St Aidans Team A - Update from Laos

A post trip update from the St Aidand team


Hello parents and friends,
here is some information about some of the smaller places we stayed in before our project, and also some info about what we did.

On the 9th of december, we headed off to Nong Kiau (after some time, we realised that there are many ways to spell the 'Nong Kiau'!). We took local buses, which we arranged alongside our local guide, John. They were great fun to travel in, as they were mostly open to the elements, and we were all soon breathless on account of the great scenery. Before leaving, we handed over our hard- saved project money (which amounted to approximately $2500).
For lunch, we stopped for some noodle soup at a tiny little roadside restaurant. The food was very tasty and the girls were pleased to realise that there was a small stall selling snacks (Oreos were the favourite) outside. Again, we headed off.
We arrived at our destination (the Sunset Guesthouse) at 2.45, and headed off to our rooms, which were comfortable and had an excellent riverfront view. There is a big bridge which crosses the river, and an even bigger cliff on the other side. There were certainly some incredible views, and some girls went for a walk to take photos. The river was extremely clean, so some other girls went for a swim to cool off. A hot shower, and an excellent dinner at the guesthouse were to follow.

On the 10th, we took a boat to the charming little village Muong Ngoi. When we were there, we took the opportunity to relax, and go for a walk to the caves close by. Again, there were spectacular views, and also a quick swim after to cool off. We had a great dinner and breakfast, and again, very comfortable accommodation. We were very surprised when all the power shut off at 9pm though! In the morning, we travelled back down the river, and then took a bus to Vieng Kham. At Muong Ngoi, we stayed at quite a small guesthouse, with drop toilets and no showers. However, we were expecting that we woud experience these amenities soon, and we were all glad to finally be approaching the project, which we were all excited to begin. In the morning, some girls took the opportunity to purchase some local handicrafts, and it was off to the project!

All our love,
St Aidans Team A

Thanks!