Woke up insanely early at the monestary, as roosters and monks both wake up early. It was an odd nights sleep, the flourescent lights int he monestary on all night, and sounds of dogs, horses, cows, and roosters coming from all over. I slept alright though. Before I left, I asked it I could take a picture of Bou and Nabr, the two novice monks. I didn’t risk trying to ask Vong, the head monk. They liked the idea, but had to run and get fully dressed in their robes first. They insisted on taking pictures in the temple itself, with themselves seated in front of the main shrine. But, with the sun still not over the horizon, I doubt it will come out. The smiles they put on for the camera were amazing. I wonder if monks practicse smiling. I hope I didn’t get the two of them in trouble with Vong. He seemed generally unpleased with my presence, though several times I wonder if that was just his nature.
I said goodbye to Vong, and thanked him again, and then headed to the market to find breakfast. I had a baguette with sweetened condensed milk, mmm. I then went and found rice, water, and bananas for the road. When I stopped to get bananas, there was a cheeky old man there who was trying to get me to buy various passing women. When I said I wasn’t interested, he’d just move on to the next one. I finally just made a joke out of it, saying I didn’t have any more room on my bike. I’ve had lots of offers of women alond the way, as well as several requests by people asking me to take them with me back to the states, even the monks at Wat Ban Phone, where I stayed.
I eventually got talked into buying what looked like samosas. They were filled with a dry banana paste, and very yummy. The lady I bought them from was pretty funny, saying what I understood to mean that the money I gave her was the first she’d received from falang(foreigner), as though she’d save it as a souvenir.
I’d run into someone at the wat (well, more likely he was directed to come speak to me), who had studied english in Vientiane, and spoke very well. He told me I could go from Nongbok to Ban Na Thai, and take a boat across the river, where I could continue on to Ban Nadeng, on Rt. 13. I spent the morning screwing around getting to Na Thai, taking pictures, taking wrong turns, and playing pied piper to a bunch of kids on their bikes on their way to school. They were heaps of fun, taking a little while to warm up. I spoke a few english phrases with them, and a bit of Lao. My Lao has vastly improved in 48 hours, nearly at the point I can begin conversation. The monestary is to thank for that.
Finally I found Ban Na Thai, and started asking around about a boat. I met a middle-aged woman who spoke French, who showed me where longtail boats go back and forth across the river for 1000 kip (Look it up). I spoke a bit of French with her while I waited for a boat. She wasn’t fluent, but a few words here and there. She seemed to understand a fair amount when I spoke French though. More directions, a few more wrong turns, and a lot more dirt roads in varing conditions later, I made it to Nadend.
At a few points, I was having to make navigation decisions based on “well, this way has more tire tracks” and “hmm, that way goes east, and Rt. 13 is east of here, so…” Not the best way to navigate, but it all works out ok in the end.
I ran into a few young kids (maybe 5 years old) who were utterly terrified of my and went running down a road away from me, ditched their biks, and dove through a fence. There’s not much you can do but smile and shake your head.
I ate some hot tham som (green papaya salad made in a mortar and pestle) and grilled chicken and sticky rice, and then hit the road to Seno. Alond the way, I passed two of the travelling bike salesmen, who have an impossible amount of stuff for sale strapped to their bikes. I talked and rode with them for a bit and got a picture of each. Finally got to Seno, dog tired, and found a guesthouse and crashed, having a shower and promptly falling asleep as the sun went down.
Today I ride to Savanekhet for Christmas.
