Laos, for the first time on their travels, was a new country for all three of our rapscallions. Therefore, no need to keep a keen lookout for three-legged children resembling President Thor.
It’s the small things in life.
Like some previous stops, such as S-21 and Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Much like the Dunts, suitable words to describe Luang Prabang, are quaint and cute.
As remarkable as this little town is, it is now forever known as the town that stole Sarge’s undies. That’s yet to unfold though.
Luang Prabang also has beer too.
Some of their beers even say enticing things like ‘finest ingredients, limited edition, artists edition’. To be honest, the Dunts don’t need much enticing for beer. But they’re very much not against enticing.
Not all beers had such lovely words, but the Dunts would drink them anyway because they’ve never really been racist against beer. Any beer really.
Not all heroes wear capes, right.
Like previous countries they’d toured, the Dunts appreciated the historic culture.
Things like Buddhist shrines built into natural rock walls where locals would not only stop off randomly to pray, but also leave gifts.
Admiring man-made shrines is always better after a feed.
I’ll have whatever that is, please…
And for dessert, I’ll have that, please…
Washed down with that, please…
Of the three Dunts, one really digs zenning, one really digs cats and one really digs his undies not being stolen.
The first full day in Luang Prabang wasn’t about stolen undies or even cuddling cats, for that matter.
It was about zenning at waterfalls.
And cuddling bears.
Twenty-nine kilometres south of Luang Prabang are the stunning Kuang Si Falls.
One can’t miss the bear rescue centre known as Tat Kuang Si, at the very entrance to the falls.
Tat Kuang Si is dedicated to protecting Asia’s black bears, particularly the moon and sun bears.
The Dunts dig that.
Unfortunately, there are no photos of President Thor zenning, so the Dunts recommend using your imagination.
After much zenning and bear statue cuddling, our travelling heathens headed back into the big smoke of Luang Prabang, via a couple of picturesque little cafes, including The Bamboo Farm Restaurant.
And the amazing Full House Cafe in a small village called Ban Thin Som.
When travelling in Southeast Asian heat with minimal luggage, doing the laundry is a must.
Sometimes the Dunts’ wash their own, but sometimes, they splash out and pay to have it done.
Having one’s undies come back crisp, clean, folded and smelling all fresh like lavender or roses, is often one of their small pleasantries.
Now it goes without saying that any bikie gang can smell of body odour, stale sweat, stale beer, old dirt roads, blood, and often even, poos and wees. Believe me when I tell you, the Dunts’ are all over that shit.
But they do consider themselves somewhat civilised bikies and very much enjoy clean undies.
This one time (without a flute) at Luang Prabang, their laundry came back washed.
Sarge was missing a few pairs of undies though. Six to be exact.
He’d also gained a couple of pairs that weren’t his.
Member was happy to become the owner of those that weren’t Sarge’s.
Sarge remains unsure whether the ones Member took off his hands were even his or whether he’s an astute closet undies collector.
Ultimately, Sarge came to the conclusion that there was an undies thief in the town.
Initial enquiries came to no avail.
Undies shops in Luang Prabang are not a dime a dozen, which of course gives good reason as to why someone would steal Sarge’s undies.
With the counterfeit USD$100 scam still fresh in his memory, many things were going through Sarge’s head.
Things like whether the undie thief stole his undies before or after they were washed, whether they had already fled the country, possibly even on a fake passport?
Sarge doesn’t think stealing someone’s undies is very cool at all.
In fact, Sarge thinks it sucks shit.
After much angst, he came to the conclusion that he did not have the time, nor the effort, to hunt a real life undie thief in Luang Prabang, Laos.
He could always ask his fellow gang members to share their undies with him, because that’s what brotherhoods do.
Knowing his brothers like he does though, Sarge did not ask them. He’s pretty confident they’d share their undies with him, but only their dirty ones.
He was gunna have to survive the rest of the trip on rationed undies.
If that meant wearing them inside out and backwards over many days, then so be it.
“Yeah, watch this, Undie Thief! The joke’s on you, man, ’cause I’m into that shit!”
The following days’ venture saw them wolf-packing away to the famous Pak Ou Caves, home to Tham Ting and Tham Phum.
A decent motorcycle ride was well worth the experience for a few reasons including the fact it’s a centuries-old, highly revered Buddhist pilgrimage site, with over 4000 miniature Buddha statues left by worshippers, including royalty.
But first they must get there.
Getting there can sometimes include stopping off for hops intake.
Hops intaking can, on occasion, be at random dusty little bar-type places that the Dunts still aren’t sure whether they’re actual bars, or if the locals just felt sorry for the visiting dehydrated giant gang members and provided them with beer out of sympathy.
Why the term ‘giants’ you may ask… well, in this particular rough as guts, desert-like place, it’s a bonus to be a midget when grabbing a beer, because there’s far less chance your head will be decapitated.
So as not to become inebriated and ultimately lose one’s head, may be why they were only served Coke instead of beer.
Decapitation isn’t the only hazard the Dunts experienced that day.
There was also wildlife, and not so wild-life.
Between random bars and animal hazards, it’s always refreshing to pull off to the side of the road and perform gang signs. You know, like dogs leaving their scent.
With only a river between them and the Pak Ou Caves, time for a beer, a feed and then one of the Dunts’ favourite pastimes, checking out jars.
And then there was the temple.
And it’s toilet…
As their time in the undies stealing town of Luang Prabang came to an end, our three not-so-wise men had one final night to live it up.
They lived it up by having a feed and eating ice cream.
And scoring cool hand-made in front of you souvenirs.
With their final stop of the 2024 Da Nang Dunts tour being Vietnam, they said Laa kon to Laos and Xin chào to Hanoi.
