Home » Laos » Abduction of the first degree

Helen and I only stay in Luang Prabang for the night and we manage to get about 4 different truths of bus times and stations for travelling on to Luang Nam Tha. Seems like I'm back in Thailand already!! In the end we make our own judgement and decide for the Northern bus terminal - as we're going north funnily enough. The first leg is pretty uneventful minus the really uncomfortable kiddie seat Helen has for the first 130km so being the gentleman everyone knows I am, I take the crap seat for the remainder. We get to Oudomxai and there is a bus waiting to go to Luang Nam Tha. Turns out they've been waiting for a while and needs 3 more people before leaving. As I go to get tickets there's people waving from the bus hoping I'm getting on. Turns out it was an Irish girl - Cat - I met in Vientianne. A Kiwi guy - Terry - comes to put pressuree on me to make sure I'm going to get on that bus.

Abduction of the first degree

Gareth Penpraze
2007-04-21 19:49:04

Displayed times (last time: ) Rating 5/5

Rating: 5.00 out of 5.00. 1 members have rated this article

to Green Discovery and all the guides are busy "preparing for a trek and won't be available to take tourists." Hmmmmmm. Eco-tourism office has told us that Green Discovery has "lost some tourists." The mystery gets deeper. Time to break out the teen machine and get my Scooby Doo suit on!! Anyway......

Sian, Jim, Helen, Hanah and I book a one day trek while Cat, Jim and Susie are off on a 2 day event. We decide to pay a visit to the Boat Landing Guesthouse, where the senoir guide owns the restaurant and on route we pass where the guy was taken. We're off on the bikes for a nice brisk 6km ride and then some lunch at one of the best restaurants in Laos. For starters for me is some river weed chips which are quite surprisingly good. We slowly make our way back to Luang Nam Tha with a few hours before sunset so most off us head off to see the nearby waterfall - well all of us who haven't got tax returns to complete Jim.

The 4km on the local map seems to be Laos km, more like 6-10 again but we get to the dribble of a waterfall not long before sunset. We have a quick look and get back on the bikes so we're not cycling down another top quality dirt track with no light. We stop for some sunset pics and the local kids are out to laugh at the falang. we stop for some pictures of sunset but more to laugh along with the kids. We all head back with sore asses and dry mouths - Beer Lao is the only remedy!!

Next morning were off on our trek and its bloody freezing and a little rainy but once we get moving we're quick to warm up. We stop at a tiny village who have made us all some gifts and the Eco crowd have given them money for. Good way to support the locals. The rain stops and we trek on through rubber tree plantations and stop for lunch in a bamboo hut overlooking a valley. The food is excellent - sticky rice, a tomato sauce and a local green been and meat dish. At lunch we quiz the guides about the abduction. Their theory was - Green Discovery was on an expedition and had an accident with a local government official. The guy died from the injuries and Green Discovery weren't supportive enough to the family. The Green Discovery guide was returning to his Boat Landing restaurant on his scooter and was blocked off by a car, dragged off the bike and into the motor, all in broad daylight!! He was only a km away from home to!! By the time we left Luang Nam Tha there were posters everywhere and we kept seeing them on route to our jump off point for the Gibbons.

We finish off our trek by visiting a silk making village and the women manage to rack up a full market in the space of 10 minutes even though we'd done our shopping. Last up was the lao lao whiskey distilling village. From the sounds of things its party central 24/7 as we can hear music from miles and miles away!! We decide to buy 1 1/2 litres for the gibbons experience while Helen and I buy the same for ourselves. Rocket fuel is an understatement.

So next morning we've to be at the bus station for 6am to make sure we get tickets for 9.30 am bus to Ban Don Chai, our jump off point for the Gibbons Experience. More coming soon.....

Gareth Penpraze
http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ASBO-Holidays/