Laos - Luang Namtha to Xieng Kok - Day 191 (17,440 miles)

We spent a couple of days visiting a very small town on the north east border between Laos and Myanmar (or Burma as it's still known to many). Xieng Kok is on a very pretty part of the Mekong and the one road in is 70km of very dusty dirt track. So, a very slow journey, we averaged around 20km ph which is exactly the right speed to travel in my view! It gave us the chance to take in what is going on in the villages we passed through, so much of the villagers lives take place outside their homes and kids and adults a like love to wave and shout "Sabaydee".








This grass above is cut and dried in much of the rural areas, it is used for everything from roof thatching to household brushes.

John learns from the locals. Most people who ride, walk or work in the rural areas where the roads are just dirt tracks wear masks understandably as every time a vehicle passes by everything and everyone is shrouded in grey dust.

The reason for coming here was for the journey not the luxurious accommodation!

The views of the Mekong more than made up for the cold shower.

No traffic congestion in this town! We were the only tourists in town that night, because of the dirt road in it doesn't appeal to many. Most of the visitors they do have are Chinese lorry drivers carrying goods across the Mekong, it seems like all manufactured goods in Laos come from China.

This little fellow joined us for breakfast. His spines may be a useful defence, from what we have seen so far there are not many creatures that aren't hunted for food in the rural areas.

Although farming and cutting of bamboo and grasses seems to be the full time occupation of many Lao people (adults and children) a lot still struggle to grow enough to sell as well as feed their families because much land is still littered with UXO (unexploded ordnance).

This are bombs dropped by the US when they became involved in the Laos civil war between 1966 and 1975, the Laos Communist party were allied to the Vietnamese. A lot of people (including us) had not even heard about this, there are still many Laos people injured/killed each year trying to cultivate land to earn a living or retrieve bombs to sell for scrap metal. There are charities who are educating people and training bomb disposal teams but it is likely to be another 20 years or so before all the areas that would make good agricultural land are made safe.

Bye for now

Jane and John

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