Final Week in Laos

Muang Kham
I arrived in Muang Kham early enough to keep going to the hot springs, but decided to check out the tiny town instead. I walked over to the market and bought a sarong for the hot springs (modesty is encouraged). I was the only white person in town, and people make no efforts to hide their stares or laughs. I know they spoke about me when they said "falang." I sat at a picnic table in front of my guesthouse (the only guesthouse) and made sushi out of seasoned riverweed and sticky rice. I bought two hard-boiled eggs at the market, but found baby chickens inside when I peeled them. Eww. A man came and stood over me, watching me write. He left and came back several times. I tried talking to him, but he just laughed nervously, shaking his head. Another man came up to see what was happening ("excuse me, what are you doing?"). I told him I was writing a story. More men crowded around listening to the conversation, but not understanding any of it. The men here always ask if I'm traveling alone, a fact I don't like drawing attention to (it's usually the second question after "where you from?"). Eventually, the first guy brought out a large gun (rifle maybe?) to show his neighbors. What with all the unwanted male attention, stares from the villagers and now a freakin' gun show, I decided to retire to my room for the afternoon, where I promptly broke out into a solitary dance party.

Nam Horn Hot Springs
The next day, I took a sangthaew to Nam Horn hotsprings, 18km east of Muang Kham. The driver dropped me off at what appeared to be an abandoned resort. I motioned like I was sleeping on my hands, to ask if there was a place to sleep there. He kept nodding his head, but I wasn't convinced. I panicked when I heard him start the engine and drive off- not a person in sight. I walked around the place and frowned at buildings that needed some major TLC. I met a cow grazing in the yard. Finally, I heard voices and followed them to a different place, thankfully the one I was looking for. They also spoke no English- a perfect way to practice my Lao and get creative with hand gestures. A little boy showed me to the hot spring, unfortunately too hot to swim in. My bathroom had hot spring water pumped into the bathtub, but it somehow was only lukewarm by the time it reached my tub. A hot bath was the only reason I went to the trouble to get out there, so I was a bit disappointed. It was nevertheless a beautiful spot to spend a night. The next morning, I asked how to get back to Muang Kham. They laughed (after deciphering my Lao) and told me there are no buses. I gulped. Eighteen kilometers seemed like a long way to go with a rucksack. Finally, I understood that I needed to walk 5km to the main road where I could catch a sangthaew. I didn't find any sangthaew, but hitched a ride in the back of a truck with a bunch of guys. One spoke English and sure enough, the second question was "are you alone?" They thought it funny I was hitchhiking and suggested I rent a motorbike next time I'm in Laos. They laughed at my pronunciation of foe (noodle soup) and kept asking if I was cold (I was).

Sam Neua and Vieng Xai War Caves
After surviving a 10-hour bus ride, at the speed of approximately 30 km/hr (18m/hr), I landed in the provincial capital called Sam Neua. I met some French and American travelers on the bus and we made our way to the Vieng Xai war caves the next day along with a Polish couple and a crazy Korean guy. Vieng Xai is a small town surrounded by lakes and limestone peaks. During the Secret War, the Pathet Lao forces hid their leaders and troops in a series of caves. We took a guided tour through 5 caves, seeing bedrooms, emergency lock-down rooms with air ventilation systems, kitchens, theaters for entertainment and large holding rooms for troops and equipment. We learned about how the villagers and fighters lived for 9 years. Some of the original furniture still remained and each room was marked with a sign to denote the exact purpose. Some of the caves were natural and others were made by dynamite.The red flowers you see here are meant to represent blood and can be used to strengthen a woman after giving birth. They have been planted on many of the grounds of the caves. Poinsettia trees were also in full bloom. Some of the leaders built homes outside the caves they lived in, once the war was over. One even turned a bomb crater into a swimming pool.

When we arrived back in Sam Neua (after a freezing cold tuk-tuk ride), we walked to the food market, where some witnessed the butchering of a huge guinnea pig like animal (others of us turned our heads). We saw the animal on skewers a little further down the street, as well as live and grilled frogs for sale. We ate at a noodle soup stand before retiring early.

The Polish couple and I caught a bus to Vietnam- a 10 hour ride with no heat and windows that jiggled open along the way, letting the cold air in. My butt and feet were numb most of the way and a Vietnamese guy fell asleep on my shoulder. Finally, we made it to the town of Than Hoa, a loud and busy place not accustomed to tourists.

To learn about UXO (unexploded ordnance) and the US Secret War, click HERE.