Trekkin' Like the Doo Dah Man

Akha Village near Muang Long

Another wild jungle trek, slippin' and sliddin' up and down a mountain.  At least I only fell once today and that was in the early going.  First part of the trek involved visiting an Akha village and meeting the headman while also checking out the village swing (an isolated area where young folks go to flirt; think of it as the mall back home) and the village gate (which is placed to ward off evil spirits from entering the village--we falangs must be careful not to cross through or touch the gate lest the spirits be awakened.  The penalty is having to provide an animal for sacrifice to once again purify the area).  These treks involve hiring guides and in my case one of them (Da) spoke English and the other was more or less the bushwacker/trail interpreter.  That still didn't stop us from losing the trail a few times, but I was told I was the first one to use the trail in 6 months, so it was somewhat overgrown.  Trekking in Lao so far has been most arduous due to late rains and general trail conditions.  Previous treks in the US, S America and other parts of Asia involved much more beaten paths.  So far in Lao, I've gotten pretty beat up with various cuts and bruises, not to mention really sore legs and feet.  Let's just say that training at home on asphalt can't begin to compare with what I've walked on here.

Akha Villagers

Lao Volleyball-No Hands Alklowed

Forest Lunch with Duck, Pork and Chicken Larb and Sticky Rice

My Guides with Village Headman in Center...You were expecting an Indian chief?

Greetings from the People's Republic of Lao

Eating has been a bit of a challenge here, given the lack of English.  I found a Chinese run joint across the street with an English menu, so I've been pretty much eating in only one place.  The food is really good, but not exactly Lao.  The Chinese pretty much own this place and the guide told me that they rent the fields to produce their own crops.  They've even tried to buy one of the mountains adjacent to town, but the government wouldn't allow it.  While this is a lovely, friendly little town, there isn't much to do but trek, so I'll be moving further towards the frontier tomorrow with a trip down to Xieng Kok, the northernmost Lao Mekong Port.  I'll be more or less off the grid for a few days.