Werewolf tribe, and mountain trekking in Vang Vieng

As we didn’t get to do cycling due to weather, Andre decided it would be a good idea for us to do a mountain trek!  This post is going to be mainly photos, the first mountain climb was not too bad, the second one was more……interesting?  so this is the start of our walk, as we walked through a Hmong village.  Hmong people are a different tribe from Laos, they believe they were werewolves who flew into Laos on magic carpets.  They are devout animists and every village has a shaman.  Traditionally they lived in the mountains, but as the need for hospital and school increased they moved down lower so they had easier access.  They still try to build their small huts under trees so the village cannot be seen until you are literally in it.

                   

Then we started the first mountain climb…

                        

We walked through a rice field before lunch, except it had no water, very unusual.  Turns out this is how they grow sticky rice.  It can only be grown once, and during the rainy season, as this particular rice does not grow submerged in water like all the other rice paddy fields we had seen.  It grows in dry ground, with only the rain to water it.

    

This is where we had a bbq lunch, and an unusually big guest!

         

Then it was the second mountain climb, which we believe has not been tramped by anyone in years!!!!  With occasional rain and a clay mountain it wasn’t long before Andre started sliding, and i was not far behind him!   for anyone that wants a laugh, Andre managed to video one of my slides (he wouldn’t hand over the camera so i could get him though!) At times the walk was pretty scary, especially when we found a massive tree had fallen right along the rocks we had to climb! 

         

     

The view was great!  And on the way, Todd – our guide, found a piece of pottery which he said is really old, from an old Hmong village probably, and threw it away.  You can imagine how fast we picked it up! 

Walking though some rice paddy fields on our way to a water cave, we found a four leaf clover!  Very exciting until Todd said all clovers in Laos are four leaf….he says Westerners always comment on it, so Laos must be very lucky!

Then we went through the water cave on inner tubes on the river Song.

    

    

When we came out of the cave the rain was pouring down!

         

We saw an elephant cave (but didn’t manage to get a photo of the rock elephant due to the rain) and cancelled the other cave and lagoon, it was 6.30pm before we got back to town, a long (started at 8.30) exhausting, satisfying day!  Next morning we are on our way to Phronsavan, where the famous valley of the jars is.