folka po mestu... namrec sofer 'tuk-tuk-a' ni hotel odriniti, dokler ni napolnil kolibice. Torej, da bi cimprej odrinili smo mu pomagali in se ob voznji po mestu drli: 'Tuk-tuk waterfalls, tuk-tuk waterfalls' in v manj kot 5 min nas je bila skupinica 12-ih ljudi pripravljeni na osvezitve!!! Na vrhu slapov je modrozelena laguna v kateri smo se ohladili, saj je vlažnost v zraku tukaj zelo visoka. Tudi Budisticni Monki so se prisli osvezit.... in presenetljivo.... niso se upirali pogovorom in fotkanju z nami. Prave face.

After 'hard' night we went to refresh ourselves in wonderfull Waterfalls Kuang SI. But before leaving, was interesting collecting people in the city... The 'tuk-tuk' driver didn't want to leave until he would fill his little hovel. So to leave as soon as possible we helped him and while driving through the city we screamed: 'Tuk-tuk waterfalls, tuk-tuk waterfalls'. In less than 5 min we were 12 pepole on tuk-tuk ready to go on waterfalls. At the toop there is blue-green lagoon where we take a refreshing bath. Also Budist Monks came for refreshement.... and surprising they did not mind talking and taking photoes with us.

3 x preckanje meje in reke Mekong

Zelo zgodaj smo spakirali in se odpravili proti reki Mekong za preckanje meje.
No moje preckanje meje se je valda mal ZAKOMPLICIRALO... - SAM DA MI KEJ POLEPSA DAN, PA SM SRECNA!!!! :D...









Za vstop v Laos moras pridobit zig Tajske carine. Pri meni se je carinik malo zgubljal, ker je moral locevati zlepljene papirje.... Valda sem se mu na veliko opravicevala in mu objasnila, da je to posledica Songkran festivala-vodnega festivala. Dobim potni list, se vkrcamo v barcico in preckam mejo. Pridobim viso za Laos (to je blo se najbl easy) in se postavim v vrsto za zig za vstop v Laos. Valda.... spet se carinik ubada z zlepljenimi listi in me vprasa, ce imam mogoce se en potni list.... Ne me jugat. 'Sorry nimam, zakaj?' On meni, da ne najde Tajskega ziga... Valda uni Tajski stor mi je pozabu dat zig. In brez Tajskega ziga ne mores vstopit v Laos. Spet moram placat barcico v obe smeri in spet me cajt base (ladja, ki nas je popeljala proti centru Laosa je odplula v roku slabe ure). No sej v 'Loneliju' je pisalo, da preverimo, ce smo dobili zig pred vstopom v Laos...... 'sam ne... meni se to ne more zgodit'. Spet preckam reko, letim na Tajsko carino... uni me cudno gleda in res ugotovi, da je pozabu dat zig. Ti Tajci, vidjo belko s cucami, pa so ze zmedeni (hm, hm, hm... tajke skor da nimajo cuc) :D

In valda Tanja ne more bit tiho... dobim zig in potni list in preden grem, mu u stosu prjavim: 'Si mi dolzn pivo, ker sm mogla 2x placat barcico?!?' Preden preckam reko, se letim na WC. Vsi popotniki so ze na drugi strani. Jaz iz WC-ja in vidi ti tega Tajskega carinika - prileti za mano in mi turi 20 Bahtov v roke... in pravi: 'Tu imas za barcico' Ne mors verjet... sm se sam hecala, da mi je dolzn pivo (vsi se lahko kdaj zmotmo)... no pa sm mela placane pol poti.

PIKANTNO/SPICY

Pikantno na Tajskem by Twonka:

• POTNI LIST 1: Nekateri ze veste mnogo zgodbic z mojimi potnimi listi.... tudi tokrat ne uidejo... Prvi teden potjem sama... varnostni ukrepi: skrijem PL v sobi pod blazino, ne bo fajn, ce izgubim potni list al pa da mi ga kdo sune.... Naslednje jutro spakiram, odpesacim do avtobusne postaje, najdem bus za Lopburi in zasedem zic... do odhoda se 40 minut, hm kaj naj... bom mal nastudirala 'Lonely-ja'. Mulci zakljucli solo pridejo na bus, mamice s frocki, nona pride na bus, sede poleg mene in mi ponuja kuhane araside. O SRANJE, MOJ PASUS!!! Ki sm,... a sm se v istem mest.... ja.... poberem ruzak in crtaaaaaaaaaa..... noge me nesejo kot kobilico (tistih 15kg na rami ni nic). Prletim v sobo, soba ze pociscena... Letim na recepcijo, valda rabijo 100 let, da najdejo nekoga ki govori polomljeno anglescino. Po 10 min objasnevanja in popotniskih vaj za roke, se odpravijo brskat po rjuhah. In YES.... I got it! Twonka rojena pod srecno zvezdo... Laufam nazaj na avtobusno, busa najbrz ne bo tam, ker je ze mimo....in evo ga pocasi leze skozi mesto in JUMP ON... ostala brez zica... bols k brez PL.
• POTNI LIST 2: Tedenski najem motorja se je zakljucil ravno v zacetku Songrkran festivala, ko smo se vsi polivali z vodo. Ko sm vrnila motor, sm dobila nazaj PL...vedla sem, da ne bo ostal suh do hotela, zato sm ga zavila v vrecko.... Ja valda.... vsi te oblivajo z vodo, kar je skor isto kot da bi te celega vrgli v vodo.... in valda se je PL POPOLNOMA ZMOCIL. Hvala bogu nasa drzavica ocitno zna izbrat material za potni list... tko da je ostal v enaki obliki... Ne bom komentirala Tajske vize - o bog!!! ZIG je bil kr precej bled, ampak so me na meji izpustili ven in upam, da me bodo tudi naslednjic noter :)
• POKVARJENO?!?! : Ste me sprasevali, ce sm ze kej popravla... aja pukvarla :) JUP - 2 KRAT VODA NI NEHALA TEC - k sreci ni blo poplave - dober odtok, ZLOMILA POSLO - stari les, ZLOMILA ROCAJKO ZAVORE NA MOTORJU - se vedno je en koscek v moji torbici... k sreci odnesla brez placil!!! Lucky me!!!
  POKVARJENO.... MA KAJ JE KSN PROBLEM?!?!? O ja... po tem dogodku sem skoraj 99%, da tudi Tajci upostevajo 1. APRIL!!! Na Tajskem sem veliko uporabljala lokalne buse in nikoli se ni nic extra zgodilo, razen na ta dan. Avtobus je najprej imel zamudo, potem je po avtocesti vozil 40km/h in po 4-ih urah, ko naj bi prispei v izbrano mesto, smo avtobus zamenjali v avtobus-parku (ocitno je bilo z njim nekaj narobe-ob postankih so motor polivali z vodo). Vsi celi happy smo tokrat drveli proti cilju. Ampak ne dolgo.... cez pol ure se je tudi DRUGI AVTOBUS POKVARIL!!!! Ja normalno, sej je Twonka na busu. :D Tokrat smo obticali sredi AC in cakali na TRETJI ODRESILNI BUS!!!! Na cilj smo prispeli v 7-ih urah (namesto v stirih)
• ''MOKER SANDAL'' Ker se vecina Tajcev pred vhodom v hiso sezuje, seveda tudi popotniki upostevamo njihove navade. Pred hostlom se sezujem in pustim sandale na policki pred vhodom.... Ker je zunaj malenkost rosilo obujem japonke in zabluzim po mestu... pridem nazaj in opazim, da je en sandal moker... ok, mal dezja je naneslo na moj sandal.... ni panike, jih bom odnesla v sobo, da se ne zmocijo do konca. Pridem v sobo in neki smrrrrdiiiiiiiiiiii na polno. No shit... sandal!!!! O ja..... I LOVE DOGS, ampak to je pa visek!!!! Sej vem, da pred tem niso disali, ampak res ni treba, da mi jih pes poscije. Shit pa se usnjeni so!!!! Sm vedla, da bi mogla poslusat Cernija:"Ne kupit usnjenih" ... Splahovanje 2 krat, namakanje 12 ur, pranje 2 krat, susenje na pekocem soncu 2 krat po pet ur (da skurim vse bakterije), se vedno smrdi, dam v pranje v pralni stroj... Ja valda... se vedno smrdi in disi po prasku. A j... ga noge so noge in jih obujem in nosim. Vse ok.... 14 dni potovanja, dokler se ne usuje dez.... objasni ti sopotnikom celo storijo.... in pejdi na bus z mokrimi sandali, 'prijetnih vonjav'... K sreci majo vsi busi klimo naturale... Po mesecu dni in se nekaj pranjih so v veliko boljsem stanju, no ja, kdaj pa kdaj se film zavrti, ko odpiram predal s sandali v nahrbtniku :)
  ....
  CIAO (LA GOWN) TAJSKA IN POZDRAVCEK (SABAI DI) LAOS!!!!

Zlati trikotnik/Golden Triangle

Preden sem zapustila Tajsko in odplula v Laos, sem si ogledala se zadnjo zanimivost vredno ogleda v tej regiji.... Zlati trikotnik-tromeja med Laosom, Tajsko in Burmo... locuje jih samo reka Mekong. Za mano sedeci buda z 99% zlata ....zal je bil pretezek za ga ukrast ;).
Before leaving Thailand and going in Laos I visited the last worth-seeing monument in this part of Thailand....Golden Triangle. The place where Thailand, Burma and Laos are touching each other, only the river is separating them. Behind me also sitting budha made of gold (99%).... unfortunately to heavy to take it away :)

Je ze cas, da kej napisem.... It is time to write something after a long time....

Ze mesec je mimo, ko smo na Tajskem proslavljali novo leto 2551... Ni mi
jasno kje je ostalih 243 let? :D Praznovanje novega leta Tajci imenujejo Songkran festival oz. 'water war'. Za 4 dni se zaprejo vse trgovine, banke,.... kar pomeni, vsi na ulice in akcija.... oblivanje z vodo... mladi, stari, tujci & Tajci, vse kar miga in kar gre. Spodnji film vse pove (fotoaparat je ostal na varnem v sobi):
One month passed since we celebrated Thai New Year 2551... I do not get where is the rest of 243 years?!? :D Celebrating is called Songkran festival or 'water war'. All the shops, banks,... closes dawn for 4 days, which means... everybody on the streets and action.... throwing buckets of water all around... young, old, foreigns & Thai people. The movie below will explain everything (my camera was most of the time safely in the room):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdLRkK6-XIY&feature=related

Po nori tridnevni zabavi je sledil preborat... 10 dnevna meditacija v Budisticnem samostanu. Kaj to pomeni, 10 dni si samo ti in tvoja glava... Dobis napotke za meditacijo v sedecem in stojecem stanju. Posebna pravila: 10 dni brez mobitela in interneta, bele obleke, vstajanje ob 04.00 zjutraj, dva obroka dnevno, prvi ob 06.00, drugi in zadnji ob 10.30. Za tem samo mleko, sladoled ali jogurt. Se pocutis kot v neki sekti :)
Ker je tezko spremenit bioritem, sem po 4-ih dneh pricela vstajati ob 6-ih, da je meditacija bila bolj uspesna. Po desetih dneh so tvoje misli in tvoja glava prevetrena, kristalno jasne misli,...si kot prerojen. Ampak... nic skrbet... se vedno ostajam ista Twonka :)
After crazy 3 days long water party the change was coming.... 10 days of meditation in Monasteri. What that means, 10 days is only you and your head... You get instructions how to meditate in siting and walking position. Special rules: 10 days without mobile phone and internet, white clothes, gettig up at 4' clock in the morming, two meals a day, first at 6'o clock, second and the last at 10.30. After you are alowed to drink milk, eat ice-cream or yogurt. You feel like you joined sect. After 10 days your thoughts and head are clean... you are a new person. No worries... still the same as I was before.

V samostanu sem spoznala noro Irko... Ruth, Brazilca Lea in Angleza Mike. Meditacijo smo nadaljevali z motorji ;) ... odpravli smo se na slapove Nacionalnega parka Doi Inthanon in dosegli najvisji vrh Tajske (2500m). Brrrrr. Ni snega, je pa mraz.
In Monastery I met crazy girl form Ireland... Ruth, Brazilian guy Leo and Mike from England. After meditation we rented motorbikes (jupiii) and went to see waterfalls in National park Doi Inthanon and reached the highest peak in Thailand (2500m). Brrr. No snow, but was cold anyway.

Vas pisanih deznikov/Umbrella village

Z Jennifer (Avstralka) sva obiskali vasico deznikov in vroce izvire v okolici CM. Ker je to bilo dan pred pricetkom festivala sva vedeli, sva v roku 5-ih minut bili popolnoma mokri. Najprej sva obiskali tovarno papirja, ki je bolj zgledala farma, ki izdeluje papir iz lesa. Za tem sva obiskali prodajalno in center kjer deznike izdelujejo.
Me and Jennifer (girl from Australia) decided to visit Umbrella village and Hot Springs near CM. Although we knew that we will get totally wet on the way cos this was just 1 day before the Songkran festival. First we visited the paper factory which looked more like farm that produces paper from woods and after we visited the store and the center where they make umbrellas.















V Sankampaeng vrocih izvirih sva se okopali v vodi s 35 stopinjami in skuhali vecerjo - JAJCKA v bazenu s 105 stopinjami.
We were swiming in Sankampaeng hot springs (35 degrees) and cooked our dinner - EGGS in a pool with 105 degrees.