Advertisement
Published: January 21st 2009
Edit Blog Post
When checking into hotels, or guesthouses you sometimes get asked to fill out some sort of signing in sheet, giving your name and passport number, along with Nationality. I understand this, and I guess if you do any damage to the room they have some degree of security, not that I am sure how accurate these forms are filled in that people could actually be 'traced'.
However one thing we find quite strange is that when you buy a ticket for a train, or boat, or even bus you get asked to fill out your name on the ticket. I find this quite unusual. What possibly can you take from a a bus that barely has seats. So I decided to test the theory and see if giving a false name would raise alarm. So far nothing yet. I tried signing a bus ticket from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw in the name of 'Lee the Bee' and the boat ticket from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngio Neua as 'Jim Jam'.. no trouble so far. I shall continue my study and report back soon.
Anyway!... after arriving upstream at Maung Ngoi Neau (as Jim Jam) we were quite surprised
about how small this place was. On our bus journeys around Laos we have passed many local villages, observing local life. As much as this has been a great way to see Laos life, speeding past at 40mph and getting a glimpse doesn't really give you much of a true insight to how the locals really live. We felt that being in Maung Ngio Neau would show us that side.
The village itself is surrounded by steep mountain peaks, set in a valley, cut off from life and apart from the odd boat that seems to come and go, is a community within itself. The whole village is basically one street with a tiny temple at one end, a few restaurants and bamboo huts in between and .. well.. that's all! Locals seem to spend days Fishing, cooking, washing in the river as the sunsets, and huddling around makeshift fires in the evening. Electricity comes from the villages one and only generator and comes on at around 6pm and goes off at 10pm, although most nights we had just 2 hours of power. There's no internet here either, which we both felt we had lost our right arm for
a few days!
Our accommodation was recommended by a fellow traveller (thanks to Justin AKA Slick from Aus) and we stayed in a bamboo hut over looking the Nam Ou river, a box office view of the valley, with our hammocks and balcony balanced on the rivers edge (not bad for $3 per night). The first night however was spent under 2 blankets and as many clothes as we could muster still shivering from the nights cold air. We moved the following day to a more secure hut with thicker bamboo walls and not so many gaps.
Life is so relaxed here. If you order a meal you cant wait a while! maybe the cook is having an afternoon nap, if you ask nicely the cooks friend will come along and cook the meal for you instead. Close your eyes you can here birds singing, hens trotting around your feet, smell the smoke from fires as the locals are cooking up soup made from all kinds of herbs, and then nothing... open your eyes and catch the ripples of the sun on the water as it sets over the awe inspiring mountain peak which is in touching distance
from your seat. Taking another sip from your beer and taking it all in is the most challenging part of the day so far.
You know life is slow, that when the locals do come into port from a days fishing, they switch of their engines about 50 feet out and just sail into dock. Its sounds simple, but it all adds to the pure serenity of the place.
I followed Michelle's performance in Nong Khiaw by being sick myself. Maybe my curry took a little longer to arrive but it happened just as we got off the boat. Strolling through the village (for the first time) my body decided to introduce us in a fashion and didn't make it back to our hut. One local passing by asked Michelle if I was drunk!!! Lol.... I wish!
There is a cave which you can go off and explore, its only an hour away. As we missed out on the last one we decided to take off our flip flops, and get on our trainers (which felt really weird) and go for a mini hike.
Caves don't really tickle our fancy, but the book said that the walk
was enjoyable and had some great views, and it did. We walked down the twisted path, followed by tropical butterflies, passing a few village people on the way. The lush green landscape seem to have got closer around us the further we walked, and I think at one stage we both stopped and looked at each other in awe of our surroundings.
The caves were actually cool. We took a few snaps, but the surroundings were more impressive, the stream and trickling down off one the mountains the sweet smelling flowers and crisp air around us.
We spent 4 nights in the village and really enjoyed our stay. We both agreed that in 5 years time, the unspoiled secluded village of Muang Ngoi Neua would have truly found the tourist trail and will develop into something different.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.072s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 12; qc: 30; dbt: 0.0356s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Louise
non-member comment
Nice beanies!! You should try and get some more to keep your toes warm of a night!! Been bloody freezing here in sunny Liverpool. Enjoy!! Love u xxx