Taking Orders from the Chief

My time in Laos was amazing. From Northern Thailand I crossed the bustling Mekong river in a rickety old boat into Laos. The locals were much poorer, but wonderfully warm and welcoming. I decided that this was the place to take a trek into the mountains and experience the natural environment of the Laos hill-tribe people. If I had been told I was going to be yanking leeches off of my legs as I hiked through the pouring rain, slipping in muddy jungle creeks and then later taking orders from the village chief, I might have opted out. I am so glad I didn’t know, because the rewards of this adventure far outweighed the nuisances. Our journey to the Akha forest camp of Nam Lai started from the town of Luang Namtha. We met our guide “Cy” and piled into a songthaew (an old truck with bench seating in back) and headed for the hills. We reached the trailhead, and began our hike through thick jungle plants, past water buffalo and up muddy trails. I learned quickly that leeches are like slinkys. They start on your shoes and then slinky front to end, then end to front all the way up your leg. When they find a nice spot, they latch on. Yes, they are disgusting critters, but as they don’t do much harm, I found it best to just laugh as I pried them off my thighs.
In the early evening, we finally arrived at the Akha village. The local women were just arriving home from working in the fields, the children were chasing chickens outside their thatch huts, and the men stood around chatting and smoking tobacco. We took off our wet clothes, hung them around the fire, inside our sleeping hut, and sat down Indian style on the floor for dinner. We were soon greeted by the village chief, who spooned food onto our plates and then passed around the traditional Laos-Laos whiskey. I tried to politely refuse the whiskey, but the look the chief gave me quickly convinced me to graciously receive what I was given. The night ended with traditional, and brutal, massages by thirteen-year-old Akha village girls. Exhausted, we crawled under our mosquito nets, into our lined up mattresses on the floor.
The next morning we woke early and made our way to the chief’s hut for breakfast, visiting with villagers along the way. It was 7am and I assumed coffee was on the menu. How wrong I was. The chief began passing around more Laos-Laos whisky. I cringed as I swallowed and felt the burn in my empty belly. I managed to fake drink a few more shots, and then pour them out when the chief wasn’t looking. We then learned that a wedding was planned for the day, and changed into our cleanest hiking pants for the occasion. The entire village was involved, and music streamed out over a loud speaker, as wood was carved and chopped to make tables and benches. Although none of us shared a common language, we were able to communicate for hours with smiles, laughs and gestures. After wishing the bride and groom good luck, we headed back out of the jungle, in awe from the glimpse of village life that we were able to witness.
From Luang Namtha, I journeyed eight hours southeast to Nong Khiaw, a picturesque town on the banks of the Nam Ou River, where I explored caves that the local people had used for hideouts during the war. From there I floated down the river, on a tiny slowboat from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, watching villagers fishing and children playing by the riverbanks. Above all I appreciated my opportunity to explore a beautiful country that has yet to be totally exploited by tourism.
Laos marked the end of an amazing journey, but only one chapter in a lifetime of adventures. Thank you for your support and for tirelessly following Brig and I around the world through this blog.