Romance, Temples, Floating Villages, History,
Rain and a scare in Laos
Photos by Mela and
Staff and Article
by Tory
and Mela
Don't forget to move
your mouse over pictures
for a description
We arrived in Singapore in the early morning,
said good bye to our new friends on the Eastern
and Oriental and decided not to explore Singapore
as we had done in Tokyo and Bangkok. We were to fly to Laos and Luang Prabang
- a UNESCO World
Heritage site - later
that
evening for a two
night stay at La
Residence
Phou Vao and frankly,
both Mela and I were
dead tired. As we were waiting in the airport, our Hostesses
were checking to
insure all of our
guests
had arrived; while
Mela checked her
messages
one last time before
we lost contact with
all civilization
as journey took
us deep
into Southeast Asia. We took a taxi to the Day Hotel and checked
in. "I'm going to double check with
Thai Catwalk real quick to see how the pics
came out", Mela informed me and called
the number we were given in Bangkok. Mela
spoke in Thai and then hung up and turned me and said, "Tory, I
think we are in trouble". "That
number rang at the Russian Embassy in Bangkok,
not the Thai Catwalk Offices", she said
as she pulled up the Internet on her lap
top and looked up the phone number for the
online fashion company. Mela found the number and called, speaking
in Thai once again
and just as she was
hanging
up, Del dashed in
and informed us we
had
lost Dark Embrace
somewhere between
Bangkok
and Singapore. Mela then informed us that the people at
Thai Catwalk had never heard of us, of Moove
or even Avatars; and they had not sent a
team of photographers to the shoot in Bangkok.
"What the hell is going on", Del
answered. I then decided to tell them both about all
that had happened since my feeling of being
watched that night in Bangkok (seeing the
Shawdow Walker and my talk with the Monk)
and showed them the note in Tibetan. Mela
was a bit angry at me at first for not telling her sooner,
but it quickly passed as she called the Moove
Body Guards to report the situation and have
the room scanned for listening devices. The scan discovered not only a small video
camera hidden in a smoke alarm and a listening
device in the fresh flowers, it also discovered
GPS tracking devices hidden in the hemline
of six of the outfits we wore for the "fake"
Thai Catwalk photo shoot. "This is high
tech, professional equipment", the Moove
body guard informed us, "somebody is
serious about tracking your every move -
any idea who?" Mela and I were stumped.
Who would want to track two Avatars halfway
across Asia? Why us? We turned everything over to the Bodyguards
(I kept the note),
and headed off to our
flight for Luang Prabang. I was uncomfortable traveling
without a body guard, and although Mela laughed it off, I could
tell she was feeling the same way. Not many tourists think of Laos as a vacation
destination but it is an amazing place with
alot to see. Laos is landlocked by its neighbours of Thailand,
Cambodia, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. The
mighty Mekong River runs the entire length
of the country, providing fishing, irrigation
and fertile farmland along the delta. Its
population of 6 million people is distributed
through modern towns, rural villages and
isolated, ethnic, mountain tribes. For the visitor, Laos offers a, fascinating
adventure, as most of the country remains
untouched by tourism. Beautiful, forested
hills hide their treasures of caves and pure,
refreshing waterfalls. The deeply entrenched Buddhist culture touches
every part of life,
making our encounters
with the Lao people
one of friendship and
warm welcomes. Temples,
pagodas and stupas
dot the country,
with glints of golden rooftops
visible as the sun
rises over the mountains
and the early morning
alms-giving ceremonies
see the towns flooded
with saffron-robed
monks, collecting
food offerings in their
small bowls.
We arrived in Luang Prabang a short time later and checked in for a two
night stay La Residence Phou Vao. Our plan
for the next two days included a must-see
view of the city from Phousi Hill at sunset, visits to Phousi Hill and Wat Xieng
Thong (one of the many richly decorated temples),
and a journey by boat on the Mekong River
to the Pak Ou Caves where countless images
of the Lord Buddha are to be found. While the rest of our guests enjoyed quiet
strolls around the hotel, JoddieHottie, The
Smartest Blond, Catwoman, Princess Rayden,
Mela and I went to the Spa. The Spa at La
Résidence Phou Vao is the first luxury spa
in Luang Prabang and when I say LUXURY, I
mean it. Built in traditional local materials, the
spa pavilions are
decorated in an inviting
mix of ethnic craftsmanship
and modern comfort.
Each is decorated
in a contemporary style
with Laotian accents
using wooden furniture
and elegant wall
paneling made of hand woven
local silk. Mela and I chose the Bath and Body Treatment
called Piu Nuan -
Lao secret of sensual skin,
a two hour (waaaay
reasonable at $60.00 U.S.)
total treatment of
mind, body and soul.
The treatment started
with a soft skin exfoliation
using natural fruit
acids to deep cleanse
and purify the body.
Next, abandon we abandoned
our senses while
a steamed poultice of rice
and black sesame
seeds, soaked in warm coconut
milk was gently massaged
onto our bodies.
This wonderful healing
experience is completed
by the application
of a silky body lotion
which left our skin
fully replenished and
our souls totally
nurtured. We finished our treatment with a visit to
the infinity plung
pool and meditated
in
an area overlooking
the water lily ponds
and the historic
Laotian royal retreat
town
of Luang Prabang.
Continued Below
After our Spa Treatment, Mela, Red Sage,
Lapsus, Latin Princess
and I went to the
Phou Vao Restaurant restaurant for an early dinner to insure
we did not miss the
excursion. The Phou Vao Restaurantis offers the very best in Luang Prabang.
We chose to sit inside in sophisticated comfort,
while a few of the other guests chose to
venture outside, along the poolside to enjoy
the sunset over the treetops. The cuisine is primarily Laotian, served
in the traditional
style. Many small dishes
are combined to create
a banquet, based around
staples of sticky
rice, fresh fish, marinated
meats, noodles, dipping
sauces and soups.
As I was enjoying this culinary paradise,
the young Chef (
French Chef Yannis Amarantinis)
came out and checked
to make sure everything
was purrrfect. It
was beyond purrrfect. After
insisting her pose
for a pic at our table,
Mela and i sccoted
off with several others
to watch the sunset
from Phousi Hill. It was spectacular and as the
night creeped upon
us, the jungle came to
life in a symphony
of the wild. Mela and
strolled down the
hill with only the light
of the moon to guide
us.
Continued Below
Halfway down the hill, it was Mela's chance
to get the heebie
jeebies as she tensed
up
and quickly pulled
out her camera and
snapped
a pic. "What's
going on?",
I asked
Mela. "I saw
your Shadow Walker",
she whispered as
I scanned the dark
jungle
for any sign of movement.
I thought I saw
a pair of red eyes looking back at me from the undergrowth
a few yards away,
but it vanished before
I could focus in
on it. Probably just
my
imagination, I convinced
myself. As we began to stroll a bit faster, we both
heard a rustle in
the trees behind
us and
we took off like
scared rabbits. The
faster
we ran the closer
the sounds behind
us seemed
to get and I have
to say, I have never
been
more scared in my
life. We ran the
rest of
the way down the
hill as fast as we
could
and continued running
right to our room
where
we locked the door.
Out of breath and panting, Mela said, "Tory,
I hate to tell you
this, but I am really
freakin scared".
She pulled out her
Blackberry to contact
our Body Guards back
in Singapore --No
Signal Available.
We curled
up and shook like
wet pups till we
both finally
fell asleep. The next morning, Mela and I both still had
the creeps, and we
kept trying to convince
each other that the
red eyed shadow was
just
some wild animal
and had nothing to
do with
the Shadow Walker
and the mystery that
has
been following us
like a dark storm
cloud.
Neither one of us
believed it, but
it helped
to pretend. We spent the next day touring Luang Prabang,
most notably Wat
Xieng Thong Temple
and then
caught a small boat
for a trip up the
Mekong
River to the Pak
Ou Caves and the
Floating
Villages. I tried
to shake that odd
feeling
all day that someone
was watching me,
but
as a storm moved
in, my concerns turned
to
trying to stay dry
as the rain came
down
in sheets. Mela and
I found a safe dry
haven
in the caves and
watched a rainbow
form off
in the distance.
Continued Below
I caught the first boat back to Luang Prabang while Mela went looking for
those that had decided
to wander off and
explore (she found
Lapsus and Red Sage
rolling
around kissing in
the rain in a small
clearing).
I floated alone with
a small Laotian who
steered the boat
back up river. We
did not
speak and it was
somewhat soothing
enjoying
the quiet as the
rain made pitter
patter
noises all around.
Continued Below
My thoughts quickly turned to the missing
Dark Embrace and the friendly Monk. How did
the letter in Tibetan fit in, and was the
Shadow Walker a harbinger...an omen? And
if so, who was it stalking? Me? Mela? A member of our group? Before I could
put it all together, the boat docked near
the hotel and I walked alone in the early
dusk to my room. To my relief, Mela showed up an hour later,
drenched and cold.
We hit the hot tub
and
the infinity pool
before going to bed.
I
fell asleep right
away, exausted, and
dreamed
of shadows, creaks
in the night, darting
eyes and awoke the
next morning with
a sense
of impending doom.
I did not rest well. The next day, we caught a small plane for
Yangon, via Bangkok.
I was hoping and
praying
that whatever was
following us would
be left
in Laos and I could
enjoy in peace all
the
beauty Burma had
to offer.
Information contributed by Wikipedia, Orient
Express and WCT
We arrived in Singapore in the early morning,
said good bye to our new friends on the Eastern
and Oriental and decided not to explore Singapore
as we had done in Tokyo and Bangkok.
up and turned me and said, "Tory, I
think we are in trouble". "That
number rang at the Russian Embassy in Bangkok,
not the Thai Catwalk Offices", she said
as she pulled up the Internet on her lap
top and looked up the phone number for the
online fashion company.
at me at first for not telling her sooner,
but it quickly passed as she called the Moove
Body Guards to report the situation and have
the room scanned for listening devices.
and although Mela laughed it off, I could
tell she was feeling the same way.
sunset, visits to Phousi Hill and Wat Xieng
Thong (one of the many richly decorated temples),
and a journey by boat on the Mekong River
to the Pak Ou Caves where countless images
of the Lord Buddha are to be found.
Restaurantis offers the very best in Luang Prabang.
We chose to sit inside in sophisticated comfort,
while a few of the other guests chose to
venture outside, along the poolside to enjoy
the sunset over the treetops.
looking back at me from the undergrowth
a few yards away,
but it vanished before
I could focus in
on it. Probably just
my
imagination, I convinced
myself. 
Mela? A member of our group? Before I could
put it all together, the boat docked near
the hotel and I walked alone in the early
dusk to my room.
