Well, tomorrow I head to Thailand. It will take about 3 hours total. I had some chocolate chip cookies and one of the best lattes ever. Life is good, but ....Laos is such a jewel. I'm sorry to leave it so soon. However, I have mixed feelings about Thailand. On the one hand, I won't have to worry about 100 km days if I don't want them, as Thailand is much more developed. On the other hand, Thailnad is much more developed and therefore doesn't have the endless empty roads. Sigh.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
Showing posts with label Laos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laos. Show all posts
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Hurts so good
I was told that the road from Pakxan to Vientiane was boring. It was long, but not boring.
I stayed one extra day in Pakxan, because when I woke up, I felt every single kilometer of the 300 I did to get there.
The road was gorgeous. Mostly hugging the river, and when it cut into the jungle you could see the tops of temples and once a giant golden Buddha set into a cliff carved from the mountain. Bridges cross rivers that snake through the jungle. It is a different green than Vietnam, darker, richer.
I stayed in Thabok, about 50km from Paxan, and it was a charming little village. My guesthouse landlady spoke English well, and her daughter went to the market for me and got meat balls and veggies. Laos is often so quiet you remember just how noisy nature can be. Geckos laughing for a sweetheart, crickets singing, a symphony of various insects and lizards, and other unidentified thingies. I still slept good. It was cloudy when I woke up, a good sign (although I prefer sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon-- the heat here weighs )
I set off in good time - Vientiane is only90 km. Despite the day of rest, and a "short" day, it seemed as if the kilometers were stretched out. Then it rained. Hard. The water felt bruising, and there was nowhere for me to stop. I could barely see the road. Oh when I finally find a little drinks stand, you want to know what happens. Of course the rain stops. After I got soaked.
Well, I finally made it to Vientiane, tired & hungry. I found a nice enough hotel, and took a shower, got dinner, had a banana shake, and found the Internet. Tomorrow I will get laundry done, look for a bookstore, and hang out a bit.
The next day, I go to Thailand.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
I stayed one extra day in Pakxan, because when I woke up, I felt every single kilometer of the 300 I did to get there.
The road was gorgeous. Mostly hugging the river, and when it cut into the jungle you could see the tops of temples and once a giant golden Buddha set into a cliff carved from the mountain. Bridges cross rivers that snake through the jungle. It is a different green than Vietnam, darker, richer.
I stayed in Thabok, about 50km from Paxan, and it was a charming little village. My guesthouse landlady spoke English well, and her daughter went to the market for me and got meat balls and veggies. Laos is often so quiet you remember just how noisy nature can be. Geckos laughing for a sweetheart, crickets singing, a symphony of various insects and lizards, and other unidentified thingies. I still slept good. It was cloudy when I woke up, a good sign (although I prefer sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon-- the heat here weighs )
I set off in good time - Vientiane is only90 km. Despite the day of rest, and a "short" day, it seemed as if the kilometers were stretched out. Then it rained. Hard. The water felt bruising, and there was nowhere for me to stop. I could barely see the road. Oh when I finally find a little drinks stand, you want to know what happens. Of course the rain stops. After I got soaked.
Well, I finally made it to Vientiane, tired & hungry. I found a nice enough hotel, and took a shower, got dinner, had a banana shake, and found the Internet. Tomorrow I will get laundry done, look for a bookstore, and hang out a bit.
The next day, I go to Thailand.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Spring is in the Air
I will be in Vientien in 2 days. Wow. The last three days I've been cycling 100 km. That's right.
I left Savahnaket and went to Xeno. It was not very exciting, but I did get to catch up on my reading. (ha) Then from Xeno to Thakek. 100 km. On the way I stopped at a market, and found the most interesting thing to date. Bats in a basket. Yes that is right, here you can eat some grilled bats for lunch. I declined. (I also declined the grilled weasel, and the crickets on a stick)
In Thakek I did treat myself to a very nice room at Traveler's Lodge, a place that was built up by a guy from Denmark (I think). The room was beautiful, and they had a garden restaurant. I guess I could have gone out and explored some, but it was sooooooooooo nice. So I drank lots of banana and orange shakes, and talked to some ex-pats who live here and didn't leave.
From Thakek I went to a small town called Namthone, and if you would blink you would miss it. The guest house was pretty nice anyway, even though it was the only one. The next morning, I was on my way to Pakxan, where I found an Internet place (finally).
The reason for the title, is because every one has babies all over the place. It is cute overload Laos style. Baby people, dogs, cats, goats, cows, pigs, ducks, chickens. Even that ugly bird I still don't know the name of (and even the chicks aren't that cute) Every time I stop for a break there is always a cute overload somewhere close by.
(ok I break a bit too often, but.....I did 100 km in one day! so sue me)
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.
I left Savahnaket and went to Xeno. It was not very exciting, but I did get to catch up on my reading. (ha) Then from Xeno to Thakek. 100 km. On the way I stopped at a market, and found the most interesting thing to date. Bats in a basket. Yes that is right, here you can eat some grilled bats for lunch. I declined. (I also declined the grilled weasel, and the crickets on a stick)
In Thakek I did treat myself to a very nice room at Traveler's Lodge, a place that was built up by a guy from Denmark (I think). The room was beautiful, and they had a garden restaurant. I guess I could have gone out and explored some, but it was sooooooooooo nice. So I drank lots of banana and orange shakes, and talked to some ex-pats who live here and didn't leave.
From Thakek I went to a small town called Namthone, and if you would blink you would miss it. The guest house was pretty nice anyway, even though it was the only one. The next morning, I was on my way to Pakxan, where I found an Internet place (finally).
The reason for the title, is because every one has babies all over the place. It is cute overload Laos style. Baby people, dogs, cats, goats, cows, pigs, ducks, chickens. Even that ugly bird I still don't know the name of (and even the chicks aren't that cute) Every time I stop for a break there is always a cute overload somewhere close by.
(ok I break a bit too often, but.....I did 100 km in one day! so sue me)
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Off to see the wizard
I am glad I decided to stay in Pakse one more day. I found a good map of Laos, and got some very good information on where to stay on the way, including how to do a home stay at one of the villages if I can't find a guest house by evening. Apparently it is not a problem and all I have to do is ask the headman of the village. I still would rather either arrange a home stay in advance, so that I know I'm not intruding, or stay at a guesthouse. I also walked around a bunch, read my book by the river and generally goofed off and drank lots and lots of banana shakes. I also found a ....sugarcane juice stand.... There is hope that as I travel further north I will find more.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun
Thursday, May 3, 2007
slow hand
After writing my blog entry, I went back to the little riverside cafe to watch the sun set. I sat and watched a cloud shaped like a laughing whale slowly sculpted by the wind to resemble a Chinese dragon. A ginger cat jumped up on the table and watched with me. The next morning I woke bright and early and caught a boat to the mainland. The sunrise was as spectacular as the sunset.
I couldn't make it to Pakse, so I stopped at a guesthouse by the road in Phaifay. And no, I'm not really sure how to pronounce it either. The guest house seemed very charming at first. It was set off from the road, but you could still see it between the trees. It was also very very quiet. (I think the whole country is an island of silence in the general chaos of the rest of S.E.Asia)
It seemed clean enough until I went into take a shower. Upon the ledge were three things that I think were mouse poo. At least I hoped they were mouse poo, and not the poo of the mouse's larger cousin. I took my shower and rinsed off the poos, because really I had no choice. There was no way I could make it to Pakse, and I wasn't sure there would be another guest house before it got dark. I put the rabies and bubonic plauge out of my mind. As I steped on to the porch it began to rain. I was like three drops then someone in the sky turned on a faucet. Sheets of rain. I got the chair from my room and decided to sit and watch the rain, and as I did I saw a small black bug dying. It looked just like a mouse poo. I decided then and there that on the ledge of my shower were dead bugs. The rain stoped after only 5 minutes. I went to the little resturant at the cross roads and then went back to my room where I sat and watched the world go by. There were ants passing messages upside down on the eves of my portch, and two butterflies dancing in circles on the breeze. There were some ugly birds doing a strut, and children taking turns pushing each other on a wagon. The cows wandered home, and some goats chased a dog. Oh yeah and two cars, a bus, a monk on a motorcycles, and a stretched out tractor thingy went by on the road. It is not exactly exciting, but kinda nice none the less. I slept well despite thoughts of plague before turning in.
The next morn I went into Pakse, and found a decent enough hotel ( I could have gotten the fancy dancy one for 20.00 us, but ....it always disappoints me when I treat myself with the hotels)
I found a book exchange and drank some watermelon juice. ( there wasn't any sugar cane juice on the road, and it breaks my heart.) But maybe there is some as I go more northerly. I'm going to have to decide if I want to stay one more day. I like Pakse, but I haven't really been on my bike much. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
I couldn't make it to Pakse, so I stopped at a guesthouse by the road in Phaifay. And no, I'm not really sure how to pronounce it either. The guest house seemed very charming at first. It was set off from the road, but you could still see it between the trees. It was also very very quiet. (I think the whole country is an island of silence in the general chaos of the rest of S.E.Asia)
It seemed clean enough until I went into take a shower. Upon the ledge were three things that I think were mouse poo. At least I hoped they were mouse poo, and not the poo of the mouse's larger cousin. I took my shower and rinsed off the poos, because really I had no choice. There was no way I could make it to Pakse, and I wasn't sure there would be another guest house before it got dark. I put the rabies and bubonic plauge out of my mind. As I steped on to the porch it began to rain. I was like three drops then someone in the sky turned on a faucet. Sheets of rain. I got the chair from my room and decided to sit and watch the rain, and as I did I saw a small black bug dying. It looked just like a mouse poo. I decided then and there that on the ledge of my shower were dead bugs. The rain stoped after only 5 minutes. I went to the little resturant at the cross roads and then went back to my room where I sat and watched the world go by. There were ants passing messages upside down on the eves of my portch, and two butterflies dancing in circles on the breeze. There were some ugly birds doing a strut, and children taking turns pushing each other on a wagon. The cows wandered home, and some goats chased a dog. Oh yeah and two cars, a bus, a monk on a motorcycles, and a stretched out tractor thingy went by on the road. It is not exactly exciting, but kinda nice none the less. I slept well despite thoughts of plague before turning in.
The next morn I went into Pakse, and found a decent enough hotel ( I could have gotten the fancy dancy one for 20.00 us, but ....it always disappoints me when I treat myself with the hotels)
I found a book exchange and drank some watermelon juice. ( there wasn't any sugar cane juice on the road, and it breaks my heart.) But maybe there is some as I go more northerly. I'm going to have to decide if I want to stay one more day. I like Pakse, but I haven't really been on my bike much. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Till I post again, be good, be happy and have fun.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Blue river
Left early in the morning. As I was waiting for the ferry to cross the Mekong to get to the road to the border, I sat and watched the sun rise over the water. It had rained last night so the clouds and water made a spectacular showing. The road from Strung Treng was either paved and pretending to be gravel, or gravel pretending to be paved. I couldn't decide. It was fairly green near the river, but then as I got further away and closer to the boarder, I could see more and more of the red dirt, now grateful for the rain. There were craters waiting to be lakes and ponds and a village of 6 houses. (is that enough to be a village?). I got a flat about 1/2 way to the boarder. I tried to pump it up, then my pump broke. Fortunately a van that was to pick up some tourists from Lao stopped. I had to pay 15 dollars, but I not only got to the border, but to a town on the Laos side (the driver of the other van going home.)
I found a person to fix my tire, then took a boat on to one of the islands (of the 4,000 island fame). I am now at a Internet cafe after spending some time at a small riverside restaurant. I watched some logs drift by, some fish dart across, and a tree that looked rather like a picture dictionary entry for tree, with its branches outstretched over the river. There was a rock just under the water that reminded me of Shrek's face before it was quite finished. Why do we always want to put a face on things I wonder? The pace here is beyond slow.
Tomorrow I'll head to Paxie, but it will probably take about two days.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun
I found a person to fix my tire, then took a boat on to one of the islands (of the 4,000 island fame). I am now at a Internet cafe after spending some time at a small riverside restaurant. I watched some logs drift by, some fish dart across, and a tree that looked rather like a picture dictionary entry for tree, with its branches outstretched over the river. There was a rock just under the water that reminded me of Shrek's face before it was quite finished. Why do we always want to put a face on things I wonder? The pace here is beyond slow.
Tomorrow I'll head to Paxie, but it will probably take about two days.
Till I post again, be good, be happy, and have fun
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