Happy Times in Laos Continued - Part 2

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Next stop was Luang NamTha, after a very long and again back breaking mini bus ride.

Up near the Chinese border and home to Akha and Khmer tribes. Here the three of us were on a mission to find Mr Kit later found to be called Mr KET. Find him we did, and with him and Mr T and two Akha village boys and our new Greek friend Matthew we set off on a jungle trek through the great NamHa National Park.

The trek was steep in places and the sun was so hot that we needed regular water breaks and worrying about how sweaty we were was out of the question. Rain interrupted our trek and we stopped for traditional lunch spread out on a banana leaf and tucked in with our fingers. Boiled bamboo shoots, fried pork and garlic wrapped in bamboo, chili paste, roast duck including the head and beak which i avoided, and of course sticky rice, (which i had started to go off as my last portion contained sticky ants all dead within the rice).

The views were amazing and after the heavy rain passed we continued along now very slippy muddy trails. All the Laos guys were walking in flip flops which they made look so easy. I was slipping everywhere in my walking boots and on one down hill part it was one down, next one down, third one down, fourth one down...my beige trousers became a muddy mess. The locals made bamboo sticks to hep with the steep descends and once in the jungle we took extra care to regularly check our ankles for leaches.

Once at camp we bathed in the river and swept the hut while there was still light. We then helped cut up the beef and peel the garlic in preperaion for cooking. Dinner was an amazing concoction of rice and some vegetable soup with lots of garlic and chillies.

The next day after breakfast of more rice we continued into the jungle up a steep bank and then through bamboo fields and along rice paddy fields. I was just starting to getting into the swing and the sun was shinning and then i landed badly off a log and dislocated my ankle, no doubt about it i heard it crack out and then back in. Thank God it went back in though as we were right up in he middle of rice fields. Well with two bamboo sticks i slowly hobbled down and it was all fine. I don't think i would of enjoyed a fireman's lift from the miniature Laos men for an hour or so.

The evening was very memorable another time to socialize with the local Laos people and experience their true nature, which is very friendly and welcoming. We shared BeerLaos and ate local cuisine with Mr Ket and Mr T and Hak and some ladies and even though the English was very limited, and only really Hak and Mr Ket could speak it, we all enjoyed a great night together. The highlight has to be Zac and Mr Ket disappearing off on a scooter to the night market as all bars shut as 10.30pm (Laos culture) and we had run out of BeerLaos! Tragedy!

We parted ways and left Laos through Houei Xai into north Thailand via small long boat...

Many fun experiences and happy memories will stay with me from my times in Laos..roll on north Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.