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Other entries in Muang Ngoi

River Life

From Luang Prabang we caught a sangthaw  (basically covered pick up with two rows of seats down the back) to Nam Khiaw. From there we jumped on a little boat and went an hour upriver to a tiny village called Muang Ngoi.  We found a cabin overlooking the river with a hammock and settled in there. 

The mountains are covered in a veil of cloud each morning and the day started early with the sound of explosion fishing down on the river at around 5am.  It's not exactly a traditional fishing technique - they create an explosion and then slap around on the surface of the water to kill the stunned fish before scooping them up. 

There were a few walks in the area, to go an see caves and little villages which were only accessible via a little trail through the paddy fields.  Buffalo wallowed in the mud in the disused paddies and in the heat of the midday sun I was strangely envying them!  Seamus ordered a paw paw salad for lunch in a remote village and a few minutes later we saw the little son of the chef running out to pick 2 paw paws from the tree.

We were the only guests in the village so a few children came to say 'Sabadee' or hello.  

Kids in Muang Ngoi played a lot of games.  Television only worked for a couple of hours after dark when the generators were on so they had plenty of time to make their own fun with old games like marbles and hop scotch.  They also had a funny form of French booles but instead of balls they threw thongs. 

The guesthouses, boat trips and treks all seemed to be run by children who spoke English exceptionally well.  They were little entrepreneurs and learnt the names of all the travellers in town and thought nothing of introducing themselves as you ate dinner to see what you might need the following day.  We tried to avoid doing business with these small entrepreneurs because it became clear that if we went trekking with them they'd be skipping school.

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