2 July 2007, Ban Thabok
This was a gruelling day today, 98 km for a trip total
of 347. The road was quite acceptable, the grades easy, and the sun co-operated
by staying behind clouds for most of the early day. Most of the time, though,
it is not hidden and beats down on us mercilessly. Temperatures have been
in the mid-thirties, and I am bathed in sweat practically all day long.
The sheer length of this stretch took it’s toll on me. After a shower at
this guest house I just flopped out, dead to the world. Even Kirsten admitted
she almost “melted”. Actually we came across a sign advertising a “guest
house” just 200 m off the road at km 62. But my co-riders, who are always 
way
ahead of me, decided it was not worth investigating. The guesthouse Kirsten
had been promised yesterday at the Hash which we would find at km 72 did
not materialise, and so we were in for the entire 98 km, arriving at Thabok
after a full eight hours on the road.
Last night, Kirsten and Jeff had run with the Hash
House Harriers in Vientiane, and I took the children out to the French
restaurant, where we (at least I) dined royally. Sauteed Veal with “Pommes
Frites”, preceded by a pastis, accompanied by a rose wine and followed
by an excellent coffee with a liqueur. Really, Vientiane is just a small
town, but it has the dining facilities of a provincial centre in France.
Otherwise it is dead in the evening. The most lively places are the Internet
cafes, and you can imagine how lively they are.
My breakfast this morning was a crispy baguette with
cheese and jam plus a strong coffee. As we were riding out of town we saw
many baguettes being sold in 
roadside
stalls, they were called “Falang baguette”. France’s gift to the world!
However, no baguettes at the place we are staying tonight. We are being
told they will have “bread” again in the next provincial centre, Paksan.
Today I am out of touch with the rest of the world.
The mobile service from Thailand does not quite reach out as far as this
village. But hopefully tomorrow at Paksan I shall be able to download my
e-mail over the mobile link. I did buy a Lao SIM card today for the ridiculous
price of 250 baht with I do not really know how many free minutes. Actually,
I did find out after making a call home to Thailand, which cost me the
equivalent of 10 baht for a minute and a half, so I got three more minutes
left.
23 July 2007, Paksan
59 kms down the road today, paralleling the Mekhong
River, which we could get a glimpse of ever so often. Had to adjust my
saddle a couple of times for minimum effect on my private parts. The sun
was out much of the day, but I am getting used to it now.
Yes, I am having a good signal from AIS from the Thai
side of the river, although to get my GPRS connection going took a little
bit of doing. Supper last night was not the greatest. Even the Beer Lao
did not help much. There was a very rudimentary hand-written English menu
posted in what counted as the best restaurant in town. One of the items
was “Stake”. I was adventurous and ordered it. I waited a while but everybody
else was getting their food. Then I reminded them of what I had ordered,
and they started to cook again. What I finally did get was some kind of
stir-fried meat dish garnished with cucumber slices, far from being what
I consider a “steak”. Well, it tasted OK, but I did not dare to ask for
the potatoes or french fries to go with it.
Where we had passed all the stands with “falang baguettes”
the day before, there was no bread to be had in this village. France’s
Gift to the World had not penetrated this far. But tonight at the market
here in Paksan I grabbed the last six loaves which a small boy had to sell.
20,000 Kip or 10 baht a piece, not bad!
24 July 2007, Ban Ponsi
When we got to today’s destination, Pak Kadung, the
only guesthouse there was under re-construction, at least they were adding
another wing to it, and the old 
building
according to management was “full”. I think they just did not want to bother
with guests, because we did not see any signs of guests, and everything
looked deserted. So what to do, where is the next place to stay? Another
15 km down the road, we were told, at Ban Ponsi. As it was early, after
having a nice lunch at the best restaurant in town, it had a menu in four
languages (Lao, English, Vietnamese and Chinese), and also dark Beer Lao,
we set out again.
Yes, there was a guest house here, but the village
seemed unpossessing, and the place was a very simple affair. I decided
to stay as the next place would have been some 30 km further and after
62 km already today (total 469) I felt I did not want to go further, and
cut the next day’s trip too short. It then would have been only some 20-30
km to the turn-off for Highway 8 East, where we had planned to stay the
next night. So I checked in, but the rest of the crew cycled on. They phoned
me later that they found another place 23 km onwards. I guess they missed
the second guesthouse in this village which was only some 300 m further,
which I noyed when I went out sightseeing later through the village in
the evening.
Well, this place is rather hot. While it has a fan,
the window is too small, to let in much of the cooler night air from outside.
When I went into the village later to eat 
something,
I found out that the few places there were had no food left. No problem,
as I had had a heavy lunch and a good breakfast of French stick, fried
egg and jam. As the girls are rather late getting up in the morning, and
I get up always quite early, I should have no problem getting to where
the rest of the group is tomorrow morning, even before they are getting
out of bed.
Oh, I almost forgot. A couple of French cyclists showed
up at the same guest house after I had checked in. They were going in the
same direction, but continuing south along the river, rather than cutting
across the mountains, as we are. Next morning, when I left, they were already
gone.
25 July 2007, Na Hin
We have gained a day in our schedule! A gruelling
80 km (total of 549) brought us to this village between the mountain ranges,
which separate the coastal plain of Vietnam from the Mekhong River. First,
I had to catch up with the rest of the party, 23 km, which I did in the
cool of the morning, or least most of it. When I arrived at their 
guesthouse,
Bettina was still in bed. I had a good cup of coffee with some cake at
the market next door, as well as a nice chat with the lady tending the
stall.
Then we set off. According to the old French map it
was some 25 km to the turn-off where Highway # 8 takes off towards Vietnam.
My idea was to stay at one the several guest houses supposed to be near
the turn-off and tackle the mountains next day fresh in the cool of the
morning. But surprise, the turn-off was already at 10 km at a village called
Nam Thone, which did not appear on either of the three maps we had. I deduced
later, that this was a new road built after the old French map was made.
Anyway, what to do, I had travelled aleady some 35
km that day, the others only 11. No guest house was in sight, we were given
to understand that there might be one about 25 km up the new road, so we
decided to carry on.
Twelve km out, just before we left the level ground,
we saw a nice resort. Next to a stream and pond, and I had persuaded the
crew already to stay here. But they had no food! And we just had had breakfast
that day, the others had travelled only about 24 km. Nobody felt like riding
BACK, 12 km just for a meal in the evening, so off we went up into the
mountains.
A steady climb of about 160 m, most of that I had
to walk and push the bike, then the downhill ride to the next valley which
was only some 20 m higher than where we had started from. A little later
a killer hill 350 m up on a steady grade, again most of it walking and
pushing, to be greeted at the top with a beautiful 
panoramic
view of the Karst mountains all around us, and down again to this mountain
valley in between the ridges. Coming down, a few spokes of Jeff’s tandem
bike broke, and he had to enlist the local songtaew (bus) for a ride into
this village.
Here we stay at a very nice new place, air-conditioned
no less, and had a good evening meal, which included even French Fries
for those who felt like them. The lady running this place speaks some English.
A couple of other guests joined us also, an Englishman who lives in Chiang
Mai and comes here to study the 
butterflies,
which can be found here during this season. No new spokes for Jeff’s bike
could be found in this village, so tomorrow Kirsten and Bettina will take
Jeff’s bike on the local bus to our next stop, while Jeff, Katja and myself
will bike the 55 km distance. Lots more mountains to do, but if I could
to 75 km and two mountains today, I should be able to handle what I am
up to against tomorrow. As time goes on I feel my bones and muscles coming
up to the challenge. I am feeling fitter and fitter.
This
place is where the only one of the Nam Theun power projects, which actually
has been built, is located, Nam Theun Hinboun. The road we cycled on passed
very near the outlet of the 5 km long tunnel, which was bored from the
Nam Theun River through the mountain range into the next mountain valley,
more than 300 m lower, and which feeds the power station. The controversial
Nam Theun 2 is much bigger and about 50 kilometres east of where we are
passing. And the also yet to be built Nam Theun 1 is quite a distance to
the west.
26 July 2007, Lak Sao
Kirsten and Bettina had the day off taking the “wounded”
tandem to Lak Sao by bus. Jeff, Katja and I did the distance on the strength
of our own hard muscles. It took me 8 hours, while it took the others two
only 4. Why? Because I do not have the strength of young legs any more,
and also I do not want to kill myself, but enjoy the scenery.
I am told they did not even stop for drinks. Well,
I did, also took rest stops at two mountain streams, which crossed the
road, where I had refreshing dips in the COLD water. They also missed the
drink stop, I told them about later. There were identical huts by the road
side offering the usual things, drinks, and the other 
small
items the villagers buy. They were side by side and both were tended by
young Lao ladies, one prettier than the other. The less pretty one had
a fridge though, and that is the one I chose.
The maps, we have, are totally unreliable. The names
of the villages hardly correspond with the ones on either of the maps.
So surprises are to be expected. I knew we had to climb another major mountain,
and three km out the grade rose and did not let off for eight more km.
Nice way to start a day! I ended up walking and 
pushing
the bike all of those eight km, for a total gain of 425 m in height to
reach 600 m above sea level. Halfway, Jeff and Katja breezed (puffed) by
me, they pedalling in lowest gear and I walking! That is the last I saw
of them until I reached this town. Then, past the top, there was a steep
descent and some up and down through the foothills of the ridge down to
425 m. And lo and behold, a level inter-montane plain with rice fields.
Too much to hope for that thid would last the next 40 km all the way to
today’s destination! I was able to enjoy the level ground for some 30 km
though, until there were rises again, and descents, but mostly rises, which
brought me up again to 575 m. More walking and pushing, but a lot less
than before. Reaching my 
goal
before sunset was never in doubt. Now, after a final small drop we are
in the plain surrounding this Wild West type settlement at 530 m elevation.
The border pass, we are told is at 700 m, so to go up to that should be
a piece of cake tomorrow morning. Only 32 km to go, and then the steady
(we think) drop down into Vietnam to the coast.
Two more observations about life in Laos. The Lao
people are certainly not shut off from news of the big world. In the back
country they do not have local TV service but most houses, even some of
the porest shacks, sport a satellite dish, which is permanently directed
towards Thaicom 2/3. So they get all the Thai channels, two Lao channels,
Vietnamese channels and a whole bunch of others.
Mobile phones are the growth industry. Some four companies
are competing for the much limited clientele. But I do believe that all
the companies offering service must use the same transmission towers, because
there is only one visible most of the same time. As in Thailand, almost
every shop sells prepaid SIM cards at ridiculously low prices as well as
provides top-up services. I had signal even at most villages in the inter-montane
valleys we passed through, no doubt provided through satellite downlinks
to a local tower.