October 5th - 10th 2013....the adventures of the GO-TROTTERS !

And so, on Oct 5th 2013, a group of 7 most cheerful, happy girls set out on their first adventure together to a country of which none of them has any expectations...... hoping to have just a great time ! Their common interest is Tennis  and that's what got them together for this trip ! And whether they will ever play tennis together again... hmmmf...we will know on Oct 10th !

                     Kuala Lumpur flight AK1412 AIR ASIA to Vientiane ( rm 590 retn ) 

          Vientiane to Luang Prabang, we flew LAOS AIRLINE R26V8  (rm603 retn )

the dwarfs coming to town ??!!?

Some imagining the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers and the only four main roads to be like the hustling bustling modern Clarke Quay and Orchard Rd of a certain city in Asia. And so, equipped with tennis shoes and US$ dollars in their shopping bags off they go hoping to buy, buy, buy and to pamper themselves in essential oils body massages and spa !

and some all set with trekking hiking boots, headlamps, swiss knife and gear for the mountains and rivers since we are actually going to the Black Bear Sanctuary and waterfalls !

So they did...all that !
and very very noisy girls they are !! 
almost like a swarm of bees as they approach you...


.............and so WATERFALLS, KIDS and BICYCLES .. here we come...

KUANG SI WATERFALLS

HMONG VILLAGE KIDS

LOONY KIDS on BICYCLES !!!!!

WOW !!! VERY BRAVE LADIES! not only cycling almost 20km all around town, they also had to cycle on the "OPPOSITE SIDE" of the roads ! brave brave brave indeed ! but i guessed half the time, they pushed their cycles...crossing roads, uphill, super narrow bridges etc etc

Well done !

The word "Luang Prabang" literally means " The Royal Buddha Image". This town is located about 300km north of Vientiane, which is where our AirAsia plane landed.

Weather forecast during the October month is a high of 30C and low of 21C, scatter rain.
But on CNN news lately the neighbouring countries of Thailand and Cambodia are badly hit with floods from the gushing Mekong River and many casualities are reported.
Yet, we still go! .. Nothing will stop us ! ( probably bcos we already paid for the flights and hotels ! ). 

hmmmf.... somebody is missing !!!??!!

Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th Century. Its unique, remarkably well preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions. 

..... cling cling! ....MAKE WAY !!!! SHE'S COMING ..... oops.. or going ??!!

intense concentration la !

and the noisiest group of people along the beautiful sunset Esplanade in Vientiane...

" BALUT " is a developing duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell. Balut eaters prefer salt and/or chilli, garlic and vinegar mixture to season their eggs.The eggs are savored for their texture and flavors, and the yolk and young chicks inside can be eaten.

BALUT

at the morning market, Banana flower ??!

HOW MUCH YOU BUY ????

drying rice cakes

and if you are always on your smartphone, you would look like this pretty soon !!!!