My big trip to Phu Vong
This morning I was up and ready to head out on a day trip to Phu Vong.
I changed "pocket books". I can see why women don't like to that often, especially if it's carrying different stuff.
I switched to a small back pack, and not knowing where I was going or what the weather would be like or would I even get back here today, I wore a tee shirt, short pants, and Tiva sandals. I carried leather socks in case I got into sticky walking, zip on pant legs, and my long sleeve shirt. All that in case I had to stay overnight. I also had iodine tablets for water, flash light, and walking sticks.
I walked to the river, found the ferry, and crossed the Se Kong River over to the village of Ban kaman. That cost 1,000 kip - about 12 cents.
Ban Kaman was a nice little village. I found a woman cooking fried bananas , and they were delicious. For 25 cents I got about 8 slices. They were fried in some kind of sweet batter.
There was no public transportation - tut tuts or motor bikes with side cars. I spoke with two older men sitting in front of a shop about how to get to Phu Vong. Well, not actually both men - one said nothing - the other even knew about 10 words of English.. They were - "no bus", "walk? - 16 kilometers!" , "where from?" I told him I was looking for a motor bike, or would walk. We all nodded, I threw in a "Sa-bah-dee", they responded the same, smiled and off I went down the road.
While walking through the village , a motor bike delivery man asked where I was going. He spoke a "little" English. I asked would he take me to Phu Vong, and he said, 'yea'. I asked "jock kip"-"how much". he said he would do it for gas only - 20,000 kip. Great! . and I immediately thought I would pay him more - maybe 40,000 kip plus gas.
We were to meet when he finished his work, very soon. I walked on down to the end of town
and found a little store with a table and chairs in the shade. IT WAS HOT IN THE SUN.
There I waited a short while, and a new guy shows up. A little bit slicker than my delivery man. He said he had been sent by my man, and he would help me. He spoke pretty good English (scale of 1 to 10 he was a 2 ... but far better than anyone else.) After conversations I could not understand much of - I got the PRICE - 200,000 kip. Up a little from 20,000. We parted ways.
Again I started walking down the road out of town, flagging down motor bikes with only the driver. Several stopped, spoke their English, - "hello, where from, glad to meet you," and then off. After 20 minutes, I walked back into the village.
At a bike repair shop, the owner(or not) spoke to me and said "Phu Vong?" Then there was some unintelligible English . The guy then leaves the shop, and returns with pad of paper and pen. He writes 200,000 Kip. I wrote 50,000 Kip. Then he writes 100,000 and draws what seemed to me to be from Ban kaman to Phu Vong and return. I agreed, and would pay 50,000 in Phu Vong, and the last 50,000 back in Ban kaman. DEAL.
Well, the driver was a young guy - maybe 14 - 15. I don't think he had ever been involved in a deal with so much money!! He was giddy - laughing and smiling. A happy young man!
This area was the most heavily bombed districts in Laos in "The War", and Phu Vong was not much of a village even now.
. A little market, and 4 or 5 streets of scattered little houses. A few nice houses. There was just really not much there. I started asking men where the "Ho Chi Minh"Trail was, and I was disappointed that NO one even acted like they had ever heard of it. I drew pictures of tanks and bombs like my guide book said I may have to do, but this action really started some strange looks at me, and mumbling among the natives. I know it was in English - but I thought there would have, over the years, been enough tourist interest or scrap iron merchant interest that most men would kinda know where it was. But no.
Could be not many people are interested!! I find that hard to believe - but it's possible.
I looked around town for some older men, and could not find any. About the oldest men I saw could not have been over 35!! No old people. So maybe no one living here now , even know about the trail.
I was disappointed. But I was satisfied that I had made a good effort.
Returned to Attapeu and my nice hotel room. Had fried noodles for lunch, I think they were in the soup this morning.
This afternoon, after the temperature had cooled down some, I went to the internet place I used yesterday. There were two boys inside on the computer, and mama san waved me in and shook her head meaning , I thought 'okay'.
As it turned out the internet was not working, and the two boys left before I did. When I got to the door, my flip flops were GONE! I pointed this out to Internet MamaSan, and I could have been talking to a wall poster! - nothing - she says nothing - does nothing - just stood there staring at my best International Charade sign language - "pointing to my feet, and then opening my hands up and shrugging my shoulders, with a look of disbelief on my face!!"and repeating this for everyone's benefit! Several times, I did it!
I mean that's better than talking!
Of course, I know our problem is that neither one of us can speak a word of the other's language, but I felt my sign language about having my shoes taken was pretty good. I would have felt better if she had looked a little upset - and started looking around at least!!
In the little noodle shop next door, there was a man and woman. They had seen me walk up, and we had exchanged SA-BAA-DEEDs, etc (greetings),to each other, and now they just smiled.
This was a very frustrating situation!
I tried on the Internet Mamasan's shoes but could hardly get my toe in them. About that time one of the boys that had been in the store when I arrived rode up on his bike.
He got off his bike and was going into the noodle shop. I got his attention, and went over to his flip flops and put them on. Actually only about 3/4's on, and told him and MamaSan that I was taking them(In English), but I'm sure this time they understood my international charade sign language.
I walked back to the hotel, kicked off the flip flops in the lobby, told the desk clerk who speaks no English, the entire story, and went to my room. I felt better after telling the clerk my story. Now I have a reason to go shopping -- gotta buy me some flip flops!!!
Nice day after all!
Check out the pictures below. I can't get them up with the story!
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