Posts Tagged ‘Pakkading’

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..