Posts Tagged ‘Laos’

Day 262. 104km. Pakxong – Napong

Posted: November 19, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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I was psychologically prepared for the heat. An early start in the cooler morning, regular stops (like I always do), and a midday sleep in a hammock made for a less heat stressed day. Oh. The road surface was better too.

In the hammock

In the hammock

It remained a boring road, though. One for endless podcasts and audio books to help the kilometres pass. Looking at the map, detours on more pleasant roads are unappealing in this heat. I think a nice hammock in the 4000 island area in the far south of Laos is much more appealing. Maybe with an exotic tropical fruit juice in hand.

Water buffalo

Water buffalo

Day 261. 87km. Savannakhet – Pakxong

Posted: November 18, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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My energy level collapsed as I cycled into the heat. The small road along the Mekong became dirt, and I crawled along it. Lying down on a bench under a little shop verandah, I wondered if I had dengue fever, and closed my eyes.

Lying down in the heat

Lying down in the heat

Mark had lost his energy as the first sign of dengue fever. I had no energy, and no appetite. Even sugary drinks were not appealing. Just water.
No. I didn’t have a temperature. I checked. It was just hot, and unlike my Uzbekistan heat experience, it was humid.

The dusty road

The dusty road

Listening to a new book while inching forward – a book on climate change, how society got to this point, and what needs to be done now – I thought about how unseasonably hot it is here now. The locals all mention it. In some of the more dire scenarios by 2100 this part of the world could have lethal heat waves. Heat waves that not everyone can escape from using energy consuming air conditioning. The people here have no escape and will feel the full brunt of the warming and climate change our use of fossil fuels has created.

After returning from the dirt to the main road – Highway 13, I passed the village that I had my eyes on for the evening. No aircon in the guesthouses. Only in a karaoke place 2km out of town nowhere near food. An aircon trumped lack of food. I felt the energy returning, lying naked under the fan and aircon combo. No, I don’t have dengue fever.

Day 260. 117km. Thakhek – Savannakhet

Posted: November 17, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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Mark has dengue fever. The blood test results are conclusive. When I arrived in Savannakhet the doctor was just leaving. Mark will not be doing any cycling for a while. I hope he has a fast recovery.

Road along the Mekong

Road along the Mekong

Tucker – a friend of Mark’s – is currently working in Savannakhet and will be here for Mark. I will take a day off too and rest up, but will then continue on.

Today’s cycling was pretty boring along a road that followed the Mekong through little villages. Straight and flat, it was again time to listen to podcasts and let the mind wander.

Day 259. 111km. Thalang – Thakhek

Posted: November 16, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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Mark and I left the Mekong and Highway 13 four days ago in search of mountain serenity. We admired cultivated valleys surrounded by a rocky, karst landscape. We swam in cool, deep blue pools, and gaped in awe at panoramas of forest and plains. Today, I returned, alone, to the Mekong. The graceful sunset over the still Mekong was stunning – the highlight of the whole side-trip. Mekong – I’m glad to be back!

Sunset on the Mekong

Sunset on the Mekong

Mark is sick. He had a temperature and chills yesterday. This morning he messaged me from his room. His friend Tucker who is living in Savannakhet would come and pick him up in the car, and take him to Savannakhet to recover. Mark wrote he is in good hands, and I should cycle on. After seeing him briefly in his cabin door, and after him assuring me that it is OK, I packed up and hit the road for the Mekong town of Thakhek.

The road was pretty, and, except for a 400m steep drop, mostly flat. I put myself into distance mode, and scooted along towards Thakhek – trying to make time to also be able to visit the Falan caves and waterhole. I made it in time for a swim, and also to see the amazing sunset on the Mekong. Tomorrow I will take the little side road that follows the shore of the mighty river.

Rocky backdrop

Rocky backdrop

Falan waterhole

Falan waterhole

Umbrellas on the Mekong

Umbrellas on the Mekong

Mekong River

Mekong River

The Mekong River at sunset

The Mekong River at sunset

Day 258. 52km. Lak Sao – Thalang

Posted: November 15, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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Today is the most beautiful part of our side loop from the Mekong – according to the Lonely Planet. The newly created ghost forest of dead trees, standing in the newly created dam was pretty. The road-works did not enhance the tranquillity. We had an early stop due to fever.

Lake of dead trees

Lake of dead trees

Did this used to be virgin rain forest? It certainly wasn’t very dense now. It was hot on the dusty road, giving me flash-backs from China and the endless road works there. Here the density of trucks and excavators, jack-hammers and rollers was much less than in China meaning there were moments of peace. Then suddenly the good road surface started and the meandering through the newly created lake started.

Today I passed 22000km.

22000km

22000km

We stopped for lunch at a lovely little resort on the lake, with naked kids frolicking in the water as the thunder-clouds loomed.
‘Do I have a temperature?’ asked Mark. I put my hand on his head. He did.
Then he felt my forehead.
‘You’re like a refrigerator.’
We checked in and Mark disappeared into his room. He joined for dinner, rugged up and shivering. I hope he is better tomorrow.

Day 257. 67km. Na Hin – Lak Sao

Posted: November 14, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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When the distance required is low, the breaks become longer, and side-trips are included. Cycling through the undulating landscape, surrounded by rocky peaks, we detoured for a swim in a cool, deep pool. In the end, we only just made it before sunset to the distinctly ‘border-town’ Lak Sao.

Entering the water

Entering the water

The road was lovely and peaceful, but climbing in the roasting sun was a very sweaty affair. This made the promise of a cool break at the cool spring irresistible. It turned out to be irresistible for the hoard of western motorbike riders too, so we had some company.

Road to springs

Road to springs

Kids

Kids

The beautiful plains

The beautiful plains

Day 256. 92km. Pakkading – Na Hin

Posted: November 13, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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We left the main road along the Mekong, and left the busy boredom, exchanging it for rocky, pointy mountains, karsts, and a spectacular view over a wide flat plane surrounded by cliff faces.

An amazing view - the photo doesn't do it justice

An amazing view – the photo doesn’t do it justice

The stress lifted as we turned the corner, and made our way through a rolling landscape. The speeding white Toyota Landcruisers were no more, and the road was returned to local traffic. We undulated our way through dense forest, with the calls of the cicadas and chainsaws reigning supreme. Not as krass as in China, but, we passes some ugly quarries and tree harvesting. Mostly it was a cycle through nature and the heat.

Karst landscape

Karst landscape

Rocky hills

Rocky hills

Banana and pineapple stop

Banana and pineapple stop

Day 255. 100km. Thabok – Pakkading

Posted: November 12, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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The music on, the flat road continues. Music brings out the emotion, and today I felt joy as I saw the kilometres posts flying by, indicating Australia getting closer by the kilometre. I felt I really am going home, in the most awesome way – by bike. Happy, proud, laughing, I cycled along the Mekong River in Laos.

The boring road

The boring road

The late afternoon sun cast an orange light on the fields and villages. The kids were very excited, calling out Sabaidee, waving frantically and running to the bike from their bamboo huts. And I was waving frantically back. Music from my youth was blasting in my ears. Meeting with cool students in Vientiane a few days ago made me realise the world will be in their hands, and it gives me hope. The youth have impressed me on my whole trip. The politics in Australia and Canada is changing, and maybe even in the USA. Today I felt hope for this amazing planet of ours, and I smiled.

Dried fish sellers

Dried fish sellers

Today we met an English cyclist that told us of a beautiful side-road into the hills. We are considering taking it, meaning an end to these bellybutton contemplation days with the bike on automatic pilot. I’m ready for some less boring road and some beautiful mountain landscapes. Oh, with some dreadful roads – I kind of miss them..

Day 254. 97km. Vientiane – Thabok

Posted: November 11, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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Cycling along the flat, straight road in the heat, the mind wanders. In Vientiane I talked with world cyclists Martin and Susanne, and with Mark about the big question – ‘what will you do when you finish the trip?’ A boring cycling stretch can sometimes bring surprising mental clarity – and so it was today.

Boring road

Boring road

Key words float in and out of my mind as the cars and trucks roar past. Environment, helping disadvantaged people, Australian aboriginals, Australian healthcare policy (I have worked in healthcare research and healthcare communications), Aboriginal health (life expectancy 15 years less that non-Aboriginal Australians). Then the massive illegal destruction of the Indonesian rainforests. Issues in areas I will be cycling through. Issues that are important. What will I do when I get to Australia? I don’t know – yet.

A rest-day in Vientiane with interesting people can break the cycling mindset. I had a day of sightseeing, guided by a local, lots of smoothies, and bought some of the cool sticky rice and coconut tubes (sold in bamboo tubes).

Sticky rice in bamboo

Sticky rice in bamboo

Meeting with Twisting Spokes

Meeting with Twisting Spokes

Day 253. 72km. Phon Hong – Vientiane

Posted: November 10, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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We slept like logs through the blaring wedding music before cycling along the flat, boring road into Vientiane. In Vientiane I finally caught up with Susanne and Martin from Twisting Spokes.

Meeting up again with Twisting Spokes

Meeting up again with Twisting Spokes

In February last year we met before all of us had started on our cycling adventure. A year and a half and half a world later we met again in Laos. There were lots of stories to share!

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