In the Jungle

The dense jungle on the banks of the Nam Ou river.

Floating down the River

Last week I had a lovely break on the Nam Ou River at Nong Khiaw.  I spent a day on longtail boat going upstream through the jungle.  It was amazing.

How did it get there?

 

Each morning we asked ourselves "How did they make these tree houses"  AMAZING, in the middle of the jungle in the middle of nowhere and up a VERY high tree.

Misty Jungle Morning

The mornings were cool and misty and magical in the treehouse.  Unbelievably I was awake at 6.30am.  Some in the group were out on the lines, but I thought it was safer to wait for the guide.  Zip lining before breakfast - WOW.

Zipping out of the Tree house

Accommodation on the Gibbon Experience was in tree houses.  Constructed near the canopy, 50 m + above the ground, they could only be accessed by zip lines.  Here is  our guide Khert, zipping out.  Yes, I had done the same thing 5 minutes prior to taking this photo.

Food and hot water were zipped in as well - totally amazing.

Life in a Tree House

Inside the tree house.  The group I was with were lovely- three backpackers,  Omri from Israeel, Bram (call me Sandy - or Bob Marley which the guide called him and Blair from Arizona) - and  a family from Tel Aviv.  Eran and his two daughters, Maya, 10 and Nette 14, and his father.  Our guides were great too. Here is La helping prepare fruit for dinner.  

Not the best photo, but between the huge branches you can see the loo with a view - or the toilet on the edge as Sandy called it.

Back From the Jungle

Back in Vientiane today after  a week's holiday for the "boat racing".  I spent the time in the north of Laos, especially in the far north -west corner, what was once part of the Golden Triangle, near the border with Thailand and Myanmar.  

A highlight was  "The Gibbon Experience".  I spent three days in the jungle, zip lining into tree houses in the jungle and trekking through the forest. It was amazing.  No Gibbons were spotted, but the views from the treehouses were magnificent.

Ta Phrom - The Jungle Temple

Ta Phrom was the last temple we visited on Saturday before our horrible accident.

It was atmospheric, wet, green and lush.  It is  ancient and organic, with the jungle surrounding the temple and its crumbling towers and trees embracing  the structures.

It has been partially restored, but there is a dynamic and ongoing relationship between nature and the temple.

No wonder I have stinging eyes

The air quality is steadily getting worse.
There is still a lot of burning in the  hills.  No one I ask has been able to  give me a clear explanation of why there is so much burning.  Slash and burn agriculture is one reason, but that doesn't explain why they burn in the hills.  Some say it is to encourage the growth of mushrooms.  Another person said it was because the locals who use the forest want to clear the jungle, remove forest floor litter and improve access.   Not much concern for biodiversity.

Down from the Trees

 Part of the zip line experience was to abseil down from a tree at the end.
Another adventure.

Flight of the Gibbon - Another Adventure

Thanks to Buddha we had a day off last Wednesday, so I went ziplining (fancy type of flying fox) with Flight of the Gibbon.  It was exhilarating zipping through the jungle, on  5 km of ziplines, the longest of which was 800m.  The scary part was the narrow and shaky swing bridges between some of the stations. 
We also saw some Gibbons.
An awesome afternoon of adventure.

A Walk to a Waterfall and Beyond

My Saturday afternoon stroll to a nearby waterfall turned into a saga.
1. The track was unmarked, with many junctions and a few signs written in Thai.
2. I could hear the waterfall, but not see it.
3. I arrived at this spot with a crossing over a creek, but couldn't actually cross. The waterfall was below passing through a rocky chasm.
4. Instead of retracing my steps, I decided to keep walking in the direction of school.
5. As the sun was setting I found a small lake, but no track leading off the main ridge.
6. As the evening darkened the jungle seemed to become denser and more overgrown.
Finally I found a small section of concrete track heading downwards which eventually  lead into the village near school, but I long way from my original starting point.

Driving along a jungle lane

Today I borrowed Muyassar's car (the art teacher from Uzbekistan) and drove down to Chiangmai to visit the bank.  It was great to be driving a car again.  I have missed being behind the steering wheel and going where you like.
Saturday morning banking is possible here as branches in shopping centres are open.   The staff are friendly and welcoming, and there is more than one staff member there to help you - how unusual.  I had two people helping me and as I left they gave me a free purple umbrella to match my purple glasses, not like an Australian bank at all.
On the way home I decided to do some exploring  of the  "I wonder where that road goes" variety and followed this narrow lane way.  It was a lovely windy road through the jungle, with walking tracks off to the side.  You can just make out a small shrine on the left hand side of the road.  Unfortunately when I looked further there were piles of rubbish dumped on both sides of the ride.

It's a Jungle Out There

The view from my back door.  Banana plants (I have just discovered they are not trees, but giant herbs, related to lilies and orchids), along with creepers and a wide variety of tropical trees make a seemingly impenetrable block of green.  It is dense jungle, at least in my mind.  The school backs onto this forest, but there is a village on the other side of the hill.  Similar vegetation grows in the rain forests of the  surrounding hills.
I enjoy being greeted by the lush greenness as I walk out each morning.