• Home
  • Blog
  • Tech
  • Places
  • Resume
  • Professional Services
  • Languages
  • About
Menu

jon-graf.com

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Tech
  • Places
  • Resume
  • Professional Services
  • Languages
  • About
Annecy, France

Annecy, France

Writing about world travel, personal anecdotes and family genealogy.

At the Sofitel Luang Prabang

Recovered photos: My trip to Laos

May 7, 2019

As mentioned in my previous post, after recovering 700 photos from my iPhone backup, I was able to remember what I actually did in Laos with my friend Richard (from Singapore). Some of the photos exhibit such glorious nature that I wanted to write another Laos post to share the beauty with you. The sad part of the story is that Laos has dangerous roads. Maybe taking public buses would have been safer than having a private driver? I’ll never know. Please enjoy my journey by clicking on the photos and reading the captions:

Arrival in Luang Prabang

Almost immediately upon our descent, we were greeted with the treat of Laotian mountains. After meeting up with Richard at the hotel, I headed to the riverfront down the main road. I then returned to the hotel and picked up Richard and we went to the main market for dinner.

View fullsize This was just the beginning
This was just the beginning
View fullsize 487_IMG_9310.jpg
View fullsize 726_IMG_9302.jpg
View fullsize 603_IMG_9312.jpg
View fullsize Mekong River
Mekong River
View fullsize Our plane at the airport after landing
Our plane at the airport after landing
View fullsize Sofitel Luang Prabang
Sofitel Luang Prabang
View fullsize Mekong River
Mekong River
View fullsize Food market
Food market
View fullsize 628_IMG_9352.jpg

Mekong River Tour

View fullsize We did a day tour and we had the boat to ourselves!
We did a day tour and we had the boat to ourselves!
View fullsize The mountains were incredible.  There was a light breeze and we got to lay down and relax.
The mountains were incredible. There was a light breeze and we got to lay down and relax.
View fullsize Day beds
Day beds
View fullsize Laos is China's "battery".  High voltage power lines from nearby hydroelectric power plants built by China... to power China.
Laos is China's "battery". High voltage power lines from nearby hydroelectric power plants built by China... to power China.
View fullsize 74_IMG_9460.jpg
View fullsize 107_IMG_9520.jpg
View fullsize 117_IMG_9370.jpg
View fullsize 304_IMG_9382.jpg
View fullsize House boats.
House boats.
View fullsize Water buffalo.
Water buffalo.
View fullsize Richard.
Richard.
View fullsize Walking the plank from the boat to the Buddist temple in the cave.
Walking the plank from the boat to the Buddist temple in the cave.
View fullsize Hidden Buddhist temple in cave.
Hidden Buddhist temple in cave.
View fullsize The cave was filled with Buddha statues.
The cave was filled with Buddha statues.
View fullsize There was a bit of a hike behind the temple.
There was a bit of a hike behind the temple.
View fullsize 396_IMG_9513.jpg
View fullsize 466_IMG_9361.jpg
View fullsize More incredible views.
More incredible views.
View fullsize 543_IMG_9510.jpg
View fullsize 553_IMG_9357.jpg
View fullsize 560_IMG_9375.jpg
View fullsize 613_IMG_9473.jpg
View fullsize The Chinese high speed rail construction site.
The Chinese high speed rail construction site.
View fullsize 717_IMG_9440.jpg
View fullsize 138_IMG_9450.jpg
View fullsize 76_IMG_9443.jpg
View fullsize Temporary bridge to build the piers for the high speed rail.
Temporary bridge to build the piers for the high speed rail.
View fullsize 556_IMG_9446.jpg
View fullsize 803_IMG_9518.jpg

Tat Sae Waterfalls

Richard planned a day at the waterfalls. The photos cannot do this place justice at all. The sun was so bright and the colors were so blue and green that without a proper camera, there’s no way I could have captured the essence. I’ve attached a few photos here that I thought would give you a sense of it all. The bridge with all of the tourists standing on it was shaking and bending in the middle. That scared the hell out of me.

View fullsize 101_IMG_9593.jpg
View fullsize 236_IMG_9595.jpg
View fullsize 369_IMG_9634.jpg
View fullsize 470_IMG_9598.jpg
View fullsize 488_IMG_9624.jpg
View fullsize 569_IMG_9613.jpg
View fullsize 607_IMG_9618.jpg

Indigenous Village Hike

South of the city of Luang Prabang, we had a wonderful guide take us through countryside. After this hike, my sandals were destroyed by the mud. These photos below are some of my favorite from the entire year-long trip. Enjoy :-)

View fullsize Beginning of the hike, entrance to the village
Beginning of the hike, entrance to the village
View fullsize 262_IMG_9650.jpg
View fullsize 460_IMG_9647.jpg
View fullsize After ascending for a while, we are greeted by a light shining on the nearby mountain.
After ascending for a while, we are greeted by a light shining on the nearby mountain.
View fullsize 9_IMG_9733.jpg
View fullsize Our view for lunch.
Our view for lunch.
View fullsize 22_IMG_9713.jpg
View fullsize 75_IMG_9686.jpg
View fullsize 79_IMG_9645.jpg
View fullsize These cows were not happy that we were passing by.
These cows were not happy that we were passing by.
View fullsize 183_IMG_9691.jpg
View fullsize 228_IMG_9677.jpg
View fullsize 271_IMG_9755.jpg
View fullsize 573_IMG_9739.jpg
View fullsize 281_IMG_9741.jpg
View fullsize 327_IMG_9712.jpg
View fullsize 355_IMG_9729.jpg
View fullsize 443_IMG_9689.jpg
View fullsize 455_IMG_9753.jpg
View fullsize 464_IMG_9661.jpg
View fullsize 468_IMG_9800.jpg
View fullsize 507_IMG_9742.jpg
View fullsize 531_IMG_9711.jpg
View fullsize 534_IMG_9802.jpg
View fullsize 550_IMG_9774.jpg
View fullsize Ritual burning of the forest.
Ritual burning of the forest.
View fullsize 589_IMG_9770.jpg
View fullsize 683_IMG_9653.jpg
View fullsize 684_IMG_9718.jpg
View fullsize I can't make this up.
I can't make this up.
View fullsize 766_IMG_9676.jpg

The City of Luang Prabang and THE STORM

View fullsize French colonial architecture
French colonial architecture
View fullsize 310_IMG_9855.jpg
View fullsize 184_IMG_9856.jpg
View fullsize 189_IMG_9854.jpg
View fullsize 778_IMG_9848.jpg
View fullsize 88_IMG_9825.jpg
View fullsize Walk to the hilltop temple.
Walk to the hilltop temple.
View fullsize Views of Luang Prabang from the hilltop temple.
Views of Luang Prabang from the hilltop temple.
View fullsize 634_IMG_9841.jpg
View fullsize 418_IMG_9836.jpg
View fullsize Walking around the town...
Walking around the town...
View fullsize 706_IMG_9860.jpg
View fullsize Lots of bakeries and cafes and restaurants.
Lots of bakeries and cafes and restaurants.
View fullsize 715_IMG_9858.jpg
View fullsize I think President Obama stopped by here when he made his famous trip to Indonesia.
I think President Obama stopped by here when he made his famous trip to Indonesia.
View fullsize These are the taxis that took us all around Luang Prabang.
These are the taxis that took us all around Luang Prabang.
View fullsize 756_IMG_9815.jpg
View fullsize Starting the drive to Vang Vieng.  A storm's a brewin'...
Starting the drive to Vang Vieng. A storm's a brewin'...
View fullsize Look at the storm clouds above the blue sky
Look at the storm clouds above the blue sky
View fullsize I took these pictures from a moving vehicle.
I took these pictures from a moving vehicle.
View fullsize You can see the clouds taking over the mountain.
You can see the clouds taking over the mountain.
View fullsize 645_IMG_9881.jpg
View fullsize Just absolutely spectacular.
Just absolutely spectacular.
View fullsize 222_IMG_9910.jpg
View fullsize 518_IMG_9905.jpg
View fullsize The storm has taken over the mountain.
The storm has taken over the mountain.
View fullsize Roadside market, a very common sight.
Roadside market, a very common sight.
View fullsize 748_IMG_9923.jpg
View fullsize Arrival at the hotel in Vang Vieng.
Arrival at the hotel in Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng

Our plan in Vang Vieng was to see the countryside and visit one of the famous Blue Lagoons. There are actually five of them, all named Blue Lagoon 1 through 5. We were told that Blue Lagoon 3 is the nicest. Unfortunately, it was mostly concrete. The mountain views on the ride over made it worth it. On our last day in Vang Vieng, we did an early morning river tubing. The river tubing experience is infamous for being related to numerous deaths of drunken Australian backpackers. Along the river, you are encouraged to stop off at the floating bars and get drunk. It seems that some Australian tourists have gotten too drunk and have gotten lost downstream and were left presumably drowned. We actually had a really hard time getting the tubes to the final floating bar station for our departure. Richard’s tube kept going downstream and the guide had to take a motorboat to fetch him. He kept missing him and it took multiple attempts. Eventually the guide came back to fetch me and I was grabbing onto the side the boat, near the dangerous rudder. Eventually I let go of the boat and made my way to the side of the river and climbed my way through the mud and walked to the floating pier. When we both arrived at the pier and told the bartender that we didn’t want to drink, it was around 11am, they told us that the departure point was actually on the other side of the river. We had to get back into the motorboat. This was incredibly frustrating. Little did we know that our departure from the hotel would result in the very sad car accident a few hours later.

View fullsize Taken from the back of an open truck...
Taken from the back of an open truck...
View fullsize 39_IMG_0070.jpg
View fullsize 124_IMG_0046.jpg
View fullsize 194_IMG_0015.jpg
View fullsize 221_IMG_9983.jpg
View fullsize 224_IMG_0078.jpg
View fullsize 232_IMG_9957.jpg
View fullsize 260_IMG_9971.jpg
View fullsize 270_IMG_0051.jpg
View fullsize Arrival at Blue Lagoon 3.
Arrival at Blue Lagoon 3.
View fullsize 110_IMG_0021.jpg
View fullsize 342_IMG_9993.jpg
View fullsize 754_IMG_9979.jpg
View fullsize ...it was mostly concrete.
...it was mostly concrete.
View fullsize I hiked up this hill...
I hiked up this hill...
View fullsize ... and I got these incredible mountain views.
... and I got these incredible mountain views.
View fullsize 536_IMG_9967.jpg
View fullsize 574_IMG_0064.jpg
View fullsize 678_IMG_0083.jpg
View fullsize From the moving truck on the way back to town.
From the moving truck on the way back to town.
View fullsize Can't go wrong with noodles.
Can't go wrong with noodles.
View fullsize 631_IMG_0085.jpg
View fullsize 544_IMG_9954.jpg
View fullsize More storm pictures.
More storm pictures.
View fullsize 806_IMG_9875.jpg
View fullsize 828_IMG_9980.jpg
View fullsize Vang Vieng river tubing bar station.
Vang Vieng river tubing bar station.
View fullsize 491953ff-123b-4753-bbba-5fd0dea77a9e.jpg
View fullsize View from Vang Vieng river
View from Vang Vieng river
View fullsize a7c1f6a5-d5e4-4d15-a4b5-6a102faed865.jpg

Vientiane

After the car accident, we were picked up by another local van driver who was driving along the same road. He took us to the hotel in Vientiane, the capital city. We had our last dinner together that night. In the morning, we did the typical tourist stuff and Richard took these lovely pictures of me with his camera. My camera was lost in the crash. All of these photos below are with Richard’s camera (the rest of the photos on this page were made with my camera before I lost it).

View fullsize 0aadd0a3-9331-4bb9-aaa1-529aee8d3cea.jpg
View fullsize Crazy electrical wiring.
Crazy electrical wiring.
View fullsize This was the morning before our respective flights out of Laos.  I went to Bangkok and Richard went to Singapore.
This was the morning before our respective flights out of Laos. I went to Bangkok and Richard went to Singapore.
View fullsize 9826a7a5-ef61-410b-adcc-a06296cfd477.jpg
View fullsize 17902afe-fb56-495f-a2c0-8f9a8dedab98.jpg
View fullsize 478319c6-da9a-4b30-ad6b-dada06779769.jpg
View fullsize 6104226e-8ce1-48ef-a7e6-e6214ffb6dbd.jpg
View fullsize ab35fcf1-f2f5-42da-9a25-895b1b5c2385.jpg
View fullsize ba692958-4f6f-46f4-b7d5-7284643194c7.jpg
View fullsize eb8ae0b2-99c4-4673-8db2-cec4e0529e3c.jpg
View fullsize ee8acdf7-56ba-4dca-8ad8-cfc57908b1fe.jpg
View fullsize Our last dinner together.  The end of a rough day.
Our last dinner together. The end of a rough day.
In asia Tags laos, jungle, mountains, hiking
← LisbonRecovered photos: Return to Kuala Lumpur →

Subscribe

Thank you!

Instagram

What the fuck?  It took all of this for Congress to step up??? As in they could have started working towards solutions years ago?? And this isn’t some local or state-level only situation? Our politicians SUCK.
#blackout #blackouttuesday
This is what I look like today in portrait mode. 🤩 Life in Vienna was rough for the first 3 months.  The next 2 months got better. Now things are legitimately very good.  This is the challenge I wanted and whelp, I got it!

Thank you to everyone sup
Arrived in Novi Sad, Serbia #travel
Making my way to Belgrade via Szeged, Hungary.  The first building is the opera house from the end of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. #travel
A short Sunday trip to a forest 20 minutes north of Vienna, along one of the Danube offshoots.
Architectural highlights of Vienna, taken over the last few weeks.
20 minutes north of Vienna is the charming town of Klosterneuburg.  Easy train trip with beautiful hiking and good Schweinrostbraten.
Was here a few weeks ago.  This is not the view from the city center but from a bridge about a 15 walk from the center.
Lunch view.  The building in the foreground was rebuilt by the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1930s.  #history #archaeology #athens #greece

Latest Posts

Featured
24317939-6A96-42FC-BEE3-B01729A3FE91.jpg
Nov 16, 2019
Moshav Nir Tzvi
Nov 16, 2019
Nov 16, 2019
Jerusalem
Nov 14, 2019
Jerusalem
Nov 14, 2019
Nov 14, 2019
Israel
Nov 13, 2019
Israel
Nov 13, 2019
Nov 13, 2019
Ein Gedi
Nov 12, 2019
Ein Gedi
Nov 12, 2019
Nov 12, 2019

FEED

Jon Graf's Blog RSS