We picked raining season to escape because we thought it would be safer. Heavy rain helped minimize the communist soldiers from hiding in the woods, that gave us better chance of not confronting our encounters. Including delays, it took us at least 15 plus days walking from Laos to Thailand border. It was horrible, I still remember it well. I was only 9 years old when my family walked off our village for the very last time. I was born in that village and had lived there until I was 9. Ban Gaang was my only home I knew in Laos.

In those 15 days, We climbed many steep mountains, crossed many open-farms and rice-fields under the moonlight. We trudged through many freaky, dark, and silent jungles in the rain, nights and days. There was no path or trail to follow, we made our own. At night, we followed one another by the whispering sounds and shadows of persons ahead. The blood sucking leeches were everywhere. The whole time I was carrying a large tarps, which used to build our family tent. At times, the tarps got so damn heavy, especially when wet. We came across many flooded rivers, which had caused us major delays. Though, everyone was soaking wet, we had no other choice but to wait there by the bank until bamboo rafts were built. Bamboo rafts were the simplest device that could help us cross the flooded river in quickest time possible. Few adults drowned while attempting to swim across the strong currents.

The group walked carefully and silently. The ground we walked on were wet, slippery, and muddy. Many of us didn't even have shoes. In most cases, shoes made it worse to walk on the muddy and slippery hills. Everyone was trying his/her best to keep it safe. Each of us took only what he/she could carry. No flashlights, horses, or dogs were allowed. Most of us were cooperating well. However, I've seen many families who were forced to leave their love ones behind, the elderly, the sick, and the unfortunate ones. We had no doctor, no medications of any kind. If one got too sick to walk, or too weak to catch up with the group, he/she eventually will be left (alone) behind in the mountain. Everyone must keep moving with the group. Our greatest fear was the communist soldiers. If the soldiers find our trail and follow it; all of us in the group could be killed. We could not afford to let that happen. Fortunately, we came through. We didn't come across to any communist army during that harsh journey. Therefore, no battle ever took place. Thank God for that.

Ewww, We Ate Bugs!
Many of us ran out of food after the first week. Eventually, everyone starved. Especially, when we were at the Thai border, we weren't allow to cross the border. Thai army chased us back into the nearby mountains. We stuck there for few months until Thai Officials had contacted the United Nation (UN).

The worst got worsen, we had no food, no money, no clothes. Everyone starved, some of us still have gun(s) but couldn't use it to hunt for food because of its loud noise. In order to find food, some dug for roots from the wild vegetations. Some cut down banana trees and ate the cores. Others stripped down old woods/logs searching for the giant wax-worms, they were the best. Did we eat them raw? No, Of course not. We cooked or fried before eating them wax-worms. They smelled like fish, but tasted like chicken, very rich in protein, yummy!! Wouldn't you eat them too? We had no choice; it was a survival thing. I was almost like Simba, the Lion King.