Hiking, and why bamboo really is the shoot

We took a two day hike up through the hill tribes around Luang Prabang. It really was one of the most worthwhile things I reckon we’ve done in the last 3 months. Our guide (Kampha – which means no parents!!) was excellent. While he didn’t speak great English – he spoke enough, and was able to point out so many interesting things.

Mhairi has regressed slightly in her toughness… indeed she insisted on being carried across the rivers (of which there were many)

Ok, so that last paragraph may not have been strictly true. There’s just too much to talk about so I think I’ll gloss over most of them… Oh, I did choose this day to have my first really upset stomach of the last 3 months. Sticky rice and sweet potatoes seemed to do quite a lot of coagulation though!

There really were many weird insects, beetles and spiders.

The highlight was staying in the village that night. We played games with the kids, sang with them (watched them play a sort of volleyball game (but only using feet and head)). Then in the evening we were brought into the main meeting house. There a flowery contraption was set up, gifts (food and money) were presented, and quite a lot of lao-lao (think poitin – but from rice) was drunk. Seeing as it was in our honour, we had to drink quite a bit! Then they all took it in turns to tie a wristband on us (saying wishes of good luck (we’re led to believe!!)).

Course, the only reason the kids did it was for the sweets.. still… we were happy!!

Bamboo really is wonderful! I reckon these ppl would be lost without it! They build entire houses from it, ladders!, aqueducts, make paper and even eat it!! Really amazing stuff.