Nong Khiaw & Learning to Fish the River

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We were slow starters, and got up and went to the tourist office. No consensus again, the options were a trek to villages and a waterfall and fishing. The boys really wanted to try fishing. We went to breakfast to discuss, and Liam really wanted fishing, so went to see another place. They were less than half the price, so we booked.

Doon was our guide, and brought Bintong, they were delightful and once they were comfortable with us they were full of smiles and laughing, a little unusual in Laos. They taught us how to through nets, Isabella joined with some women looking for claw fish for a few minutes. We were a bit average with the nets at first, gradually got the hang of it, but they are heavy after a while. We actually didn't catch anything, Bintong and Doon got a few small ones each, apparently wrong time of year.

At the end of the afternoon, Doon lit a fire and cooked the fish, he took the bottom of the boat out for a low table, and put on a spread of sticky rice, fish vegetables, chili olive sauce, and local riverweed (dried into flat sheets with garlic and sesame, toasted over the flame) Beerlao and Lao Lao (Lao Whisky). We sat and ate with them and chatted, a wonderful afternoon, the kids think this is a trip highlight.

We were so impressed with Doon that we went to his restaurant for dinner. The food was really good, local Khmu food, and so generous, he kept telling us special for you. We had Susi, a pork curry, Green Chicken Curry, Lap and a cucumber salad, so much we could eat it all, which is unusual.

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Photos

Isabella throws a net
Isabella throws a net

Arriving by boat to fish
Arriving by boat to fish

Getting ready to fish
Getting ready to fish

Fishing
Bintong teaching Dad

Fishing
Aha, so that's how you do it

Looks good
Looks good

Isabella gets some claw fishing lessons
Isabella gets some claw fishing lessons

Bintong teaches Isabella
Bintong teaches Isabella

Liam's got it
Liam's got it

Snorkling
Isabella is checking to see if there really is anything down there

Preparing the bamboo
Bintong puts the fish on Bamboo for cooking, the kids were amazed at this

From the river
Doon pulled beers from the sand in the river that he left there earlier to keep cold

Bintong shows the prize cooked catch
Bintong shows the prize cooked catch

Preparing the feast
Doon prepared the feast, and it looked so inviting, this is how they eat by the river all time

Everyone joins in
Everyone joins in, there was an English guy fishing too, so all in.

Getting intellectual
After Lao Lao and Beer, it was looking far more intellectual

Comments

[Leone Bahles]

looks so relaxed
Hi family just love the blog missing you all Love Mum xxx