There are so many hill tribes just within a 10 kilometer radius of Luang Namtha. The one that is most prevalent is one called the Black Tie tribe. We figured today would be a great day to rent our trusted automatic scooter for a few hours and go and explore them. The route looked easy according to our not-to-scale map:
- Ride 6-8 kms south
- Go through the next town, turn at the 2nd left
- Drive 2 kms to the first Black Tie village and turn left
- Drive 1 km to the next village
- Keep going straight for a few kms and a few villages until you hit the highway
- Turn left on the main road and voila, back home
Pallavi got ready to drive. I got ready to direct. Off we went. We drove happily down the highway, looking for our turn. I realized we had gone a bit too far, so we pulled over at this absolutely gorgeous rice field with cloud-covered mountain to ask some workers for directions to the Black Tie town (and take some pictures while we were at it).
We had passed it. New directions in hand, we turned around and looked for what the worker had told us: turn right at the 1st intersection. Wait! What does the 1st intersection look like? These all look like side roads, not main proper road. We don't see stop signs. We don't see side roads with pavements. We took a gander and turned onto what turned out to be a dirt road. Crap! Not only was it dirt, but as it also had been raining during our highway drive, it was also complicated with muddy potholes. This couldn't possibly be our road! We asked a local. He tragically pointed straight ahead. Damn! This is our road. Double damn! Pallavi was none too thrilled. In fairness, the map did indicate that the road condition could change. We just didn't think it'd be quite this bad.
It got worse!
We made it to the first Black Tie village and asked directions to the next one. The directions matched our map, so Pallavi continued her excellent driving on our not nice road. We found more beautiful vistas and took more pictures.
We made it to the next village and ask for directions. Somehow, it sounded like we still haven't reached our intended village. In fact, we are supposed to be going straight. However, contrary to the map, the road splits and a villager tells us to go left. Alright, left it is. The road suddenly got more narrow. As Pallavi drove and drove and drove, the road got worse and worse and worse! Then the crops started to grow higher than our heads and closed in on the road. Where the heck are we? Driving through a corn field? This can't possibly be the route we were suppose to go.
Again, we asked a villager, who directed us to continue on straight. This drive is officially crazier than when we rented a Hyundai Getz to drive through the outback. Here we are, two foreigners, on this little low powered automatic scooter, with our ill-fitting helmets, driving through some random road in the middle of nowhere! We look quite the sight.
Pallavi does a great job driving, as we now are basically driving only through puddles and rocks. However, finally I say, "this is ridiculous. We must be on the wrong road. Let's turn around." So we turn around the scooter. Then Pallavi says, "no, this has to be the right road." So we turn back around the scooter and continue a few more meters. Then I say, "no, really, let's turn back." So we turn around the scooter. Then Pallavi says, after two minutes of looking at the map," no, it'll take longer if we go back now. Let's keep going." So we turn back around the scooter. Then we drive a few tens of more meters. Pallavi then caves and says, "alright, let's go back." Back to turning around the scooter. Then Pallavi hears something! "It must be the village. We're close!" Back around the scooter goes. Our scooter turned 360 degrees 3 times!
We got to the village and ask directions and they tell us to go straight and left. Forward we go for 500 more meters and what do we hit? The highway! This isn't where we were suppose to be. Wait, if this isn't where we were suppose to be, then where the hell were we!!
Farm. That's right. Once we looked at the map, we could see that we had clearly NOT gone on our intended road and had, indeed, driving on a "road" that went through an area on the map that was clearly labeled "Farm."
To top the day off, when we made it back for Pallavi's well-deserved beer at the Night Market, we met some Akha tribeswomen who Pallavi had purchased several things from a few days prior. The women sat and chilled with us. Through Pallavi's gift of reading body language, we learned all about their headgear, their names, how many children they had, where they lived, their daily schedule, and more. They offered us opium. We refused. Another Akha woman who had been absent the day Pallavi made her purchases kept trying to get Pallavi to buy something. She even made up a whole song for Pallavi that went something like "Pallavi, so pretty, 10,000 kip, buy." It even had its own chorus! Now that's a hard sell (didn't work though, but she gets an A for effort).
What a day! Tomorrow we'll take it easy, say our goodbyes, and make our way to Luang Prabang.
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