Return to Nong Khiaw

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.

It's related to cucumber and the flowers, leaves and fruit are all eaten - but bitter!

Common Caleotes lizard in our garden

Trip to Chomphet

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?

This tough looking farmer's wife and her dreamy kid took it all in their stride

There are some lovely old temples in woodland setting on the banks of the river

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 

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

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

Peanuts! Nobody ever believes that peanuts grow underground. They are a common crop along the banks of rivers round here.

Our bungalow is perfect.

In the mornings the mist takes a while to lift and the air is quite cool.

Riverside bungalow

Sorry - another butterfly!

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

After 2 nights in NK we queued with other travellers to board a river boat with a humongous roaring engine 

The river is fast-flowing with rapids and plenty of jagged rocks. Hence the need for horsepower!

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

Our room at Muang Ngoi had the best view ever!

Water buffalo wallowing

An ants nest in a frangipani tree

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.

My idea of paradise - a high street with no traffic!

Sunset

All the locals were so relaxed around boats, river, etc. Completely at home on land or water.

Rush hour in Muang Ngoi