After my travel buddies (Andy, Mandy and Judith)
departed for the south, I remained in Luang Prabang for another 2 days, in bed with a bad cold. I
wasn't in bed all day, just the important parts, like when the bus was
departing for my next destination - Mong Ngoy, a small village north of Luang
Prabang. By the time I finally managed to check
out and catch the bus, it was Tuesday 2 Nov. As usual, the transport left a lot
to be desired. The first bus - not really so much a bus, as a truck with
two benches down the side and a canopy - was filled to capacity when I arrived.
Well it looked like it was full to me but, after I decided not to board
and wait for the next one, they still managed to
squeeze in another 3 people.
The next bus was actually a bus and it pleased me no
end that I was first one on, so got the pick of the seats: I chose the seat
right behind the centre door, as there was lot of leg room. This is what I have been reduced to after 8 months
of traveling: A sniveling, winging mess, where all I am looking for out of my
day is an easy ride and a comfy bed. But not today. Once
the bus was 'full' (my definition again: all the seats are taken, including the
fold out seats in the aisle and there are two people standing in the doorway);
we departed, stopped 50 meters up the road, loaded 2 more people and their
luggage (in the doorway); departed again stopped after 20 meters, loaded another
3 people and their luggage (in the doorway); departed again, stopped after 60
meters, loaded a monk - no baggage this time, but by now my previously spacious
legroom area had become the most populous part of the bus. I don't know
why I am still surprised at how many people can actually fit in a bus, but it
gets me every time.
It was only a 4 hour trip, so I was able to get the
blood going again once we stopped. I then hopped on a boat for an hour’s
trip up the Nam Ou River to Mong
Ngoy. It’s a quiet village next to the river
and nestled amongst some pretty spectacular mountains. Well, when I first
arrived it was quiet. It’s funny that the quieter a place is, the worse I
sleep. Perhaps this is because I am (despite desperately trying not to
be) a city boy and am used to the white noise of traffic, sirens, drunks and
the happy rhythm of my neighbours getting some, to
lull me to sleep every night. Instead, and this village is a good
example, there is a deathly quiet that blankets the village when the last of
the generators are shut down and Mother Nature cranks up the amplifier on every
other tiny noise: The creak of a door; a rooster in the distance; then another,
closer; and another; and another; then the resident rooster that I specifically
inspected 6 or 7 different guesthouses for and chose the one that didn't have
any (I should've know better); the snore of my neighbour;
a dog barking; someone shooting a home-made shotgun about 10m away - That
didn't need the amplifier and scared the (I'll be nice here) life out of me, so
much so that rather than go outside and risk being shot, I peed in a bottle all
night instead; the soft plop of whatever they shot falling to the ground;
rustling for about an hour while they dealt with the victim. Those sorts of things. And my earplugs have been used so
much now that they only work against the most distant roosters, so every
morning I am loath to get up and am pretty grumpy when I finally roll out of
bed well after sunrise, but still in time to enjoy a 24hr-a-day breakfast.
I met a lovely trio - Stephen, an Aussie; Laura his
Canadian girlfriend and a tag-along (their words, not mine) Vera, an Austrian
girl - who wanted me to join them on a day trip down the river. We
visited 2 villages, one where they were making guns, which presumably they use
for hunting and not guerrilla warfare, and where we were invited by the chief
to enjoy some Lao Lao (homemade whisky of
indeterminate strength). We also did some caving through a riverside
cave, most of which involved squelching through thigh deep clay, and were
rewarded with a swim in a clear water pool at the end. It was a great day
trip with some spectacular scenery and great company. I will definitely
be seeing those guys again when they get back to
From Mong Ngoy, I was intending to go further north, but once my
newly acquired friends had left, I became pretty morose and decided I have had
enough of making and breaking friendships, and made up my mind to head south
and start heading for home. I spent 2 days in Luang
Prabang again and met up with Hannah and Jenny again
(my English and Welsh friends from
Check out the pictures by going to Photos.
