Going further North: upstream the Nam Ou River
The journey is the
reward; it's not to go from A to B, bridging the distance that distinguishes
most tourists from travelers. I guess Richard Katz' journey around the world
in the late twenties of the last century made him somehow what we call in
modern times a backpacker, though those days an adventurer might have been more
appropriate. For sure, travelling decades before the rise of commercial
passenger airlines was more than just spending more time to reach the next
destination. It was an opportunity to familiarise with the life and world of
those you met along your way, be it on crossroads with people going the one or
other direction.
20 years ago I had my
first experience to travel around-the-world, and though my trip was inspired by
Katz' pioneering travel book "Ein Bummel um die Welt", it probably was
mostly
Trekking up the steep
path to one of the caves makes still an adventurous day, climbing along sharp
limestone rocks secured with a few bamboo sticks turned by old handcraft
techniques into ledders and railings. Mastering the path isn't all during
Monsoon season. Although there is a dense couvert that keeps the sun reaching
the ground, humidity is almost unbearable while putting one step another on
slippery terrain.
Beside meeting some
hunters with long rifles that I better haven't met decades ago, I was greeted
by an old man at the foot of path uphill to charge me an entrance fee in the
middle of the jungle, while frying the softer inside of green bamboo without
wasting any of the outer parts. And yes, back home at my simple riverside
bungalow, I discovered that I attracted also some other visitors: three nasty
leeches found a good host. Well, some people pay for this kind of special wellness
treatment.
Coming to an end of my
journey into northern Laos I made on my way back to Luang Prabang a stop-over in
Nong Khiaw, just about one hour downstream. Just another place to enjoy the
impressive mountaineous landscape and regular tropical rainshowers from the save-heaven of my thached bungalow. The engines of the slow boats confirm what
travelguides tell us: Lao people go soon to bed and start early a new day. A
good opportunity for a hike along the banks of the Nam Ou river to a nearby tribal
village before the heat takes over.
influenced by the
convenience of a new generation of travelguides like Lonely Planet. These days
I can see already the emergence of a digital travel support generation, searching
the internet online for authentic consumer comments on popular travel websites
and selecting guesthouses and restaurants with free WiFi connectivity for their
smartphones and tablet computers (pads).
But there is still some
innovation in printing media too. Thanks to a magazine targeting backpackers
touring in Southeast Asia, I read - while spending my days in a classical
backpacker guesthouse in Chiang Rai, Thailand - a story about an amazing trip
along a river up in northern Laos.
And here I am,
recalling my memories of the last days up the river Nam Ou by boat from Nong
Khiaw to Muang Ngoi. A trip along the spectacular limestone karst valley
covered by endless lush jungle to reach a place without cars, as no road cuts its way up along the steep banks of the Nam Ou river.
It comes into my mind
that initially I did not plan to go up North when I departed end of July from
Vienna. Only upon arrival at my first destination Bangkok I decided for a more
calm and remote area of Thailand, while most visitors head down to Phuket and "The
Island", famous for its pristine beaches. Anyhow, from now on my
journey in Laos will take me South: Luang Prabang, Vang Vien, the capital
Vientiane, Thakhet, Savannakhet, Champasak, ... to re-enter Thailand. And in
line with my motto that part of the journey
will be my raw material for many more blog posts, I guess.
Links to more pictures from my trip up North in Laos:
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