When we arrived back in Luang Namtha we instantly knew that it was the right decision to be here. We completed our ‘circle’ of Luang Namtha – Nong Kiau – Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane – Phitsanulok – Sukhothai – Chiang Rai – Luang Namtha and have spent the past 2 weeks being thrilled to be back.
Immediately Bun Mee excitedly told us about his new trekking business and we agreed to help him write his sign in English, and we were invited to Aleck’s house for lunch. We spent the first afternoon (and many more) up at our beloved temple – which has pretty much become our lounge as we are up there every day and we have taken other travellers up there and they have coined it ‘our temple’ and we just sit up there and look at the view, much like we did at Manly.
Our noodle soup lady was so excited that we came back that she started giving Karen a special drink each morning made of seeds, she showed us the seeds and we have no idea what they are, but she blends them up with some water and it makes a grey-ish unappetising looking drink that tastes delicious. So that has been a special treat each morning.
After we completed Bun Mee’s sign, and gathered quite a crowd of people from the town in the process, another guy Thong asked us if we would do his sign. After a day or so we agreed, because he has good English so we thought we could do more good for him with a new sign. So we set about making another sign that was different from the first one and still really awesome. After that he was so happy that he also got us to help him with his website, plus a new website for his new herbal massage and sauna business (that has now opened yesterday), plus a sign for the massage and sauna place – we have been really busy here!
At the same time though everyone in the town is really excited that we’re here – it’s such a strange yet nice feeling to be here and not be able to walk down the street without Lao’s calling out our names and stopping to talk to us, Lao’s calling other Lao’s over to translate their conversations to us, we almost cannot buy our own meals anymore because everyday we are invited to lunch at Thong’s house, plus we have been shouted breakfast by several different people. Very bizaare and very fun. The sense of community here is like nothing else – everyone who walks down the street stops and has conversations with everyone else, and a few of the Lao’s even stop to talk to us now when we’re eating in restaurants or at the night market. It has been really fun to infiltrate this little town and help them as well, it’s been so exciting for us when the tour places have falangs booking their tours now because we have helped them with their marketing and taught them what to say to the tourists to get their business. It has been a very satisfying stop in our trip and very fulfilling for us to be back here.
We have decided not to go back to Thailand for our wedding anniversary, we like it here too much so we’re going back to our beloved Muang Sing. Yippee! Our photos are here.