14. Two Days in Nong Khiaw

Cosmo and I in the tuk tuk

Today we took a bus to Nong Khiaw, which is a hiker's dream with 5 popular hikes to various mountain peaks. We met at the travel agency then piled into a tuk tuk that took us to the bus station, which is far out of town past the airport. Cosmo made friends on the tuk tuk as no one has traveled with a cat before. We all boarded a bus there for a bouncy, rough at times 4-hour ride to Nong Khiaw. Cosmo popped out and took a look around occasionally. The video below is one of these times, which ended as we hit the brakes before yet another giant pothole (they often spanned the entire road as there are lots of semitrucks and only 1 lane in each direction).

I'm the tuk tuk

12 kids laughing in the back of a truck we passed

Rice paddy field

Rice fields on the drive to Nong Khiaw

They drink a lot of beer here especially after the deaths from shots

View from our front door

Our hotel was less than a mile from where the bus dropped us off so we could walk there. The town was very small with friendly people and Cosmo was quite the attraction. Our hotel was right next to the river, and only a couple blocks from a great restaurant we found for dinner. We ended up eating there the second night also. Breakfast each morning had seating down by the water where I could tie Cosmo's leash and let him roam a bit down by the river and greenery.

room at hotel

bathroom at hotel

Cosmo overlooking the river at sunset

sunset over the river

The locals on the street loved seeing Cosmo

Little boy on street staring at Cosmo

Walking Cosmo at the hotel

Misty breakfast on the river. Fog lifts after 10

We got up early the next morning and walked to the market but were in the wrong place. After a nice breakfast, we got better directions and headed off to check it out before hiking Pha Daeng, one of about 5 peaks you can climb here, but it is one of the easier ones (only 460 meters) and has arguably the best view (though they all do depending on who you ask). Cosmo was very popular at the market with everyone staring at him and saying "cat" or "meow meow" which is how everyone here seems to refer to cats.

girl making friends with Cosmo

Kids laughing at Cosmo

Me and Cosmo see a goat

Walking with Cosmo

Crossing bridge with Cosmo

walking down the street with Cosmo

entrance to the hike

Then we walked about 1.25 miles across the bridge to the start of the trail. A local man cut the trail and charges 40,000 kip (about $1.75) entrance fee. They say he is doing very well, and he earned it as this trail was tough to create!

Cosmo started off the hike enthusiastically

Cosmo hopped out and walked along the trail, occasionally trying to wander off the trail, but obeying when I told him to "stay on the trail," which is a command he seems to be learning! First he was ahead of me, which is his preference, and sometimes behind me. After maybe 100 yards, he started panting so I popped him into his backpack for a break.

He caught a second wind and walked the trail some more, but eventually decided it was time for a break so he planted himself on a rock. It was in the shade so I had no objections.

Cosmo resting on a rock

Cosmo taking it easy while I do the hard work

After climbing maybe 50 meters of the 460 meter elevation, Cosmo had had enough and stayed in the backpack the rest of the way up. When the going gets tough, the cat takes a nap!

Cosmo making friends on the trail

I swear he weighed 10 pounds more by the time I got to the top. I paused for breaks and proceeded VERY slowly. I passed two boys sitting with two giant water jugs in a bag, so I figured they were selling water, but I didn't need any. Soon after, they passed me and sat down further up the trail, after we did this a few more times I realized they were doing sherpa duty, hauling the water up the hill. We got to be a bit friendly passing each other 6 or 7 times, them with their water and me with my "meow meow." Two other boys, much younger passed me as I was resting, bouncing up the trail but not before they had a good look at my meow meow.

Salvation! only 200m more

Finally I saw the sign indicating I was 200 meters away (walking distance not elevation) and I knew I could make it! Cosmo at this point was curled up into a ball sleeping. Dawne came down and helped carry him the last bit as it involved scrambling over some rocks. The view was absolutely worth it! You could see the river in two different directions and they had a flag to pose by at the 360 degree view point. The young kids took some pictures of me and Cosmo and fed him some of his favorite treat. I also saw where the other boys were hauling all the water to. There was a giant 100L water tank where people could fill up their water bottles! That was worth the 40,000 kip entry fee by itself.

selfie with the water boys who were taking a break

The two boys hauling water up the hill

Cosmo at the 360 degree lookout

Two young boys feeding and petting Cosmo at the peak

two young boys feeding Cosmo at the top

Cosmo at the peak

all of us at the top

tanning Cosmo so he can cool off

Down was much better but I thought Cosmo would climb down most of it on his own since he likes the "down" parts, but he was hot and tired, panting, and pretty much dead to the world. When we stopped for a Mango shake, I put my cold water bottle in with him and fanned him which did stop the panting. He came out on my shoulder for the walk home, but stayed inside the cool hotel room while Dawne and I rented bikes and rode out to a little village nearby. We met some charming children in a small local village who came running when they saw us and asked for pens, but were not disappointed when we had none. They still enthusiastically gave us "high 5's" and one of them introduced everyone with very good English.

my shoes dusty after hike

Dawne walking through village

kids in the local village near Nong Khiaw

water buffalo coming

We also were a bit nervous to see a whole bunch of water buffalo coming up the road. Luckily, there was a man herding them, we just couldn't see him at first.

water buffalo herd

great dinner both nights

Dinner was amazing. I had the peanut-coconut cream curry, which I had last night also, except I tried chicken instead of pork. I ate every drop and as Dawne commented last night, it was tempting to lick the bowl it was so good! The next day we did one last ride around town with Cosmo before we left Nong Khiaw at 9am on a 4 hour bus ride back to Luang Prabang.

my favorite restaurant in Nong Khiaw

Cosmo and I riding bikes

the hotel owner's son enjoying Cosmo