After breakfast we walked across the bridge to the Nong Khiaw’s jetty for a cruise upstream on the Nam Ou River. This particular stretch of river had stunning scenery including sightings of water buffalo bathing in the water. We landed in Muang Ngoi, a fishing village, where we met our local guide, Ping.
Ping led us on a trek through the jungle initially on a dirt road. We passed a school and then a temple and then some new construction. We stopped for a scenery break and bathroom break and got to watch local picnickers make a traditional papaya salad which included peppers and chiles. Then Ping took us into the cave where villagers hid during the Vietnam Nam war. He showed us where his family had lived for 5 years on a rock above a stream in the cave. He lived there from age 11-16. He was not allowed to fight because he was the youngest and only son, but later as a young man he joined the Vietnam Cong and fought against the Americans. He said he has no ill feelings- the past is the past. Ping was married and had 5 kids.
We then took a short cut through the rice fields and saw a young woman digging up some herbs. We ventured on through farms and cows and saw a crater left by a bomb in the middle of the field. This was all part of the secret war of Laos where they were bombing the supply chains on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and literally dropped a bomb every 8 minutes - B52 bombers came by every 8 minutes for 9 years!
We had lunch at a small village. The meal was great- soup and lots of fresh vegetables and rice and bananas. After lunch we walked into the village and I saw a woman finishing a scarf on her loom. Our guide cut the silk strands and I bought it from her right then and there!
We returned to town via the fields and just before reaching the jetty landing stopped at a villagers house to buy Lao Lao or Lao whiskey. We all got to taste it and it was quite good. We had been talking about finding somewhere to buy it, and Ping said he knew a guy who made it. The whiskey was in an old wine bottle with a top that didn't screw on tightly, so he went inside to find another top. Forrest paid a whopping $2.50 for a huge bottle of Lao whiskey!!
Some returned to the hotel, but I continued with others to a remote weaving village, including Ban Sop Khing and Ban Sob Jaem, minority tribe villages that can only be accessed by boat. Here I bought 6 scarves! All made by the women in town with silk and cotton!
We returned on the water and caught a beautiful sunset, hurried to get some snacks and ran to our rooms before the downpour! Second night in a row of a drenching rain that periodically shut down the power. Despite the power going out intermittently, the hotel was prepared. We had happy hour on Randi and Michaels balcony and then went to dinner.
Feb. 18
We departed early by bus to meet our kayak specialists in the village of Ban Hate. We kayaked down the Nam Ou river through beautiful scenery. We had lunch on the beach right before the Nam Ou joins the Mekong river at Pha An, where we overlooked the huge limestone walls lining the rivers. We talked French with two Frenchmen who had ridden their bikes from France to Laos over a year's time, and now were kayaking for two weeks before returning to France. They were teaching some Lao boys to kayak, since their teacher hadn't shown up for school so they had an afternoon free.
Then we crossed the river to visit the sacred Pak Ou Caves, which housed literally 4000 Buddha statues, hidden from the looting Chinese Haw in past history. After climbing in the caves to look at the caves, we crossed the river vigorously to reach the island on the other side, where we found the van to return back to Nong Khiaw.
Once back in Luang Prabang, I roamed the town and found some vintage indigo while Forrest enjoyed a beer on our balcony overlooking the town. Six of us had dinner on the river and it cost us $30 for six of us with drinks!! It was a great relaxing day.
We departed early by bus to meet our kayak specialists in the village of Ban Hate. We kayaked down the Nam Ou river through beautiful scenery. We had lunch on the beach right before the Nam Ou joins the Mekong river at Pha An, where we overlooked the huge limestone walls lining the rivers. We talked French with two Frenchmen who had ridden their bikes from France to Laos over a year's time, and now were kayaking for two weeks before returning to France. They were teaching some Lao boys to kayak, since their teacher hadn't shown up for school so they had an afternoon free.
Then we crossed the river to visit the sacred Pak Ou Caves, which housed literally 4000 Buddha statues, hidden from the looting Chinese Haw in past history. After climbing in the caves to look at the caves, we crossed the river vigorously to reach the island on the other side, where we found the van to return back to Nong Khiaw.
Once back in Luang Prabang, I roamed the town and found some vintage indigo while Forrest enjoyed a beer on our balcony overlooking the town. Six of us had dinner on the river and it cost us $30 for six of us with drinks!! It was a great relaxing day.
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