Dien Bien Phu

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There is no chilling sound as the squealing of a pig. Especially at 4am when one is in a deep slumber. But I guess if you want to be one with nature, there are drawbacks. Does it have to be followed up with the barking of dogs and the crowing of roosters?

Leaving Son La behind we head further west to Dien Bien Phu, passing through some of the most amazing valleys I have ever seen. Everywhere you look there is a photo. I have run out of superlatives to describe it, so you can just look at the pictures.

The tribes people here are long ,thin and elegant as opposed to others I have encountered. All are exceptionally friendly and beautifully dressed in their local costum.

Arriving at Dien Bien Phu, we separate with our driver, Thai, who is quite confused believing he has to return us to Hanoi. As usual our communications leave a lot to be desired, let alone our bargaining prowess. No wonder it cost $360 US. The advantage of coming from a wealthy country it doesn’t really matter; who cares; chill out and charge head on into the next adventure. (Mistake)

Dien Bien Phu is the site of the famous defeat of the French by the Vietnamese in 1954 which led to the forming of North Vietnam. The stairs up to the monument are an achievement to climb on their own.

The weather is very warm and everybody is having a siesta after lunch. But not the mad dogs and Englishman of course. Kathy is desperate to hire motorbikes but thankfully we are thwarted by our lack of local language and bargaining expertise. After 2 days we finally meet some white Caucasians. You guessed it - up at the monument in the heat. 3 to be precise; 1 pom and 2 Canadians.

Tomorrow we are crossing the border to Laos and the only form of travel is by local bus. Tickets are required and duly obtained from the local bus depot where chaos is the order of the day and shady characters reign supreme.

With little hassle, I hope we have 4 tickets to Muong Khoa in the morning at 5.30 am. Duration 6 hours. We adjourn across the street for a beer and provide great amusement and entertainment for the locals as we sit on the corner and watch the world go by. The most enjoyable part of life without any doubt.

Asia is providing me with great pleasure again. The warmth of the people, the vibe of the place and the majesty of the scenery is bordering on addictive.

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