1

Thanks for the update!

2

thank you too.

3

Have you done your trek yet, Bruce?

4

I've done some trekking, but the trails have been extremely slick with recent daily rains, making for slow, dangerous descents. Right now, I have a black eye, along with several cuts and bruises and the leeches are thriving. I feel like I've been in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. Have moved on to cycling in both the Muang Sing and LNT valleys for now, but expect to do some trekking later this week, most likely in Muang Khua area. LNT seems overrun with tourists this week, quite a change from last week; I had my hotel almost to myself last week and this week it's full.

5

Did you hike with Tui in Long? If you had 3-5 days to hike, where would you pick in the north? I booked my ticket today and would like to plan my attack. Where do you recommend for bike rides?

Sorry for the questions, but it's nice to have feedback from a man on the ground.

6

First, I should point out that the ATM in Long probably doesn't accept foreign credit or debit cards. Same bank had one in Udomxai and it wouldn't take my card. In other ATM news, there's a BCEL ATM in Nong Kiaw that looks pretty new. Right next to the Riverside Lodge.

I did not hike with Tui. When I arrived from Nam Tha, turns out Tui was in Nam Tha. He apparently spends every weekend there studying. He was able to set me up with his associate, Da, who provided a good trek. If I had 3-5 days, I'd spend them in Nam Tha. While you won't be breaking any new ground, the chances of hooking up with others for trekking are much greater (in fact, I doubt if you'd ever find another trekker in Long), thus resulting in lower costs. It really depends on your need to be the only guy out there or part of a group. As far as cycling goes, the rental agencies offer area maps. You could spend one very long day cycling the entire valley, or break it up into a couple of days and explore the many dirt roads that lead to tiny villages. One day I broke for lunch at the Boat Landing at the S end of the valley. I strongly recommend the only agency (across from the Night Market) that rents Treks. They're fake Treks, but very well-maintained vs the lousy bikes you usually get most everywhere. Cost is 30,000. I tried one of the 20,000 kip mountain bikes one day from a different agency and it was junk. At this point, I've been to LNT, Sing, Long, Udomxai, Muang Khua, Muang Ngoi and am writing from Nong Kiaw. I wish I had spent more days in LNT since so far it's my favorite place in Lao.