Elephant Conservation Centre

Joe and I just spent two amazing days at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Sayaboury, about a 3 hour drive south of Luang Prabang in Laos.

It was wonderful.

We learned so much about these amazing creatures.  And were so heartbroken to learn of their mistreatment in Asia and around the world.

The Elephant Conservation Centre currently homes 11 rescued elephants.  Nine adults and two babies.

The ECC's philosophy is to bring people to the elephants, not the other way around.  We observed them playing, bathing, eating and socializing.

We followed the elephants through the forest, climbing steep hills for hours on end.  We patted them and cooed sweet nothings in their ears.  We laughed at their playful antics in the water.

Elephants are SO smart.  And funny and loving and loyal and protective.

The ECC rescues Asian elephants and also breeds them.  There are only 800 Asian elephants left in Laos.  Half are wild, the other half are domesticated.  Sadly, they are an endangered species.  The centre is petitioning the Laos government for more land so that they can rescue even more elephants living in undesirable conditions.

We left ECC humbled and grateful for this incredible experience.

The ECC is in such a beautiful part of Laos.

Home sweet home.  Our digs for the night.

Many of you know my love for sleeping outdoors.  This bamboo hut fit the bill perfectly!

Our guide, Khemphet, was knowledgeable, passionate about elephants and a real jokester.  He had us laughing the entire two days.

 Mother, auntie and baby.

 Taking a wee sip.

 "Hey, mama."

 "Hi, girl.  How're you doing?"

Periscope up!

Relaxing after a busy day hiking in the jungle.

The sun sets on Day 1.

The sun rises on Day 2.

 Mud bath!

These two gals are BFFs.

 Drinks for everybody!

 Mother and son.

Elephant spray park.

 We had to traipse across a very high, very wobbly suspension bridge to the treehouse 
observation deck.

We watched the elephants from above.

Elephants eat for 17 hours each day.

After a 3 hour hike, we followed the elephants out of the jungle.

The elephants led the way.

Happy and hot hikers.

Thank you, Elephant Conservation Centre, for teaching us so much about your country's beautiful Asian elephants.  And another big thank you to our new friend, Dr. Erica Ward, for caring for these vulnerable animals when they need it most.  

You people are my heroes.

Slow Boat Down The Mekong River

We crossed the border into the People's Democratic Republic of Laos yesterday morning and boarded boat 999 headed for the UNESCO Heritage Site of Luang Prabang.  We travelled 330 kilometres over two days.

Xay, our guide, was excellent; knowledgeable, friendly and quick to laugh.  The passengers were from all over the world; Canada, America, France, England, Lithuania and Russia.  We had so many lovely conversations with everyone.

Boat 999.  Our mode of transportation for two days.

The Mekong River is a busy place.  Goods and people are moved by boat up and down the river all day long.

Settling in.

I hung my head out this window and watched the jungle go by for two solid days.

Life on the river.

On the first day of our voyage, we stopped and visited an ethnic Lao Kamu village.  Our guide was from this tribe.

These villages are incredibly remote.  This one had no electricity and their water supply was from a single pipe in the ground.

Fishing rods and boats.

We were told there was a primary school further up into the hills.  But families have to pay, even for public school.  I wondered how many children actually attended school.  

Our first day on the boat ended in Pak Beng.  The passengers were shuttled to a lovely guest house overlooking the river.

Before dinner, a group of us wandered around the local market.  This little entrepreneur tried her hardest to sell me a barbecued wiener.  Every time I declined, she'd take a bite.

My first time sleeping inside a mosquito net!

The boat was very comfortable with cushioned seats, daybeds, hot lunches, snacks and bottled water.

Life on the river.

On the second day, we visited an ethnic Lao Loum village.  This was a village of weavers.  Gorgeous textiles of every hue were for sale.  They just got electricity one month ago!

Our final stop was to the famous Pak Ou cave.  

This cave was full of thousands of Buddhas placed there by worshippers.

Relaxing is so exhausting!

We are in Luang Prabang for the next several days.

Tomorrow we are visiting an elephant sanctuary and spending the night there.

A pachyderm sleepover!

I am super excited for that.

Later, Thailand!

After our wonderful week in Pai, we headed back to Chiang Mai to spend New Years.  Our days were filled with wandering around town aimlessly, trying out different food stalls, going to the daily markets and having one last massage.

We stayed in a hostel not far from the east gate of the old city.  We met so many friendly and interesting young backpackers there!

 It doesn't matter where we eat.  The food has been delicious everywhere.  Even the most humble establishments serve up great food.

 Thailand is a backpacker's dream destination.

Homes on the Ping River.

The markets were very busy the morning of December 31st.  Everyone was preparing for their New Year celebrations.

 This woman was selling a net full of live toads at her market stall.

 A busy food counter is like a magnet for Joe.  He always wants to see what everyone is eating.  Turns out it was little bowls of coconut milk pudding with sweet beans and fruit.  Dee-lish!

This man made us the best iced coffee in all of Thailand.

The host from our hostel invited Joe and I to join her and other guests for a roof top New Year's Eve party.  We were so thrilled to be included!  We bought paper lanterns at the market that morning.

 "Is this how you do it?"

We rang in 2018 with new friends from Holland, Thailand, Chile and England.

At midnight, Joe and I went down onto the street to mingle with the thousands of people releasing their lanterns.  What an amazing sight!

We got up early on New Year's Day to take a 6 hour bus ride to Chiang Khong, a border town in northern Thailand.

We stayed in a very charming, very rustic guesthouse on the banks of the Mekong River.  It was a quiet reprieve from the bustling city of Chiang Mai.  Roosters crowed, birds flitted about and we spent a lot of time just sitting on our deck watching the fishermen go up and down the river.

  Sunrise over the Mekong River.

Boats and cyclists go up and down the river all day long.  Laos is across the river.

 Paper lanterns lined a temple's entrance.

 The local transit system.

 Our delicious breakfast consisted of two lattes, one huge bowl of noodle soup and a vegetable omelette.  The cost?  190 baht.  That's $4.00 Cdn. And the red crocheted utensil cover?  Come on, how adorable is that?

This dog was sleeping soundly on top of the display case until I walked up and quietly motioned his owner if I could take his picture.  Then he started to bark at me like crazy.  I wonder how that is for business?  (Check out his friend laying on the lower shelf.)

A lone fisherman on the river.

We are leaving Chiang Khong early tomorrow morning.  Joe and I are taking a slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang in Laos.  It will take 2 days to get there.

Our three and a half weeks in Thailand has been nothing short of excellent.  Its people, food, and culture are all top-notch.  Our experiences have been new, fun and different.  Just how I like it!

We'll be returning to Thailand in March.  I'm sure we'll need some beach time by then!

We are looking forward to exploring the country of Laos and its city of Luang Prabang.  I can't wait to visit this UNESCO World heritage site.

TTFN!