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Overnight in The Boat Landing Guest House, $30/ a night,
the most expensive accommodation we've ever stayed in Laos & Cambodia.
(Lonely Planet 4th edition 2002 stated only $6.32/7.60 for small/large doubles!)

Misty morning in Nam Tha River beside The Boat Landing Guest House.

A new stupa beside a broken one near Luang Namtha.

Accommodation in Stupa Mt. Lodge.	A brand new wat in Muang Sing.

Muang Sing is a small town about 60km northwest of Luang Namtha and is close to Burma and China borders. The district is part of the Golden Triangle. It was reported that opium was still readily available in Muang Sing District and many locals were addicts. But we were surprised to learn that O is now a taboo and no one would want to talk about it. We wanted to visit a poppy field but were told that it would take two days to reach there in the mountains.

Went to the Chinese border and visited two villages, the Akha and the Yao. We were impressed by a promising 12-year old Yao girl (left) who spoke reasonable good English and took us to visit her village. But according to Yao's tradition, she she has to get married at 14 and become a mother at 15! What a waste if she were to conform.

 

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