I’ve muddled around a few pics, but here is the view from our accommodation in Nong Khiaw here :
Here is more commotion caused by balloons during a pit stop on the journey :
And there is a view as the bus rose out the valley from Sam Neua :
Archive for the ‘Sam Neua’ Category
Sam Neua to Nong Khiaw journey pictures
Saturday, November 4th, 2006Sam Neua to Nong Khiaw
Saturday, November 4th, 2006Market vendor in Sam Neua :
The kid I made cry when pointing a lens :
The group all caught buses early in the morning – all the other guys heading to Vietnam, and Angelica headed to Nong Khiaw with me on her way to cross up into China. We visited the market briefly to see all kinds of fruit and vegetable for sale, and rapidly departed after I went for a cracking shot of a tiny kid at a stall, which instantly sent her to bawling and tears as the lens pointed at her. I did ask someone first so didn’t feel too bad, but luckily, Angelica’s trick she practised well in Vietnam and Cambodia got me through it – blowing up a balloon for the child, already rescued by her mother. As soon as westerners approach some of these kids they give you looks, so it had to be left next to the stall, but it was smiles all around as her mother picked it up for her. I’m going to use that tool in the future! (I’m writing this in Vientiene a couple of weeks later and have already secured two bags of balloons!). We also saw our ‘Orange truck guy’ who gave us a lift last night selling his goods, minus the ones we ate on route and the ten or so I nobbled at the end.
The eleven hour bus journey was great lasting 8am to 7pm, a good few hours longer than expected. We passed through superb terrain, rishing up through the morning clouds, passing through amazing villages and waving to the locals. Luckily the bus was half empty so we had loads of space to wonder around, open windows, take pictures and the rest. We listened to tunes, read books, chatted, and laughed as the kids closer to Nong Khiaw started to scream louder as the bus passed through their village, it’s pretty much a lifeline here. Again, we were the only tourists on the bus. I was given a South East Asia phrasebook (thanks Angelica – note to self – use it more!!).
The villages were real rural Laos. This was another journey I wished I was undertaking by motorbike. I would have stopped more, but travelled faster, probably balancing it out. Under or next to several houses in the villages, they were dying material and weaving, and going about their daily lives, drying chillies and other foods on the woven roofs.
We got to Nong Khiaw in the dark, and glad we did. It’s weird how it’s different strokes for different folks as I was told I could maybe miss this place out if heading to Vang Vieng. Angelica and I were a smiling walking across the bridge as the mountains around us were lit by the strong moonlight. We settled for the second accommodation we looked at (Pha Noi guest house (I think!) right next to the end of the bridge with the restaurant the first thing you see) and shared the $2 charge for our bamboo hut looking towards the river (albeit beside the main bridge over the river), and settled in for some well deserved food and beers. The accommodation was nothing more than a bamboo shack with fan and balcony, but nothing more or less than we required.
I had made it almost back to Luang Prabang in record time, only a few days elapsed since I left, and now only a few hours north of the place. I had been thinking about heading north with an Irish lass Claire, and a couple of Scottish blokes she was travelling with. I wandered if they had now passed through and went to Luang Nam Tha, or to the Gibbon Experience, but was glad I had opted for the trip I did, and glad I never went back to Luang Prabang. As happens in trips like this, who walked up the steps, but Claire. They had moved north and were taken in by the quietness of Nong Khiaw and had stayed a few days, opting for a day trek to village and a waterfall which she was buzzing about, and a cycle along the main road which ended up with them playing cards with local kids by the riverside. After a quick catch up Angelica and I headed to speak to the guide they used, at 9.45pm!
We spent 45 minutes with the poor guy discussing options for our next day, and haggling hard (they got their day for $15 but ours,a bit more complicated, with only two of us was going to be $25). We debated over a beer and decided we’d do it ourselves. When we went back, the price dropped to $15, but we stuck with it, returning again to say we wouldn’t be there at 7am to tell him whether we’d go or not. It was a shame as the guy was super friendly. If you go there, head to the turn off for Sunset Guest House (on the East end of the bridge), and directly opposite there on the main road is a yellow sign for a tour guide – pop your head in.
Sam Neua and Vieng Xai Caves
Friday, November 3rd, 2006Me arriving in a chilly Sam Neua after the overnight bus journey :
Unloading the bus at Sam Neua :
In our drowsy states, we caught a share taxi (Sawngthaew) to Vieng Xai. As you’ll know I catch these everywhere. The world translates to ‘two rows’ describing the the rows of seats laid in the back of the pickups – typically old Toyotas with a metal cage on the back making the seats, roof, particularly the roofrack, used to transport all sorts around Laos, and a small standing area off the back.
We got there a bit late so had to arrange specific tour for us, and hire pushbikes to move around in a short space of time.
The main cave here is Tham Than Souphanouvong where the ‘Red Prince’ of the same name used to hide during the Indochina War. Army officers and others used to meet and stay here, sheltered from the bombing around the area. We got told a load of historical information from the guide, but I won’t pretend to remember it all. Apparently there are around 102 caves in the area there’s been a bit of confusion whether they were a military secret or tourist attraction until recently (i.e. within the last 15 years).
Although there is less history attached to this site, we all found it more interesting than the Plain of Jars. Whether it was worth two days on a bus is up to you, but most of this group were continuing to Vietnam, and the border is very close to here. Vieng Xai is a picturesque wee place though, surrounding by limestone cliffs with a small lake in the middle.
By this point in travelling, the journey becomes as much of the trip as the destination to be honest. Just to back this up we had another adventure! The tour guide assured us if we missed the last sawngthaew back to Vieng Xai we could share a lift back with him for the same cost as he was teaching English in Sam Neua. Unfortunately the class had been cancelled that night and there was a $15 taxi waiting for us. You pay around $20 for a half day trip so we were clearly being taken advantage of a bit, but hey we weren’t going to let that stop us.
Angelica sprinted on the back of his moto to the bus lot, but we had missed it. We bodyswerved the taxi and walked up there, ready for some hard negotiations with locals. We asked around and people who said they’d take us, then decided not to after speaking to the original driver. Eventually we stopped an orange truck…now this wasn’t an orange coloured truck, it was was a truckload of oranges. He agreed to take us for $6 as he was heading that way. The original driver intervened so we said we’d give him $10. The original driver was trying to intervene again so we told him to back off – “He get’s money, we pay a fair rate and don’t get ripped off, everyone’s a winner”.
By this time, half the people around the bus lot were watching. We knew we were sitting ducks as we had no transport. A local guy got off his moto and asked what was going in, found out the situation, spoke to them in Laos, and confirmed the price we were willing to pay the truck driver.
Thanks to that guy, we boarded the truck and said bye to the guy trying to take advantage of us. I thanked the local who seemed very keen to speak to tourists and ensure they enjoyed their visit to Laos, so I told him he was very kind and thanked asked him not to let the locals get more into the rip off mentality sometimes witness in other SE Asian countries.
(All aboard the orange truck 🙂
The truck driver was great. Both parties were happy with the resolution, and so much so he invited us to help ourselves to the oranges in the back – 4 of us inside after the oranges were pushed back, and myself and Owen perched on the back. We got some funny looks from the locals and plenty of waves and smiles.
The perfect way to travel.
A view from one of the caves :
Me on the crap bikes we had to hire (ok we could have paid more and got a mountain bike) :
One of the cave tunnels :
Phonsavan to Sam Neua
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006After one night in Phonsavan I was keen to do an overnight bus trip out of there rather than face another night there. Despite this, my sister had been on the phone after visiting Nong Khiaw and she never thought I’d see better scenery than there and Vang Vieng. Even an hour before I had to get to the bus station I was debating whether to use my prebooked ticket or not (again, a hefty cut taken from the Phoukham Guesthouse). I went for my original plan, then it was bolstered by bumping into a group from our Luang Prabang bus that were doing the same.
I met them (Francisco and Mauro from Argentina, Angelika from Germany, Owen from England, and Nick from Boston) again at the bus station, and got to know them pretty well while waiting for the bus. This bus was doing a complete trip from Vientiene to Sam Neua – a beast of a journey of around 20+ hours. Due to this, it didn’t turn up at 7.30 as expected so we waited. And waited. And waited. Put on more warm clothes (well, the few I had not posted home). And waited. It was cold in Phonsavan at night, like Scottish cold. Eventually after a few sandwiches and coffees later, the bus turned up at 11pm, and we burst into lively (nervous) hysterics.
I had already got used to buses being pretty overloaded in Laos, and Asia in general, but this one turned up with the rear six rows full of boxes and luggage, full of people, including the several sitting in the typical kids-style mini plastic seats deployed in the aisle. And at least 5 motorbikes, plus all the other luggage strapped on the roof.
Where were we going to fit in?
Just as we were about to load our luggage, a second bus arrived which was one third empty. There was no choice as we scrambled onto the second bus, milliseconds after confirming it was bound for Sam Neua as well. That was only after I had taken a photograph and watched my open camera drop to the ground from my wrist. I had nothing else in my hands, no excuse. I was gutted. My second camera within two months, and it was only four weeks old. As happens in travelling, you realise there’s nothing you can do about it, so you just have to carry on.
The 9 hour bus journey wasn’t the comfiest in Laos, as the road was quite twisty and I couldn’t really stretch my legs out. I was sitting next to a local who used my shoulder as an occasional headrest. The other five were sprawled out on the raised back seat, however it turned out they weren’t as comfy as they looked either. My stuffed paclite jacket didn’t prove to be an effective bum rest either.
We arrived at 8am in Sam Neua and it was even colder than Phonsavan. We were all pretty knackered but decided to get some food, and go straight to Vieng Xai rather than take a wee nap. It was refreshing to meet this bunch as there was no hassles – straight into a shared room to cut costs, and laughter all around. Despite them travelling together for a few days I wasn’t left out of it at all, so cheers guys if any of you read this.
