8
November, Nam Lik Eco Village to Ban Namon, 63km
Guest House & Restaurant (name unknown as
written in Lao script) 40,000LAK
Listen
... honking, garrumphing, flapping, fluttering, hissing, clacking, chirping,
scratching, burbling, calling, singing, screeching, complaining, cajoling,
debating, flirting ... quiet in the forest it is not. We spent the night in a
cottage on stilts in the trees above the Nam Lik river. A lovely place to stay,
with no engine or city noise, but cacophonous nonetheless. I despair of ever being
fit enough for one of our cycle trips. I don’t know exactly what “fit enough”
means, but today it translated as a desire to achieve our planned 86kms in
around seven hours, rather than calling it quits after 63kms in around seven hours... On the plus side we paid very little for a
room that seldom sees a foreign traveller, had fabulous sunset views from our
balcony and dined unexpectedly well on sweet ’n sour fish. Our road undulated
along its meandering course, up short inclines and down t’other side. On the
uphills I find it easier to follow the outside curve, so when I can I weave
from one side of the road to the other. The Lao are neither unduly surprised
nor in the least outraged to find me approaching them on the wrong side of the
road. I am not, after all, the only one doing so. We saw butterflies in yellow
and black, iridescent blue, jailhouse orange and white at play and work in
roadside bushes. And a woman weaving a traditional Lao skirt in rich royal blue.
The Lao skirt is a tube of knee-length fabric wider than the wearer. The excess
fabric is folded and tucked into the waistband creating a fold of fabric in the
front of the skirt. It is elegant and feminine and usually includes an
intricate woven pattern at the hem.
Between Nam Lik and Ban Namon
Between Nam Lik and Ban Namon
Route 13
Between Nam Lik and Ban Namon
Petrol anyone?
Between Nam Lik and Ban Namon
Ban Namon
Between Nam Lik and Ban Namon