LAOS     DIARY  2

We see and hear a myriad of birds, passing a few small villages and enjoying the sun as it breaks through the haze. The bus (read: The pick-up) arrives and we squeeze in. In the middle of the back stands a bunch of gas bottles under a tarpaulin. It doesn't stop people from smoking.

We get through small villages where they dry chillies, rice, corn and peanuts on large pieces of fabric. Afterwards, they are poured on clay jars. Almost all houses are made of bamboo, built on two meters of piles or directly on the ground in a even mix. Somewhere we stop short and buy gray bulbs — large white beets that taste a bit of peas and pomelos. Many wear the traditional headdress of rigid black fabric, but otherwise plain clothes.
Flocks of ducks, hens with chickens, turkeys with nice cocks, hanging bugs pigs and pink water buffaloes try in vain to run over.

Many join and depart the bus along the way. One place is a truck overturned. We are also aware of this, since front and rear wheels do not choose the same slimy wheel track. We find that this was the road to hell, but they got new and better. We bumble on it for nine hours, but pay only 22 kroner. I think my ass is blue enough to dupe any baboon.

Many times it dust wildly. Just in case of smuggling dust, the locals keep a piece of cloth for the mouth and nose, if they have it. Otherwise, they sit with a hand for the mouth -  for what it should help I do not know. It seems as irrational as those beating the sign of the cross, at every opportunity. It gets very hot around noon and our "smiling cow" cheese has a somewhat buttery grin, as we take it out of the bag.

We finally come to Muang Xai, a very Chinese city. Every sign in the hotel is in Chinese, everyone in the hotel and in the restaurant speaks Chinese and no English. Here you also get tea for the coffee, and then for one penny!

4. The daily hunt for breakfast enters. It gets really hard, when you want bread. We'll find a place that says they'll get some bread in a minute. A guy comes mournfully on moped, right through the restaurant to the kitchen table. After the meal we go out to the bus square. There are many really nice minibuses here, but they only travel to China. Ours is again a truck with two rows of small, rock-hard benches.

On the way, we make a short break where goods are loaded from the roof. I buy imported apples and pears for about a penny. We pass a horse for the second time and I see a genuine donkey.
At two o'clock, we arrival at Nam Tai. Directly opposite the bus station is the four-month-old Bus Stop Hotel. A large number of rooms in one level. It costs only 20 kroner. Jesper is in doubt; is it by the hour.

A girl of about 15 years asks Rikke and me, if there is anything we want. Then she goes over to the brothers. Keep hanging over them. It ends, when she crawls into Jesper's bed. We see her later at other hotels, with other guys. I get some clothes washed. While it was soaking, I painstakingly set up a clothesline in the yard. As I come out with my clothes, my leash is full.

We zigzags through the city, laughing at the map in the book; three parallel streets, nothing else: "God one to have!". We walk up to a view point on the outskirts of town, and for the last time, we try it with a stamp. The city is really mixed; dilapidated rowing with completely newly built beautiful concrete houses. There are several herds of cows and water buffaloes and goats in the streets.

As it gets dark, Radio Laos starts up. There are huge loudspeakers on some masts around town. To preserve the country's culture (or something like that), it is forbidden to hear more than 30% foreign music, even in people's own homes. In contrast, they have unnoticed plagiarism of mostly "neat" music.

We decide to go home for a sweater, and then find something to eat. We just can't find our hotel! It was otherwise so smart to live right by the bus station, there is just not one of the locals, who knows what a bus station is. We walk through the three parallel streets for an eternity before finding the hotel, at the end of the fourth street.
A good hot shower - except; the water heater not connected? We improvise a little, and then there is a small jet of hot water along the wall. Man, you don't get fussy. Back towards the centre to get dinner, but not quite far!

5. We get up at seven, just like the locals. It's cold, but some of us have fleece jackets (others just blue arms). Have breakfast with a wonderful Chinese lady, who speaks good English. When I order pancake and toast, she says "Too much". In general, she seems pretty decisive, an illusion that I'm going to peel a little.

We take a tuc-tuc out to Boat Landing, from where you can rent canoes for jungle tours. We immediately go down to the river and try to find a canoe. They refer to the colonial-style restaurant and the hotel. Here we find two English girls, that we have talked to before. We agree with a guy at the bar, that we can get out and sail with the only available canoe after drinking our coffee.

We ask the girls, if they want to join. "Yes please", that's why they are here. The boat costs the same, we are just six to share. The canoe comes with its three-man crew, which the whirlwinds require. One at the rear for rudder, which provides gas with a string around its big toe, two at the front, which use paddles / sticks. We have put our dry change clothes in the bar and it is fortunate, as we take in some water, at the falls.

Along the river we see individual fishermen with their nets, otherwise it is undisturbed jungle, except there are no bigger animals.
We meet another canoe, which the captain is pondering. They peel some boards off their canoe, and our crew stitches them on the railing with the recycled nails. It takes the worst over-flooding waves.

It is teeming with birds and suddenly, we see a giant python, probably the Burmese python; Python bivittatus. It lies and sunbathes on some dead branches, beyond the river. It is about five meters, and weighs probably 50-70 kilos; a really big snake! Our three crew members drive more of the rails than us, but unfortunately we will not return until it is gone.

Far into the primeval forest, we turn up a crystal clear sidestreem, land ashore, and enter the jungle. Here we see lizards, hams, giant spiders, butterflies, beautiful water nymphs and birds. We first cross a side stream, and then the big river. The water is cool and reaches the navel. It is teeming with fish and crustaceans. On the other hand, we are struggling up a slope and slightly through the dense planting, including banana. Large birds' nests ferns and deer antlers are among the many epiphytes in the trees. I'm happy to continue for a few hours, but the guide says you can't go any further.

Back across the river and back home. We are located in a village. The only thing that looks modern is the ugly concrete building that stands with its canopy in the middle of the "square". A sign carries the blue flag with 12 stars. Yet another of our EU funded "buildings". Little adorable dogs, adorable hanging bugs pigs, chickens and kids are running around between our legs. The adults are way more reluctant.

We sail again, until we lose the screw. A little break, and they got another one put on. Another time we pause as we lose our rudder. A new one is being improvised by the things in the jungle.
Another village. Rikke do not bother to wait, until the others have left. She tries to see if the water is deep. That it! is Together with the rail booster, she plumps in. She's up before we can say: Kodak moment. Everyone we meet in that village walks around with wide smiles!

We are coming back to Boat Landing, for my part; pretty disappointed with the lack of wildlife. Laos slogan: Land of a million elephants, is not very good. The elephant named Million probably died last year; at least we don't see it.

Back, Rikke gets dry clothes on and we order dinner. Learned from experience; we order the same; this time duck with orange. Rikke gets her, but nothing comes to Morten and me. We wait and wait, finally ask, they tell; they can only make one at the time. Waiting for an eternity and then being told; they have no more duck. Morten is no longer in a good mood!

We leave; the airport is not far away, and we will just check, when we can fly tomorrow. We can't do that at first, but there is a flight the day after tomorrow. The airport is completely abandoned, with the exception of some water buffaloes grazing peacefully on the runway.

Back in Nam Tai we try to find a guide for the jungle. In a restaurant there is advertising, but as we talk to the owner of the tracking company, we are told that they are only trekking on the weekend (today; Sunday) and it is only between villages. After all, there are no animals to see!
We book into another hotel that we can find. The Resident is right under the big radio mast, with "the leading star" on top. And then there is hot water.

6. We have breakfast at Chinese mum, and then head to the bus station. We are there 15 minutes before leaving, 13 minutes before it is stuffed. People sit on small stools in the aisle. We go round the zigzag in the city and make 50 stops before getting out of it. Then we stop again, and again and again. It takes 3½ hours to drive 62 kilometres.

We get to Muang Sing, and meet our first beggars. They are disguised as street dealers, with homemade jewellery, and they do not even grasp a very definite laced "NO!" In this border town to China, it is teeming with back-packers. We trudge through the city, which has been the largest opium market in the Golden Triangle. See some locals in black folk costumes with red embroidery or fun headgear.
The marketplace is big but pretty deserted. Only 10-20% of the stalls are filled with goods; clothing, consumer goods and food.

After three hours we drive back with the same truck. He actually drives half an hour before he said, but the car is full, so why wait? On the way we punctuate, but it is only the one twin rear wheel.
Booked at the same hotel. The toilet is suddenly stopped, but we can get another room, just without hot water. Chooses to use the toilet in the hallway.

Back to china mum to get dinner. We definitely get tould; we can have a snack now, go home and have a shower, and then return and have dinner. On the way home for a dip, we see that almost all bikes have rear seats with foot rest - factory fitted. There is not much more to see and do here, so we look forward to flying to Vientiane tomorrow.

7. After breakfast we leave for the airport, in good time. We're the first passengers, but the man at the counter says it's sold out. It may be that some are not coming, so we wait 2-3 hours. Everyone is coming, and we must realise that we must stay in town for a few more days. If we now fly to a third city, and then to Vientiane? We must find that out in the office in the city.

We leave the airport - it's really just a small building and then a runway with grazing oxen, goats and ducks - and head back to the office in town.
Here is a very nice and service minded guy, who tries different combinations for us. We are completely done with this city, so we just have to move on, and it should not be by truck, because we are tired of that too. Tomorrow to Luang Prabang is sold out, but we can fly from Udon Xai tomorrow.

Out at the bus station, and into a real bus, which runs almost immediately. There is one other white in the bus. He complains that we have not come before. He has been sitting and waiting with the natives for three hours for the bus to be filled. One of the local travellers we have travelled with before. She breathed Rikke on the cheek, just as Jesper's friend did. Rikke still doesn't seem thrilled.
After four hours, we are in Udon Xai, where we find a miserable hotel for 40 kroner. We get some dinner, which also costs from 20-50 kroner for two. On the way home to the hotel we see some fireflies.

8. Up at half past seven and into the haze, which lasts until nine to ten, every day in the northern regions. We find another hotel for 30 kroner, at the opposite end of town. Many of the houses we pass are build in '99 or '00. Here, like everywhere else, both men and women walk in sandals, which they drag absolutely impressively.

While Rikke is sunbathing on the porch, we walk up to the stupa, which sits on a large mound. While we are up there, the haze eases and we can look out over that big scattered city. We walk down through some buildings, and find the river. Here are some women digging gravel and stones, which are being screened. Small trucks come and pick it up for construction. We chase a snake that escapes into the river, and after a bit of hunting, disappears completely. As always, I try to find some caudiciforms, but still unsuccessfully.

We head home, wash clothes, and get Rikke in to the big covered market. Here's everything. Clothes, soap, perfume, fishing tackle, fruit, peas, chilli, apples, pears, clementines, lettuce, cabbage, beets, snake beans, peanuts, lentils, rice, bananas, coconuts, clocks, tobacco, crockery, ironclad, cuffs, screws, bolts, gears and much, much more. Here, people also carry everything on a 1½ meter long bamboo pole, something of a yoke, but over one shoulder.

We have lunch at a small humble café. At the neighbouring table are some men. Suit or uniform with beret and large sunglasses. They get a lot of beer and talk as some of the first; in cell phone. It looks like something from a B-movie from the 70s. Here, just like anywhere else we eat, television is drowning any other sounds.

We rent a small car and drive out to some waterfalls. Have a hard time telling the driver we want to get out there, but end up showing postcards. It by high speed out the road (except uphill) through beautiful scenery. We get to the Taad Lack Sippet (shut up, latex hore?!) where we have to wwalk the last bit. Beautiful scenery, except the space below the falls. Here are the remnants of the natives' picnic.

The fall itself is not that impressive, but there are exciting plants in the area. After a heartbreaking climb, I find a few very small caudiciforms. Along the way, I get hit by some thorns with nettle poison, either nettle or tarantula hairs. Very painful. After a few hours it becomes intermittent and after 3-4 days it is almost gone, just I don't touch it!

The driver drove us all the way home without asking, and we took him from the bus station. It's a great little town!
We spend the rest of the afternoon and dusk down by the river, where people wash clothes and baths. On the way back to the hotel after dinner, we hear a very noisy animal, in the small gutter along the road. Despite the persistent quest, we are unable to find the origin (bullfrog?). We enjoy a warm shower, and crawl under the mosquito net, which Rikke constantly calls a four-poster bed. It is too short for me.

We wake up in Diary 3