-- From Pakse to Pakse, Trekking to Ta Ong
The road tracklog
From Pakse to Pakse
From 01/01 to 06/01/2009
Having concluded a contract of a trekking to Ta Ong with Tourism Office of Pakse, in the afternoon of the 01/01/2009 I left in direction to Ban Tha Beng for nth + once time. The appointment was in Palay Bok on diabolic road 18 towards Attapeu. I bivouacked on a Weigh Station area.
The two-day trekking explores Xe Pian NPA, accompanied by a English-speaking guide of the Tourist Office in Pakse and by a forest-knowledgably local guide. Xe Pian NPA extends from road 18 towards Attapeu in the north, from road 13 in the west from Pakse to the border of Cambodia and up to the border of Cambodia in the south. It has a surface of 2400 km˛ with the most important population of wild animals in all the South-East Asia. The village of Ta Ong, target of the trek, is the village the southernmost of Xe Pďan inhabited by Lavae ethnic group or Brou. The village does not have electricity yet.
Trekking from Phalay Bok to Ta Ong
Xe Pian NPA
02/01/2009
The 02/01/2009, I met the other participants in Phalay Bok, a German young couple and a mature Dutchwoman. The track meandered in the thick jungle between great trees and bamboos often covered with low branches, the ground was strewn with rocks and roots making the progression painful.
The track
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
Guide of the Office
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
The picnic was taken at the edge of LonLai River where the local guide cooked with the wood fire two splendid fish accompanied by sticky and s spices seasoned rice. They were frugal but delicious.
Local guide
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
Around 16:00 we arrived int Ta Ong welcomed by “Sabai Dii” of the villagers at our passage. Each one of us walked in the village from house to house unconstrained. In dry season the agricultural activity is null; men and women occupied themselves with the improvement of the habitat.
Ta Ong
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
The dinner was prepared by a family; it was composed of local vegetables, sticky rice, and then banana.
Family
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
Dinner
Xe Pian
02/01/2009
As of day break the following day we left in walk to listen to rustle of the forest, song of birds and to try to look at fauna. Besides some birds in far we did not see any the great animal park, tigers, bears monkeys and others. We walked back to the village to have breakfast made up of omelette, seasoned vegetables, sticky rice and bananas. Walk began again to climb the local top, ThomChia, at 224 meters of altitude overseeing the forest.
crab!
Xe Pian
03/01/2009
Then we took boats in Ta Euang River towards NongPing where we had lunch. After the visit of the village we took again the boats to go back to Phalai Bok in two hours where we were welcomed by our hosts with glass of Lao Lao, rice alcohol.
Ta Euang River
Xe Pian
03/01/2009
Villager
Xe Pian
03/01/2009
NongPing
Xe Pian
03/01/2009
Ta Ong and NongPing are among the poorest villages in Laos. An observation showed that demography is galloping, I counted, not statistically, from four to the six children by family, the youngest being naked or mid-naked. Around the villages pieces of rice paddies were not cultivated in dry season, although a river is nearby. Pigs and poultries were abundant. The forest provided vegetables and fruits. I did not observe malnutrition.
It was the first trek since many years; my feelings of trekker were intact in spite of articular problems. I promised to trek again in the north of Laos as soon as the opportunity arouse.
Sunday January 04 was a day of checking of my truck, updating a new page of my website and studying of a two-week trip in Thailand.
The 05/01 I headed again for the last one to Pakse mainly to consult my mailbox before crossing the border.
The 06/01I arrived at the border of Laos and Thailand around 09:30 at 46 kilometres away from Pakse. The annotating of the exportation voucher and the counterfoil of the Carnet de Passage en Douane required the signature of the chief of the customs and another employee whose offices were in a remote building of the customs house. Then I went back to the immigration and checkpoint to obtain a stamp of exit on my passport. The whole of these steps lasted to the maximum fifteen minutes. I took again my truck to head to the checkpoint of Thailand look at the travelog of Thailand.
