Muang Ngoi to Muang Khua

My guest house organised my next stage: 70 km by river, and an increase of elevation of 86 metres, from Muang Ngoi to Muang Khua, songthaew (larger than a tuk tuk and built on a utility rather than motor bike) and boat again- this time in more comfort than the public boat from Nong Khiaw. A dam under construction blocked the way between Muang Ngoit and Muang Khua, hence the need to get two boats instead of one boat straight up, the songthaew was to get me from one boat to the other and around the dam- about 3 km.

The first boat took just over an hour for the 13 km from the landing at Muang Ngoi to just before the dam wall. The guy in charge of the boat landing took me up the riverbank to the songthaew. In one movement he swung my suitcase straight up off the boat onto his shoulder and then sure footedly scrambled up the 15 or so metres up the steep river bank to the road, as if he was weight free (the suitcase was about 20 kg). Meanwhile I puffed and panted up the same bank with just my camera bag and had to take several rest pauses on the way- must stop smoking. At the top the songthaew was waiting, I elected to ride in the cabin with the driver and air-conditioning rather than sit by myself in the back. We drove around the new dam wall to a landing place about a couple of kilometres or so further to the next boat.

This one was a bit bigger than the first, had bus type seats and rode higher than the first boat in the water, just as well because this part of the trip was an amazing 2.5 hours (57 km) further up river. Even though during the trip there was quite an increase of elevation there was very little white water along the way, only partly explained by the fact of a dam across the river. Without intending to I found the hotel I booked was just up the road from the boat landing and although the 300 metres or so was up an acute incline it was only a short distance before I was able to check in. I then attempted to navigate the language difference with the aid of Google translate.

Later in the afternoon I went walking around the small river town and tried to get information on the morning bus to Dien Bien Phu, I was told next morning at 7am be at the bus stop on a patch of dirt outside one of the local banks.  I was up at sparrow's and at the bus stop by 06:30; as it got closer to 07:00 more and more people, mostly backpackers, started to gather and there we stayed. By 07:30 it was obvious that either the bus was very late, a distinct possibility, or there wouldn't be one. Unfortunately a local came over and confirmed that the latter possibility was now a reality.

One of the locals tried to explain that there wouldn't be a bus, until perhaps later in the afternoon, and if we wanted to get to Điện Biên Phủ we'd need to get a car and driver. He pointed to a local family whose grandmother needed to get to a medical appointment with the same problem. One of the backpackers appointed himself group spokesman, and set the tone by accusing the locals of operating a scam- definitely not the case. I mentally nicknamed him Sieg, as in Heil, yup he was German and I was feeling testy! He later said he didn't have a visa and was expecting that the Vietnamese would have to let him through when he showed up at the border, again I mentally characterised him him with a few choice unprintable epithets and had visions of him wondering in the no man's land of the border unable to return to Laos or get into Vietnam until a consular type took pity on him- although I was pretty certain the Laotians wouldn't stamp him out without him having a Vietnam Visa (pity).

After a bit of tooing and frooing it emerged that a car and driver, with a permit to take passengers through the boarder, would cost about $US150 for the 3 hour 105 km trip. None of the backpackers were interested, which if we'd all taken up the offer would cost about $US15 each. Luckily there was a retired French couple who decided to split the cost with me, so off to Điện Biên Phủ.