Bindu's Repose

Update from Luang PBang

So I've been in Luang PBang (Laos) for just over a week. Turns out that many of the shops are closed on Sunday so things livened up quite a lot the day after I got here. I've seen lots of museums, temples, been hiking, biking and motor cycling around. One expedition to a big local waterfall was worth the whole trip to Laos! The view from the bottom and the opportuity for a swim was really nice, but a 15 minute hike up the mountain and then into! the waterfall revealed a couple of really lovely pools for swiming in, with water falling from above then going over the lip of the pools and falling down bellow. Very dramatic and really just wonderfull!!! (Thanks Jewels for the tip!!!!)

That being said, I'm feeling quite mixed about being here. I'm not taken by the city as much as I had expected to be, and I'm really not sure what to do about my trip into China, which is both a thrilling prospect and a daunting one. I think I'll leave for Vian Vieng on Wednesday and spend a few days there. Then head down to Vientien. I can then fly to China directly or head back to Thailand and use my existing Bangkok-Hong Kong ticket. On top of the trepidation I'm feeling about going into China, I'm also not sure about my itinerary once there. I have been planning for a long time to go to Yunnan province, Hong Kong and up the east coast to Shianghai, however after reading a bunch about Yunnan, I'm less inclined to go there and instead I think I'll focus my time on the east coast, as it contains the major tea producing reagions I'm interested in visiting. This may also give me enough time to visit Bajing, which seems more interesting now than when I started the trip. The confusion I'm feeling has to do with breaking my existing plans which were pretty arbitrary for another set of plans which are still pretty arbitrary and not having a good mean of getting a sanity check (Other than just telling myself to jump :)

Much love to you all!!!

-- Bindu