From Luang Prabang I plan to spend a few nights in a small town up river called Nong Khiaw (pronounced Nong Key-Oww). From there I want to catch a boat to an even smaller town called Maung Ngoi Neua, where there is no electricity but I can fish and cook with the villagers.
The bus, complete with live chickens in a bags under my seat and a moped on the roof, drives for three hours along bumpy, bendy roads. Some how the Lao girl next to me manages to fall asleep and ends up on my shoulder.
Nong Khiaw is divided by a river, the two halves connected by a long, concrete bridge. The town is surrounded by huge lime stone cliffs which are covered in jungle. I find a bamboo hut, complete with hammock and river view and proceed to chill out.
By the next day I am bored and, with the Canadian girl I met on the boat to Luang Prabang, rent a bike to explore the surrounding countryside. First we visit a cave used by locals during the 'Secret War' - an extension of the war in Vietnam which involved heavy bombing of Laos. After cycling for ten minutes I see the sign - 'Famous Pha Tok Caves - across the river and through the rice field'. We turn off down the gravel path where we find a woman in an open sided bamboo hut and her three small children playing in the grass. We pay the 5000kip (40p) entrance fee, cross the shallow river, climb a stile into a rice field and eventually spot the concrete steps up to the caves, which are high up in the lime stone cliffs and hidden by trees and vines.
The cave is very big, much bigger than I had expected, and very dark - I'm glad I brought my torch because the caves extend about thirty meters into the cliff where there is no light what so ever. There are a few signs dotted about indicating what various areas in the caves were used for - government, police department, weapons.... and 'arts'. Other than that there is no more information on the caves. When I look them up there is not much information on them other than what is in other blogs.
The cave is very hot and after we have stepped back out into the bright sunlight we decided to find the local waterfall, having been tempted by wading through the cool river. We don't know exactly where it is, but someone directs us further down the road and off we go. We cycle up and down hills (more up than down) for half an hour with no luck. Everyone just says 'keep going'.
We give up and swim in the river where there is at least as small waterfall. We are soon joined by some children from the near by village, who enjoy showing off by jumping, rather dangerously, off the rocks and into the water. The only English they speak is to tell 'Gangnam Style' as they launch themselves into the air.
The cycle back to Nong Khiaw is much better later in the day with the sun down and my hair damp and cool from the water. I am starving and have a huge meal of chana masala, dahl fry, aloo gobi and garlic naan at the local Indian restaurant before me returning my bike. Lao and Thai food is good, but I miss Indian food (I never thought I would say that!).
During breakfast the next morning I over hear a couple discussing with a tuk tuk driver how they are going to get back to Luang Prabang. They have been trying to leave for a couple of days now and for some reason there are no buses and no one can tell them when the next one will be. Their options are taking a tuk tuk or hiring a mini van. Laos tuktuks are more like motor bikes with trailers and are not comfortable for four minutes, let alone four hours. So they opt for the private mini van It also turns out, they tell me, that no one has been able to go up river for three days either, supposedly because of water level but probably because no boat men can be bothered to go.
I have to make a quick decision and decide to share their mini bus Luang Prabang. I tell myself that it is because I don't want to risk getting stuck and having to charter a whole mini bus to myself in a few days time. However it might be that I am whimping out of heading up river and spending a couple of nights in a rural village where no one spoke English. I hope it was the former and I'm slightly disappointed in myself, but promise my self to try another homestay when there is slightly more chance of returning.
Above: Nong Khiaw
The bus, complete with live chickens in a bags under my seat and a moped on the roof, drives for three hours along bumpy, bendy roads. Some how the Lao girl next to me manages to fall asleep and ends up on my shoulder.
Nong Khiaw is divided by a river, the two halves connected by a long, concrete bridge. The town is surrounded by huge lime stone cliffs which are covered in jungle. I find a bamboo hut, complete with hammock and river view and proceed to chill out.
Above: View from my hut
Above: Bridge over the Ou River
Above: My bamboo hut (fourth from the right)
By the next day I am bored and, with the Canadian girl I met on the boat to Luang Prabang, rent a bike to explore the surrounding countryside. First we visit a cave used by locals during the 'Secret War' - an extension of the war in Vietnam which involved heavy bombing of Laos. After cycling for ten minutes I see the sign - 'Famous Pha Tok Caves - across the river and through the rice field'. We turn off down the gravel path where we find a woman in an open sided bamboo hut and her three small children playing in the grass. We pay the 5000kip (40p) entrance fee, cross the shallow river, climb a stile into a rice field and eventually spot the concrete steps up to the caves, which are high up in the lime stone cliffs and hidden by trees and vines.
The cave is very big, much bigger than I had expected, and very dark - I'm glad I brought my torch because the caves extend about thirty meters into the cliff where there is no light what so ever. There are a few signs dotted about indicating what various areas in the caves were used for - government, police department, weapons.... and 'arts'. Other than that there is no more information on the caves. When I look them up there is not much information on them other than what is in other blogs.
Above: Meeting Hall of the Provincial Governor
Above: 'Sand to Protect Bullets'
The cave is very hot and after we have stepped back out into the bright sunlight we decided to find the local waterfall, having been tempted by wading through the cool river. We don't know exactly where it is, but someone directs us further down the road and off we go. We cycle up and down hills (more up than down) for half an hour with no luck. Everyone just says 'keep going'.
Above: Northern Laos Geography
We give up and swim in the river where there is at least as small waterfall. We are soon joined by some children from the near by village, who enjoy showing off by jumping, rather dangerously, off the rocks and into the water. The only English they speak is to tell 'Gangnam Style' as they launch themselves into the air.
The cycle back to Nong Khiaw is much better later in the day with the sun down and my hair damp and cool from the water. I am starving and have a huge meal of chana masala, dahl fry, aloo gobi and garlic naan at the local Indian restaurant before me returning my bike. Lao and Thai food is good, but I miss Indian food (I never thought I would say that!).
Above: The Ou River
During breakfast the next morning I over hear a couple discussing with a tuk tuk driver how they are going to get back to Luang Prabang. They have been trying to leave for a couple of days now and for some reason there are no buses and no one can tell them when the next one will be. Their options are taking a tuk tuk or hiring a mini van. Laos tuktuks are more like motor bikes with trailers and are not comfortable for four minutes, let alone four hours. So they opt for the private mini van It also turns out, they tell me, that no one has been able to go up river for three days either, supposedly because of water level but probably because no boat men can be bothered to go.
I have to make a quick decision and decide to share their mini bus Luang Prabang. I tell myself that it is because I don't want to risk getting stuck and having to charter a whole mini bus to myself in a few days time. However it might be that I am whimping out of heading up river and spending a couple of nights in a rural village where no one spoke English. I hope it was the former and I'm slightly disappointed in myself, but promise my self to try another homestay when there is slightly more chance of returning.
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