27 February
I don’t suppose any of you will have noticed that we’re staying away a
week longer than normal. In past years we’ve returned on or around 1st March. This year we thought we'd treat ourselves to a little extra time. What’s interesting is that whereas a few days ago we were in Cool Dry Season,
with mild misty mornings and cold nights, this week quite suddenly the Hot
Season has arrived. By mid morning the temperature is already up to mid-30s and
we return from our regular walk to get baguettes, hot, sweaty and ready to
retreat indoors under the fan (we don’t generally do air conditioning).
So - just another week to go and then we’re off to Bangkok
overnight before the flight to Heathrow and home.
We’ve done a couple of little trips this month. First over
the river to Chomphet for a walk through the woods to the old temples on the
other side of the Mekong. Always a lovely peaceful thing to do. Then we took
the bus up to Nong Khiaw, about 3 hours away along a dusty bumpy road to the
north of Luang Prabang. Two nights there and then a boat trip up river to
lovely Muong Ngoi for a night before returning to LP.
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| Foraging is a national pastime in Laos. Here, our friend Noi is picking bitterweed for her evening meal. |
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It's related to cucumber and the flowers, leaves and fruit are all eaten - but bitter!
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Common Caleotes lizard in our garden
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Trip to Chomphet
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| Crossing the Mekong on the local boat ferry is always an Experience. Our ferry was loaded with a huge lorry filled with bricks! Nervous? Moi? |
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| This tough looking farmer's wife and her dreamy kid took it all in their stride |
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| There are some lovely old temples in woodland setting on the banks of the river |
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| Since we were last here these fiercesome guardians have been added and the path up through the woods has been given a concrete surface and steps so it's no longer quite the scramble it used to be |
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| Back at the Greenhouse, Noi's son Scott Luis and Trevann are peaceably engaged in their separate worlds |
Trip to Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi
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| This is Nong Khiaw - the view from our bungalow. The small town (pop. 4000) is on both sides of the river Ou, and connected by a massive concrete bridge built by the Chinese |
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| Peanuts! Nobody ever believes that peanuts grow underground. They are a common crop along the banks of rivers round here. |
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| Our bungalow is perfect. |
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| In the mornings the mist takes a while to lift and the air is quite cool. |
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| Riverside bungalow |
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| Sorry - another butterfly! |
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| A new road has been carved out of the hillside since we were last here so we walked along it towards the next village. Massive limestome karsts |
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| After 2 nights in NK we queued with other travellers to board a river boat with a humongous roaring engine |
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| The river is fast-flowing with rapids and plenty of jagged rocks. Hence the need for horsepower! |
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| These kids were waiting for our boat to get out of the way so they could get back in the river where they had been swimming and playing |
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| Our room at Muang Ngoi had the best view ever! |
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| Water buffalo wallowing |
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| An ants nest in a frangipani tree |
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| The three ancient temples in Muang Ngoi (pop. 700) were destroyed by US bombers during the Vietnam War. This one was rebuit in the 1970s. |
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| My idea of paradise - a high street with no traffic! |
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| Sunset |
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| All the locals were so relaxed around boats, river, etc. Completely at home on land or water. |
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| Rush hour in Muang Ngoi |
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