Day 6: Saturday 25 Jul 2009 Luang Namtha Namha Protected Area Trek
Jiez says
We set off on a day trek with Jungle Eco-guide in the NamHa Protected Area. The protected area is an ASEAN heritage park that comprises 22240 hectares of land and 2000m peaks of its northern highlands, basically hills and hills of virgin forests. We were i guess less than well-equipped for this PRETTY DARN TEDIOUS 5hr TREK.
Jungle Eco-guide Namha Day Trek
In the morning, we met our Thai-dum guide Huk, songthaew-ed to the morning market to load up on food and headed straight to a Khmu village to meet the local guide Pooooot ( yup, that’s his name) who was familiar with the trail. We start of the trek was STEEP to say the least, i just wished I had some gravitydefying shoes.
Wildlife, flora fauna
So while battling with bugbites and plantcuts, we blasted some music for motivation to move on in life. (Van was clinically addicted to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida and Neyo’s Mad during the whole darn trip) After a series of falling hopelessly over about 4991 times, soaking in perspiration and desperately gasping for air, we finally reached the summit for lunch!
Banana leaf lunch in the jungle
Lunch was all of funkyness while we ate using hands off a banana leaf. Lots of proteins in the form of ants and bugs came marching into our lunch. The site was overseeing the summit a lil so i guess it was a pretty good view. Couldnt stop breaking into hysterical laughters at the state we were in and recalling all of our falling episodes ( van had a really good one when half of her sank into the loose ground of palmleaves HAHAHAHAHA)
Bamboo forest, Summit
After lunch, we made our way down, with Poooot heading the way with his parang to clear the way for us ( there was no ready trail). We walked through the forests, had leeches sucking our blood, hiked up/down blah blah. No doubt, it was tough but we were rewarded with beautiful views, fresh air, great sense of satisfaction and an experience to remember for life!
Visited some ethnic villages, saw how they made Whiskey from Sticky Rice. In the evening we met a pair of KOREAN UNNIES where i went insanely high and tried to deploy whatever hangul i could manage. We went for dinner tog but on the way, witnessed a traumatizing motorbike accident zomg.
Van says
Trekking trip just two of us plus tour guide Huk and Local guide Poot was uber intense, got stung,cut,bitten,fell down, I got laughed at. Had some real nice food on the mountain’s highest point with some big leaf spread on the ground and we ate with bare hands, sticky rice,fish, chix, eggs, lots of veggies. It was delicious though, so glad stomach was ok.
- Lantan, Thaidum Hilltribe Villages
Also visited Lanten hilltribe village that spoke some Chinese, visited an ancient stupa, and Tai Dum village which made Lao whisky.Day ended so tiring, I had enough of trekking……..
