From Loaung Probang we went upcontry by boat along the Nam Ou river. Rivers in Lao are not navigable in a western way, so the boat has to power up rapids and around rocks on the way. The boat was wooden and contorted itself nicely up the river though. The scenery, although it was cloudy, was magnificent. Another set of limestone teeth came up behind each other, up into the clouds. The rain started, but as we were getting wet from the river swelling as we went upstream it didn't really matter. We really were in back contry Lao, and the scarce people there were along the route were fishing and tending gardens on the banks. Occasionally kids played around in boats or on the shore, some of them even wearing clothes - obviously an adult thing if you live in the middle of nowhere. We only once hit a rock, which was enough to make the journey more exciting.
After a full day we arrived in Nong Khiew, a village on the river where we got a stop over for very little in bamboo huts overlooking the river. The village had enough people to have a bar, and we caught a sang thiew (little open sided lorry with seats in the back and floorspace for pigs/rice/?) to get away. Unfortunately we had dresed like we were going to the beach and got a nasty shock as the Sang thiew fought up mountain passes to get out of the valley. A strong breeze made me want to put on a pair of socks and a jumper, and we were relieved to stop in a village and watch a pack of dogs entertaining each other for half an hour. It was clear to see that they were all related.
After taking buses accross Lao and finding the same grim weather everywhere, we decided against trekking in the hills - I had to be convinced by taking a mountain bike up to see a Stupa only to get is so caked in thick clay like mud that the wheels no longer turned. So we have now escaped to Thailand and managed to change all our millions of Kip without resorting to money changers. A quick boat journey accross the Mekong got us to Chiang Kok, and there we saw delights such as traffic lights, ATMs and multiple paved roads that we hadn't seen for a while. The best part of being in Thailand is the endless choice of fresh food - and we stopped in a market to get a cheap lunch before heading into Chiang Rai, the nearest big town. I threw caution to the wind and spent a whole two pounds on Dinner - a large fresh barbequed fish with rice and tub of sauce of a strength that would make your eyes water by its mere smell. Another distinctive feature of Thailand is the general veneration of the King, whos bespectacled face is everywhere, and has a shrine in every bus station I visit.
Today is my 30th birthday, so good food is high on my list of priorities and Chaing Mai is a good place to tick it off. You'll have to wait for the full list of what I've eaten as it will require a separate entry! I leave you with a proverb I found in a temple this morning (pictured) and some evidence that I am adhering to it.
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