Tigers, Massages, and Boat Rides... Oh my!

Traveling can be exhausting. There's so much to see and do that it can be difficult to find the time to do it all. Luckily for us, we're pretty poor and don't seem to have this problem. We can't afford to be busy all day long running from activity to activity, so we tend to take a much easier traveling pace. Nevertheless the past week and a half has been quite eventful, making every penny

We last left you having arrived in Chiang Mai, one of the biggest cities in the north and the main base for exploring the upper reaches of Thailand. Although Chiang Mai is a very old city, it has blended modernization into its archaic exterior while still keeping its peaceful vibe. There is SO much to do in and around the city: more than any other city we've been to so far. Ziplining, trekking, elephant riding, obstacle courses, massage courses, cookery courses, and much, much more.

We started out our time there with a visit to Tiger Kingdom, a small sanctuary dedicated completely to tigers. In this cool little place, people are actually allowed to climb in the cages with the tigers and take pictures! It was a terrifying yet exhilarating experience, and one of the coolest things we've done yet (check out the pictures on Facebook). The next day we decided to pamper ourselves, and spent a leisurely afternoon getting massages and pedicures after meeting up with a friend we'd met previously in Bangkok. After realizing we hadn't really done anything to earn that pampering session, we spent the next afternoon taking a three hour Muay Thai kickboxing course. We were pretty beat up after that, but everyone except me got up the next morning anyway for a beginner's Thai cooking class. The food was delicious and the perfect way to welcome the lovely Katheryn Hoerster, who we picked up that afternoon. She will be travelling with us for the next month and we are super excited to have her!

The next day was Inge and I's 30th day in Thailand, so we decided to head off to Laos since our visa was expired. We ended up taking a slowboat down the Mekong River, a two day adventure that was both relaxing and entertaining. Our first day was filled with other travellers, and we ended up celebrating the amazing boat ride with them. The second day was a bit more relaxing, and we had a wonderful time just sitting there and taking in the view. The traditional Lao boat (now fitted with an engine) took us past beautiful forests, pristine waterfalls, and soft sandy shores until we reached the town of Luang Prabang.

Our first stop in Laos, Luang Prabang is another city full of history and beauty. Reminiscent of its time under French control, this quiet riverside city has character and charm. It has lovely architecture and beautiful temples, but its main attractions lie outside the city limits. During our two day stay here, we visited the beautiful Kuay Si waterfall where we hiked up to an amazing view and swam in the freezing water and rode and bathed with elephants. Both of these activities were extremely fun, and have left us with a favorable impression of this lovely little town. On to our next stop: Phonsavan and the mysterious Plain of Jars.