Exploring Laos with Roxy!

Finding friendship on the road can be difficult at times. We meet someone for a day, then say farewell. Occasionally, however, you take that friendship on the road. Having someone new to brainstorm ideas with, share in a tuk tuk ride, and have a good meal or beer with, makes traveling more meaningful and sustainable.

We were lucky enough to meet such a wonderful person in Laos. Roxy. Roxy is a kind, funny, very patient, adventurous traveler, who taught us more than we could have ever hoped. 

We first met Roxy and her friend, Jen, just after we got off the slow boat in Luang Prabang. Four or five days later, we saw Roxy again in the next town south - Vang Vien. Her good friend, Jen had gone back to the US, meaning Roxy was a solo traveler. Colin and I had just been lamenting our lack of travel buddies we had had recently, so we decided to join forces and conquor the remainder of Laos together!

Roxy is deaf and in the week and a half that we traveled with her, she taught us not only how to communicate using American Sign Language, but also reminded us what adventure and fun can be had when you meet up with a total stranger and go a travelin'.

One of my first lessons in ASL

After a night in the capital of Laos, Vientiene, we took a bus headed for the Kong Lor caves. 

Bat? Chicken? Duck? No problem!

We stayed in the tiny villiage of Kong Lor the night before we entered the emmence cave. It was a true delight to see so few tourists and so much village life around us. The scenery was spectacular! Green fields of tobacco, shear cliff faces, and lush mountians.

Early the morning of our cave exploration, we walked about 30 minutes to the river that had created this "underworld." There we paid our fee, were given life jackets, and were directed down to our boat.

The cave is 7 km long and a river run through it's entirety. The majority of our time was spent in the boat, but at times we were put on shore to walk through the most majestic sections. The cave is described as looking just like Greek Mythology's underworld. And it did. Huge stalactite and stalagmite forrests, massive bare caverns, even hand sized spiders help lend credibility to this description.

We arrived back at our guesthouse in time to catch lunch, entertain some children, and jump on a never-ending truck ride headed for the southern boarder of Laos.

Our truck ride was meant to be four hours, but ended up being closer to seven. We had to deal with a bit of a downpour as well as unexpected cold weather, leaving this particular ride one for the memories. Luckily, we were able to catch a bus at our end point to take us even further south. A four hour wait on the side of a street at 1am and one smelly bus later, we arrived at our goal. Si Phan Don. 4,000 islands.

Colin, Roxy, and I borded a small ferry and made our way to the islands of Don Det and Don Khon.

It is a place to slow down, relax, read a book, and find a hammock. There are also waterfalls to visit, bicycles to rent, cheap whisky to sample, and a river to tube. 

We spend about 4 days here soaking up the sun and relaxing vibes. The islands are small enough to explore by walking or cycling and each day we found something new to see and appreciate. 

The Irrawaddy dolphin is found only in the Mekong River. They are very endangerd with only a handful still found. 

At the end of our time in Si Phon Don, Roxy and we said our goodbyes to eachother and to Laos itself. She was off to Vietnam and us to Cambodia. Our time together was a treaure and gift. She was a great teacher and so very patient with us as we learned the basics of ASL. (I had to be shown the sign for "new" about 30 times before I could remember....and I still remember, Roxy!) Her sense of fun and adventure is contageous, and whether we were tubing, sharing a meal, walking in the intense heat, or relaxing on a porch, she was always good for a laugh and the next adventure. Hopefully it wont be too long before we have our next one together. 

ps. photo credit to Colin...all the pretty pictures are his. :)