10-20 (Friday) Touring . . .

This morning we had an early breakfast after a restless night. Joyce couldn’t sleep because the bed and pillow were terrible. Both of our bottom sheets came off during the night!

We hired a guy to take us to a cave where there are over 5,000 Buddhas. We could either go by slow boat or road. We weren’t about to get back on the slow boat for another two hours. On our way to the cave we stopped at Whiskey Village so named because they make a lot of whiskey there. They have a huge still and they put some of the whiskey in bottles with snakes or scorpions. They had little cobras and other snakes in the bottles. Joyce bought a purse from some woman for $3 then it blew out of the truck before we got to the cave. We didn’t see it blow out until it was too late.

When we arrived, the cave was across the river so we had to take a very small wooden boat across. The cave was interesting. Then we walked up 226 steps to the top of the mountain to see a second cave. When we got back across the river in our boat we were headed back to our truck walking past all the souvenir stands. Some woman held up the purse Joyce bought at Whiskey Village. Joyce and I were so happy that someone had found it. Our happiness was short lived. The woman wanted to sell it back to Joyce for more than she paid for it. NO way.

We drove back to Luang Prabang and had lunch.

We had our same driver pick us up in an hour and this time he took us to a very famous waterfall. It was breathtaking. We hiked up to the top of it. I was still in my flip flops because of my toe so it was hard going. I fell once. They have an animal rescue facility out there. There is a tiger in one enclosure and Asian bears in another. These are or were babies that had been rescued after their mothers were poached. Brad, someone said the bears were Sun Bears. Did the one that chased you have a white V on its chest?

A guy from Ireland who had bicycled three hours out to the waterfall got a ride back in our truck. It turned out he was staying in our same guest house. He is traveling with three of his buddies for two years. They have just been on the road for 7 weeks. Two of his friends got water in their eyes when they were on the slow boat (the day before we came in.) He said both guy’s eyes are very swollen and grotesque. I asked it they had been to a doctor and he said they couldn’t find one. They went to the local pharmacy and got drops to put in their eyes. He said they are a little better.

Joyce and I started off for town when we got back. We were going to climb to the top of a very tall hill where there is a pagoda to see the sunset. We were part way there when I discovered that I have a big blister between my toes from my new flip flops. I decided I’d better go back to the hotel and doctor my toe before it gets infected. I’m hoping to be able to get back into my tennis shoes tomorrow.