Vientiane, 25 nov 2011.
1130 km. Did 200 km over the last 2 days because I followed the advise of a norwegian guy who draw me a plan to get to a guesthouse near the lake. I never found the guesthouse, and after 125 km, without one single km flat, I stopped at a brand new whore place, karaoke and bungalows in the back. The thai girlfriend of the boss made me huge rice and vegetable plate and understood that I did not want to use the other services of the house. At 7pm I shut the lights. Tonight, while searching for a pizza place, I found my Austrian friends and we will ride together south.
I'm not impressed by Vientiane, just a big city. But I will have to stay until the 1st of dec to wait for Bob, who worked with me 30 years in Africa. He is actually in Vietnam. One of the first things I see when I come in the city are UNDP cars, big Toyota's. I've not seen them during my 1000 km ride, but here in the capital I have seen at least 3.
Although Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world I've seen 3 Hummers and many Toyota's HDC V8, Mercedes GL, Lexus 430. Cars costing 100.000 euros. How is this possible in a country where most of the population lives in wooden shacks and all industry is in Chinese hands. And Communist of course.
Traffic on all roads is very light : buses moving the tourists between the spots, smaller luxury vans moving still more tourists, and huge pickups. Brand new. Not like Africa. The bigger the SUV, the more they honk and the closer they over take you. Laos people are probably the nicest people I've ever met, but apparently they do not escape the general rule that once you get into a big shiny SUV you must behave like an imbecile.
Nov 22 Vang Vieng. 825 km. The whole journey is a big injection of "feel good". For the body and the mind. Bye bye motorcycle journeys. Bye bye also mountains of Laos. On the last descent from Poukhoun the temperature suddenly changed and the warm cloths moved to the bottom of the "bedroom" bag. I'm cycling down to Vientiane with a couple of young Austrians, on the road since 5 years. 80-100 kms a day.
Nov 20 Luang Prabang Leaving tomorrow morning LP for the south by bus, avoiding two 9% climbs of each 15km. It will take me 4-5 days to cover the 300 km to Vientiane. No internet until Vang Vieng.
Nov 16 Luang Prabang I cannot find a place to upload my pictures but I met Sam and Francesca on the road and they have this awesome blog that tells and shows it all much better then I could do. After they went to the petrolstation (the finest bakery in LP) they left this morning for the mountains direction Vientiane.
Nov 16 Luang Prabang! Cycled 113 + 53 km from Nong Kiaw to LP in 2 days. Second day was tough, got some kind of heath stroke. I checked in in the first dog-hole I found. I only wanted hot shower and a bed. The day before I slept in a real shithole, without shower. Mounted my mosquito net in the room.
But scenery was very nice, met some fellow cyclists on the road, and the Lao were extremely friendly. Every kid on the road was shouting Saibadee (hello), trying to slap your hand. But no begging or other annoying behavior. At midday I hit a bunch of kids leaving school and they joined me for several km's pedaling their Lao cycles. Could buy no food on the road, but a restaurant (without food) let me use their gas stove to heat water to prepare one of my survival packs.
I will stay 1 or 2 days in LP to recover, before attacking the mountains at the south. I will probably be able to team up with other cyclists, because several are hanging around in the city. We recognize easily the bikes and if you don't go over for a talk, they will come to you.
I will try to find a place where I can upload my pictures.
Nov 12 Back in Luang Namtha. Yesterday beautifull ride high in the mountains. Today some cycling around with 4 french travellers. Tomorrow bus to Pakmong. Next day 116 km cycling to Luang Prabang.
Nov 10 Luang Namtha, north of Laos. After crossing the Mekong on a longtail boat, bought my visa and ticket for the bus to ViengPhouka. Left a 14h and was very happy I did take the bus : 110km of continuous up and down (sometimes very steep) . Would have cost me min 3 days if there had been any infrastructure along the road, but only small poor villages, no way to sleep or to buy food. It took the bus more then 3 hours. No tourists in ViengPhouka, slept in a very noisy guesthouse full of lao travellers. At 5h it was like somebody using the toilet next to my bed. Started the night before to take Malarone and slept very restless. A very nice Lao, Suk, showed me a place to eat (he wrote some dishes in thai in my notebook) and in the morning I returned for a breakfast. She brought me a plate with FOUR fried eggs! No bread or anything else. I thought only eating half of it, but I ate them all! 60km with 10km heavy climbing starting at km 30. A pickup saw me pushing the bike and proposed to take me to the top of the hill. I did.......not refuse haha. Saved me at least 3h of suffering. Arrived at 12h after 54 very scenic kms.
Will probably take a pickup tomorrow morning to Muang Sing (near the chinese border) stay the night and cycle back (60 kms). It seems to be a very pleasant marketplace, few tourists and lots of local people from different tribes.
Nov 9 Chiang Khong. This morning first rain of the journey. Was entertained yesterday by the local gang of farangs : a longhaired, fully tatooed barkeeper from Belgium, his local tatooer, an english ex proffessional cyclist who set last year the worldrecord around the world on a bicycle and also local barkeeper, a basque/irish rattler speaking all languages you can throw at him and very upset with the basque and irish cause. I will cross the border at midday and try to find out how to get with the bike on a bus or pickup to Vieng Phoung, because it's to far and to much climbing (120 km and a climb of 1500m). If there was some infrastructure on the road I would have given it a try, but I'm here to enjoy and not to suffer or proof anything. From VP (where there is some basic guesthouse) to Luang Namtha it's 60km and still some climbing but I will be well rested. Would be a shame not to try.
Nov 8 Chiang Khong. I had a lesser day... it took me some pain to arrive in the city. Headwinds and a bad night. At 1h30 in the morning I awoke with some guys circling the bungalow and shouting 'awake'. I was the only customer of the place at the outskirts of the town. When I came out I saw the 2 drunks rattling somethin like "we want to let...." Somehow they got back in their car and very slowly drove off. I was not scared but for the rest of the night you get awake with the slightest noice. A very noisy gecko in my room didn't help. 65 km, 17 km/h, arrived at midday and had a very good Pad Thai in a foodstall along the road. chiang Khong is a real border town and I'm going to found out how to get to the other side of the Mekong (there is only a ferry)
Nov 7 Phayamengrai, at 70km from the border. Very nice ride today with everything I asked for : nice sunny weather, beautifull scenery, very few traffic, easy mostly flat riding. It really felt like holiday. On arrival had some noodle soup with real recognizable chicken meat in it. Did 54 km, average 19 km/h, started at 8h30 and arrived at 12h15. I had some picture stops but I don't have the usb cable to upload. This is a small town, I wonder if I will anything. The sho[lady
Nov 7 Chiang Rai, 7h20 in the morning. First time I can access a computer in the hotel. That's why this update. Sun is already shining, I slept my 9 hours and plan only 60 k's to Payamengrai because there is a nice guesthouse and I will not be able to make it to Chiang Khong in one day. Since very few falangs use this road, I suppose it will be less likely to find a place to sleep. Food is never a problem in Thailand.
Nov 6 Chiang Rai. 99.28 km's on the counter in one day. Never done this in my whole live, still less with a fully loaded bike in 30C. And I'm not kaput, just tired. Beautifull ride, only 3 hills (though had to finish one pushing). In the middle of the rice fields and green hill. Get more and more convinced that I will be able to do it. It's all in the mind! In 2 days I'll be in Laos. For sure. Thai people are very very nice (I had a flat tyre and somebody gave me a lift to a bikeshop). And then the food! Just along the road, this Thai soup that you pay 20 euros in Brussels for 0.8 euros. But much better.
Nov 5 Mae Kachan. Did only 40 kms today : heavy climbing. Had to get off twice to push the bike. Went still more or less the same speed as the truck next to me. After 20km up, 12km down hill (max speed 64 km/h average 13 km/h for the 40 k). While resting at bus stop a Thai family proposed to take me in the back of their pick up to the city. I did not think twice. I consider the thai part for getting into shape and I still have 1500 k's in front of me. Hotel room all spick&span for 8 euros!
Nov 2 Chiang Mai, North Thailand. Bike and myself arrived OK. Rebuild the bike in the airport and pedaled to the eco lodge. Some hectic left driving traffic. I will take 2 days to adapt and visit the city and then I start pedaling for 2 months to the north. Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, Luang Namtha (Laos), Oudomxai, Luang prabang- probably bus because to much climbing to Vang Vieng, Vientiane and back in Thailand. train to BKK and again on the bike to the south and some beach.
