I have the alarm set for 8, Lenh says that we will be leaving at about 9.30, so this will give me enough time to get breakfast and wake up. I get black coffee when I wake up and it is not long before we are presented with pancakes, bananas and honey. I can see above the door, in the corner of the roof they have a beehive, that must be where they get the honey from. Breakfast was good, and again there was plenty for the 3 of us. Lenh has been up from 4 this morning, making patterns for her new year clothes. She tells me that she gets up at 4 every morning and normally has some work too do, but today she work on her clothes. I was going to get up and attempt to see the sunrise, but given my poor success in the past I have decided not to bother.
-----
We see various groups leaving before us heading out of the village. Lenh isn't too worried and we are not rushed at all. When we do get going we hike up out of the village, a more challenging start than yesterday. When we get to the top we are again treated to spectacular views, the lush green grass, the reflections of the sky in the rice fields, the earthy red clay paths and the water buffalo wallowing in shallow mud pools. There is a lot up and down climbing early on and we cross over rivers before heading in to a bamboo forest. Barely a walking trail through the dense forest, little mud tracks where people have walked. This doesn't stop people from carrying their things through here. Lenh tells how this is the main walkway between the villages and that people carry all manner of things along this path. We emerge out the the forest into an are that had been decimated by a recent land slide, very common when it rains. Then on to a waterfall, we are near the top and can climb out on the rocks to get some good photos. We get to just relax here for a while, and it is nice to just soak in where I am and look around and really appreciate it.
-----
There are less people about today which makes the trekking more enjoyable and it is not as hot so perhaps I won't get burnt today. We hike on through the countryside , through the valley, alongside the river until we get to the next village. Up to the top where we are having lunch, the usual squad of women trying to sell us the same stuff, 'you buy from meeee' echoing through the air. All the western tourists being plagued. There is one American woman in particular who is receiving a lot of attention. At one point she must have had at least 15 woman round her table trying to sell her stuff. In the end I think she traded some reading glasses for a bag or something. An interesting way to do business.
-----
Marshall is leaving today and so he is getting picked up from the restaurant by a bike, then the 3 of us are heading on to the next village and on to our homestay. We say our goodbyes and off we go. We trek along the main road for a couple of hours, the sun comes out and there is no where to hide from its beating rays. The road is lined with little houses and naked kids just looking down at us. Lenh makes a skipping rope out of some twigs, it's amazing how she just uses what is around her to entertain herself. Of course we have her song playing as we walk along. We eventually get to the village and Lenh buys some potatoes, she likes to cook chips, with pepper and garlic. I must say when she does they are delicious, it'll be the way I cook chips from now on I think. After we get the spuds we venture off the main road and down a rocky path. Very difficult for me to keep my footing with the loose rocks, I try to follow Lenh's footsteps but the problem is that as she skips across the rocks none of them move, however when I try they start moving, and I nearly fall on a number of occasions, much to the delight of Lenh, who finds the whole situation very amusing. What is more unbelievable is the fact that Lenh has been wearing little sandals for the past couple of days and she has no problem navigating the path. We merge with another group and make our way down to the bottom of the rocky path and on to our homestay.
-----
It is only when we arrive that I am aware that Mr Chaff has come back to visit me. He is not a welcome addition to my trip. Mr Chaff has also brought his friend, Swollen Redness and together they are doing their best to make any sort of walking extreemly difficult. I am not looking forward to tomorrow with my two new friends. I get a quick shower and Alex and I talk before dinner. Again a great spread is laid out for us, fish, tofu, bamboo, and various vegetables that I have no idea about. I get stuck in and get a good feed, we are joined by another couple of tour guides and out comes the rice wine. There are no cards at this homestay but Lenh gets the owner to jump on his bike and head down to the village to buy. Then the real fun begins. Alex chooses not to play as she doesn't like the rice wine, neither do I, but I play anyway. It is a slight variation of the game that we played last night, where when someone wins it is the person with the most cads left that drinks. We play for hours, drink through 3 bottles of the stuff. Lenh is a little drunk and smashes a glass, and one of the other tour guides has to leave because he can barely stand. It's all good fun. I retire to my bed to rest for our last day of my trek.