Day 9 - Scaling New Heights

Both in altitude and in our daily spending.

We were awoken at 6.15 am by some sort of rodent scratching on the wall behind our headboard. It was loud and we were both convinced that whatever it was it was actually in the room with us. I bravely banged on the wall, but to no avail, the scratching continued incessantly. I reluctantly turned the light on, fearing the rodent would attack us once it could see us, but the scratching immediately ceased even when I turned the light back off again.

It was 8.45am when we finally woke up, having slept for close on 10 hours despite the rodent interlude. We hurriedly got up and packed for a day out. We dropped the room key off with receptionist, Vanh, and headed out skipping the hotel breakfast.

We walked to the fairly posh looking Luang Prabang Bakery and Restaurant and ordered an iced americano with pink milk, a coffee frappe, a croissant and a chocolate bun. Everything was supersized including the bill. Jackie’s croissant was enormous and my chocolate bun was as big as a family sized Panettone.
We munched our way through our dough breakfast washed down with a vat of cold coffee. It was very nice, but way too much, including the bill of 388,000 Kip (about £13). This was just about our dearest meal to-date.

We walked up the road and hired a scooter for 2 days, which cost less than our breakfast (just £6 a day). We fuelled up with £3 worth of petrol then set off on my pre-planned route. We were both wearing much comfier helmets.

We crossed the Nam Song on the narrow motorcycle bridge, followed a short but traumatic wobbly wooden bridge. We then rode out into the countryside surrounded by dramatic limestone karst mountains. It was a bit of a procession of tourist vehicles, Lao privately owned 4x4s, dune buggies, Tuk-tuks and scooterists like us.

Several miles in we turned off down a pretty much deserted stony track and arrived at the entrance to Pha Perng Viewpoint. We parked up and paid our 20,000 Kip entrance fee to 2 very young girls. The viewpoint was 200 metres from the entrance.

A sign warned :-
‘People with heart disease are prohibited.
People with diseases such as: Asthma, High blood pressure Do not go up.
An old man whose health is not strong, must not climb up’.

I think I do or have qualified for all of the above!!

Jackie led the way and I followed, ready to catch her if she slipped and fell. The path started off fairly flat, but then the path was replaced with steep rocks and a bamboo hand rail to cling on to. Halfway up, we met a young western couple coming down, who informed us that a motorcycle was being secured to the top when they arrived. They were the very first people to sit on the motorcycle atop the mountain and we would be the second.

The route got steeper to virtually vertical. Wooden steps that might as well have been a series of ladders with thick wire cables to hold on to assisted us to climb the mountain. Eventually we arrived at the top, sodden through, to find that we were the only climbers at the summit…………………apart from 4 workers repairing one of the last ladders.

One of them very kindly offered to take our photo at the top, although I nearly had a heart attack when he leant over the rail with my phone to get a better angle.

We took several photos of each other astride the precariously balanced newly installed motorbike seemingly just held in place with some thin metal wire attaching it to the rock.

We climbed back down tentatively upon reaching the car park Jackie announced that she was not doing any more climbing today. It was a miracle that she hadn’t slipped at any point during the ascent or descent, but her knees were now uncontrollably shaking.

Anyhow, we continued on my planned route until we reached the turn off for Lagoon 1 and Phoukham Cave with another 20.000 Kip entrance fee. It was at Lagoon 1 that we found all the Lao long weekenders and Korean tourists. The place was rammed with Asians and next to no Europeans. I have to admit it had a nice friendly vibe despite the crowds and we found a shaded table to enjoy a large BeerLao and watch jumpers into the lagoon.

It was only after drinking our beers did we go in search of the Phoukham Cave. It turned out to require another vertical climb of 120 metres to reach the cave entrance. Jackie declined, but I was going to get my money’s worth, despite the same warning sign as at Pha Perng Viewpoint.

Fifteen minutes later I found myself in an atmospheric cave with a Buddha shrine in the centre. I could have continued deeper into the cave, but there was an absence of hand rails or people, so I headed back down to a waiting Jackie.

We rode on and found Horkham Viewpoint which appealed to Jackie and we agreed to scale it the following morning.

We continued and found Lagoon 3, which cost us 30,000 Kip to enter. It was strangely full of swimming and sunbathing western youngsters with hardly an Asian face in sight. We found ourselves a table and sat down with 2 ice cold beers, whilst we watched the Lagoon activities, particularly a zip line and a rope swing.

The lure of the Lagoon was too much for me, so I changed into my swimming shorts and shoes, then walked round to the zip line to make a stylish entry into the water. Sadly l forgot to breathe in and looking back at the video I will definitely be back on a diet when we get home.

The Lagoon was refreshing and we shared another beer, whilst I dried off. Jackie couldn’t be persuaded to have a go on the zip line (or even have a swim) for fear everyone would be looking at grandma having a swing. Although she did say she might give it a go tomorrow!

It was by now late afternoon and I continued our circular 26 mile planned route passing through villages and swerving around the wildlife of free roaming cattle, dogs and chickens with broods of chicks. We also saw other advertised Lagoons and Viewpoints before arriving back at our hotel knackered.

That evening we continued our spending spree by eating at a more upmarket restaurant, Happy Mango Thai Restaurant, which always seemed busy. The restaurant was completely full when we arrived, but luckily for us, I spotted a couple getting up from a front row table, so I dashed through the restaurant, almost climbing over the other diners, and plonked myself down at the table.

We ordered a satay chicken starter, I ordered a beef Massaman curry with sticky rice, Jackie ordered duck in tamarind sauce and obviously 2 beers. Signs on the wall asked us to be patient because all the food was cooked fresh to order. It took an age for our beers to arrive, (which Jackie didn’t comment on), until she called over the waiter to remind him we were thirsty.

The food was gorgeous. My beef melted in the mouth and Jackie’s duck arrived on a duck shaped serving dish and was covered in a thin layer of crispy seaweed. The total cost came to the equivalent of just under £20. Just as well we had withdrawn another 2 million Kip before dinner!

Shortly after dinner my stomach started to gurgle. I had to make an emergency pitstop in the Amari Hotel and by the time we got home I was perspiring profusely. Nurse Jackie insisted I drank gallons of water and when we went to bed she made me check my heart rate and ECG on my watch. Both were normal.

Song of the Day - I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song) by Louis Prima, Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman.En savoir plus