North Face Apex Cleaning

for "two"

Part 2

Almost all life in Southeast Asia takes place close to a river (not only their course), the Mekong is a more serious speech, it's all about to him, fishing, monasteries, local markets, entertainment and anything else ... the Mekong reflects the image of life.

wrote ... I took a boat and go up the Mekong to the caves with their Ting Than 7000 Buddha ... what to do?

sauteed the swindlers on the shore calling 200 kip I run into those of an agency (the Fifteenth) had turned the bank for three days at that point but I had not seen the sign because lao!

So I pay 70 instead of 40 ... devil inside .... I know, only a few cents but it is not me.

So come early, loaded onto a boat for 8 people with 4 foreigners, I am not, I step on.

trace the mightiest river controcooreente between the buffalo camp, fishermen improvised naked children to enjoy the joys of childhood and beautiful houses belonging to the landscape, just part of it, all with wooden roofs straw, a painting, almost melancholy in all its pastel green trees and red flower in the blue sky between the distant headlands, art.

After two hours of slow agony, even for the engine, we arrive at the cave ... I saw a picture of the time when it was discovered accidentally, very impressive, the outlook is very good some about 20 meters from the water you see the opening in the rock that lit the imagination alone.

Climb the stairs and there are already too many workers, three on the ticket, 2 sbivaccati shade trees and a woman with the usual box "donations" asks you money ... umm, not as I like these things.

The cave is not large but entirely submerged statues of the Buddha, of all sizes and all materials ... because it was looted during the war and many statues stolen, stupid wars. ... Now have been replaced materials of all types, from stone to wood to plastic ones, I ask, and even a tie with the ball of glass (plastic), such as those that move with the "snow" in (?).

But the place breathes its sacredness anyway.

There are wooden slats with the deity who questioned about their future ...

slowly, with folded hands, you shake a can until one of the many small sticks of bamboo that are not falling into the ground. Each stick has a number, each number corresponds to a slip of paper with a message ... I

Before the statue of the Buddha, once the offer privately to the girl and the statue, I turned on the sticks of incense and with her hands clasped in front of course - do not fire me - I have included in vase, finished the ritual, I headed for the dice.

It's actually a sort of pen with a bamboo stick inside, not so much higher than the board did not remember exactly the ritual (and I was the only one to do so), but I shook thought you could create a style inappropriate kaos mikado so I closed my eyes and took a lot of bamboo sticks ... No 18, I took the note from the dashboard and went to the upper cave.

The message says:

....

... ... ..

... ... ... ... ... ...

is in Lao and I have not found anyone able to translate it !!!!!!

The few children who know English lao told me that being "Buddhist" interpretation of the message change ... so I will take this leaflet for a walk around the continents (my) without ever knowing nothing! Life bitter.
My days shall try to organize the future, what to do?
The assumptions are many, I would go further north to Muang Us precision, and from there, however, continue talking with those who were there, and the legendary mamy the gh, I passed the desire, not only for the massive presence of tourists but also for the constraint to make trekking agencies and permissions salty (for me) so I decide to stay a few more days in Luang and continue "our" way ... to be precise the tomb of Henri Mouhot who discovered Angkor Wat, the extraordinary and mysterious site in Cambodia, and who died shortly after his hit in Luang Prabang because of malaria, was only 35 years ... like me.

visit him was much easier for me, half an hour's drive towards Ban Noun, then a ten minute walk down a slope, on a path now being invaded by shrubs ...

To I will not be so ...

I decided to go directly to Thailand and I'm aware of how.

The slow boat that goes up the Mekong to the border takes two days with one night stop, at your expense, in Pak Beng, Huay Xai then you get to when the border is closed and then a ' Last night, the cost ranges from 230 to 270 kip only for the boat, I calculate in more food for two days and nights.
For the bus, I say fuk ... agencies, the price is 170, all, is part of the night and arrive at dawn, the or I no longer trust even of my shadow and I decide, to go to the tomb of Mouhot, rent a bike in order to also pass the bus station for information and prices.

Actually I wanted a scooter, but the price goes from 12 to $ 15 per day, apart from petrol, so I opt for the bike, the sister of mamy shows me the choice, mountain bikes from $ 5 ... or her, and red with the basket on the handlebars ... Graziella lao, $ 1.

I opt for the charm of the pain, it's my way of life ... to tell the truth also has its own seat looking up for me, too bad that instead of a lever to adjust the nut ... but there is well is close to my brush, let's go!

Party to the perfect 13 hours about 40 degrees, I decided to first go to the station located 4 km through the iron bridge just for pedestrians, bicycles and scooters.

How to tread two planks side by side and the risk of leaving behind that life with scooters outgassing and play, damn ...

The friendly ticket thai boxing enthusiast tells me that the ticket costs 100 kip to the border, while following a meeting with ten other colleagues "sfancacchiati" and fomented behind him, 70 in less agency and there is no problem to book, come here and pay for shares, Lao easy.

Perfect.

Decision taken nothing boat a couple of more days here and via direct in Thai!

Under a sunny little friend with the allotment "Grace" to the village of Ban Phanom between smog, trucks and gusts of land that tarnished my view and my bronchial tubes, I find the fork, uphill walking failing to proceed in cycling gear until the end of the climb just before a temple, in front of a terrible descent and then another climb and so on, I understand now that a day will be complex.

fledging me down the slope between the curves and arrives at the village, a sign indicates the direction of the grave sin that is in the middle of two roads, one paved and one not, I trust the latter.

I ended up in the maze of village between holes, sheep and chickens, arrival in front of a temple and a few meters from them I hear a guitar strum, I follow the sound and is in the arms of a boy who slightly out of tune with his friends look at me and greets me, I ask info about the tomb in English but with the pronunciation French look at me smiling and laughing respond in Lao, a failure, they offered me water at least, good.

But I feel the Nam Khan River flows behind the thick vegetation, are on track ... good.

Continuous and comes back down on the asphalt between descents and ascents ..

The grave should be about 4 km from here but I see more signs, posters, anything, just go up and down between curves and greenery, a continuous up and down, that I go on the uphill climb and downhill ...

continued but at some point sling just as I was down to tackle the next climb, you cut off the asphalt of the net, I suddenly find myself on the red clay between holes and rocks, do not know how I did not crashed, hands tight on the handlebars and straight legs. ... film comedian.

exhausted and slightly "stripped" I stop and speak, I made more than 2 km up and down and signals perhaps I do not see the wrong road, and I think I'll go back.

returned to the country I come in micro sign indicating the direction of the tomb, on the left side of the road was so small and not aligned with the view, impossible to do.

rifermo breath and I swear a little, allotment, yes, because the division of wood even though the sun is slowly burning up my shirt and the color of my skin nic viola ...

was the route and the road is getting worse, a bump on the seat of continuous graziella where my buttocks continuously bounce, bounce the ... saddle begins to fall and I do not like.

are in the middle of the forest between clay and occasional passing scooter, the heat is really hell, and I decide to stop the "lao pit stop."

is a nice structure of bamboo or wood with a thatched roof typical of this country, if they meet in the street anywhere in the country, in cities, people stop here during the hottest hours in front of the houses are as additions of porches, furniture, almost always on the edge of the road and from 12 to 16 is normal to see local boys coated with the shirt pulled up to a siesta ... anywhere!

tremendous and I keep on the road half an hour after arrival at the sign pointing to the grave, this time is enormous.

semi finished parking the vehicle, he and I head down the slope into the forest, there are two ways one goes down towards the river up towards a hill not know why I go on.

After I get off the trek to the clearing e. .. Here it is, white cement, the tomb of Henri Mouhot 149 years later ... go down and took me to the shore, I observe it from below, from the same place 17 years after Tiziano, 20 - 30 meters from the river, behind a large tree and to his left a "bunch" of lush bamboo.

be there in the mud is like el'altura give tribute to two souls, not once in the same image see the mound of concrete in a great explorer and the imagination of a different explorer, a dreamer, a little consideration of the mentor today ...

Nothing has changed this time around this time, everything is exactly as described and are there only to observe the same image and share the same thought about the graves, but I do not know why I've always been fascinated, I find so encouraging, peaceful, safe places to be discovered as the hundreds, thousands of lives, black and white photos, printed phrases to describe a life, marble, iron or concrete, that silence sounds sincere, place of peace, listening.

seems crazy to many but I have always appreciated their sacredness, I find them comforting.

short time I treat myself in that place, deep but short, as nowhere in the country mosquitoes I have literally devoured in minutes and as I walked, shameless.

follows the same road, climbs and descents an exhausting road with the seat lower and lower, my knees banging on the bars, I feel like Cipollini in the Tour of Italy riding, but it's so hilarious that I laugh alone, despite the effort has been impressive in this day I felt a strong emotion today, for many reasons, the thoughts have followed fast, deep, at least here everything has remained the property, real, unaltered, with no "pollution" no.
Tomorrow I leave for the border, my time here was spent happily.

Andrea, Luang Prabang