Like plunging out of a plane, stepping off that first platform invited an overwhelming rush to the senses. Wind plastered my face. The scream of metal on metal invaded my eardrums; And the acute yanking of a harness lifted my body as I quickly zipped more than a hundred feet over the jungle canopy of Laos. Following 25 years of communist rule, Laos closed its borders to sort things out. Not until the year 2000 did Laos reopen its borders to visitors, leaving it currently preserved from painstaking urban sprawl and the novelty of cookie-cutter tourist traps. France claimed Laos prior to communism and I admittedly felt a familiar comfort upon entering, as if experiencing a taste of Louisiana. Baguettes can be found scattered down sidewalks amongst french wines, crepes, and gourmet coffees. The food... is addictively cheap and flavorful.
A French ex-patriot, who previously taught his native language to Laos' elite, expressed disgust towards Laos' cut-and-burn forestry habits. Like many places in the world, poachers routinely scour the forest carelessly harvesting timber and collecting endangered carcasses. This creates short-term profits and causes long-term damage to the jungle and ecosystem. The Frenchman designed The Gibbon Experience to involve the community in the protection of their backyards and generate sufficient funds to hire rangers. He sought to fabricate an independent project that could produce as much money as a mill while preserving the environment. His project has been operational for about 2 to 3 years and has apprehended over 1000 poachers.
To the backpacker, The Gibbon Experience means hiking into the wilderness to spend an afternoon learning how to use a vast zipline system, then waving goodbye to the guide and spending 3 days and 2 nights living high, 80 feet up in a treehouse and freely exploring the cables on your own or with friends. This... has been the highlight of my trip. Having the freedom to explore and swoop high above the treetops will stand out as an extraordinary experience. Brittany and I took a canopy zipline day trip in Costa Rica's cloud forest 3 years ago, but this kind of opportunity is currently unparalelled in the entire world.http://www.gibbonx.org/
4 comments:
Ok, it's official, I have to go back to Laos and give this a go. I knew I should have gone...
Makes me feel like I've been enjoying the latest issue of National Geographic.
Also brought to my mind the movie "Medicine Man" with Sean Connery and their upper canopy travels.
Didn't know there were places someone could actually go and experience this. Cool!
well said bro, quite the writer. you forgot to entertain the ideas we found most appealing at gibbons though, zipping with music and at night adds that extra superiority. im glad you used my photo too, im such a picture pimp, haa!
Finally made it onto the blogspot--bitchin' photography, and holy doodle, you must take this travelling thing seriously to be so meticulous in your reports (incredible writing).
Hopefully you're enjoying Japan now (is it Japan now?)!
Love Liz
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