In an effort to rearrange our plans due to a minor wrench, we breezed through northern Thailand and caught a boat to Laos. I use the word "plans" in the loosest terms and "wrench" even looser. Our idea of planning these last couple months consists of us running into hemp wearing backpackers who insist that [insert exotic location here] is THE ultimate place to go. Kelly and I consider this over a complicated planning session where each of us shrugs our shoulders, nods approvingly and are back to our banana shakes before a drop of condensation hits the table. So when my sister decided to meet us in Thailand next month (the plan busting wrench that I mentioned), Kelly, in a moment of genius, suggested we do Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam first, ending our SE Asia stint in Thailand. Twist my arm, ok.
We took the two day slow boat from Northern Thailand, down the Mekong River and into Luang Prabang, Laos. Everyone vehemently warns you that the fast boat is a death trap. Again, lazily floating the scenic Mekong River with a bottle of booze, and a deck of cards, twist my arm, we'll take the slow boat. Invariably we meet several other ridiculous backpackers on the boat, such as ourselves, who are more than happy to share our whiskey and compare notes on cheap traveling tips, cultural blunders and, most commonly, food poisoning (luckily/unluckily, due to recent events that you are all too aware of, I had a lot of input to provide regarding the latter).
We've been learning that everyone has their own style of travel. Often we meet people who have seen every god damn temple (pun intended) ever mentioned in Lonely Planet's See This or You're a Tool guide book and they are quick to quiz you on the majestic wonders you have surely missed. Don't get me wrong, I love shiny objects and even took a class in college regarding the architecture of Asian temples and mosques (clearly a class for any business major). I still just don't care. Does that mean I don't want to delve into the culture? Not even close. The monotony, however, of the DOZENS of temples in every single town is exhausting and I reject spending all of my time trying to see each and everyone of these "must see marvels". We have surely dabbled in the temple tourism, but I think we can safely say that we've been there, done that. At the risk of sounding like a totally uneducated ass-hat, they all just start to look the same and frankly, I'm bored. Plus, Kelly and I have already developed our own full proof traveling style that 1) guarantees a culturally rich experience and 2) forces you to interact with and learn more about the local people. I am of course talking about eating. A common theme in this blog, surely it reinforces the importance.
I am still trying to develop a way to make eating tourism sound more productive and as educational as it surely is. We have taken some amazing cooking classes since we've been here which in theory sound very interactive and enriching. If you break it down, however, it is still a means to eat our way through a day, the difference being we are in a larger group of white tourists that don't actually have to move locations to indulge in breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner and dessert. We at least have to extensively explore any given city to unearth all of it's culinary gems in a single day. It is not to say I haven't thoroughly loved every cooking class we've taken, I love to cook after all (please note that this is not an offer to cook for you when I get back home). We often run into the professional temple ogling tourists who always want to know what we've done with our day while they were off taking Pulitzer Prize worthy photographs of the Never Heard of It Temple. If only we were getting paid to do it, then I could make it sound not only justifiable but down right sexy. How the hell did Anthony Bourdain get that job anyway? Screw that guy, I love food and am at least marginally more attractive. I just want to put it out there, if he ever has the misfortune of choking on a delicately spiced pig intestine during filming, I could generously rearrange my "plans" to take over that position.
Dirty backpackers always traveling in style
Kelly pounding it out at cooking class
Uh you better believe you'll be cooking for me when you get home :)
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