28th July
Another early start to the day this morning as we were on the road by 7.15am heading to the China Laos border.
Once we farewelled George and were processed at the border the truck made its way to Luang Namtha, the largest city in Luang Namtha Province, Northern Laos.
Luang Namtha is a mountainous area bordering Myanmar and China with five districts (Namtha, Muang Sing, Vieng Phoukha, Muang Long and Nalea) and a total land area of 9325 sq kms. Most people in the province live in small rural villages and practice agriculture as their main occupation. There are over 17 ethnic minority groups in the province, making it perhaps the most ethnically diverse place in the entire country. Covering nearly 30% of the provinces land area, the Namtha National Protected Area is well known for a range of ecotourism activities. Luang Namtha is best known as a stopover point on the backpacker trail from China to Laos.
We arrived into Luang Namtha around 2.00pm so once we had booked into our rooms Colin, Steve, Denis and I headed out to lunch at the Panda Restaurant where we sat in cool surroundings and ate fresh baguettes.
At 6.00pm the Odyssey group met to discuss and decide on group activities for the next few days then we all went out for dinner.
It was an early night for most after the two long days we have had.
Distance travelled:-240kms
29th July
This morning eleven of our group along with Colin and I met at the Forest Retreat Eco Tourism office to join a seven hour cycling tour of the region.
Our guide, Ponza and his brother Ponz firstly led us to the morning market in the centre of Luang Namtha. The market building is open sided with concrete pillars and wood cross beams supporting a high pitched metal roof and a dirt floor. There were plenty of stall selling the usual fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, meat and fish however the more unusual items on display were live snails secured in a heap by a skewer, smoked eels rolled into coils, barbecued squirrels, ALL parts of the water buffalo e.g. eyeballs, feet etc.......a real opener for all of us.
From the market we continued on our way cycling on an unpaved road passed expanses of rice paddy fields dotted with huts while enjoying the mountain vistas.
We made a short stop at one of the many Laos alcohol distilleries in the area that produces rice whiskey. From here we cycled to the small hill village of Aka village where we spent 45 minutes wandering around the houses and school end interacting with the children. We were amused at the little five and six year old girls selling jewellery and the toddlers wandering around bare bottomed so it was with reluctance that we left here to continue onto our next destination of Nam Nyan Black Thai Village.
In the Nam Nyan Village we saw one lady spinning silk from a boiling pot of silk worms and another weaving silk and cotton on a loom.
From the village we biked to the brightly coloured Buddhist temple of Ban Kuang Village then began the long cycle ride to the waterfall at Ban Namdee via the main road.
At Ban Namdee we ate a delicious lunch of freshly cooked fish, rice and vegetables while sitting in a cool shaded hut very near the waterfall. It was a wonderful reward for a very bumpy ride into the falls.
Around 3.00 pm we got back on our bikes and cycled the 5 kms back into Luang Namtha making it a 30 km round trip for the day so a cold beer at a nearby cafe was a most welcome reward for an activity that was undertaken in the heat of the day.
For dinner tonight we ate at a small Indian restaurant in town.....it was delicious.
30th July
It was a welcome change to be able to sleep in before deciding what we were going to do for the rest of the day. As it turned out the morning and most of the afternoon was spent chilling out around the hotel and recovering from our strenuous bike tour the day before.
Mid afternoon we investigated the possibility of watching the All Black vs. South African Tri Nations game on a TV screen close to the hotel but were told it was a no go so instead we came back to the hotel and listened to the game via Radio NZ on the internet....a great result 40 – 7 to the All BlacksJ
In the evening we joined Richard, Andrea, Denis & Mel for dinner at a local restaurant. It was the last dinner we would be having with the Mallets for some time as they were leaving the truck and heading off on their own independent adventure.
31st July
This morning we were up around 8.00 am. Colin headed off the breakfast with Denis while I enjoyed a plate of muesli and watching the BBC news......a rare treat.
Shortly after breakfast Denis and Colin hired road bikes and headed off to explore more of Liang Namtha area while I opted to chill out at the hotel updating our blog and naming photos from the cycle tour the day before.
Colin & Denis’s tourist route included a visit to the:-
· Phoum Pouk Stupa – originally constructed in 1628 but was destroyed by an American bombing incident in 1966. The new Stupa was constructed in 2003 near the ruins of the old one.
· Namtha River – walked a rickety old bridge that was built over this river that flows through to the Mekong.
When Colin & Denis returned early afternoon the three of us went for a light lunch before venturing out again, this time to the Luang Namtha Stupa.
The Luang Namtha Stupa was built to symbolize friendship between two Kings. It was once located on the eastern head of the Namtha River but then relocated in December 2004 to a hill on the north side of the town.
The three of us returned to the hotel late afternoon and had an hour of relaxation before heading out to dinner.
It was an early night for most of the Odyssey team as we have an early start in the morning.
1st August
This morning we left Luang Namtha at 7.15 am bound for Nong Khiaw, a distance of around 220kms but due to poor road conditions it took Calypso nine hours to negotiate.
Nong Khiaw is a riverside village on the west bank of the Nam Ou in Northern Luang Prabang Province. It is set between colossal green blue karsts and joined by a bridge to the village of Ban Hop Soun. Sometimes Nong Khiaw is known as Muang Ngoi and sometimes it’s called Nom Bak.
We arrived into Nong Khiaw around 4.15 pm and shortly after settling into our room at the Sunrise Guest House, which is perched on the river bank at Ban Hop Soun, it teemed with rain making all the surrounding trees and fernery look lush and green and of course the Nam Ou river even more brown
The rest of the afternoon was spent investigating what was available to do tomorrow as we are spending two nights in this spot.
In the evening we decided to eat dinner at the Nong Kiau Riverside Restaurant mainly because of the lovely views, tasteful setting and reputably good Lao food.
Distance travelled:-226kms
2nd August
After a night of heavy rain we woke to a misty, dull, very humid day.
Both Colin and I had a leisurely breakfast on the small balcony of our room before I went off with several others in the Odyssey group to the Pha Tok Caves while Colin stayed behind to go fishing on the Nam Ou River with Toui, a local fisherman, Jim and Denis.
The Pha Tok Caves are about a 2 km walk from town and are set high in a limestone cliff sheltered villagers and Pathet Lao fighters during the Second Indochina war. The caves are accessed by wading through knee high water then climbing steep concrete steps, and inside a few signs identify points where command posts were stationed.
On returning to the hotel most of us showered before heading across the road to have lunch.
Colin arrived back from his fishing adventure shortly after me........the fishing hadn't been that successful as only five small fish had been caught however they had had a good few hours on the river.
The rest of the afternoon was spent reading, catching up on washing, updating the diary and naming photos.
Most of the crew had an early dinner before going to bed around 9.00....all exhausted from the heat, mugginess and the thought of an earlish start tomorrow.
3rd August
The alarm was set for 6.15am so once it went off we showered, packed our backpacks then headed to the restaurant for breakfast.
At 8.30 am we loaded our bags onto Calypso, walked to the river’s edge with our day packs and boarded two riverboats to take us to Luang Prabang, a five hour journey on the Nam Ou River. Meanwhile Jim and CJ drove Calypso the 142 kms to Luang Prabang.
The river journey was very picturesque and relaxing. We saw many local men fishing, children playing in the water and women doing the laundry.
Our first stop was at Ban Pak Ou, a fishing village that regularly supplies fish to the markets at Luang Prabang (25kms) and is situated at the mouth of the Nam Ou River and Mekong Rivers. Here we visited the Tam Ting caves, two caves in the lower part of a limestone cliff. These caves are crammed with a variety of Buddha images (more than 4000) that have been placed here by worshippers. The sculptures (dating from 18th-20th century) are mostly carved from wood and moulded from tree resin then coated with red and black lacquer and then covered in gold leaf. It is said that the caves are associated with the river spirit.
The boats arrived at Luang Prabang mid afternoon and Jim and CJ were there to meet us and show the way to our accommodation.
Once settled into the hotel we ventured out to explore the surrounding area and discovered:-
· Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham – a temple with remarkable decorated columns and sumptuous gold relief walls that recount the tale of Vesstantara, the Buddha’s penultimate birth, as well as scenes from Ramayana and village life.
· Haw Pha Bang at the Royal Palace – this is a religious pavilion that is highly decorated with gold leaf
Colin and I returned to the hotel a few hours later to join Russell, Sylvia, Keith & Sandra for dinner at the bustling, colourful Hmong night market that not only sells freshly prepared delicious local food but well made lanterns, T-Shirts, colourful woven textiles, souvenirs and antiques.
Distance travelled:-142kms
4th August
It was a slow start to the morning with a sleep in followed by a leisurely breakfast on the veranda of our hotel.
Mid morning we headed off to discover more of Luang Prabang, former capital of Laos and a Unesco World Heritage City.
Set at the convergence of two rivers that almost surround the town and beneath a temple-topped hill Luang Prabang is a patchwork of traditional Lao wooden houses and hints of European architecture – reminders of when Laos was a part of the French colony of Indochina. Gold roofed wats (temples) decorated with mosaics and murals of the life of Buddha sit amongst a backdrop of verdant greenery and rugged mountains.
Colin and I spent several hours wandering the little narrow alleys and streets of the area, taking photos of opulently decorated wats and looking through antique and craft shops. Finally the heat was too much for us and we succumbed to the Jo Ma Bakery Cafe, an air conditioned sanctuary that serves delicious chocolate smoothies, sandwiches and cakes where we spent several hours clearing and answering emails.
Late afternoon we visited the night market and collected an array of food to take away and eat on our balcony of the hotel.
Early evening all of the Odyssey crew made their way to Restaurant Etopia, a Zen style garden bar on the banks of the Nam Khan River, to officially celebrate the proposed union of Zoe & Susan.
5th August
Another very lazy start to the morning as we were quite content to have a leisurely breakfast before sorting and packing a 10kg box to send back to NZ with the clothes that we weren’t requiring and the souvenir/gifts that we had bought over the last 3 ½ months.
Around midday we took the parcels to the post office then walked along to JoMa cafe for a cold drink and sandwich.
Early afternoon we headed out onto the street to walk to a few points of interest that we hadn’t yet discovered:-
· Wat Wisunalat – one of the city’s oldest temples.
· Wat Aham – know for its two large banyan trees.
· Wat Thammothaylan – one of the few active monasteries on Phu Si and one that offers good views of Nam Khan.
· Summit of Phu Si – great views of Luang Prabang town and 19th century That Chomsi (large stupa) that stands 24m high and is the starting point for a colourful Lao New Year procession in mid April.
After being here for two days we can certainly understand why Luang Prabang's one tourist attraction is its historic temples as there are around 32 of the original 66 built before the era of French colonisation are still standing.
Late afternoon we visited the vegetable market to buy fresh lettuce tomatoes and red onions to go with the cooked chicken, cheese and crusty French stick we had purchased from the little store near our hotel.
Colin and I were in bed by 8.30 pm tonight as we would be having an early start tomorrow.
6th August
At 4.45am the alarm rang and we dragged ourselves out of bed, got dressed then walked down to Sisavangvong Rd to watch the Tak Bal ceremony. This morning alms ceremony is a living Buddhist tradition for the people of Luang Prabang and a major tourist attraction for visitors to the town. WE watched as the monks filed past kneeling villagers (and early rising tourists who wished to participate in the ceremony) collecting alms of rice.
After the ceremony we returned to the hotel to have breakfast and load our back packs onto the truck as we were heading to Vang Vieng.
Vang Vieng is tourism orientated town in Laos, located in Vientiane Province. The town lies on the Nam Song River and its most notable feature is the karsts hill landscape surrounding the town. It has a long, mostly unused airfield runaway parallel to the road that was used during the Vietnam War by the Air America’s planes.
In recent years the town has grown substantially due to the influx of backpackers who are looking for adventure tourism.
Attractions in Vang Vieng include inner tubing, kayaking on the Nam Song River, which is lined with bars selling beer and equipped with rope swings, zip lines and large decks for socialising.
We arrived in Vang Vieng early afternoon, booked into our accommodation then Zoe, Susan, Aoife, Ben, Clare, Denis, Lucy, Jen, Colin and I bought tickets to go tubing down the Nam Song River. From the ticket office we hired an inner tube each then caught a tuk tuk 4kms upstream to the where the tubes are launched into the water.
The river flows at a slow steady pace, and the idea was to relax and absorb the spectacular scenery (karsts limestone mountains line the route) as you float home so we spent 3 ½ hours not only enjoying the scenery but drifting down the river and criss crossing at various points to have a drink at the bars lining the river, listening to music or using the slides and rope swings that were available.
We got back to town just on dark, after having had a wonderful afternoon of laughter and entertainment.
After a quick dinner in town followed by a hot shower we were in bed by 9.30 pm.
Distance travelled:-227kms
7th August
After the energetic day we had had on the river yesterday it was a welcome relief to know that we didn’t have to leave Vang Vieng until 9.30 am bound for Vientiane.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city in Laos, situated on the Mekong River. The estimated population of the city is approximately 800,000 while the number of people living in the metropolitan area is believed to be over 730,000. Vientiane hosted the 25the SE Asian Games in December 2009 celebrating 50 years of the SE Asian Games.
The city contains many temples and Buddhist monuments with Pha That Luang, a Buddhist stupa, one of the most famous in Laos. Apparently it is the most important national cultural monument and very popular amongst foreign tourists.
We arrived in Vientiane early afternoon so once we had the key to our room we unloaded our backpacks, turned on the air conditioner and headed out for lunch. For the rest of the afternoon we decided to catch up on naming photos, updating the diary and generally enjoying the cool room that was to be ours for the next three nights.
At 7.00 pm Colin, Denis and I walked around the block looking for a grocery store to buy some fruit for dinner however were out of luck so ended up eating at a cheap little restaurant close by with Sally & Mel.
By 9.00 am we were back in our room watching the BBC news.
Distance travelled:-153kms
8th August
Breakfast was at 9.00 am this morning and it was delicious....fried rice, sausages, tomatoes, ham, eggs, toast and marmalade!!!!! It was so nice to sit and leisurely chat with our fellow travellers and planning our day without feeling rushed.
Around 10.30 am Colin and I headed to the Tourist Information Centre to obtain a map of the city to work out what we were going to visit. Our tour for the day included:-
· That Dam Stupa – also known as the Black Stupa. Many Laotians believe that this large stupa is inhabited by a seven headed ‘naga’ who tried to protect them from the invasions of the Siam army in 1827.
· Wat Si Saket – a Buddhist Wat built in 1818. This is the oldest surviving temple and the city’s most important Buddhist site in Vientiane. According to tradition this is where the Lao lords and nobles came to swear their allegiance to the King.
· Patuxai – this is the Lao Gate of Triumph and resembles the Arc De Triomphe in Paris, France. It was built in 1962 using funds provided by the United States to commemorate Lao soldiers who died in battle serving their country before revolutionary wars.
· Talat Sao - this morning market is the oldest market in the country and sells fruit, vegetables, electronic devices, clothes, shoes, authentic goods made in Lao, woven fabrics etc etc.
· Presidential Palace – a sprawling mansion with colonnaded balconies was originally built to house the colonial French governors but now serves as a venue for government functions.
· Monument to the Revolution – built as a tribute to those who died in the revolutionary struggle between 1945 and 1975.
· Pha That Luang – a great sacred stupa that is the most important national monument in Laos, a symbol of the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty.
Late afternoon we found a lovely wine shop selling Selini Sav Blanc near the That Dam Stupa so purchased alittle bit of home before returning to the hotel for a shower and catch-up with the others at 6.00 pm.
For dinner tonight we found a lovely little restaurant that made fresh sushi so enjoyed a meal of this before calling it a day.
9th August
After breakfast this morning Colin and I returned to the Talad Sao Market to purchase a few items before continuing on our walking tour of Vientiane.
Our highlights for today included:-
· Ho Pra Keo Museum – an ancient temple built in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha (lost to the Siamese in 1828) but now houses the nation’s finest collection of Buddhist sculptures and artifacts.
· Statue of King Srisavangvong – Srisavangvong was a King of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang and later Kingdom of Laos from 1904 till his death in 1959.
· Statue of Chao Anouvang – Chao Anouvang was the last King of the Vientiand monarchy, reigning in the Lao Lane Xang capital from 1804 – 1828.
By the time Colin and I finished our planned walk it was hot and sticky so made a detour to JoMa to have a delicious cold smoothie before going back to the comfort of our air conditioned room at the hotel.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with Colin having a haircut and me updating and posting the blog and uploading photos to our Gmail album.
At 6.30pm we met Denis in the hotel lobby and went to dinner. After dinner we met the rest of the Odyssey group at a nearby bar/restaurant to celebrate Aoife’s 29th birthday.
10th August
At 10.00am this morn ing CJ called an Odyssey group meeting in the foyer of the hotel. He explained that we would no longer be travelling to Phou Hin Boun National Portected Area as there had been heavy rain in the region which had caused major problems for travellers to the area. This meant that we would be staying another night in Vientiane and leaving late Thursday afternoon on an overnight sleeper bound for Vinh in Vietnam. With the change in plan Calypso would be staying in a secure park for three weeks while we travelled through Vietnam then early September Jim would return to Vientiane to collect the truck and drive it through to Bangkok.
The rest of the morning was spent uploading photos to Gmail.
Mid afternoon Russell, Sylvia, Colin and I hired a tuktuk to go to Buddhist Park which is 25 kms from the centre of Vientiane.
Buddha Park is a bizarre outdoor collection of huge concrete sculptures of Buddhist and Hindu deities, real and imaginary beasts. It was built in 1958 by mystic Luang Pu Benleua Sulilat who later left the country after the communist takeover and is now quite a tourist attraction.
The four of us returned to the hotel around 5.00 pm so had time for a shower and a drink before heading out to dinner at 7.00pm.
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