Groovespook

After my all-day hike, leech adventure. I headed south to Udomaxi. It's a sleepy pitstop of a place but beautiful nonetheless....surrounded by towering mountains surrounded by mist.

From there, it was another bus ride to Nong Kiahaw and who should be on the bus but the family that was part of my hike! In addition to the four of them, two French sisters (in their 50s) were on the bus. Plus me. It was a very winding and swervy road with stunning scenary. I think the worst part is seeing such lush beauty and not being able to document it!!

We arrived and all of us booked into the Sunrise Guesthouse, a lovely place with bungalows overlooking the river. Very sweet. The town has a bridge that pedastrains can cross that offers wonderful views of the river and surrounding mountains (and more mist!). I immediately hired a bike and went off in search of a cave in the area. Found it and did some exploring before cycling around a bit more and then heading back. Had a lovely dinner at an Indian restaurant (yes, Indian). The garlic naan bread was heavenly!

The next day I headed further south to Muang Ngoi Neau (that's okay, I still can't pronounce it properly). It rained the whole day, which was fine. It meant just chilling on the outdoor veranda/hutch that overlooked the river. Stunning views. The French sisters (I swear they were hardcore travelers... They are going for some 6 months and are now heading far north on a 5-hour boat ride) and I stayed at the same place. Another bungalow with views of the river and surrounding karts.

The "main road" in town was a dirt road about a mile/two miles long. The children would spend time drawing pictures in the dirt. There is no electricity except between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., which added charm to the place (seeing the food stalls light up with candles and Christmas lights). The following morning I was unsure if I was going to stay another day or not. The town is known for its cave so I decided to see if I could get to it before the 9:30 a.m. boat left. The roosters have a knack for waking me up. There was one right under my bungalow (I swear!) that started going at about 4:30 a.m.). Fellow roosters then tried to outdo him.

At any rate, I walked in my sandals through muddy paths and passed locals on their way to the rice field (I'm fairly certain they have never seen a tourist up that early). I went for about an hour before I had to turn back. At the bungalow, I decided I would stay on for another day. I ate and then returned to the trail determined to reach the cave this time. Again, I wore sandals. It's de rigour (the locals either walk barefoot or wear flip flops). I was having fun, snapping pics of clusters of butterflies and lovely flowers and stomping through the mud like a child when I stopped and looked down. And there they were.....leeches! I SWEAR I have had enough!! No guide around this time to de-leech me so I grabbed any old leaf and did my best. One was wriggling on my sandal in search of skin and another had latched on (quite well I might add) to my big toe. It truly ruined the hike for me because I was paranoid for the rest of the journey (although I'm happy to report there were no more leech attacks).

I reached the cave and headed back. It was neat to see the trail at different hours of the day (mist and no mist). In the evening, I partied with the locals! Well, not really partied. The son of the guesthouse owner invited me to join him for some drinks (and no, it wasn't like that). So, I took him up on it. Had my first taste of lao lao (rice whiskey). Tastes like tequilla. Had three wee glasses and held my own.

The next day it was off to Laung Prabang. When I got back to Nong Kiahaw, myself and five other backpackers learned that the minivan with comfy seats and AC was leaving at 1 p.m. and would take three hours. The sangwalthea (not sure about the spelling....bascially a pickup type of vehichle with "seats" in the back, covered. You sit and face one another)...that was leaving within minutes and would take four hours. We opted for door number two. It was quite an experience....sitting still for four hours, I felt like a caged animal. It was quite numbing both physically and mentally. But an adventure nonetheless. We even had three monks jump on for a short part of the trip. LOVE the orange robes.

We arrived early (which is shocking given how very slow everyone here moves....example: it took a restaurant 40 minutes to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich...I kid you not). Got settled and went exploring. Laung Prabang is complete culture shock. I went from no electricity, a bungalow with cows and roosters, a squat toilet (I'll spare you the details but there is no toilet paper involved) to this: a town that is teeming with tourists, streets are LINED with cafes offering cappuccinos, pizzas and pastries. The rooms are tiled and hotel like (no bed-net needed). It's nuts! I think this must be how Westerners feel when they first arrive in NYC.

At any rate, it's a lovely, decadent town. My first day and I sat myself down to a piece of chocolate cake and a fruit shake (thanks Ro and Nalini!). At night, the place comes to life with a whole section of street blocked off from traffic and it's full of vendors under red tents selling handicrafts and all sorts of items. Karen and Monica, you would never leave -- tons of jewelry, scarves, etc.

Now just trying to figure out how I'm going to head out. Wanted to take a flight, but they are booked for the next couple of days. Might have to be a bus... Eight hours. Eek.

Oh, and I found a gym today! I know, I know what you are saying, but I don't care! It was fabulous to go in and have a proper workout. Still able to lift the same weights.

Okay, signing off now. Miss you all dearly. As for the mozzie bite count, just got bit while tapping, so there!

Nuttter.