Laos

After experiencing the most hectic layover of my life, which involved cutting past 4 separate lines of non-English speaking people, I met up with my friend Monica in Luang Prabang.


Laotian food is amazing.  Between endless street food stands, a restaurant that helps train marginalized children, and a 5 hour cooking class, there was no shortage of incredible dishes to feast upon.  New dishes I ate included:

1. Crepes filled with pickled crab, cheese, and chili sauce.  Delightful.

2. Sticky rice whiskey.  I bought a little bottle for Bill, but the airport security told me I couldn't bring it on the plane because it was made of glass.  So I asked for their discarded bottled waters, rinsed out my travel-sized Listerine container, and filled it with whiskey.  True story.


3. Grilled honeycomb.  It was surprisingly bland.

4. Orange jackfruit.  I didn't even know this existed.  It was sweeter than the usual yellow jackfruit.

5. Monica's favorite: soup flavored with pepperwood.

6. And my personal favorite: stuffed deep-fried lemongrass!  Love, love, love!


I also ate a ton of coconuts.  Here I am feeling happy after devouring the smallest sweetest coconut I've ever had with the largest juiciest coconut I've ever had.


I did the usual Asian touristy things: had two massages (including one with herbal compresses which is popular in Laos), watched a couple sunsets (one from a mountain and the other from a boat), and visited a few temples.


Monica and I went on an all-day tour.  We took a boat to caves and saw bears at a rescue center.


The prettiest part of the tour was hiking/swimming at Kuang Si waterfalls.  The water was an unreal clear turquoise color.


Unfortunately, the tour also unexpectedly involved seeing abused enslaved elephants.  When the elephants weren't being forced to wear seats and take people for rides, they were chained to trees.  It was complete heartbreak.  I don't know how people can be so cruel.