Day 38 - Muang Ngoi, Laos

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Up early today for our local trek, estimate roundtrip length, 15kms. We are delayed due to the low cloud, so our early breakfast intention becomes a late slow one, as we sit with our newly acquired friends. This is actually a bonus as Paula books us an exclusive private river boat for the 4/6 of us for our return on Sunday at a time that suits us and only £30 between us.

We leave after a very average breakfast, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, bread, or pancakes, although Leo, having a sweet tooth, did enjoy his banana and custardy pancake.

We set off along the only road out of town, to walk through the Mountains Via ? Caves where the Villagers used to hide from the B 52 Bombers then on to the tribal village of Ban An, well known for its weaving. We pass very few fellow trekkers and enjoy the solitude and beauty of our surroundings.

Taking a few photos, these, we hope, will do far more justice to the area than our few words. Up and down vale, forested peaks left and right, rushing stream parallel to our track, we have a great three plus hours. However, we constantly underestimate the toll that heat and humidity take here in the Tropics and we return hot, tired and in need of showers and refreshment. This we do and are writing our blog in a rustic restaraunt at the end of the village, their only customers, set by a tributary river and the jungle. Our only two concerns here being the constant need to move, to keep out of the blazing sun and the aggressive wood ants that have taken a likening to Leo. But great cold beer and ambience.



Returning along the main road, we take the mud route to Riverside Cafe, decide to have a late lunch of Chicken Samosas, Chicken and cheese tortilla, shared, with sweet chilli sauce, we drink in the views and feel we would like at least another day and night here,sadly, we must return to Luang Prabang tomorrow.

Returning to our Guest House it is earily silent, yet only 1700 hrs, we sit and enjoy a completely people-free environment, no cars no bikes, no noise. To night if the conditions are right we hope to see the least light pollution-free sky we have ever seen. We leave tomorrow, with hindsight, we would have spent another week here travelling towards the border. One of the absolute highlights of this trip.

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