Day 8: Vang Vien

Day eight was probably the most exciting and action-packed day of my trip. I had two objectives: first, rent a bike and ride across the river to go caving and, second, go tubing down the river. Bike riding/caving was to be my morning activity with tubing in the afternoon. While I was able to fit in both, things didn't go quite as I imagined. But, that's the beauty of a trip like this, it's usually FULL of surprises!

As soon as I'd rented a bike, the first drops of rain began to fall. I took the toll bridge across the river (it may have been 25 cents to cross) and headed off into the karsts. Once off the main road, all pavement disappeared and I was happy that I'd gotten a trail-style bike.

The view was absolutely GORgeous! After the view, the thing that struck me most was the level of activity on the road. Even though it was quite rural, there were plenty of people on the road either on foot, bicycle or scooter. Folks were on the move!

Day 8: Vang Vien

The hotel I stayed at in Vang Vien was called The Elephant Crossing and, as the British would say, it was lovely! I woke up my first morning, pulled back the curtains and took in the most incredible view. The rock formations across the river are referred to as karsts. This was a new term for me.

The first photo was taken from the back of my room while the second is from my balcony. Like I said, it was absolutely LOVEly!

Day 7: Vang Vien

While strolling down the main street, I ran into these two little cuties. As you can see, they were totally into having their picture taken. Although...is she giving me the hand?!?

Interesting thing about kids in Laos, they appeared to be totally unsupervised. Even kids this small could be seen wandering around without an adult anywhere in sight. Now, I'm sure that there was a parent somewhere nearby but this is a far cry from here at home where I've actually seen kids on leashes.

Day 7: Vang Vien

Prepare to enter the "Happy" Zone.....

Laos in general and Vang Vien in particular is keen to draw in the backpacker crowd. This group consists of twenty-something Euros, Aussies, Kiwis and Americans with the occasional Korean or Japanese who are traveling the globe for months on end looking for endless adventure and experience. Think of it as an extended spring break with a bunch of cultural experience thrown in with the partying.

One major attraction Vang Vien offers is the "happy" meal. In various restaurants along the main street, you can order your "happy" shake, pancake, etc. laced with hash, meth, marijuana and other assorted drugs. Needless to say, pretty CRAY-zee!

But, if that weren't crazy enough, let's get surreal. In most of these bars, they were playing endless reruns of the sitcom Friends. Yes, THAT Friends. If you zoom in on the TVs at the front of the restaurant, you can make out Joey sitting on the couch in Central Perk maybe some time around Season 4. My guidebook had warned me of this but I don't think I was prepared for the reality of it. Forget the Happy Zone. I was feeling like I'd entered the Twilight Zone!

I did eventually sit down to enjoy Friends but never got "happy."

Day 7: Vang Vien

I walked across one of the foot bridges over to the island and, though I'm not exactly sure, I believe I wandered into Smile Bar. Given that it was me and maybe two other people, it was clear that things wouldn't start happening till much later.

The bar was completely open-air and consisted of a series of huts clustered around a central fire pit. Although it's not clear in the photo, each hut had hammocks which allowed for some MAjor hanging out (pun intended).

Sadly, this was my one and only trip to the island bars and what I'm sure was a happening scene. I had the opportunity to go the following night but I pulled out my I'm-not-so-young-anymore-and-need-my-rest card. I probably missed a pretty interesting time....

Day 7: Vang Vien

After a brief rest, I left the hotel to do a little exploring. While quite compact, Vang Vien was packed with backpacker activities. It appeared to be a veritable playground for twenty-somethings traveling the world looking for a good time. It was becoming clear to me that Vang Vien was Southeast Asia party central.

The two foot bridges in the picture led out to an island that was home to a multitude of bars. The sign above the bridge on the right is welcoming you to Lucky Bar while the one of the left is inviting you to Smile Bar. The people of Vang Vien clearly wanted nothing else than for you to be happy (more on that later). Personally, I was feeling pretty good!

Day 7: Vang Vien

After wandering around for a bit, I eventually found my hotel The Elephant Crossing which was absolutely lovely. The hotel was on the river and across the river the view was stunning!

Once I was settled into my room, I went down to the deck on the water that served as a restaurant/bar. I ordered a nice, cool beverage and just soaked everything in. Several inner-tubers came floating down the river as I relaxed. And I thought, THAT is something I DEFinitely need to do!

Day 7: Vientiane to Vang Vien

Travel from Vientiane to Vang Vien was fairly uneventful.......once I got started. I arrived at the bus station and was approached by a man who asked where I was going. I said Vang Vien and he offered to take me to a "VIP bus." Luckily, I had read that the VIP bus was the preferred way to travel or I would have blown him off and bought a ticket on the local bus which would have taken MUCH longer. Once I agreed, he promptly put me on the back of a tuck-tuck and dropped me at a travel agent who set me up with a VIP ticket.

The bus was full of backpackers from Europe. Australia, and New Zealand and there was a Japanese guy I talked to who was traveling for months with only a back-pack the size most people carry their books in. Amazing!

When, I got off the bus in Vang Vien, I was struck by a blazing heat along with an amazing level of humidity. I went the wrong direction while looking for my hotel and when I turned to go back the above scene greeted me. I thought, "Oh my God. This is it! I've stumbled upon Shangri La!"

The palm trees, the river, the foot bridges, the mountains in the background and the HEAT created a magical atmosphere. I knew I had arrived somewhere particularly special.

Day 7: Vientiane

When talking about the Morning Market, I mentioned that it reminded me that I was in the Third World. However, I may have over-romanticized things a bit when I said that the disorganization and eclecticism of the market was preferable to the strip malls, parking lots and order of home.

The reality of the Third World struck much harder when I entered the Lao National Museum. This is THE national museum and it was absolutely decrepit. Pealing paint, bare floor boards and exhibits that were absolutely amateurish.

There are moments during my travels when I'm completely humbled to realize that I did nothing to deserve where I was born in space and time. It's embarrassing that I should breeze through as a privileged tourist while locals are left in their daily struggle to survive. I pray to God that I can help in some small way. Needless to say, it's a challenging and difficult prayer.

Day 6: Vientiane

Don't they refer to the Mekong as the mighty Mekong River? Well, if they don't, they should. The bed of the river is absolutely immense. Although you can't see it in the photo, there were spaces amongst the brush the size of soccer fields where groups were playing. They looked like mere dots from where I was standing.

Stretched along the banks of the river were outdoor restaurant after outdoor restaurant. And, although I had just eaten, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sit down and enjoy another cold BeerLao while soaking up the atmosphere. I can't imagine a more appropriate way to have finished up my first day in Laos.

Day 6: Vientiane

Jazzercize alive and well in Laos?!?

After finishing dinner, I took a stroll further down the riverfront. I heard a booming bass and thought, "Oh no! A pirated CD shop advertising their wares by pumping the latest trash-pop tune into the street!"

Imagine my surprise when I approached an outdoor stage where five lycra-clad ladies were leading a large group in an outdoor version of Body Pump. OK, I really have NO idea what Body Pump is but, if it's as energetic as this was, it's a killer work-out.

Seriously, this was a jaw-dropping moment for me. I couldn't stop smiling. It was just so dang bizarre!

Day 6: Vientiane

Every trip has a few defining moments and this was one of them. If you recall, I'd just barely escaped from China earlier in the day. When I finally got to Laos, I took a tuck-tuck from the airport to my hotel, visited a couple of national monuments and then walked a few miles into town for dinner. I was completely bushed.

I found a restaurant next to the Mekong River and it was absolutely tranquil. Everything and everyone was totally chill and I sat back in my chair with a full-body sigh and thought, "I am half-way round the world sitting next to the Mekong River having dinner! Amazing! How is this possible?!?"

Next stop on my walk to dinner was the Talat Sao which, I believe, translates to The Morning Market. I did not actually venture into the market but walked around back to the bus station to check on what time the bus would be leaving the next day for Vang Vieng.

Up to this point, Laos was feeling pretty modern and well-kept. The market reminded me that I was definitely in the third world. However, I don't necessarily mean this in a bad way. We have long since gotten rid of anything this eclectic and disorganized and replaced it with strip malls and parking lots and order.

Day 6: Vientiane

For a fee (50 cents maybe), you could climb to the top of the Patuxai. It was absolutely sweltering. About half-way up, there was an open, yet stuffy room jammed with tourists trinkets. It was a little shabby and depressing......BUT, at the top of the arch there was a wonderful breeze and the most amazing view of the city AND I got what is one of my favorite pictures of trip.

I'd like to think they designed it this way but I bet it happens to be a bit of chance. Check out how the wrought-iron Buddha sculpture almost perfectly matches the design of the street and park below. LOVE it!

Day 6: Vientiane

After visiting Pha That Luang, I decided to walk into town to get something to eat. About halfway between my guest house and the center of the city was the Patuxai which is the Laos equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However, unlike it's French equivalent, the Patuxai has four arches (one on each side) rather than two.

Fun fact: The Patuxai was built in the 1960s with US-purchased cement that was supposed to have been used for the construction of a new airport. Therefore, it's sometimes called "the vertical runway."

Day 6: Vientiane

As I was leaving Pha That Luang, a group of boys came up and started playing a game that seemed like a cross between hacky sack and soccer. Given that this is a major national monument, it was interesting that there was no security to shoo them away. They just wandered into the courtyard and started playing. Nice.

Unfortunately, I don't have much information about the guy perched on the top of the pedestal in front of the monument. I looked for some sort of placard for an explanation but found nothing. I can tell you that he was wearing a pointy hat (like a witch) and had a sword laying across his knees.

Day 6: Vientiane, Laos

A short walk from my guest house was the nation monument Pha That Luang. As I walked to the monument, it was raining and I was totally bummed 'cause I thought there was no way that I'd get a decent photo in the down pour. However, the rain stopped, the clouds began to clear and, as you and see, it was absolutely BEAUtiful!

I took pictures of PhaThat Luang from every possible angle and, while I'm not sure if this is the best picture, it's pretty dang good! The monument was absolutely stunning!

Day 6: Shanghai to Laos

Ahhhh....finally....Laos. Leaving China felt more like escape from China. After a long trying travel day full of twists, turns and unwelcome surprises (ask me about it sometime), I FINally arrived in Laos.

You know you're not in China anymore when you arrive in the airport and you're greeted by calmness and tranquility rather than chaos. Don't get me wrong, I love a little chaos and I am definitely energized by the throngs of people in China but Laos was a very nice change at this point in the trip.

After leaving customs (where there was no line), I walked out into the main terminal and it was almost dead quiet - just a few workers lounging here and there. After consulting my guide book and a fellow traveler waiting on a departing flight, I decided to leave the airport on foot and find a cheaper ride out on the main road. I eventually hired a tuck-tuck driver for about $4 to take me to my guest house.

Tuck-tucks are one of the main modes of public transportation in Laos. Tuck-tucks are basically a motorcycle with a covered cargo bed built onto the back and they are a WAY cool mode of transportation.

Day 5: Shanghai

What's a trip to China without a good meat-hanging-in-the-open-air photo? This is actually your good-bye to China shot. The next pic o' the day will be from Laos and, if you've liked China, you're gonna LOVE Laos!

Anyone for duck?

Day 5: Shanghai

During World War II, Shanghai was one of the few places in the world accessible to individuals without travel documents. As a result, many European Jews fleeing Nazi occupation came to Shanghai. Following the end of the war, most (if not all) of the refugees left Shanghai for the newly establish state of Israel or other locations such as the U.S.

The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum (pictured below) has been established in a former residence which also served as the synagogue for the refugee community. There is a small exhibit which includes a video installation and a time-line of the brief history of the Shanghai Jewish community.

Day 5: Shanghai

I wish, I wish, I wish I could have gotten a better picture of central Shanghai. Two problems: smog almost continually and a cityscape so large that it's very difficult to find a vantage point from which you can even begin to capture everything.

I'm standing on the side of the river referred to as The Bund. It's lined with older, European-style buildings that have mostly been stored. Several contain very chic and mod roof-top restaurants which are fantastic places for dinner or a drink. Looking across the river is Pudong which has been developed into a world-class financial district. To the right (outside of the picture), is being built what will be the tallest building in the world (I think?) until it's surpassed by one being constructed in the Middle East. Overall, an extremely impressive place. Now, if they could just do something about the smog....

Day 5: Shanghai

In the center of the old city is a extremely touristy area that is still well worth a visit. All the buildings are done in a traditional Chinese style, there is a very cool garden and, in the middle of the pond, is tea house (the building in the foreground on the left) that is accessible via a zig-zagging bridge. Also, there is a great shop for buying inexpensive jewelry especially pearls.

Most importantly (just kidding...kind of), if you look closely in the center of the photo, the shop in the middle is a Starbucks Coffee. You may have heard of it?

Day 4: Shanghai

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall contains a small-scale model of central Shanghai that is continually being updated. Although the photo isn't great , I think you can get a feel for how massive Shanghai is. Keep in mind that this is JUST central Shanghai. Outside the center of the city, high-rise residential complexes stretch on for miles. It's really something to see.

Editorial Note: A couple of you responded to yesterday's pic letting me know that it was an Adidas ad and that "Impossible Is Nothing' is the Adidas slogan. Also, the women pictured in the photo are the Chinese women's Olympic volleyball team. Thank you Kathryn and Brandon for the info.

Day 4: Shanghai

"Impossible is Nothing" - the tagline on this ad (lower right-hand corner) captures the current Chinese ethos. Having emerged from the shadows of a devastating Cultural Revolution with a booming economy and ready to take the World stage with the 2008 Summer Olympics, China is feeling pretty good.

This billboard is part of a series that is surrounding a huge construction site where yet another gleaming shopping complex is going up. Formerly, this site was a huge open market offering any number of fake brandname knock-offs. Having gotten rid of the market, the government can point to how they are fighting Intellectual Property Infringements. Too bad. The market was a lot of fun....

Day 3: Suzhou

No joke, the name of this garden/park, as listed on my ticket, is National Tourist Attraction of Grade AAAA. Of course, there are Chinese characters on the ticket as well but I'm stuck with relying on the English.

The place was definitely Grade AAAA. There were moats with boats, portions of the original city wall and, big bonus, a really cool pagoda! Other than being really cool, the other thing that stands out about the pagoda is that is was really dusty inside. It was as if a huge dust storm had blown through and left a fine layer of the stuff all over the interior. Not surprising since most of urban/suburban China seems to be one big construction zone.

While I did not get pictures of the dusty interior, I did get some of the exterior and a view from the top level. Lovely!

TRUE STORY: While approaching the National Tourist Attraction of Grade AAAA, we noticed groups of people on the street with their hats off and heads bowed. Suddenly, an air siren started sounding and all the cars on the street began laying on their horns. Turns out, all of China was observing a "moment of silence" for the victims of the earthquake that occurred two weeks prior. The sirens and horns continued to blare the entire time. A moment of silence Chinese style?

Day 3: Suzhou

For Kathryn and me, this was our first trip to Suzhou, However, Kathryn's friend Tracy's husband is from Suzhou so she knows the city well. About the second garden we visited, Tracy kept saying, "Guys always like this garden." But she said it in a way that made it seem like guys didn't know what they are talking about, which....well....you know......

Then we get there and my response, "Guys like this garden because it's CO-OL!" The garden was full of rocks that formed a sort of catacomb with paths and tunnels to crawl through. YES! AND, you were supposed to look at the rocks and figure out which animal they were in the shape of. Kind of like lying on your back on a summer afternoon looking up at the clouds. AWE-some!

Day 3: Suzhou

Coming out of The Garden of the Master of the Nets, there was a rickshaw driver stopped alongside the garden wall. Kathryn's friend Tracy (who is a professional portrait photographer) said, "That's a great shot. You should get that." I promptly snapped the picture and showed it to her. Her reaction, "Hmmm....not quite what I was thinking" and she took my camera and snapped her version.

Needless to say, I got schooled. Not that my shot (the one on the top) is a bad one but Tracy certainly took a much more interesting photo. I love her framing of the shot and how the sunlight hits the garden wall. I'm hoping that I learned something. Thank you Tracy!

Day 3: Suzhou

Kathryn and I took a day trip with her friend Tracy to Suzhou. At first, I was thinking of Suzhou as a suburb of Shanghai but it's actually a city of almost 6 million. According to The Lonely Planet (my guide book), Suzhou is known for "its classical gardens, silk and lovely women." We visited several of the gardens, the silk museum and, with 6 million people, there were more than a few women who could be considered "lovely."

This shot was taken at the Garden of the Master of the Nets. The garden was originally laid out in the 12th century, abandoned and then restored in the 18th century as part of a retired official's residence. Quite tranquil.

Day 2: Shanghai

Day 2 was pretty chill. Of course, I was trying to lay low given the potential for jetlag. Thankfully, I had a wonderful sanctuary and hosts in my friends Kathryn and Bill.

I met Kathryn in the airport in L.A. in 1996 on the way to teach English in Japan. Little did we know that we were both going to Japan to teach for the same company at the same school. A couple of years later, I joined her in Taiwan (where she had gone after Japan while I had returned to Columbus). She set me up with a job in Taiwan and a place to stay (a rooftop apartment above her flat). Kathryn and Bill met in Taiwan while they were both studying Mandarin.

This picture is taken from their back patio where I was drinking my morning coffee. Kathryn and Bill have a very cool house in the French Concession area of Shanghai. Their house was built in the 20's while the high-rise in the background is quite new. During the Cultural Revolution, multiple families were crammed into their single family home: a sobering thought.

Day 1: En route from Columbus to Shanghai: A layover in Narita airport near Tokyo

Initially, I was just testing out the camera - practicing my photographic skills. Later, I realized that this photo contained the main elements of a successful trip: travel documents (Passport and a plane ticket), a good read (OK, it's Best Life magazine but I had some other fine literature in my bag), something representing who you are (a Buckeye hat. Need I say more?) and a cold beverage (Believe it or not, Budweiser is a global brand. This was the first of the many "cold beverages" I would partake of during my trip). Cheers!