Jing Hong to Luang Nam Tha

31-07-09

It was a lovely run down to Jing Hong although it took longer than it should as we were detoured off the motorway and sent through the mountains. We overtook dozens of lorries all carrying soil with dozens coming the opposite way empty. I think they are relocating China lorry load by lorry load!

The video on the bus was showing Chinese kung fu movies with the sound track set at very loud. The third DVD had English sub titles (for my benefit?) and it was about a hopping zombie who had lost his mother, was being pursued by two inept men who wanted to kill him and taken in by two children. What a load of rubbish!!!!!

It was going dark as we arrived at Jing Hong and it looked lovely all lit up. It wasn't a bit like a Chinese town, probably because it is very close to the Thai, Lao and Burmese borders.

I checked in to the Banna Hostel and as I was going to my room, a black American guy said 'welcome baby girl'! I took one look at him and told him he needed to visit an optician as it was a long time since I was a baby or even a girl. I asked him if he was going to be there for a while as I needed to ask him a few questions about the town. He and his friend took me to the Mekong Cafe where I was placed in the capable hands of the owner's wife who was a mine of information as she used to be a tour guide.

I was told the taxi back was 5 yuan but the driver told me it was 20! I told him he was robbing me and I would only pay him 5. As I only had a 10 note, I got out of the taxi to try and get it changed. He followed me into the hostel where I got change and I said I had his number and would report him to the police! He went - not a happy bunny but he went.

I decided to go to the Tropical Botanic Gardens at Menglun. I showed the name in Chinese to the inspector who pointed me in the direction of the booth, the girl gave me a ticket and back to the inspector who took me (not quite by the hand) to the correct bus stop and told me to wait as my bus was not in. When it came, he took me to it and spoke to the driver. Off we went and just before the turn off to Menglun my driver stopped and beckoned me to follow him to another bus, where he said something to the to the new driver. We went for a couple of minutes then the bus stopped and I was told this was my stop. Sure enough, there were the gardens. Result!!!

The gardens were fantastic but so big. It was really hot too. There were tourist buses and I should have paid to go on them as they stopped at each section to let you view the exhibits. I walked back to the bus station and boy was I glad I'd been dropped off at the gardens as it was such a long walk.

I set off for the Mekong Cafe and got hopelessly lost. A young boy offered to show me the way and it must have taken us the best part of an hour to find the cafe (I think we went round in circles a couple of times) and he wouldn't even take his taxi fare back home. He was just pleased to speak English with me!

Sunday

I got up early and caught the bus to the Sunday market at Menghun. Unfortunately it absolutely hammered it down and the streets were just running with water. I saw some lovely silk fabrics but didn't buy. The village ladies were all wearing sarong style skirts and they looked really elegant, even with flip-flops and wellies on their feet!

I caught a local bus back to the city. The driver spent more time talking to his mates than keeping his eyes on the road.

I took a walk down to the Mekong River and walked through the park there but it wasn't near the river at all. I just had a sandwich at the Mekong Cafe as I'd eaten some chips from one of the street stalls. I got talking to a man called Jim Goodman. He was probably late fifties with bleached long blond hair, a couple of diamond(?) earings and a sparkly tee shirt. He was writing a book on the ethnic minorities of Yunnan and was very interesting to listen to.

Monday

I got nearly to the No 3 bus station when I realised I should have changed some money as I didn't have enough for the bus to Laos. Of course the banks were all back in town so wandered back in the stifling heat, changed money then got a taxi. The bus fare was only 70 yuan so I needn't have bothered changing anything. Still, I will have some local currency when I go back to China.

As I was going back to the room, I noticed a woman in a shop with a sewing machine. All my tops have gone baggy with hand washing them and hanging them up soaking wet. I took three as the others were being laundered and she ran seams up the sides of them and charged me the equivalent of 60p for all three.

Tuesday 04-08-09

Got up nice and early, hoping the sewing lady would also be up but she wasn't. I ended up having noodles for breakfast as nothing else was opened - not my favourite but I didn't know how long it would be before I would eat again.

The bus station was quiet and I kept asking if my bus was in yet. All of a sudden I was rushed on to a mini bus and off we went. It wasn't very full so it was nice having plenty room for a change. We stopped at Mohan to take on a load of fruit and veg, then it was a run through the villages to the border. There was a Korean young man got on the bus at Mohan. He had been hitch hiking through China and was going on to Thailand, India and all points west, hoping to get as far as South America.

At the border we had to get off the bus and walk through Immigration (should be Emigration as we were going out). It came to my turn and I was there for ages as the official looked at my passport going through it thoroughly and kept slapping it on to the machine underneath the counter. Finally another man came over and told me there was a problem with the machine before I was finally stamped out of the country.

Got back on the bus and drove to the Lao border where forms were filled out in triplicate then the information had to be written out again for another department! That was for the exit visa.

Two very handsome Hong Kong guys got on the Lao side and travelled to Luang Na Tha. They were also going to Thailand but they were catching a bus and not hitching. Luckily the bus stopped in the village and right outside the Manychun guesthouse where I wanted to stay. Mrs M changed 100 yuan into Lao money so I was able to eat. The guesthouse took Visa so I was OK there! When I got up next morning, there was an ATM opposite where I managed to get money out (maximum 50 pounds each day!). The ATMs in China wouldn't let me access my money for some odd reason but I could in a small country like Lao! Strange