Vongmany Guesthouse, Nong Khiaw, Day 3

We wake up feeling not as stiff as we thought after the hike yesterday. It feels kind of impossible to start a day quickly here, so we end up slowly dragging ourselves out of bed and into the misty, cold morning that is waiting for us. The mountains are only half visible, as fog covers most of the top of them, but we are sure the Sun will break through at some point in the day, so manage to get some washing done and left on the balcony before we head out.
Our first stop is a restuarant for some breakfast. We opt for what is advertised as a Lao garden breakfast, and which consists of steamed veg, an omelette, an amazing salsa dish, and a large helping of sticky rice. It is delicious, and so big we are sure it will last us most of the day. It feels good to grab a handful of sticky rice and mould it into a stick perfect for dipping in the spicy salsa. It is another food we are adding to the 'must learn to make this at home' list.
After eating and feeling very full, we rent a kayak from a very happy man. He tells a joke about our English being good after I tell him we are from England, which he enjoys thoroughly with the kind of laugh that makes everyone laugh along no matter how good the joke was.
After he grabs us a free kayak, we jump on board and are left to ourselves. We are told to go anywhere and go back anytime. We start off heading in a direction we are told is best, and it is lovely. It is as if we have rented the Mekong river for the day as well, as no-one else is on it at all apart from the odd boat every now and then. The water is so calm it is as if we are boating on a lake, and it feels awesome to slowly drift inbetween the limestone hills. We pass small beaches packed full with buffalo and wild pigs, and also go by some nice looking bars in which people are doing karaoke (before midday!)
After a while, we start to feel the burn in our arms that constant paddeling entails. We drift a little further, not wanting to miss out on any views, before heading back. He views on the way back are much better then when we heading in the opposite direction, as the biggest mountains are directly in front of us. We paddle back to the starting point, taking lots of breaks to lay back and rest in the calm water, hearing nothing but the birds in the trees and the distant hum of motorbike engines. At one point a very loud bang startles us. We aren't sure what it was, but knowing this area is one of the most heavily bombed, and therefore most covered in unexploded bombs, makes it rather ominous.
When we get back to the starting point we head past it and journey down the other way of the river for a bit. This bit takes us past the town and past some very posh looking hotels. The views are great again, but not as good as the other side, so we turn back after a short while and head home. Our arms (and legs and back) are knackered by now and the last 100 metres or so seems neverending. When we get back we are exhausted, but we manage to get some more washing done and head out for another great meal at the same restaurant as this morning. Amy has an enormous sweet and sour that tastes delicious.
After that we relax for a bit. Unfrotunatelt the sun is only coming out in small bursts, so it isn't as lovely as the last few days. After Amy has a nap and I read a bit, we head out for tea. Deen's is jammed full so we go next door and eat a nice meal before heading back to the hotel and almost immediately falling asleep.Lue lisää