So, after about 60 brutal kilometers (that's 36 miles) of rough terrain that left our quads aching and bikes muddy, we still had 20 more kilometers to go till the next sizable town. What to do? The sun was setting, and it would be dark by the time we got there, if we made it at all. We rode through a tiny village, surrounded by scenery such as that pictured below, and thought we'd stop to lament or woes.
To our good fortune, Songwang (below) showed up. A local village high-schooler, home for the weekend (he goes to school in the big city), listened the story of our plight, and without hesitation offered to let us chill at his house for the night.
Songwang seems like a really keen dude with a good head on his shoulders. He speaks English better than most people we've met in Laos, and seems to have a lot of ambition for life. He's finishing up high school, and hopes to get into college so he can study to become a teacher, then return to Longsheng to help expand the education curriculum there.
We bought Songwang a bowl of noodles, then headed back to his place where we spent the evening showing photos of our hometowns, friends, and families to Songwang's brother, sister, and their friends. They all thought our phones were pretty high-tech, even though they all had smart phones as well.
Thoughts: Laos people have their showers outside next to the street, so you have to wash in your undies! Everybody does it! Crazy. Also, Songwang's house was awesome. I think if I ever build a house of my own, it will be in the Laos traditional style.
Below: The view from Songwang's back yard. Beautiful
I don't know why, but I thought this was really nice.
Farewell Songwang! Thank you so much for your completely generous hospitality, and we wish you the best in life!
