Our wonderful time in Laos pretty much culminates here in this very North-western province, right up to the Chinese/Burmese borders.  We rode packed into rickety, bumpy "sawngthaew" (trucks with covered boxes with sideways mounted seats in the back) up to these two cities where we spent a couple of days each exploring the countryside and ethnic hill-tribe villages.  At Luang NamTha we rented a motor scooter and covered quite a bit of the surrounding area, while at Muang Sing we joined a day-trek and walked with a small group and a guide approximately 20 km. visiting small villages, fording streams, and viewing the hill-crops and agriculture.  We have also experienced some very specialty Lao foods and drink, and have gotten more of a feel for the traditional ways of life.  Our hosts are quiet, shy, and hospitable.  We would love to come back to this area of the world for a longer visit whenever possible.

Tomorrow we will be heading for the Lao/Thai border and probably right on into Thailand, so our next entry will bring you up to date wherever we end up next.

A fond farewell to Laos.