Bouamphan - Talad Nut - R1b - The Sinxay - Boun Neua Road.

[DavidFL]

Chugging along the bumpy R1B heading for Phongsali yesterday & lucked out in Bouamphan with their Talad Nut market.

At first I thought the road was blocked because of an accident, the congestion was so great & there were so many people all over the place.

But they were all Akha. I was gobsmacked. Akha central it was.
I rode through in first gear as slow as I could.

Stopped beside the road & walked back........

Then the Akha saw me - a real farang close up in the flesh.
Some of the jaws dropped & eyes bulged.
Then they ducked for cover & turned their backs when my camera came out.

Oh well. I tried to be discreet & use the long lens only.....

A few happy snaps

The day's casino

So where exactly is Bouamphan?
I's on R1B the road that goes north from Xinxay to Boun Neua & eventually the Chinese order.
You use this road to go to Phongsali.
Bouamphan is aproimately 19 kms north of Xinxay, where you turn off R2E the Oudom Xai - Muang Khua Road.
Supposedly there is a Talad Nut every 10 days in Bouanphan.

TIP: In the meantime the vendors probably go somewhere else in the area too, so there could be more interesting Talad Nuts around in Phóngsali.

 

[Jurgen]

Wouah! This is great, these Akha have peculiar dresses ... nice that they are wearing there outfits. However they still seem to suffer from Akha photo defiance!

 

[DavidFL]

Correction on the village name

 

[Rod Page]

Great stuff mate. A culturally enriching exchange with hilltribes whose culture today stretches back for centuries - one of the real pleasures of riding in that part of the world.
I agree with Jurgen that the outfits of many of those photographed differ from those we know in Thailand where all Akha wear a distinctively Akha head-piece of sorts.

 

[ianyonok]

I did a loop up that road in 2012, from Muang La to Boun Tai, then back on dirt trails SW to Na Mor on road 13. That road 2E up to Xin Xai was great along the river, but 1B up to Boun Tai was all old style Laos dirt and boulder road. A memorably rough ride..

Wonderful photos as always David.