Puzzles in Sam Nua - Laos

By: Lam Linh – Echkom

Travellive 11/2010 - A meeting may change your life a lot and make it more meaningful. I will tell you about my accidental meeting.

                                                 

My passion for backpacking was born after a memorable journey to Fansipan Mountain. Instead of traveling by motorbike like some backpackers, I usually went by car or airplane, this time, however it was going to be different.

My first journey by motorbike started on a fine late autumn day. I remember that I was very excited as I prepared for this trip. The route was to go through Hanoi, Moc Chau, the Long Sap border gate, Vieng Xay and finally conclude in Sam Nua, Laos. Our team was comprised of 5 people, another girl who is a friend of mine and three guys I have never met, but who I heard were backpacking veterans. My driver and I went first and met the other three travelers in Hoa Binh.

I had one more journey from Hanoi on a nearly freezing evening. The moon on the 17^th was strangely bright. With only the two of us on the remarkably quiet street. Once we arrived in Hoa Binh we stopped at a roadside restaurant and had dinner. An abundance of oranges were on display on both sides of Cao Phong Street. We rode directly to Muong Khen and stayed at a small guesthouse. Finally around midnight my fellow travelers arrived, marking the first time I had met the other two drivers. My friend’s driver, a 7-x guy, chatted         with us before we retired to bed.

In the next morning, The Three Musketeers got up early and knocked on our doors to wake us up and took us to breakfast.  After eating quickly, we continued our journey to the border gate before lunch.

                                       

The landscape during Autumn was splendid. Route 6 was bathed by a slight morning dew. Trees and blades of grass sparkled with their dewdrops in the bright sunshine. In Moc Chau, there were some very low mustard gardens blooming with scattered white flowers. Wild sunflowers remained rigid in the blowing wind and sapodilla gardens were weighted down with fruit hidden behind green clumps. In a few gardens, peach and plum blossoms were blooming. A cool ambiance rushed through me. I can now understand why backpackers love to travel by motorbike.

We reached the Long Sap border gate and traveled to the customs post to show our passports, and then waited for the exit paper. I was getting nervous! All of us wanted to go to Laos by motorbike, however, we had never done this before, so we do not have any experience about the customs procedures. Finally, everything turned out to be ok. We then rode to the Pa Hang border gate in Laos. Again, we showed our passports. It was at noon that my friend and I stood in the lobby and talked the hind legs off a donkey while our drivers were asking about directions and the necessary formalities to pass through the border.

                                    

After about 20km we reached the Nam Na River and then crossed by a ferry to Sam Nua. We then rode in a hurry through neighboring country, motivated by our intense hunger. The ferry crossing was simple, just two boats and only VND 10,000 per person and VND 30,000 per motorbike. We then went to Sop Bao village. It was time to eat, drink and take a rest!

In the dry season, Laos is in its mid-harvest. Low terraced fields are covered with a yellow carpet. Sometimes, we bumped into a few farmers harvesting rice. Rice is dry in sunny weather and turns gray. We rode through paddy fields, villages where there were street signs in Lao and English.

We stopped to take a rest at a brook crossing the street.  We had the best time crossing the stream over and over again with our legs lifted high to avoid getting soaked. We all took turns performing these antics. The Three musketeers proved to be quite active and youthful while we two girls split our sides with laughter. We then came across a waterfall at the end of the road. It was not very high, but unique and the most magnificent of this remote land. It was a warm welcome after a tough 75km ride. I never took much notice of milestones in my native country, but when abroad, they become dearer and more valuable.

Viengxay, sunset.

                       

The sun shined slightly at sunset. The land below the limestone hill is always cool and foggy, even while the sun shined brightly over the valley and paddy fields. Vaporous dew hid among mountain creeks and caves throughout the village.

Viengxay is about 30km from Sam Nua. After a long journey, we drove along the street in which wild sunflowers were brightly blooming. Viengxay market had already closed and smoke from roofs rose into the sky. Our motorbikes’ headlights flickered on the way out of Viengxay. Flowers were intermittent beyond the curves and Sam Nua and greeted us with a fantastic white reed gate.

The day ended with many memoriable experiences. We stayed at a little guesthoat a reasonable price. Then we took a nighttime walk around the small town and had a delicious dinner with sticky rice and BBQ. Then we took part in a Laos wedding. I sat next to some friendly brothers and sisters while the other four visitors danced Lamvong (a dance of Lao). My driver and friend took pleasure in trying to take up some steps of this dance. It’s true that backpackers easily adapt to new environments. While looking at a guy dancing with a radiant face that reflected the twilight fire, I felt something different in my heart. My friend’s driver knocked at our door at mid-night and asked for a place to sleep becatheir room was quite narrow for three boys. It is not strange when fellow travelers share one room and sleep together. I feel so shy becaI have never stayed in one room with a boy before that and I think, “Oh, my god, how can I do this!” The driver took up a spot in the corner and slept easily. Then I quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

On the second day, we traveled to the Na Meo border gate in Thanh Hoa (VN) and returned to Vietnam. The street was carpeted with bright yellow wild sunflowers. We took advantage of the spectacular views and took a variety of photos.  While I was busy snapping away, I felt a gentle hand upon my shoulder that pulled me closer.  It was him, my friend’s driver, he was smiling at me and a warm sensation rushed through my body. This was truly a backpacker, someone who took care of us during our journey and helped us become familiar with his exciting lifestyle.

A month after the conclusion of our amazing journey I received a marriage proposal, which I happily accepted. The ceremony was attended by my friends and backpackers.  After that trip we have taken many others, but none can be as unforgettable as that first trip together. My son who will be born in November will be named Muong Khen, after the place where his parents first met two years ago.

My passion of traveling to remote areas must be put on hold as we welcome our son. Sometimes, my husband still packs his bags and explores somewhere with his friends, and other times, I see him writing down in his notebook some areas that he would like to visit.

 However, he insists with a smile, “that the most import trip is the one to the hospital”.

 Nonetheless, I understand that his love for travel is ceaseless and I can now relate to his passion. When our son grows up, we will again be able travel to new lands by motorbike and someday I will take my son to Muong Khen and tell him our love story, and that our love comes from the streets.