RIDE DAY: Lak Xao, Laos to Pho Chau, Vietnam

2/1/09
Day: 80.07 km
Cume: 1636.2 km
Avg: 16.8 kph
Max: 56.5 kph
Time: 4h45m
Highs: Unbelieveably, there was no massive uphill leading to the border as I had dreaded the day before after seeing the hill between Nahin and Lak Xao, it's nearly flat except for a short 3-5 km grade up to the border, remote country, hugged the river almost all the way to the border (simply gorgeous countryside), arriving at the Lao border, arriving at the Vietnamese border and passing WITHOUT having to empty all my panniers or even have them inspected (thank you to the border agents!), rode through dense jungle fog and drizzle, very very friendly Vietnamese people in small villages, HIT 1000 MILE MARK!!!
Lows: Strong uphill headwind while riding up river in Laos, buses traveling at breakneck speeds, more horns, the Lao border check point and then the Vietnamese border check point, my Vietnam map absolutely sucks


This was one very very exciting day of cycling for me. First, having inadvertently skipped the worst section of climbing by taking the bus from Nahin to Lak Xao, I was so thankful to not have to climb a 15% grade up into the mountains on the border. It was a very gradual climb to the border and then one sensational downhill on the Vietnamese side. Contrary to what many people told me, it was not a breakneck downhill, it was 8% which meant that I was traveling a constant 30 kph and rarely rarely touched my breaks, which was way way mellow. It was COLD on the downhill. I put on all the winter gear to get through the drizzle and fog. Apparently, it's like that frequently, if you intend to ride the route.

Second, I finally made it to Vietnam, which has been a long long time dream of mine and crossing the border by bike was such a rush! Third, on that incredible downhill, I hit 1609km, which by my accounting is 1000 miles!!! That's a big accomplishment for me and I was pretty stoked! I took photos and everything, so expect to see exactly the location where it happened (note: cows, sparse houses, mountains, jungle).

I had no route information about the other side of the border. All I knew is I was traveling through a national park and literally the most dense jungle I had seen yet! It was IMPRESSIVE! I believe that this forest had been hit with agent orange, but some of it not, so some of it was pretty massive, thick and big! My maps had none of the villages I rode through and I had no idea when I would actually reach a town with a hotel or guest house. Fortunately, at the 80km mark, a really nice stopping point for me, there was a big town with guest houses and hotels. I wanted to push on because I still had a lot of daylight and energy and am so thankful I didn't because the next town with a hotel was almost 60km away.

REST DAYS: Ban Kong Lor and Environs

With only a short 45k morning ride, I consider my stay in Ban Kong Lor a day and a half of well needed and deserved rest. I couldn't have chosen a better place than to homestay in the village of Kong Lor right along side the river. I was placed with a young couple with two young daughters and living with grandmother, who shared the most lovely and sweet smile with me.

After being quite lucky to run into a very kind Austrian couple who welcomed me to join them in their boat, we traveled the 7.5 km through the Kong Lor cave. Like I said before, it reminded me of huge Catholic churches from Europe or the giant palace-like temples of Bangkok in its grandeur. We brought head lamps and flash lights and just beamed around the tunnel like children exploring unknown territory. We were all ooohing and aaaahing and wowing all the time. It was the height of the dry season, so we had to get out of the boat to drag it over sand bars in several places in the cave, which was really exciting! Through the cave and on the other side we visited briefly for drinks and snacks at Kong Lor's sister village, a remote village accessible by only small dirt roads and paths and by boat through the cave. It was very sweet.

Once I was placed in the village, I took a moment to wash all my clothes the way the locals do, in the river. I know, I know, I know about surfactants and algael growth in water ways and I tried to have as little a footprint as I could manage. When in Rome...

The family was very sweet and spoke very very little English. In their home, I ate the most authentic and best tasting food I had had yet in Laos. The mother always prepared quite a large meal for me with various dishes. Lots of meats and locally grown veggies from their garden. I spent part of the next day sleeping because I was exhausted and part of the day doing chores, cleaning and tuning the bike. Upon doing this, I made friends with the neighbor boys who seemed anxious to play with me, so I broke out the disc, ushered them over to the village school's soccer field and threw the disc for an hour or so. A couple of them were really into it and motioned me to teach them to throw better. All of them improved their catching skills while playing with me and seemed proud.

The village was so mellow. I totally appreciated it. Each household farely independent of the village in terms of maintenance and management of their households. There were obviously shared responsibilities the men took parrt in during the day tending the fields, repairing shared infrastructure. It was impressive to see. It was clear to me that Kong Lor had benefited from the homestay program they had implemented, as many homes had enclosed bathrooms and people seemed to have a few luxury items (like motor bikes, which are scarce in many villages). I loved the fact that they made the majority of the items in their home that they used regularly, from cooking and serving vessels to clothes to household implements and tools.

Sadly, I still don't feel comfortable taking pictures of people in the village up close. For me, it just doesn't feel right, so I have scarce photos which I will post soon. I did write the following the morning I departed the village:


The Village Awakens

clanking pots and pans
crackle of wood fire
ubiquitous rooster calls
a jungle full of birds alight
in an ocean of sound
mountain stillness surrounds
green fields like mute grey in dawn light
a tractor motor starts then stops
starts them stops
starts and revs away
morning new chattering from a radio or television
somewhere out there
the back and forth slapstick
of a morning show
silly voices
commercials shouting numbers I recognize

as humans begin to stir about
begin their daily chores
dogs bark territorial warnings
a pig squeels in the distance
most likely fighting with siblings
ducks cackle

my host leaves me on the roadside
awaiting a songtao back to town
and I watch and listen over the village
wonder and dream
of returning here
or finding my own village
somewhere
to wake up in


-----

In the end, I decided to take a second full rest day and take the bus to town. Upon meeting some really cool Brits and having stimulating conversation while the songtao wound its way through small village after small village, honking madly and picking up stragling, weary eyed villagers. I decided to make the connection to the next town, 65 km up the road and 35 km from the border, so that I would have an easy shot to be at the border early. I have no idea what awaits on the other side and want to leave time to manage whatever I find. CYCLISTS TAKE NOTE: In the end, I discover the uphill between Nahin and Lak Xao is UNRULY, with 10-12 percent, maybe more, long long climbs and twisty roads that defnitely outdid the ride the day before. I was sorta happy I inadvertently skipped this day, because my legs were still tired.

RIDE DAY: Nahin to Kong Lor Village

1/29/09
Day: 46.05 km
Cume: 1556.1 km
Avg: 16.5 kph
Max: 28.4 kph
Time: 2h47m
Highs: Riding through the valley very early in the morning from blue skies Nahin and under a thin low morning fog with the sunrise light streaming through in spots, cute small villages, the valley lined in towering, jagged karst ridges
Lows: None


I need a rest day. I'm pedaling mellow this morning and riding early to catch the cool temperatures. I can smell two things, though: the 1000 mile mark coming up at 1609km and the Vietnamese border which I'm able to cross on February 1. I want to put myself in a very good location to make an early morning crossing on February 1 into Vietnam.

For now, I'm resting in the village with a homestay after checking out Kong Lor cave, which Lonely Planet (I love and hate you, LP) lists as one of the top ten things to experience in Laos. I heard it was amazing, so I'm here. The homestay makes it all the more worth it.

The caves were phenominal, really really worth it. I joined two Austrian tourists in a boat perfectly set for three tourists and entered a 7km long cave which a river passes through. About a quarter of the way through, our boat stopped and we walked out on shore, our guide flipped a switch on shore and turned on the most spectacular site of illuminated stalagtites/mites lit with various colored lights. It was beautiful lit, not tacky at all. We wandered around oohing and ahhing! Back in the boat, we passed through sections of cave where LP said the ceilings exceeded 100 feet in height, it felt like a cathedral or a temple. There were no echoes the cavern was so wide at this point. So, I guess, LP was right. This was pretty cool.

Traveling back to the village, I was placed with a young family with two very young daughters and a grandmother who had the sweetest smile on Earth. Their home was right next to the river and I looked very much to floating a while. I'll report more on the homestay in the next entry.

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW SOON

in Kong Lor's
cathedral stone, I see
Buddha faces, smiling

RIDE DAY: Pakkadding to Nahin (AKA Khoun Kham)

1/28/09
Day: 97.62 km
Cume: 1510.0 km
Avg: 14.6 kph
Max: 72 kph (oh yah!)
Time: 6h38m
Highs: HOLY COW, HIGHWAY 8!!!!!!!!!, limestone "forests," Birdsong like I haven't heard anywhere in SE Asia yet, pedaling through a Lao National Park, Phou Pan Mane summit and viewpoint (BREATHTAKING!), UNREAL views of jagged limestone range, killer downhill into Nahin (sick views and steep descent with excellent traffic visability and road quality), met a French tour guide who hooked me up with some good info on how to homestay in a local village
Lows: 4km 10-12% uphill after 80km of pedaling, need a rest day


HIGHWAY 8

(Insert one of a million AWESOME photos here)


Highway 8 was like the King's Highway, only with excellent visability, so my feeble little camera was actually able to capture the grandeur.

What a relief to turn off onto highway 8 and into the National Park. The bird song was phenominal! The mountains were beautiful! The river was gorgeous! No traffic! That uphill was sick and tiring! Luckily, with little traffic, I was able to safely switchback when I got worn out like Jay and I had to do up the steep grades of that other King's Road in Sonoma.

No poems today, but I certainly have entered into a magic land of rock, jungle, wild beasts, rivers and Wilderness. I'm pushing on for only 40km more tomorrow morning to Kong Lor cave and then to Ban Kong Lor for a rest day. I may take two. Looking forward to it. I'm tired.


PHOTOS to come!

RIDE DAY: Pak Ngum to Pak Kading

1/27/09
Day: 122.8 km
Cume: 1412.2 km
Avg: 16.8 kph
Max: 31.0 kph
Time: 7h19m
Highs: Wide expanses of mountains and the Mekong, riding just after dawn with the sky glowing pink and orange and purple, the use of Howard's "mood cure" to deal with the flat flat boring ride (thanks Howard)
Lows: Long day in flat country with few things to look at except shrubs and fewer villages further apart, stopped short of town with no restaurant nearby and had to get back on the bike after a long day,

There's nothing like a taste of REM, U2, John Mayer, Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Live, Depeche Mode, Chicane, Paul VanDyke and a host of other American musicians to get me out of the dumps of a long, hot, flat, boring ride. I had to employ the "mood cure" my brother so thoughtfully gave me (his 60gb MP3 player packed with music of many genres) for about 50-70km and, wow, how that helps get the moral back up (some of you can only imagine, some know what this looked like;).

It was nice to finally approach the mountains and to ride along the Mekong for many kms today. I'm getting very near Highway 8 which I heard such rave reviews of. Almost out of the flats!

RIDE DAY: Vientienne to Pak Ngum

1/26/09
Day: 79.96 km
Cume: 1288.2 km
Avg: 16.7 kph
Max: 27.7 kph
Time: 4h27m
Highs: Seeing the Friendship Bridge to Thailand through the forest, the wacky and absolutely outrageous Buddha Park, three kids running off with my camera and shooting all sorts of wacky pictures at the Buddha Park(after I showed them how to use the camera), off roading through the countryside, planting rice with some farmers and then joining them for lunch
Lows: Dirt roads and Lao trucks (and truck drivers) don't mix well with bicycles, doubling back after getting disoriented at the Buddha Park

30km offroad today. It made the day a little slower, but much more interesting. There are many photos to go with this day, but I'll have to upload them another time.

Some farm kids called me off the road (probably out of a joke), but when I called their bluff and actually took my shoes off and went out into the rice field, they invited me to help them plant rice, which I happilly did. I've seen so much rice being planted and growing and being seeded and every other phase of farming rice, it was nice to participate, if even or only a short while.

All the stops made this day feel like a really long day. It was quite pleasant though.

A surprisingly prolific day of writing today...I think I was relieved to leave the city and return to the countryside. Here's a small sampling:


a stream of orange cloth
lines the boulevard -- monks search
for alms through traffic

-----

a line of women
sits and waits to share alms --
what if no monks come?

-----

small forest temple
hiding in Vientienne
filled with bird song

-----

I hear a cow bell
I hear a temple bell --
same resounding call

-----

gasoline
in old beer bottles
how appropriate

-----


PHOTOS TO FOLLOW when I can find a computer that won't die if I challenge it with JPGs.

Get the Point?

Get the point?

(If not, you'll have to wait until I can upload more photos for clarification)

It's only been about 17 years of dreaming...and now, it's a reality.

...and, yes, I owe MANY posts. I've been in some very very rural parts of Laos and Vietnam for days and loving it! Will try to catch up soon. On my way to Hue where I'll have more time, but it's about five days out.

Doing well, hit the 1000 mile mark about 20km into Vietnam on a very loooooooonnnnnng downhill. Hope you all are well!