On to Laos...

(To go straight to my Laos photos, go here. Ashley's Laos photos are here.)

So after Ashley and I found Boonrian, our plan was to check out the Gibbon Experience, a jungle trek run by a conservation organization in Laos. To help preserve the Bokeo rainforest in Laos, this group built a bunch of treehouses for eco-tourists to be near wild Gibbon monkeys, accessible only by trekking and taking long zip lines through the jungle. For a mere $140, visitors can spend 3 days and 2 nights in the jungle, zip lining about, and sleeping in treehouses perched a few hundred feet in the air. With luck, we might even see a Gibbon or two.

Sounded amazing, so we crossed the Mekong River and headed north into the one-horse Laotian town of Huay Xai (pronounced "Way Sigh"):


First, a 3 hour car ride on one of the world's bumpiest roads, arriving at a small Hmong village:


Then a 3 hour hike into the jungle. We arrived at a small hut where a volunteer named Marianne welcomed us and introduced us to 3 monkeys - including 1 small sick Gibbon she was carrying...(this turned out to be the only Gibbon we saw)...

and 2 very energetic macaques:


Here's 2 videos of the monkeys having their way with our group of 12 tourists:





Then, it was on to the zip lines. With just a climbing harness and a wheeled contraption, we attached ourselves to thick cables and just jumped. Off we went, whizzing through the jungle canopy, sometimes hundreds of feet in the air, and for what seemed like miles. It was definitely one of the most fun and intense things I've ever done. Ashley, who is a bit scared of heights, was not so sure:


I was into it, however...and tried taking a video as I zipped...


Our last zip line led directly to our treehouse, where we'd be sleeping...




All 6 of us (2 Belgians, 2 Swiss, myself and Ashley) were blown away by how beautiful the spot was:



Guides cooked us our meals...



and we watched the sun go down. With no lights for many many miles, we were about as far from civilization as I've ever been. And the stars were amazing.

One issue...the bathroom was basically a squat toilet perched right next to the edge. So it took some nerve to use it while looking 200 feet down...


Next morning, it was off to our next treehouse, starting off with more zipping. Here's the Swiss members of our group, Oliver and Carine, zipping off in the morning...




Then 3 more hours of tough up and down hiking. Then a dip in the coldest (and smallest) waterfall on the planet:



Here's our second treehouse. You can see the rather slim trunk of this tree does not inspire confidence:


Nor does the toilet...


But the incredible views made it all worthwhile...


Although Ashley didn't enjoy the last zip line out of the treehouse:


Then it was back to the Hmong village, where Ashley played a little catch with some local girls...