Unfortunately we are really strapped for time, even though this is the best little internet place this side of Chiang Rai, and there is much to report!
We headed up by Songtheaw(sp?) from the main market here (selling lots of interesting protein, such as wriggling lizards) for the Kilometre 38 marker often the way to Pak Xong. From here it was an 800m-1km walk to the Tad Fane ' Resort'. The Songtheaw ride was fascinating enough ~ it took two hours to cover the 35kms, including stopping our already overladen truck along the route to pick up a busload (albeit a mini bus) of other travellers heading up the highway when their van broke down. With lots of cheerful accommodation, plastic chairs were added to the centre, and somehow, with the roof laden with sacks of everything, 6 guys hanging off the read and the roof, and 26 people cramped inside we mane it up to our stop.
The Resort had lovely little cabins set in a high altitude tropical wonderland. A beautiful setting, with an appreciably cooler temperature as we had quickly risen from near 300m to 1,000m above sea level. Bob loved this and talked about living here!!!
The centrepoint were the dual waterfalls cascading across the ravine, it was a very beautiful and peaceful setting. The restaurant on the upper level had stunning views and cool breezes, although it's menu was limited and seemingly overpriced. Given that it had a monopoly on those staying there we had little choice.
The highlights are hard to distill - I ran each day, (do you know that I love my Garmin Forerunner?) heading off into the wild blue yonder and then 'taking a short cut' (Aki knows all about my short cuts!) back towards where I had started to form a loop course, rather than merely going out and back. I did have to run through teak, coffee and tea plantations at one stage, then bush bash through lantana and across a creek before rejoining a track, but it was a stunning run. I wish that I could have bottled some of the broad grins I got along the way, which made the Osmonds look like a group of toothless hens.
Yesterday Bob and I eschewed the USD $10 'trekking tour' (which looked pretty lame, and headed off around the canyon ourselves, using the GPS and our wits. We reached a picnic viewing area at the top, with truckloads of Thai tourists and some more spectacular waterfalls, where we had a lunch of noodle soup (my Laotion is now strong enough to communicate our most basic needs) and some more water before heading back.
The previous day, we partly walked, partly took a Songthaew to Pak Xong, the town a Km 50 on the Plateau where we explored the markets, bought some coffee wine (!) and had another good lunch. Later we explored the waterfall on the other side of the highway to
Tad Fane, finding a beautiful setting along a good dirt track and chatting to some local school kids who were also going to this peaceful place for a picnic during the Laotian New Year festivities.
The Bolavens Plateau is the home of fine Arabica coffee bean plantations and the coffee here is exceptional. Walking to the waterfalls we saw many sheets of beans drying in the sun. The coffee at the resort was OK, and 5,000 kip a cup. However at the local stalls everywhere, fantastic, strong Coffee Lao is available for 2,000 kip, often served with a chaser of weak tea. It may already be sweetened, however I have found that the addition of sugar does add to the enjoyment of this wonderful thick brew.
Twice yesterday I spent a good hour or so chatting and learning from local girls about 11 years of age with a pad of paper and a pen, the best pronunciation of numbers and other important thing. In the afternoon, as Bob enjoyed a BeerLao with the locals up the road, (8,000 kip and the money going to the local community) I had an interesting time explaining to Mai and Champee (they were excited to get their names written in English on paper to take home) the value of the Australian coins I gave them. That there could be a unit less than a dollar was alien to them. The rule of thumb here is 10,000 kip to the US dollar, so five or ten cents didn't make sense. Was it 5,000 dollars? 500 dollars? With no coins in Lao this also exacerbated it. As darkness fell and they started to push their bike ad cart with coffee for sale home, Bob fought to refuse the offer of more Lao Lao from the friendly locals, as the giant full moon rose to signal the start of Pee Mai Lao, or Laotian New Year we wandered back to the sound of much laughter and music wafting across each of the valleys.
Now, we are travelling but whatever means possible to Savanakhet about 240kms to the north, and then west to the Vietnamese border.
Wish us luck, or Kok Mee!
We headed up by Songtheaw(sp?) from the main market here (selling lots of interesting protein, such as wriggling lizards) for the Kilometre 38 marker often the way to Pak Xong. From here it was an 800m-1km walk to the Tad Fane ' Resort'. The Songtheaw ride was fascinating enough ~ it took two hours to cover the 35kms, including stopping our already overladen truck along the route to pick up a busload (albeit a mini bus) of other travellers heading up the highway when their van broke down. With lots of cheerful accommodation, plastic chairs were added to the centre, and somehow, with the roof laden with sacks of everything, 6 guys hanging off the read and the roof, and 26 people cramped inside we mane it up to our stop.
The Resort had lovely little cabins set in a high altitude tropical wonderland. A beautiful setting, with an appreciably cooler temperature as we had quickly risen from near 300m to 1,000m above sea level. Bob loved this and talked about living here!!!
The centrepoint were the dual waterfalls cascading across the ravine, it was a very beautiful and peaceful setting. The restaurant on the upper level had stunning views and cool breezes, although it's menu was limited and seemingly overpriced. Given that it had a monopoly on those staying there we had little choice.
The highlights are hard to distill - I ran each day, (do you know that I love my Garmin Forerunner?) heading off into the wild blue yonder and then 'taking a short cut' (Aki knows all about my short cuts!) back towards where I had started to form a loop course, rather than merely going out and back. I did have to run through teak, coffee and tea plantations at one stage, then bush bash through lantana and across a creek before rejoining a track, but it was a stunning run. I wish that I could have bottled some of the broad grins I got along the way, which made the Osmonds look like a group of toothless hens.
Yesterday Bob and I eschewed the USD $10 'trekking tour' (which looked pretty lame, and headed off around the canyon ourselves, using the GPS and our wits. We reached a picnic viewing area at the top, with truckloads of Thai tourists and some more spectacular waterfalls, where we had a lunch of noodle soup (my Laotion is now strong enough to communicate our most basic needs) and some more water before heading back.
The previous day, we partly walked, partly took a Songthaew to Pak Xong, the town a Km 50 on the Plateau where we explored the markets, bought some coffee wine (!) and had another good lunch. Later we explored the waterfall on the other side of the highway to
Tad Fane, finding a beautiful setting along a good dirt track and chatting to some local school kids who were also going to this peaceful place for a picnic during the Laotian New Year festivities.
The Bolavens Plateau is the home of fine Arabica coffee bean plantations and the coffee here is exceptional. Walking to the waterfalls we saw many sheets of beans drying in the sun. The coffee at the resort was OK, and 5,000 kip a cup. However at the local stalls everywhere, fantastic, strong Coffee Lao is available for 2,000 kip, often served with a chaser of weak tea. It may already be sweetened, however I have found that the addition of sugar does add to the enjoyment of this wonderful thick brew.
Twice yesterday I spent a good hour or so chatting and learning from local girls about 11 years of age with a pad of paper and a pen, the best pronunciation of numbers and other important thing. In the afternoon, as Bob enjoyed a BeerLao with the locals up the road, (8,000 kip and the money going to the local community) I had an interesting time explaining to Mai and Champee (they were excited to get their names written in English on paper to take home) the value of the Australian coins I gave them. That there could be a unit less than a dollar was alien to them. The rule of thumb here is 10,000 kip to the US dollar, so five or ten cents didn't make sense. Was it 5,000 dollars? 500 dollars? With no coins in Lao this also exacerbated it. As darkness fell and they started to push their bike ad cart with coffee for sale home, Bob fought to refuse the offer of more Lao Lao from the friendly locals, as the giant full moon rose to signal the start of Pee Mai Lao, or Laotian New Year we wandered back to the sound of much laughter and music wafting across each of the valleys.
Now, we are travelling but whatever means possible to Savanakhet about 240kms to the north, and then west to the Vietnamese border.
Wish us luck, or Kok Mee!
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