Nan

NAN - history: 

I get up early the next day looking for a motor rental company and drive one hour later, after I have left my passport, on a semi-automatic scooter out of the city. From the Australian owner I have already heard this morning that if you want to see some authentic clothing the best you have are the Hmin people.

This is usually in the shape of a V form around the neck. It will be rare so you have to pay attention; the rest of the clothing is western and most people will wear the same clothes as you. The towns and villages are pretty well marked on my route towards Ban Bo Kleua. The ride is beautiful and I feel free and good, especially when in some villages the residents look up at me and wave at me on my scooter I do not see traditional clothing, but I saw have some houses with big horns above the door.

In Ban Bo Kleua which means salt, I get off and walk to where the Htin village is famous for; the extraction of salt! There are some plates in the water where the salt is extracted, and when I walk around I see someone walking into one of the bamboo huts and he waves me over to follow him. In a hut we look together at a big pot of salt. The salt with water is heated here in a large pan and then of course the salt remains over what is kept further in large barns.

After a noodle soup at a very local joint in the small village I get back on my scooter again and drive through the beautiful nature park Doi Phu Kha where I stop a few times to enjoy the beautiful nature and sweeping views. There seem to be many mountain people living in the park (Hmong, Htin, Mien and Thai Lu) but unfortunately I don’t meet and/or see anybody or anything.

In the next village I see a gasoline-station and put my tank half full. I have to go definitely have to make my way back to Nan otherwise I’m too late and have to pay extra. Just in time I deliver my scooter and get a "shot" whiskey offered by the staff that I eagerly accept. Walking back in the direction of my hostel I realize that this was the best way to do what I wanted to do today and I don’t regret it at all.  

Walking back I realize that if I still want to see the big temple I have to hurry up. Immediately I go to Wat Phumin which luckily is still "open" and is the most important temple in the city. The murals are like pictures from a picture book and show life at the time of making; At this late hour there is no one left and I wander around on my bare feet to take everything into my mind. After looking around I see the monks sweeping the leaves from the courtyard and I realize I’m hungry and start to look for a nice restaurant.