The "Gibbon" Experience (Tim)

With aching backs from the terrible journey the day before, we ambled into the Gibbon Experience offices, ready for adventure and excitement. Joining us in the jungle were 6 Americans, a Canadian, 2 Swedes, 2 Brits, and a French girl. The Bokeo reserve was a 5 hour drive from Houayxay, and 2-3 hour drive from the nearest village, through really sketchy, half-constructed mountain-roads (a large portion of which are unnavigable by jeep during the wet season, meaning a long long walk. It was dry at the time we were passing along them and even then we had to help push the jeep up some hills). Next, an hour hike up into the jungle, at which point it started raining (a grim omen for the rest of our time there, as it rarely stopped after this point) and things got very slippy. As we started off, we passed the group just coming out of the jungle, including the guy who put us onto the experience in the first place. He was covered in mud and grinning maniacally. "Wow, you're so dirty," I said. "Wow, you're so clean," he marvelled. Our pristine state didn't last long - a bit of walking and a couple of falls later we reached the base, and brown was in fashion.
In the main quarters, they had an orphan bear and monkey they were raising until they could eventually be released back into the jungle - the project isn't just about the gibbons. Shaun being the animal fanatic, within seconds was lavishing attention on the monkey and playing with the baby bear. It was actually the monkey who was the most dominate of the two, being the only thing the bear is scared of.

Since the tree houses are all so far up, there is an extensive network of ziplines connecting them all, some of which are huge (300m long) and rather rather high when crossing valleys (150m down). It was an extremely cool way to discover our accomodation - finding it on the end of a metal chord as it speeds towards you.


Over the next 2 days we hung out above the jungle canopy, zipping around between various platforms and treehouses by day and just watching and listening to the sounds of the trees, animals and insects in the evening. It was hugely unfortunate that it barely stopped drizzling throughout our time there, as it made the gibbons highly reluctant to come out so we neither saw nor heard them - this only put a slight downer on the experience, as the surroundings and people (and zipping) were all awesome.The raining also meant that the jeep was unable to come all the way to pick us up, so it was time for some hiking back to the nearest village. The roads were all made of clay, and since it was wet it clung to the bottom of our boots and added to the tedium of trekking along the extremely hilly (mostly uphill) track. Along the way, we crossed paths with the guys just starting the experience that day and did the whole clean/dirty exchange, which was pretty humourous. After a 5 hour walk, tiredly dragging boots with a couple of extra inches to them, we arrived at the village and collapsed infront of hot bowls of rice - something so plain has never tasted so good.

We made the unanimous decision of taking the 2-day slow boat back to Luang Phabang (we could not survive another 6 cramped hours in a speed boat, and we also found out that they are extremely dangerous - if they clip a submerged rock, of which there are many, then the whole thing just shatters and explodes), accompanied by all the guys from the(so called) gibbon experience, spending the first night in a pretty scummy town geared towards housing (and ripping-off) tourists coming down the river. It was a Saturday night when we arrived back in Luang Phabang, the day before Ryan's birthday, and half-price night at the delicious bakery there (using up all fresh goods before Sunday when it closes). It's rather difficult getting a present for someone you spend all day, every day with but I managed to sneakily steal away to the bakery a couple hours before and organise an iced, candled cake to be brought out when we visited later. The plan worked excellently - he was thoroughly surprised, which was all rather great.

Next day with the rest of the guys we visited some amazing waterfalls (climbed to the top tier and swam in the pool there). It was one of the many moments where I know we made the right choice in taking a gap year - when you are relaxing at the bottom of a huge waterfall, with trees and flowers all around you and enormous mountains visible behind you with a bunch of great guys you just met a couple of days ago, I know I'd much rather be here than taking exams at uni.

In the evening, we went out to celebrate Ryan's birthday properly and of course drank a bit (but not lots, thankfully) too much. Today we parted temporarily from the other fellows (we'll meet again in Hanoi) to Phomsavan in the northeast of Laos to visit the plane of jars (ancient tombs).

Coincedentally, as well as the 28th being Ryan's birthday, it was also exactly halfway through our journey - it's weird to think we've already been out here for 12 weeks, although we've come a long, long way in that time (both geographically and personally). It no longer feels strange or unusual being in the back of a public songthaw, surrounded by Thai's or Lao's and chickens and dogs; we no longer worry about small things like finding a guest house or ordering food or talking to locals or other backpackers - it now just seems like life for us. Every day I think about home and friends and how I look forward to returning, but for the time being I can't imagine doing anything else but this.

(1st photo: In our treehouse, wearing mud. 2nd photo: One of the guides riding the zipline. 3rd photo: Us hanging around. 4th photo: View of the jungle from up in the canopy. 5th photo: The long slow-boat ride. 6th photo: Ryan's birthday cake being delivered. 7th photo: The waterfall. 8th photo: Dave (the Canadian) about to jump.)