Grey days and exploding toilets

4 February 2013

OK, so now I know where all the birds in Laos went. They’re in Phayao – specifically, in the tree outside our guesthouse. Every morning and evening hundreds of thousands of sparrows and starlings joyfully greet each other – hello! Hello! How are you ...!?

It was a grey old day when we arrived at this lakeside tourist spot. Somewhat underwhelming.

And it appears to be still Chritsmas - in February

A holiday within a holiday was a good idea. It’s great to see different aspects of SE Asia – a different country, different language, different political system, different scenery. If only because it makes us appreciate what we have in Laos. (I say thanks every day to Charis for suggesting that we should go the extra miles and visit Luang Prabang when we were first talking about our trip to Asia.)

Our guesthouse - Jum Jai. recommended.

It’s a good guesthouse here – despite the toilet that explodes periodically and the creaking floorboards. Although the staff don’t speak English they’re very friendly and we manage to communicate through signs and numbers. In fact there’s very little English spoken or written in this town. It’s mainly a Thai tourist resort, which makes our evening meals interesting. We’re never 100% sure what we’ll actually get on our plates when we order. Sometimes the menu is pictures and Thai only. We make an informed guess. It’s mostly been delicious. And fortunately Chang beer is a reasonable substitute for BeerLao.

Downtown Phayao.

Some interesting decor.

excellent singer provided entertainment one evening.

Being a lake-side resort, fish features heavily, of course, which doesn’t suit Trevann too well.

Water hyacinths would appear to be a major environmental problem here. A bit like some kind of giant duckweed, they spread rapidly over the surface of the lake, blocking out light and air and clogging up channels. Our first day here we tried to walk around the lake but found that mounds of rotting hyacinths dredged from the water had been piled up on top of where the path went. Not pleasant.