A missing guide and a french liaison....

I headed off on a 8 hour bus journey to a place called Luang Nam Tha in northern Laos. I had heard that the whole area was involved in a community supported eco-tourism project with some stunning national park treks and the chance to visit lots of local villages. We sped off at a snail's pace in a bus which suffered from broken seats, a puncture, people seated on plastic stools in the aisle and a route which was unpaved for all but the last part. It was all good fun!

So there I was in Luang Nam Tha ready for my trek and a soft cushion. As I rolled up to the Green Discovery office for the treks I noticed a sign on the door about a missing person. It would shortly transpire that the manager of the branch had just been kidnapped the week before and the office was shut as all the other tour leaders were out searching for him. Bad timing for me but also bad luck for the guy who is still missing to this day.

There was no trekking in Laos but I did meet a retired photographer whose name I can't bloody remember and a French NGO worker named Nathalie. Nathalie was kind enough to introduce us to the finer points of Laos life (very strong coffee with her hubby) and let me know about the Elephant festival at the end of that month. She was the one who suggested I contact them and see if I can volunteer my services... Good plan.