Trekking in the hills of Northern Laos

The day after the Elephant Camp we set off for a 10km walk. This does not sound far but Laos is quite mountainous and did we tell you all how hot it is out here? La, our guide, took us into the hills, which took us through different villages and introduced us to three tribes who live in Laos. During the day we also experienced three different languages, which caused us great confusion. Our guide, La, was from Vientiane province and was from the Hmong tribe. He shared many stories with us about how these tribes live and it was interesting to hear him speak Hmong. It sounds very similar to Chinese. It was an amazing day and interesting to see people living as they would have done a hundred years ago.


The beautiful mountains in Northern Laos-Luang Prabang province.


Trekking towards the mountains.


Walking through a corn field.


A Laos style house.


After two hours we reached our first village. Here Khmu people live. They originate from the Khmer people in Cambodia. This man was making a bamboo basket which can take anywhere from three to seven days. We had a drink at the chief's house who was planting aubergine with his grandson, wearing Boca Juniors shorts...not quite how I imagined a chief. The chief is chosen by the villagers and they can choose to accept or decline. It does not run in the family but is decided on a person's merit.


We stopped at this woman's hut. She lived there with her husband, her family and two children. She is from the Khmu Tribe. When married the man goes to live with her family, which differs from many other cultures in Asia. She brought her two month old baby out to see us. She gave birth here, in the middle of nowhere, with help from some local woman. Not a doctor in sight.


We arrived at the Hmong Village two hours after the first village. Hmong people usually live higher in the mountains. The people here were very shy but very hospitable. We sat at a man's house and the children played around us. It was humbling to see how happy they were, despite having very little. As we walked around we noticed they had no water pump. Most villages we had been through had access to clean water. These people filter it with rice but it does not clean it completely. La told us that the government decide where they will put the water pumps. This village missed out! They don't need any interference from the outside world but surely they have the right to clean drinking water


This boy was brave enough to have a go with Stephen's camera and took a nice shot of Stephen.


Two more hours walking and we arrived at the bottom of the mountains to this Laos community village. As we arrived the heavens opened and we took refuge in a kind lady's house. The children were running around squealing with delight wearing nothing but plastic carrier bags on their heads-to keep their hair dry?


Wet and very happy!


Two teenagers look bored as the rain falls.


Stephen wading through the flooded areas to get to the boat.


Heading back to camp along the Nam Khan river which feeds into the Mekong. This man is fishing with a net; a common sight along the river.