Make New Friends

Traveling throughout Southeast Asia has allowed me to see things I never dreamed I would. I remember watching “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” on the TravelChannel a few years ago and thinking that I would never in my life see those things. And now here I am! Every morning I wake up and am shocked to remember that I’m in Laos.
What’s almost more exciting than riding elephants, swimming in waterfalls, and visiting Buddhist temples is meeting other travel junkies like myself. A few days ago my travel companion, Caroline, and I had the “pleasure” of taking a slow-boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Laos. For two straight days we were squished into a small boat with 124 fellow travelers for at least nine hours each day. Each person had only a small wooden bench where they could make themselves “comfortable” during the journey.
This could have been a terrible, terrible experience. And while it wasn’t the most relaxing trip, it was a fun one. Caroline and I were able to meet some very interesting people from all over the world. We meet an older British couple who are on their fourth trip to the area, a middle aged American traveling alone, as well as a young Canadian couple who are on their fourth month of a year long trip around the world. These people had fascinating stories to tell of their travels in Southeast Asia and other places. The boat trip could have been deathly boring, but instead became fun and interesting with the help of the other tourists.
As this is my first time “backpacking,” I didn’t expect me meet so many interesting people. It has been a most welcomed addition to my travel experiences. These people have really left a mark on my trip, as I hope I have on theirs.