Hellish Hike to Heaven and Back Part 1

Our journey started that day with a bus ride deep into the Bolaven Plateau. Having only just arrived in Pakse (Southern Laos) a few days earlier, the few hours on the muddy bus were spent in silence. We sat focused on what lay just beyond the dirty bus window, too distracted to hold a conversation. Our eyes scanned the new world around us. Motorbikes choked streets overhanging with lush green foliage and rickety market stands in villages too small to be featured on maps. We felt as if we were on a different planet; it was like nothing we’d ever seen before.

Although I didn’t know it yet, this day would be a day of pushing myself by smashing through all self-imposed boundaries of comfort. I have always been (overly, I’ll admit) careful and safe, never ever doing things I was afraid of. I was violently opposed to trying anything new - I literally wouldn’t even try a strawberry. Ever since I began traveling that has been slowly wearing away. On this day in particular, I was torn from my comfort zone and I loved every second.

We reached a tiny village after a very bumpy ride that traversed muddy roads concealed by a jungle curtained in fog. Rain showered from the clouds above us, or at least from above the clouds we were in. As we put on our harnesses and helmets, little kids shyly waved at us giggling as they darted away behind the silhouettes of buildings.

Children from the village

We began walking with our guides down a muddy path through cattle crazing areas. We were certain the walk would be short and that the zip-lines would be right at the end of the path. We even asked one of our guides how much longer the walk was. He responded “three,” and we all assured ourselves he meant minutes.

Me, leaving the small village to begin our trek

The walk was much longer than we had expected. Instead of being met by a zipline we were met with a towering jungle canopy. We took a few steps and became completely immersed in the thick brush of the Lao jungle.

Kat and the rest of our group making their way down the path

Looking around the mist-shrouded jungle I was in awe. All around me was new terrain, unlike anywhere I’ve been before. One thing I’ve learned in my travels is that places are never like the image you have in your head. Never like the photos that pop up as the first results of your Google search of some far away place. Never like the glossy magazine article in the plane seat pocket in front of you.
~Sam (to be continued)

Entering the jungle