day 36 - Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi

Friday, 29 November 2013

We decided to stay in the Nong Khiaw area today and see a bit more of the surroundings. After breakfast, we caught a boat, with about 10 other tourists, one hour upstream to Muang Ngoi, a small village that is now a popular base for tourists wanting to trek, climb or do some water sports. Many people in the village rely on tourism as their main source of income. After a delayed departure from Nong Khiaw, we arrived at the village at 12.30pm and walked for a while to see what was going on. 

(We had some company at breakfast)

(Arriving into Muang Ngoi)

(The main street in Muang Ngoi)

(The entrance gate to the village. We believe they replace this once a year under the guidance 

of the town shaman and that only the men in the village are allowed to assist with building the gate)

We saw women weaving silk and cotton items on large wooden looms set up outside the front of their houses. Most wooden houses don't appear to have many, if any, windows so a lot of work is done outdoors during the day. The edible 'river weed' was also drying on mats in the sun, infused with flavours like tomato, garlic and sesame.

(River weed drying in the sun)

We had read this morning that the Laotians now use the shell casing of American bombs that were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War for decoration and practical purposes and we saw evidence of this today. When dropped from a plane, the shells would open vertically and release hundreds of tennis ball sized bombs. Its been estimated that nearly half a million Laotians were killed during the war and we have heard that it could take another 100 years before the unexploded bombs that still lie buried throughout the western provinces are recovered and disarmed. 

(Shell casings provide decoration outside this guesthouse)

(The vertical split that released the bombs is clear to see on this shell)

When the time came for us to catch the 2pm boat back, we found out that there was no boat and that the only one going to Nong Khiaw had left that morning at 9.30am. It seemed that the tour guide we had consulted about boat times was misinformed. We ended up paying a lot more to catch a private boat back. It was a good lesson in double-checking our information. After the chilly boat ride, we went to the local herbal sauna to warm up. The steam was almost scalding but it definitely did the trick to shake off the cold. 

(Lots of boats but none leaving for Nong Khiaw)

(400,000 Kip got us back to Nong Khiaw, about eight times as much as a meal for two costs)

Tomorrow we'll cycle west to Pak Xeng and then on to Sam Neua. It'll be lovely to see more of the countryside and the people. 

day 35 - Pak Mong to Nong Khiaw

Thursday, 28 November 2013

We arrived today in Nong Khiaw after a 30km cycle from Pak Mong, where we stayed last night. The town is nestled in among steep dark limestone karsts, with a wide river snaking through the middle. It was a great start to the day to cycle past all the smiling kids on their way to school. At one point we passed another couple cycling in the other direction and exchanged quick hellos.

(Children in Pak Mong riding to school)

(Finished our breakfast of Pho (noodle soup) and almost ready to set off)

(The road to Nong Khiaw. Poinsettias by the road side make it feel a little Christmassy) 

(We think this man was carrying mattresses. At least he'll have a soft landing if he topples over)

(Arriving into Nong Khiaw)

We arrived shortly after 9.30am in Nong Khiaw and found a nice guesthouse by the river. We were ready for a second breakfast by then so headed out to Delilah's cafe where we met an English couple about our age who cycled here from the UK and have been on the road for 8 months!! We were immensely impressed at the distance they had covered and enjoyed chatting to them and sharing some tips as they were heading towards Luang Prabang, from where we had just come.

(The grounds of the guest house)

We spent the afternoon exploring a dirt track along the river which lead us through a couple of small villages. The track was thick with mud in parts and it made for some tough work on the bikes. We had done another 30km by the time we were back in the town. 

(Our afternoon activity - tackling the dirt track)

(One of the villages we passed through)

(Don't think we'd get too far on this)

Nong Khiaw seems like a pretty popular spot. We are having dinner in one of a dozen or so restaurants, and we appear to be surrounded by French people. We've read that there is a great look out, some caves and a waterfall in the area so we'll do some exploring tomorrow on foot and get to know the place a bit better. 

(Looking down stream from Nong Khiaw)

(Looking up stream from the town)

day 34 - Luang Prabang to Pak Mong

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

We set off from the guest house in Luang Prabang at 7am this morning after a final hearty breakfast cooked by the owner, Oui. It was such a lovely stop over thanks to Oui and her sisters' kind hospitality and definitely one of the more memorable places we've stayed. Our plan then was to head north towards Nong Khiaw which was approximately 140km from Luang Prabang. 

It was a great morning for riding; mostly overcast with sunny patches. The scenery was beautiful as we rode along side the Ou river, with limestone karsts towering up in the background. The road was in pretty good condition with only a few long climbs which weren't too steep. 

(Water buffalo grazing by the Ou River)

(Riding through one village, the mountains in the background shrouded in fluffy clouds)

(Chillis were drying in the sun outside almost every house in some villages)

We have noticed the Laos people to be more reserved than the Thais but it's definitely not the case with the children. Most of them almost jump out of their skin with excitement when they see us approach and run squealing out from their houses to wave. We got a lot of high fives from little boys and girls although the boys made sure to give us a pretty decent slap to remember them by. We passed a school at one point and many of the children playing in the school yard ran to the fence to wave and practice their English greetings. We got a lot of "good evenings", even at 2pm in the day.

(A large school with lots of bicycles waiting for their owners)

(These boys wanted to race us and did pretty well at keeping up)

We stopped for a couple of short breaks along the way and after 112km we pulled into Pak Mong for lunch. There were large dark clouds overhead and the woman whose restaurant we were sitting in started pulling down the blinds which told us it was going to be a heavy downpour. It was nearly 4pm when we had finished lunch so we decided to call it a day and head to Nong Khiaw tomorrow. There isn't much to say about Pak Mong other than that its a small service town situated on a busy intersection connecting north and south, east and west. It at least means there are a few restaurants and guest houses to choose from. We had a good dinner at a friendly family's restaurant and were reminded just how inexpensively we can live once we're out of cities and back on the road. 

(The fisherman casting his net out into the Ou River)

(Perfectly balanced on the nose of the boat)

(Looking back towards Luang Prabang after one long climb)

days 31, 32 and 33 - down time in Luang Prabang

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

We've had a great few days relaxing in Luang Prabang. We arrived with the intention of staying for a couple of nights but the past two mornings we have got up and asked the ladies who own the guesthouse if we can extend our stay by one more night. Five days later and we're almost ready to go.

We have so many photos to share so I'll just mention some of the highlights and allow the photos to tell more of the story. 

On Sunday morning we got up shortly after sunrise to see the Tak Bat, a centuries old tradition where the novice monks walk the streets to collect alms from the people of the town. Today, it is a big tourist attraction and there appeared to be as many tourists offering up food as there were locals. There are a lot of signs around the town asking people to respect the Bat by not getting too close to the monks and ensuring they only give offerings that are both fresh and meaningful to them. Most onlookers appeared to have read the guidelines thankfully.

(The novice monks leaving the temple to begin the Tak Bat)

(Tourists and local people observing the Bat)

(A procession of novice monks make their way down the street)

(Old and new - the Tak Bat passes by one of the luxury hotels of Luang Prabang)

(An early rise calls for a fresh pastry)

(Ever resourceful; the driver of this tuk tuk is asleep in a hammock in the back of the vehicle)

Following the Tak Bat, we decided to beat the heat and climb up Mount Phu Si to get a 360 degree view of Luang Prabang. 

(A temple within the grounds of the old Royal Palace)

(The start of the climb to Mount Phu Si)

(The view of the Nam Khan river and Luang Prabang from Mount Phu Si)

(The Mekong from Mount Phu Si)

(One of the entrances to Wat Wisunalat)

Later that day we found L'Etranger Books and Tea. You can go to this store to swap one old book for another, for only a small fee. Local people can exchange books for free so as to encourage reading and improve literacy rates in the area. They had a fantastic selection of National Geographic magazines for customers to read dating back to the 1970s.

(Couldn't resist including this photo. 

Nicky wanted to pack him into her bag and take him with us.)

(We found a gorilla in the book shop)

(Overlooking the Nam Khan river)

(Nicky in search of a hat. Maybe not this one though)

(A small footbridge being built. 

These are washed away during each rainy season and rebuilt at the start of each dry season)

(Great progress, only one day later)

(Enjoying a cocktail with an unpronounceable name)

Today we took a tuk tuk out to Kuang Si falls, 32km outside of Luang Prabang. We set off straight after breakfast to avoid the crowds and were glad we did when we saw all the buses and mini-vans rolling in as we were leaving. It's a spectacular sight seeing the falls which are about 80m high. There are pools to swim in below the falls where the water is menthol blue. At the entrance to the park, there is a sanctuary that houses Sun Bears that have been rescued from poachers. Their enclosure is large and the keepers make a big effort to keep the bears mentally and physically stimulated, encouraging them to forage for food and ensuring they have plenty of toys. You can read more about the program at the Free the Bears website. 

(The journey to the falls. Luang Prabang and the Mekong River in the distance)

(Local people growing vegetables)

(Hundreds of bicycles at this school)

(A Sun Bear at Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre)

(Sun Bear)

(The lower part of the Kuang Si falls)

(The largest waterfall at Kuang Si)

(Climbing to the top of the falls)

(The view from the top of the falls)

(All very peaceful at the top of the falls before the water spills over)

(Nicky had a dip in one of the pools. The water was deep and very fresh!)

(Souvenirs for sale)

(Another resourceful Laotian defying the impossible)

We finished off our time in Luang Prabang with a delicious dinner at Tamarind restaurant. At Tamarind, they offer traditional Laos dishes made with locally grown ingredients and aim to educate customers on the distinctive qualities of Laos food and customs. Laos people traditionally eat with their hands and therefore most dishes are dry so as to avoid hands getting messy. It's considered rude to lick your fingers or leave food stuck to your fingers so it's quite an art form to get right and one that we're still mastering!

(A tasting plate including pickled vegetables and dried buffalo)

(Lemongrass stalks stuffed with minced chicken)

Tomorrow we head north to Nong Khiaw before travelling east towards the border of Laos and Vietnam. It'll be good to get on the bikes again after plenty of rest and to see what lies ahead.