Tree-Swingin' Like Tarzan and Jane!

We just returned from 3 days of tree house living, deep in the Bokeo National Park in Laos. Completely thrilled that we took part in the "Tarzan and Jane" experience, we are more thankful for modern conveniences than ever before! I'll back track a bit...
We traveled from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai on an overnight bus, and are quickly learning that Laos transportation is NOT one of the country's finer points!!! Our "bus" turned out to be a 20-seater van, into which nearly 30 of us packed! We sat in the back row of 4 seats, next to a very large Finnish man. We spread out as much as possible, and he cast his most intimidating scowl at hopeful travelers, but after our first of many pit stops, the bus driver insisted that 4 people should sit in the back and instructed a tiny man come back and sit between us. So, we experienced what it is like to be a sardine for 13+ hours... no wiggle room, in a stinky tin container, and with pocked roads that rivaled our journey from Poipet to Siem Reap. It was not fun, but luckily the road evened out and exhaustion settled in somewhere around 1:00 am, so we were able to get a few hours of sleep. After arriving in Huay Xai we wandered around and found a guesthouse. We tried to "rough it" and booked a fan room, but after 4 hours in the sweltering upstairs enclosure we switched to an a/c room... so spoiled=).
The next morning we piled into the back of a pick-up and headed for the Gibbon Experience in the Bokeo National Park. The windy paved road led to a bumpy mud road, and I was plenty woosy by the time we arrived to the "basecamp" village 3 hours later. Then we set off for the most difficult uphill hike of my life! The Gibbon website prefaces that participants should be prepared for "moderate" physical exertion- let me tell you this hike was NOT moderate! Staring up the seemingly endless mud switchback trails nearly brought me to tears. We arrived to our first stop, the kitchen, panting and dripping with sweat... eww! After a short break and pineapple snack, we put on our zip-lining harnesses and headed back UP, UP, UP!!! The second portion of the hike was slightly less miserable, with intermittent stretches of flat or declining slope. I had been slightly nervous about zip-lining again, but after our exhausting ascent, I was beyond willing to strap myself to a cable and let gravity do the work! The ride was exhilarating! Definitely a Tarzan and Jane experience=). We crossed several more zip-lines, including a loooonnnggg line that boasted breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, before reaching our home- Tree house #2. Thanks to a tip from a friend, we reserved a private tree house. We even zipped to the front door. So, we've spent the last three days, perched high in a tree, staring in awe at the stunning scenery around us. The main level of our tree house had a mattress, covered by a heavy duty (though not completely reliable) bug net. There were two rattan squat stools and a table, and a shelf for supplies. A trap door in the floor led down to our "bathroom" area, with a sink, shower nozzle, and toilet. The toilet was just for looks... it covered a hole in the platform, and everything that entered the toilet just dropped straight out of the tree house to the ground below... this was quite amusing at times! Dinner was soon delivered, via a pulley rope, and we enjoyed our meal looking over the thousands of trees below us. The sounds of the forest were particularly amazing. The bird calls were melodic, the insect chatter was varied and interesting, and a loud guttural barking noise kept us guessing (we later found out it belonged to a large barking deer- no joke!) The conditions that night were less than pleasant... the bug net was not breathable, so we were soon enveloped in sauna-like conditions, and after several hours we discovered hundreds of ants swarming the head of our bed- ewww!!! After sweeping them away, and swapping our head and feet positions on the bed, we counted our numerous bites (darn bug net!!!), and eventually fell asleep. The next morning one of the guides, Tai, came at dawn and took us on a hike to find animals. Everyone we had met who had participated in the Gibbon Experience hadn't seen or heard the monkeys, so we didn't have high expectations. We wandered through the forest for about 20 minutes, with Tai pausing to listen periodically, before he determined that the gibbons weren't calling and we should head back. We turned around and hadn't been walking more than a minute when we heard a loud whistling sound. Tai froze and whispered, "Gibbons!" We stopped and listened. Shortly after another whistling sound rose, and then another and another. Quick as a shot, Tai was off, jogging up the path after the noise. He dashed off the trail, down an embankment, and we stumbled behind him as best we could. Above our own fumbling, we heard the calls, blending together in almost a siren-like wail, growing louder and louder. Finally, Tai stopped us and we sat. The calls were still going and very close by. We peered through the trees and saw gibbons! They were only about 100 meters away, but a thick wall of foliage stood between us, making it difficult to get a clear look. We sat and listened to their song, and caught fleeting glimpses of the black creatures gliding from branch to branch. It was amazing!!! Several minutes later we heard two other guides approach. Before long the gibbons sensed them as well, ended their singing, and disappeared into the forest. After trekking back to the tree house, we enjoyed breakfast, and opted to spend the day lounging. We napped, read, wrote, played cards, and enjoyed being lazy together. That afternoon lunch was served in tree house #1, so we got out for a bit, and had fun on the zip-lines... I even perfected my one-handed photo-taking technique. That evening a storm rolled in, which was great for clearing the bugs, but leaked water onto our bed (mildew is so NOT pleasant!). We created a bit of a fort with our bug net, half a dozen mosquito coils, and candles, and played cards until it became dark. It turned out to be pretty fun. The fog hung low over the forest this morning, so we opted not to go on a hike in search of animals. We were treated to another beautiful collection of gibbon songs from the comfort of our tree house, however=). Hiking back down the mountain was far less exhausting, and the thought of a shower and bug-free accommodations put an extra spring in our steps. I did manage to pick up a nice little leech on the way down (EWWW!!!) but caught him before he made off with too much of my blood. Our ride back to Huay Xai kept me feeling pretty queasy, but after checking back in to our familiar guesthouse, taking a nice shower, and eating a yummy lunch, I'm feeling fabulous! We had an amazing time at the Gibbon Experience, it was truly a unique and precious opportunity, but we are happy to be back in civilization!
Tomorrow we cross into Thailand and head to Chiang Mai. We're looking forward to a few low-key, unplanned days before volunteering at the Elephant park!
Love and hugs to you all!
Tarzan and Jane =) =)