The boat north left at 9:00 a.m. and cost a little over two dollars. Walter wasn't at breakfast and instead went down to the docks earlier with a Thai tourist to negotiate a private boat with a local fisherman. The deal fell through when they were spotted by the guy who runs the ticket office and he threatened to call the cops on the fisherman. I think Walter and the Thai guy were looking for a bit of fun as saving money couldn't have been the issue.
It was a beautiful ride in a covered long boat painted in the Laos colors, red, white and blue, that carries around 20 passengers. Muang Ngoi is a large village, population about 800. It has a mainstreet, a school, several restaurants and shops and a number of mostly ramshackle guesthouse bungalows lining the riverbank. No phone, no pool, no internet but it has a great vibe.
Walter and I grabbed a bungalow each at one of the better spots in town, Nicksa's, for 60,000 kip a night ($7ish). Kan, the owner was friendly and funny. The porches had hammocks and the view was fantastic.
Later two Swiss girls I recognized from the boat walked through my front yard. I asked if they were looking for a shortcut and that's how I met Sylvie and Gabi. They had hastily grabbed the first place they looked at and realizing the err of their ways, began searching out options for the next day. They would move into cabin three next to Walter the next day.
The four of us spent the next three days swimming in the river, chilling in our hammocks, trekking to a local village and getting caught in the middle of a rice fileld in a wicked, wicked rain and hail storm complete with thunder and lightening (we had to huddle under a one of those little bamboo shacks in the middle of the rice paddies--we were soaked), eating home-made french fries and fried eggs and pumpkin curry and drinking luke-cold beerlaos. We scrambled up the adjacent mountain (whenever we'd point to the top of the mountain, asking locals how to get there, they'd start laughing hysterically--we tried to find the trailhead ourselves and eventually had to slink back into town with our heads down and hire a guide),
Walter left after day two to go north. My hot swiss girlfriends and I would hang out another day and catch the 9:30 a.m. boat (the only one) back to Nong Khiaw. No worries about signing up early. We later discovered that they'll fill it up beyond capacity, happily taking the extra revenue. We would arrive at about 10:30 a.m., in time to catch the 11:00 a.m. boat to Luang Prabang if there are enough passengers to 'fill' a boat.
Muang Ngoi is a fantastic place and made for a very good taste of the north, it's people, scenery and food. It's like the poeple carry on with their lives and let you into it. There's no hassle. Most of them say hello and smile. And as with everywhere I've been in Laos, the kids are fantastic. Friendly and cute and happy. It was a great little interlude.
When we got back into Nong Khiaw, only five of us wanted to make the boat trip to Luang Prabang. They need a minimum of 10. I was quite disappointed. This is said to be one of the most beautiful river trips in Laos and I hadn't been on one yet. Meanwhile everybody's scrambling to take the 'bus', which as it turns out for today is one of those little truck-like tuks tuks. I'm thinking that I've got to get to LP. Next thing I know my pack is on the roof and there's about 20 people climbing into this thing that's only meant to seat 12. One guy tells me that he once road in one with 42. Thinking quickly, I decide to get my pack back and take my chances on getting a boat tomorrow. Sylvie and Gabi do the same. Another night in Nong Khiaw won't be so bad--better than four hours on that 'bus'.
There was no sign of St Patrick anywhere.
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