Luang Namtha

A last minute work trip took me to the town of Luang Namtha in northern Laos, which is surrounded by mountains, forests, and numerous ethnic minorities. Luang Namtha serves as a trekking center and most people use the town only as a starting point to trips to more isolated parts of the country. Our car trips through northern Laos were beautiful but sadly I spent most of my time confined to the decidedly less picturesque town.

I did stumble upon this massive fishing exercise. Apparently this stretch of the river is closed for fishing for 364 days a year as they try to breed fish. One day a year, you can fish for the cheap price of about $0.60 and keep all that you catch. Most people seemed to be getting very small fish but one woman had probably a ten pound fish tied to her belt.

Although not as heavily Buddhist as other parts of Laos, there are still temples.

The "fancy" Chinese hotel where I stayed during my time Luang Namtha. During the day it looks quite impressive but when we arrived, most of the lights were off and it appeared to be empty except for the diminutive woman behind the check-in counter. Upon arriving on the floor where my room was located, all of the lights were off and I had to search the wall for the light switch. All there were other guests apparently at the hotel, it had a strange empty sensation that made me feel like I was stepping into a scene from the Shining.