Last Trek of the Season

I returned last week from my last trek. I have to admit that it was not my best trip although there were some pretty amazing highlites. It started the night before I left when my itinerary was changed and it was too late to change my scheduled meetings. The main purpose of the trip was to purchase materials and teach the contractor how to build hygienic toilets and sceptic bed, plus transfer some money to complete a fence and finally, to visit the final 5 new villages who had submitted requests for schools, toilets and water. As an FYI, this program I use to post my blogs has driven me up the wall. Please bear with me as I try to keep you up to date but I will be looking for a better program when I return. As I got to the Namba bridge, about 35 minutes south of Nong Khiaw I went into a restaurant to wait for some villagers who were to greet me from Ban Pha Yong. It turned out that the restaurant had no food and no drinks. Imagine a restaurant that doesn't sell anything to eat. We finally met up and I managed to purchase many of the materials I needed and after a bite to eat we headed to Viengkham (about 4 villages south of Nong Khiaw where there is a turn off to Pha Yong Village) and proceeded to the home of a friend of one of the Pha Yong Villagers. There, I had about 1200 holes drilled in some pipe for the sceptic bed since sceptic pipe wasn't available. This went well into the night so we 'dined' there with the family. I had been fortunate up until now but that was to end. The dinner just did not agree with my stomach. We barely got back to Pha Yong (around 11pm) and I became violently ill. I couldn't think of a worse place to be sick - there were no toilets, only bush, it was pitch black outside and started to pour rain...in fact it poured rain the entire night. Needless to say that everytime I went outside I was soaked to the bone and freezing.

Above: Mr. Souk is the head contractor, who was the one responsible for building the extension on Pha Yong School. He did such a beautiful job, I have him lined up for several more after this hygienic toilet project. With many of the materials delivered, they expected to start right away.

Above: The sceptic tank is in the background. It wasn't exactly a perfect location. The area behind it has to be cleared and levelled.

I spent two days recuperating and worrying about how I was going to be able to finish this last trip because I knew I wouldn't be back until next November. It took three sessions of training so that I could rest in between but I did manage to finish it. The next morning Bounmy, my host, translator and good friend rode me back to Sop Khan Village so I could catch a boat to Nong Khiaw. We almost made it and were certainly in close walking distance to Sop Khan when the chain broke on his motorbike. Fortunately it wasn't serious and it was an easy walk to the river. Bounmy was able to fix his bike fairly quickly and head back to his village, then back to Luang Prabang.

In Nong Khiaw I was to deliver an English dictionary to someone I had promised from my earlier trip there, meet with Madame Bountom (head of education) and Governor Bounsom but of course, the student wasn't around, and the Governor with his wife had headed to Luang Prabang. So much for that idea. I also no longer had a translator which I knew I would need if I were to continue the trip. The translator that I had arranged to meet me there, had indeed run into me the day before in Pha Yong Village with another couple. It was only by coincidence that we ran into each other and the tourists told me that he would be with them for thenext couple of days. Hmmmm. So much for the translator!

I did manage to find a translator and trekker at the last minute although I paid dearly for him because the trip had to be considered a tour package. So be it. I was feeling better and felt I needed to push on so we did the 2 1/2 hour boat trip and trek. It turns out that Kham Fan was a great trekker and was quite optimistic about the future, just what I needed to keep a positive attitiude. His translations weren't perfect but I wasn't complaining. ( I ran into the same tourists that had hired the previous tour guide/translator when I returned to Luang Prabang and they mentioned that their guide complained the whole time so I guess it was a blessing in disguise).

We ended up trekking in the rain, and the paths were about as mucky as you can get. I am sure I had two inches of mud on the bottom of my shoes, slipping and sliding all the way. It took us twice as long to get anywhere but the views (in between the short pauses between rains) were nothing less than spectacular. At times I wanted to just find a place to sit and absorb everything I was seeing. I wish I knew more words to describe the feeling of euphoria and beauty all around me. I felt completely at peace for the first time since I arrived.

Here are a couple of pictures I took during the trek to Ban Mae to give you an idea of the scenery. The village is located approximately 2 1/2 hours south of Nong Khiaw by boat, then another 1 1/2 hours souteast on foot.

The pictures aren't particulary clear due to the rain but the views reminded me of what I would see in Vietnam on National Geographic. Here are some highlites of the villages and schools. Above: Mueng Xien Village and Primary School. We had received a request for funding for a primary school but when we arrived, we were a little surprised at what we saw. We found out later that they had requested a secondary school, not a primary school. Even the teachers were unaware (although I was told that they would not normally be informed of this since the two schools are unrelated). Mueng Xien was the wealthiest of the villages we saw in this area. Above: Ban Na Lea. This was more along the lines of what I was expecting to see. This is the poorest area of the 5 village trek. Na Lea is located about a 15 minute walk from Mueng Xien and will be considered a priority for this region.

Above: Ban Huey Lae. The villagers from Ban Na Lea were so excited to see us that they insisted on riding us to the this village by tractor. I was shocked to see the chairs!!!! I felt quite stupid really and the chairs were so uncomfortable because we had to hold them in place for the whole trip. On the way back we insisted that the chief and his administrator sit in those chairs and we laughed all the way back once they realized just how uncomfortable they were.

As you can see, another derelict school in need of attention - the roof was leaking badly, not to mention the condition of the walls.

Above: Ban Mae, perhaps the most interesting. You will note that despite the conditions of the school, the kids were busily making something in art class with scraps of paper they ripped out of their notebooks. I asked the teacher to pick the two star students and here they are.

Above: Ban Pak Jeem. This is a primary school and they have requested a secondary school for the region. Currently the kids have to go quite a distance to get to secondary school. At least two villages will be going to the new school once it is built.

Above; Mr. Kham Fan, translator and guide. Always cheerful and keeping me upbeat during the wet and cold weather, I really appreciated his support. Thank You Kham Fan.

I did manage to run into Madame Bountom, finally upon my return from the trek. Governor Bounsom was in Vientiane so I never did manage to meet with him. My memories of this trip, good and not-so-good will be with me forever.

I am into my last week in Laos before returning to Canada and I have two days left of water filter distribution to four villages, fortunately all by road.