Village visiting and monk strimming

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My final day in Luang Namtha starts with an early morning run to see the temple. Its about 15 mins across town and then up a hill so i'm sweating as I arrive. Just below the entrance are monks in their saffron robes maintaining their garden – one has a strimmer that is the same bright orange as his robe and is cutting the lawn!

The top of the temple has lots of gold statues and bright orange marigolds everywhere – it makes me think suddenly of the statue of Ghandi in Tavistock Square in London. The view from the temple shows off the misty hills and little town of Luang Namtha.

I head back down and chat to the Australian couple – (apparently the monks have no food other than what they forage from the jungle.) He was a cancer research scientist who left (as we all do eventually) because he couldn't stand the politics and bullshit of a corporate career (even in cancer research!!!!) He spent a large amount of his time testing fruit, vegetable and animals for cancer cells and now he and his wife do not eat any animal protein....

In the afternoon I hire a bicycle and head out to some of the local villages nearby. No one should ever be near me on a bike – i'm a complete liablity – wobbling all over the place from side to side... so Luang Namtha which is very small, quiet and flat is the best and probably only place i'll do this! The countryside is stunning – bright yellow green rice paddies on either side and a large dewy eyed grey skinned cow munching away standing knee deep in water. I ride into one of the villages and park the bike. Their huts are all on stilts which they sit under and use as a kitchen to cook with cauldron and open fire. There are geese, chicken and pigs running around and some dirty children come and say hello. I take a few photos of them and show them and they squeal and giggle with excitement and follow me around. Zac always tries to get a print made of photos when he snaps locals which I think is a really nice idea and something I may try to do. As I make my way back the heavens open and the rice fields look electrified. Ihave to get off and wait for the rain to subside I can't see anything its coming down so fast and i'm worried about my camera.

For dinner I change and eat at the guesthouse – another traditonal Lao meal – Pork Laarb – which is minced pork fried with finely chopped green chilli, lemon grass shoots and green beans and try the papaya salad which is salty and very spicey. I think I prefer my fruit to be sweet. And then i'm out of here. I'm going to head down to Houy Xai in Bokeo Province on the border of Thailand to do The Gibbon Experience. Time for yet another bus

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