I realize the title of this journal may have led the Brampton readers into thinking that our good friend Greg Bechard has come to visit us in Asia. Needless to say, there is a funny story to go with the title, but it's more innocent than a pool party back home in Canada.
When we left Bangkok a couple of weeks ago we headed north to cross into Laos. Many people have never even heard of Laos, and we weren't quite sure what to do when we got there, but it's been an incredible stretch of travelling.
Firstly, it's important to realize that the Lao people may be the most sincere, friendly people on earth... they are also remarkably laid back. This plays havoc when one is attempting to find information on bus departures, and specific to our first two days in the country, organize a boat trip.
With advice from a couple of Brits we'd met in Vietnam, we went about chartering a longtail boat (a oversized wooden canoe with a motor)to journey north to the town of Luang Nam Tha. We spent the good part of an afternoon, and another morning trying to locate the boat pilot, who agreed to take us upriver. At least that's what our hotel host said... our driver didn't speak any English, and we were both a bit rusty on our Lao (Mayfield S.S. didn't offer that course).
The trip took us down the mighty Mekong River for a couple of hours, before turning up the Nam Tha, a smaller tributary. For the rest of two days, we weaved north, passing remote villages of Lao Lum (lowland people)and other hilltribes. The riverside villages are isolated by the pristine jungle and mountainous terrain that surround the river. As well, in the dry season, river travel is impossible due to low water levels. Each time we passed a settlement, young villagers would splash and wave wildly with yells of "Sabaa-dii" (hello in Lao). The boys in these villages often swim naked, and on one occasion we were given a rather unique greeting. Three boys were standing in their birthday suits, side by side on the riverbank. They all waved and yelled Sabaa-dii; then, the first guy proceeded to raise his arms above his head, a la Greg Louganis on the 5m platform, and then did a forward somersault into the water. Upon surfacing, he waved wildly at us. His mates repeated this routine, each of them twisting into the water, and coming up with shouts and waves. It was easily the oddest and funniest greeting we've had thus far.
For the two days upriver, we only saw one other group of travellers. Our presence was a true novelty, and we enjoyed the opportunity to take in the Lao life. Docking at night, we were taken into the small village of our pilot, where his family hosted us for the night. In traditional Lao style, we gathered around a large bamboo "table" and ate with our hands (sticky rice, bamboo soup, and FRESH chicken... we picked it up on one of our stops). As is customary, our host offered a shot (or two)of lao-lao (homemade rice wine) to his guests. Needless to say, we sleep very soundly that night.
When we awoke, there were about 6 little heads peering from the top of the stairs of the stilted house into our sleeping area. They cautiously moved closer and checked out the "falangs" (foreigners)- they obviously don't get too many guests in the jungle. With help from the language guide in the Lonely Planet, we made some small talk in Lao, and did a couple of card tricks with them.
The last leg upriver was incredibly scenic, as we passed through massive stands of primary forest, and worked our way through class 2 and 3 rapids. As it turned out, our pilot who said he would take us to Luang Nam Tha, was not familiar with the last few kilometres of river. With help from a government official in a village post, another pilot joined us to navigate the boat to our destination. Unfortunately, it seems that as friendly as our host was, he got caught up in making a buck, but couldn't quite deliver the service. But, we made it where we had to, and the two days brought us in touch with some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen.
Our base of Luang Nam Tha made a great staging point for a trekking expedition. The surrounding region is famous for countless minority hilltribes, and unfortunately, the opium growth and use that is associated with many of the villages. As overnight trekking is very new in Laos, we were quite fortunate to be part of a two day hike to visit 5 villages, composed of Lanten, and Khmu ethnic minorities. Surrounded by steamy jungle, we trekked over mountain passes and into a river valley to a small village of Khmu people. Again, we had a opportunity to take in the life of the village and even dine with the chief and shaman (medicine man). There was plenty of food and lao-lao to go around.. although judging by his glossed over eyeballs, it looked like the shaman was downing a shot with every one he gave out. On our second day we were spoiled by incredible views and new encounters with smiling villagers. Apparently, Daryl is to be blessed with especially good luck, after a 3 foot long greensnake slithered past the back heels of his boots. According to the Lao people, seeing one of these potentially deadly snakes is a good omen!
With more time on our schedule, we probably could have spent a few weeks in Luang Nam Tha. In addition to hiking, we mountain biked to a number of villages, and there were river rafting trips available as well. It was definitely worth the effort to get there, and the arduous bus trip it took to get to the next stop at Luang Prabang.
It's probably becoming obvious that we really loved Laos. In Luang Prabang, it's very touristed, yet, there's a special quiet walking the streets. There seem to be Buddhist temples on every corner, and we enjoyed the solitude found, even in the most popular places. When you sit down for a meal on a patio, you're likely to see 5 or 6 young monks, passing by, umbrellas in hand. It's a truly unique experience for a westerner to get up at sunrise and see the monks receiving alms (gifts of food)from the local residents waiting patiently on the side of the road.
Even in the capital, Vientiane, we had the same small town feeling. People go about their business quietly, and their laid back nature is infectious.
With great memories of the beautiful people and their country, we head to Thailand once again for a flight out of Bangkok. By October 8, we'll have touched down in the traveller's mecca of Kathmandu, Nepal. Himalayas, here we come!
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