ViengThong

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It took about 4 hours from ViengKham(@350m) to ViengTong(@650m) yesterday, the road condition wasn't that bad as we drove over two 1100m mountain, the more east we drove the more undeveloped, you began to see the use of small generators in the river. Stop in ViengTong trying to tracing market, but when enquired with the locals, "no market in the area"! Tried the Chinese and they gave the same answer. They don't do market here! Disappointed and I looked hard in the area see if any walking trail existe so I coukd spend time with. Same like in ViengKham. Most of the track went up hill either end up a broadcasting tower or a telecom tower. Otherwise...you find youself mostly walk on the highway, still...you pass many villages and million of sabaidee, but it wasn't the same like in China you walk through mountain trail and get to small village. Guess there wasn't that many villages up in the mountain, as they all relocated down by the main road nowadays. See...when you look up to the mountain, you couldn't see any white trail like in most place in Yunnan. Here...they were all just green, luxury green, but ironically when walking in the mountain, most of the time the only noise you could hear was the sound of chopping! ViengTong is very small, even smaller than ViengKham, but they got 3 guesthouses offered ok room for 30000kip, it was with bathroom, and also the luxury to used hot shower in the public room. Anyways...the owner will tell you there is a hot spring "only 1 km away, not far, and is free". It was on the side of a dirt road. A concrete wall had been erected with couple of water pipes extend out, you took your bath like under a sewage drain. You could walk futuer into the eye of the spring. It should be a nice area to rest and relax, with greens around, rocks and stone dotted the grass field with the small stream of spring water curving its way out. But unfortunately there was garbage everywhere, small flies infested the whole place. Couldn't stand this flying sesame whirling around my head. I left right away! Same like in ViengKham, every house had loom here, there must be a dealer here for their products as I hadn't seen any shop selling any of these. Once I walk into a house and woman show me her work, I could made out her saying the cloth she want to sell for 100000 kip. Thing I like about ViengTong, better quality accommodation, restaurant with choices and decent foods, only 3 chinese shops. But not enough to keep me here longer, I need market!!

Note
Bus to ViengTong/SamNeua is around 2pm, and bus fare 60000kip

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