Pakmong

Pakmong, Feb 8, 2011.

122 kms.

It is a terrific day cycling between Pakmong and Luang Prabang, whichever way. While Luang Prabang is at about 320 m above sea level Pakmong is only at abt 360 and there are no major hills, but a few minor ups and downs nevertheless. One rides along the Nam Ou river for most of the way and the views are lovely. There are also quite a few nice villages with loads of kids waving and smilingly calling out 'Sabaidee!' Everywhere seems to be doing better finacially than I remembered from last time. There are many more houses built right near the road and practically all kids I see have their own bicycles.

It is a long day though and I did not arrive Pakmong until 1645. I was pleased to move in to the Alone guest house right at the centre of town.


Towards Pakmong


Largest butterfly I have ever seen, on my Pakmong balcony

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, Feb 7, 2011.

Must say I enjoyed Vang Vieng. It was quite a relief seeing the extremely noisy bars gone from Erawan Island. Now let us hope that the peaceful bars on that island come back, as they were some four years ago. In town there are still a zillion young travellers watching television in bars all day, and they walk around town mostly undressed. The guys barechested and some Australian girls in string bikinis. I personally don't mind slender chicks in bathers but I wonder how the Lao feel about it.

Apart from my tube leaking and sinking the tubing was generally almost as good as first time I did it. There are ever more bars each year and rather loud. But as long as the music is good I can live with it.
I noticed early on that my tube seemed low on air and thought I had better not stop at any more bars once I had had my starting large beer right before launching my tube trip. I was quite sure I would make it all the way despite other tubers calling to me saying what I already knew. I ran aground several times in the shallow areas and kept telling myself that the only way to go on is forward. Eventually I had to make a run for the nearest river bank though or I would have gone down midriver. When I got up on dry land my tube was practically empty of air, hanging like a dead baloon off of my arm. I walked for a bit and then accepted a tuktuk drivers offer of taking me back to VV for 10000 kip. I wanted the guys at the tube business to promise they would accept to scrap this tube altogether. I never saw where the actual leak was but the tube had about a dozen patches on it and may have leaked in several of them. The tubing guys though just threw it in a corner and did not want to promise anything. Maybe you get it next time? Check properly!

Then yesterday morning I took the bus to Luang Prabang, VIP bus at ten o'clock. We met several cyclists in the mean hills and I saw how they struggled, as I had. I am glad to have cycled these hills once but don't really feel I have to do it again. I will have enough hills riding to Pak Mong, Udomxai and Namtha.




Luang Prabang
Anyway I saw several new guest houses along the way but can not say specifics of where.

Luang Prabang seems to have three times as many tourists now as two years ago. Many are old ladies shopping like mad at the evening market. Prices in bars and restaurants are outright ridiculous by Lao standards. The best bar in town seems to be gone.

There used to be an outside bar quite high up along the main street, on its western side. I think of it as the best bar I have ever frequented, even the only real bar. It consisted of one bar with some 7 stools on each side. The bartender was at the short end. For reasons beyond me he was dressed up like a cowboy, taking orders and serving cocktails from his end of the bar.
It was a great meeting place for single travellers. Wherever you sat down you always had someone else right opposite you. It was so easy talking to people. Two years ago we came to be a regular group coming there for a cocktail somewhere around 7 pm. We talked about the drinks and who had done what during the day. Eventually someone popped the dinner question, and off we went to try out some suggestion. I could not find it all last night and fear it has disappeared altogether. Will check on some back streets tonight though, maybe it has just relocated?
........

No, sorry I never found it. I walked around a fair bit in town and was really impressed at how even the new hotels along the back river side of the peninsula were built in a beautiful old style that goes well original Luang Prabang. I think this town is destined to be Laos' main tourist attraction for many years to come.

On my second evening in Luang Prabang I had dinner at a Mekong side outdoor restaurant. The food was great but the most memorable thing with it was the young Lao woman serving. I orderded a large Beer Lao which she brought with a frozen glass and some peanuts. When I thanked her she looked me right between the eyes and said 'Enjoy!' with a smile and what seemed to be an earnest wish that I would. Had it been possible to capture that single word, that sweet smile and the radiance of her face, capture all that on video, it could have sold millions of whatever. Oh the lovely Lao!

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng, Feb 4, 2011.

67 kms.

Right out of Hine Hoeup the hills started. Not really big but nevertheless enough to slow me down. When I have been in the saddle for a couple of hours I really don't mind getting off and walking for a bit in the uphills. My legs do feel tired on arrival after a full day, but rarely bother me while I am still cycling. It is my bum that hurts and needs a break every now and then.

I pulled in at Vang Vieng at around 0130. There has been another massive build up of hotels and guest houses over the two years since I was here last and it took me a while to find the guest house where I had stayed. Eventually found it though and at 100 000 kip it was actually cheaper than I had expected. Pretty much the same river view that I had had earlier, but with more bungalows on the island in the rivers midst.

It seems the police or some such has banned the very loud music on Erawan Island, which was very welcome to me. Tomorrow I will have a rest day and go tubing!


Vang Vieng


Tubing

Hin Hoeup

Hin Hoeup, Feb 4, 2011.

84 km. Total 3057 km


Need any Bullshit service?


Green fields
I continued on the wider gravel road leading towards NW. It was a very nice area, rice farming and nice Lao villages. I had had only some bananas and a can of cold Nescafé for breakfast. When I came upon a small shop I needed more food. The man understood no English and when I tried showing him I needed eating he brought me first a bundle of toothpicks and then a toothbrush. Finally I found bags of Mexican flavored chips. I ate four bags of them.
After some 30 km my road intersected with route 13 and I was on my way towards Vang Vieng.

At lunch stop I met a whole group of Americans cycling with a tour guide and a follow-up van carrying all luggage. They were obviously more or less on a race and had not seen any guest houses or such. Their guide knew a little more but even his info was not entirely correct. I pedalled on along mostly flat countryside.

There are obviously many sorts of cyclists here. There was an English university teacher who like me had two panniers and a handlebar bag, happy to ride abt 80 km a day. And there was a French guy who had been cycling on small roads for two months with only a mini backpack in a handlebar basket. And there were young guys intent on going all the from Vang Vieng to Vientiane in one day, and Japanese in a terrible hurry, etc.

At Hine Hoeup I moved on to a guest house I had stayed at last time I cycled here. The room and shower were fine. But the restaurant menu put me off with their offer of a soup made from "intestines of buffalo". Yach! I had a grilled chicken at a small stand by a parking lot where truck drivers stopped for food.

In the sticks

Sy Tan Guest house, Feb 2, 2011.

Two years ago when I rode from Vang Vieng towards Vientiane I made a detour to Nam Ngum dam, the artificial lake created as a water shed for Vientiane. There I found a lovely guest house to stay at. It was rather expensive but worth every penny. I had a bungalow looking like a Swiss chalet with a great terrace overlooking the lake and many islands in it. As I left Vientiane this morning I thought to go back there again. It had been a 95 km ride.


Nam Ngum Dam
But riding from the sticks into the city is one thing. Finding the way back is quite another. I had a waypoint in my Gps and thought if I only headed towards it I would eventually get there. Not quite so easy though, in a land with few road signs and with no map in the Gps. At first all went well but after some 35 kms I could no longer head straight North as I should. The road went from tarmac to dirt, but still wide and quite promising. After passing through a town of sorts it split in a Y and I took the larger one, heading a bit too much off towards NW. After some 10-12 kms in that direction, by a bridge, there were some men doing measuring and stuff. I stopped and asked if this was a good road for going to Nam Ngum. First one man said yes, then someone else said no. And eventually they agreed that I should go back a bit and take the other road. So I turned around and cycled back abt 10 kms to the Y-crossing. But quite soon on that other leg that one turned ever more off too much towards East, and eventually SE and then due South. And it became ever narrower. At about 1230 I gave up on that and turned back once again. I had seen a guest house some 33 kms from Vientiane and decided to go back to it, spend the night, load my Gps tracks so far into Garmins Mapsource and have a look.


Wide dirt road
That is where I am now. At Sy Tan guest house in somevillage. I have found food and the guest house is fine. When I fed my track into Mapsource I realized I should have gone yet another bit before turning off the road I was on. Or I could probably have continued on the first one, maybe not actually reaching Nam Ngum, but at least headed more or less in a Northerly direction. That is now my plan for tomorrow. I don't necessarily have to go to Nam Ngum. But I do want to go towards Vang Vieng. It will probably take me another two days, and then from there take a bus to Luang Prabang. Well, we'll see how it goes.

Vientiane

Vientiane, Jan 31, 2011.

33 km

I had planned since long to bring some books and toys with me from Thailand to give to children in rural Laos. When riding towards the Friendship bridge I came upon this little shop where they sold small and cheap toys, so I stopped and stocked up several things.

As I approached the bridge there were several signs indicating that bicycles where not allowed on the bridge. I continued on anyway and no one bothered me at all. The border rituals were fairly easy, and no bribes required. It felt great to be back in Laos again. Already within 50 meters into the country I stopped for a café Lao. I was brought the coffee right soon but when I wanted to pay I practically had to chase the woman down. It seems they give you what you want mostly because they are nice and feel that you really want this. But they are not business minded at all. 'Pay? Oh God, are you sure?'

Cycling into Vientiane was easy. Not that there are many roadsigns but I had a waypoint in my Gps and knew the general direction.
It is amazing how tourism has grown in Vientiane! There are so many restaurants and bars, and so much people everywhere.

But there is another big change to the city as well, one that I don't like much. They have built a levy along the Mekong, one that is so high that you don't see the river anymore from what used to be the riverfront. You see only the levy. And the area on the far side of Rue Fa Ngoum, where there used to be many nice restaurants right along the river, has now been turned into a sterile park. And beyond that the high levy. I have never been here during the Monsoon season but have heard that there have been problems with flooding. So I guess it may be necessary to have that protective levy, but it sure alters the whole face of the city. One nice thing with towns along the river is obviously that you see the river. Now you don't anymore.

Non Khai

Nong Khai, Jan 31, 2011.

It was a short and sweet ride to Nong Khai, only 52 km. I had a good tailwind and mostly cycled on small roads right next to the Mekong. I had a fine lunch at a small place where a Thai customer was very eager to help translate my order to the woman in charge. As I was about to leave a pretty Frenchwoman stopped by on a scooter asking for directions to a silk factory. Later I saw her again at the Mutmee in Nong Khai.

Phon Phisai

Phon Phisai, Jan 27, 2011.

97 km

Where are the Dutch when you need them?

Mosts cyclists I have talked to on this trip have, of course, been Dutch. They surely are a cycling people! It seems they are members of a cycling club that organizes tours, at least in SE Asia, but probably also elsewhere. It seems to be a good setup. They are bunched together for getting a group deal on airfare and are issued with a little booklet with several different tours in the region, and are then free to go their own different ways according to personal choice and how long days they like to have. Eventually they meet again for the flight home. Not bad. Group economy and individual freedom at the same time.

Anyway I have met quite a few and always take the opportunity to ask people coming from the other direction how the road is, where have they stayed etc. Several of them are a bit reluctant to share specifc info on guest houses as if that is a secret to be kept among their club only. I have to squeeze it out of them.


Cute tile in my Phon Phisay bathroom
Alas, the last several days I have not met any Dutch, or other cyclists for that matter, at all. I had hoped to not have to do another 100 km day. In the end I did ride all the way to Phon Phisay, and it was good. It is a good little town with several small hotels, mostly with only Thai signboards. I have come to check on places with the figures 24 on them. I believe it says something about 24 hours check out. Anyway it has worked quite well to help me find places to stay in non-tourist areas. The place I stayed in Phon Phisay was great, but I could not tell you its name since I don't read Thai. 300 Baht, exceptionally clean, and very nice woman in the reception. I had only stopped outside to look at it when she came running out and asked if I wanted a room. Later I found a nice little restaurant along the river that woked me a lovely Tofu and vegetables dinner.

Bung Kan

Bung Kan, Jan 26, 2011.

99 km

Beautiful trees along the Mekong!

I knew I was in for another fairly long day and stayed mostly on the 212 road. It is nice riding all the way with not too much traffic. Quite shady. Have not seen any other cyclists in a while now. There could well be more since it is really nice here.

I have been wondering a bit about Thai music. Along the way I hear it every now and then from radios in houses or where people are working outdoors and in coffee shops. It is always bad. No catchy melodies, no interesting riffs and always sounds pretty much the same. I have come to wonder if the Thais have any sense of melody at all. One evening over dinner with a couple of other European cyclists I mentioned this. They said they had talked about the very same thing. If I knew Thai, which I don't, I would look into translating some western songs into Thai. Practically anything would be an improvement over what seems popular here now.

In Bung Kan I met some western guys living out here, Americans and Australian. Thai wifes of course. After not having actually talked to a living soul for a couple of days it felt good to chat about this and that over a couple of brews.

Ban Phaeng

Ban Phaeng, Jan 25, 2011.

105 km

Warmer weather already in the morning.

I had meant to stop at a resort some 45 km from Nakhon Phanom considering my not excellent condition yesterday. But when I spotted the resort it did not look very interesting. I stood outside for at least ten minutes debating with myself if I had the strenght to go on another 60 km to Ban Phaeng. Finally decided that I just did not want to stay all alone in a resort far from any town. It was only 1130 and I rode on. The road was very good with many trees on both sides offering good shade, and I had a modest tail wind. Very happy with my choice.


The Mekong
Again I have really good use of my Gps which not only has a detailed map but also info on lodgings along the way.

Nakon Phanom

Nakon Phanom, Jan 24, 2011.

57 km

I hardly slept at all last night. Had some troubling news from home about a sweet dog friend of mine who has come down with cancer. Maybe I ate something bad too. Anyway in the morning I had diarrhea and did not leave until 0930. Tired all day. Arrived in Nakhon Phanom at 2 o'clock. Checked in at the modest and cheap Grand Hotel and took a good long nap.


Along The Mekong
In the evening I had dinner at the fanciest hotel by the river. I ordered some prawns with garlic and black pepper. It was so spicy I could hardly eat any of it. My mouth was on fire after a couple of mouthfuls and I ate only the prawns themselves.

The weather has been rather cold for a couple of days. Not around midday of course but chilly in the mornings and at night. Did not feel very well at all.

I had met some other cyclists who had stayed at the fancy riverside hotel. Expensive, large room and very nice balcony over the river. But they could hardly sleep at night because of that dreadful karaoke bar downstairs. That is why I choose the quieter Grand instead.

That Phanom

That Phanom, Jan 23, 2011.

57 kms.

With the help of my Gps I could take the smallest roads right near the Mekong. It was a wonderful ride through small villages with many locals waving and shouting hello. I was still rather knackered from yesterday and had decided to make it a short day. I cycled slowly and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I even thought to myself that if cycling would be like this I could do this 5 or 6 hours a day for the rest of my life.


Riverside

Mukhdahan

Mukhdahan, Jan 22, 2011.

97 km.

It seems I somehow never wrote anything about this day while on the road. It is only much later I realise this. I do however have my notes on distance and that I stayed at Sab Mukhdabar in Mukhdahan.

I think it was a nice day cycling. And I do remember looking with longing eyes across the Mekong to Laos and Savannakhet. Laos has that effect on me. I feel like a traitor when I choose the relative easiness and comfort of Thailand over the greater challenge, and sweeter reward of Laos.

Khemaret

Khemaret, Jan 21, 2011.

130 kms.

This was a long day. I had heard that the road along the Mekong was not that good. Potholes and sometimes gravel etc. Plus there was not really any view of the river. So I chanced on a route a bit further inland. There the road was in excellent shape but after changing direction about halfway I had to struggle right into a rather strong headwind. And there were constant hills, up and down. Not steep or very long but still enough to wear me out. I did not roll into Khemaret until 6 o'clock just as it was starting to get dark. Fortunately I came upon a couple of farangs right soon and found out were the good guest house was.


New road

Kiam Cham

Kiam Cham, Jan 20, 2011.

Cycled 94 kms of which 17 was due to a mistake.

This second time in Pakse I thought I knew the town already and never bothered to look much at the map. I had seen the bridge previously when there was a policeman directing traffic off and on it. Somehow I had gotten it into my head that the bridge was also the border to Thailand. So next morning I did my morning rituals and bade Laos farewell for a week or two and rode across the nearest bridge. To my surprise there were no immigrations and no passport checks etc. Stopped for a quick look at the map and saw that Laos actually reaches a bit onto the land at the other side of the bridge. Cycled on half an hour and when I stopped to buy water a local man asked where I was going today I said Thailand!, as if it was a dum question to ask. His English was very limited but he put on a surprised face that made me take another look at the map. Bummers! I had crossed the wrong bridge and was heading towards Savannakhet. I had gone 8 kms North instead of west.

Bite the bullet, turn around and go back all the way to Pakse. Then cycle along the river to the Lao-Japanese friendship bridge and then ride some 35 kms again before I actually came to the border. While riding towards that bridge in Pakse I discovered a whole section of town I had not seen before. There are several nice looking restaurants along the river.

The border was easy. No hassle and no bribes needed on either side. I was across around one o'clock, and hungry. Within two minutes I found a little restaurant that served barbecued chicken and sticky rice, yummy!


Ett rum i Josmas smak
I was in Kiam Cham just after three. I stayed at Apple guest house not far from Seven-Eleven. There were two German cyclists at Apple, and we had dinner together at a floating restaurant on the river. They had cycled in Laos for a couple of weeks and was soon going back at Pakse. Originally there had been two girls with them too. One had crashed in high speed in a downhill between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, wearing no helmet. A passing car took her to hospital in LP where she was advised to fly to Bangkok for treatment. In Bkk she was stitched up and then told to gome home. She is now in hospital in Germany hoping to regain her eyesight also on the eye that she can not yet open.
Then, in the same week, the other girl crashed. She accidently hit one of the guys, lost her balance and careened across to the other side of the road where she crashed. A truck from the other direction ran right over her bike. The girl fell into the ditch, mostly unharmed but the bike is totalled. She is now backpacking in Laos.

Leaving at least a few meters between fellow riders seems a good idea. And of course to wear a helmet!

Pakse again

Pakse again, Jan 19, 2011.

54 km.

After a couple of fairly long days it was nice to just roll down the hill back to Pakse. I was amazed to note the difference in altitude. Did not seem that much when I rode up. Paksong is 1300 m above sea level, and Pakse only 100. Not strange then that there is a noticeable diff in climate too.


Kid napping outside

I dumped these worn out cycling gloves and took out my new ones
Sabaidy2 was full of course, except for dormitory which I don't do unless in emergencies. This time I stayed at the Tualain (?), which was fine but overpriced at 80 000 kip. There were at least three other cyclists there.

Sekong

Sekong, Jan 15, 2011.

It is very very nice here at and around the Bolaven plateu. Terrific cycling area! Yesterday morning I made an excursion back to the waterfalls at Tad Fane. Lovely area with several small lakes and a sweet wooden bridge.


Bolaven map
Then back to Paksong to pack up and leave for good. I headed for Thateng without knowing that there would be a geust house. If not I would have to push on another 50 k's to Sekong.
I like this not knowing for sure what will happen, where I will end up or what, where, and indeed if, I will eat. I hardly have a map of this area, and know precious little about what it will be like. I know it is coffee growing territory here, and I know it is somewhat tribal. The poeple here are not ordinary Lao, they are Laven. Bolaven means home of the Laven. I often think tribal will mean poor, maybe charming but also a bit backwards. Sad and desolate children.
Not so here! The area seems a good bit wealthier than in the lowlands. People have good houses. Most are traditional Lao wooden houses elevated on stilts, unpainted and undecorated, but looking fine. And there are quite a few beautiful stone houses as well. Painted and more decorated, obviously sturdier than wooden houses but not extravagantly large. Not the kind that makes you angry someone has robbed his neighbors blind and built a tasteless mansion in his own honour, but the kind that makes you glad for the family that has done well and can afford such a nice home.

Cycling Paksong to Thateng yesterday, and today to Sekong, has been nothing but divinely blissfull. It is an absolutely beautiful area. About a thousand meters up from the lowlands it is slightly cooler, fresher, and greener. Good road and little traffic, undulating landscape and very sweet people. Off in the backround are hills and crests. Birds singing, cows and dogs, and kids waving. I start talking to myself, saying 'Oh my god this is f-ing beautiful' and such. I even have to stop a few times and just take it all in, enjoy breathing the fresh air, thinking that this is one of the nicest cycling days I have ever had.


This road doesn't say 'Go Away'. It says 'come here, go on, this way, it is nice here! There are lovely views, beautiful houses, Lao kids welcoming you. And there is a waterfall! Come, come!'

Old Lao house


There are some mud trails you can take in the Bolaven, make a circular tour of it, cut straight through the jungle. I will not do that though. I took a picture of a map in Paksong, one that outlines a motorcycle trip one can buy. On the English side the eastern trail is marked as "difficul trail" (sic), and on the French one it says "piste interdite". Not really what I want. I also met a Swiss guy who had cycled it and said it was rough. Nine hours to the nearest guest house.
I will stick to the asphalt road. Ride up to Attapeu tomorrow than turn around next day and go back more or less the same way I came. I do this to enjoy it, and sister I can tell you, I do love this!


Posing
Thateng seems to have 4 or 5 guest houses. Sekong may have even more. But apart from meeting a couple on a motorbike I have not seen any other white faces around. Sekong has two petrol stations, three ATM machines and a nice vegetable market, where I bought a large watermelon, sliced up in perfect wedges, for one Euro. That has been my lunch, plus a packet of biscuits, a can of Nescafe and a small brickpack chocolate milk. I have my own second floor verandah in a garden. Life could have been worse.


Full frontal
Cycling baba, it's the shit!

Paksong

Paksong, Jan 13, 2011.

Pakse to Paksong is 54 kms, most of which is uphill. Not steep but consistent uphill for about 40 kms. Some 12 kms before reaching Paksong is a waterfall a few hundred meters off on a bumpy mudroad. I decided to pass on it for now and instead zip back down tomorrow morning without panniers and all. I met a Danish couple who told me that Paksong Guest House is really good if you can afford the 60 000 kip, less than 6 Euros. Fine, I found it and moved in, very nice place.


Doing laundry in the river
There is a little restaurant right across the road, their sign said 'grilled pork'. I like pigs, particularly the little piglets. But I don't eat any fourlegged animals since many years. I asked for chicken and they said that this here on the grill is chicken. I was not convinced but ordered a plate when the lady insisted that it is chicken. But I never really ate any of it. There was not a sign of chicken skin on it and no bones that I would recognize as chicken. I ate the rice and vegetables. Next morning they whipped up a fine omelet for me though.


Tad Fane

Wooden bridge at Tad Fane
Despite the uphill it was a nice cycling day.

Pakse

Pakse, Jan 12, 2011.

Don Det - Phia Fay 102 km
Phia Fay - Pakse 57 km

My stomach was not a hundred percent when I was set to leave. And then when I went to pick up my bike it had no air at all in the front wheel. Bummers! I lazed all day yesterday in the hammock reading a very interesting book on Cambodia I had bought in Phnom Penh and not yet finished. I should have checked on the bike but never did.

So in the boat going back to Nakasang I dismantled the front wheel and mounted my spare tube. It has a Schrader valve and is a bit difficult to inflate with my hand pump. I was only half done when we docked on the mainland. Fortunately though I found a motorcycle shop that had a machine pump and I was ready to pull out around 0930.

I knew that there would be a guest house about 25 kms before Champasak, which means some 100 kms to ride from Nakasang. The road was good, no hills and not that much traffic. I came on a guest house at Phia Fay and moved in. As I left next morning I saw that there are actually another three guest houses nearby.

Like far too many others in Pakse I tried to get a room at Sabaidy 2 guest house. Full. Then saw a miserable room that was 60 000 kip. Eventually moved in at a fancier place for 100 000 kip. An hour later as I was enjoying a cold Beer Lao at a street corner, Leon pulled in. He is an Irish guy I met with Cindy and Tomano at Viscious Cyclo in Phnom Penh. He had been sick for a few days, had just arrived from Cambodia and had not had a kip for a couple of days, since he found nowhere to exchange his dollars. You get spoiled in Cambodia where you can pay everywhere with either the local Riel or with greenback dollars. In Laos the government does not like people to have foreign exchange. There is not a black market or anything, but you can not change dollars everywhere. Pakse though has several ATM's even though it is not much of a city really. Leon had been turned back at the Sabaidy 2, and moved in with me for half of the hundred. He will stay a couple of days to recuperate and then go on to Vietnam. He has been a year on his bike now, cycled 16 000 kms on his Marathon XR's, and not had a flat yet.

Don Det

Don Det, Jan 9, 2011.


Don Det
It is hard to think of a place more laid back than Four Thousand Islands. There are hundreds of travellers and tourists here, many guest houses are full. Meanwhile it is nice to see how village life goes on Lao style as we were not here at all. The Lao have many children, and they play with sticks and bamboo poles, often by the river. They never beg for money, never ask to see my computer, never ever say they would need a Nintendo game or want to know what I work with or how much I earn. Very nicely they say 'sabaidee' when I meet them but they never bother me with anything. Most adult Lao do their traditional thing as well. Certainly our being here has boosted the local economy with healthy injections of cash, but so far it does not seem to have upset village life very much.


Playing by the river
Having heard that the stretch from Kratie to Stung Treng, and on to the border, is not that important to see from the bike I took a bus all the way to Nakasang. From there it is half an hours boatride to Don Det. Someone had told me not to stop at the Northernmost guest houses but rather continue a bit South before settling down. Once I got my bike reassembled I could easily outrun the rest of my fellow bus passengers hunting for the nicest place to stay. All through my 4-day stop here I have had good use for my bike exploring the islands.


Don Det restaurant

Kratie

Kratie, Jan 6, 2011.

34 km

The ride from Chlong to Kratie goes in three chapters. First 10 km good asphalt, followed by 10 km dusty dirt road (seems to be under construction, but no workers around), and then finishes off with the last 10 km good asphalt again.


Dusty road


Dusty bike
------------
'Mon cle e (mumble mumble) la chambre, ~~ le port ~~ ferm้'. So I don't speak French, but sometimes you just have to. What to do? Cambodia is as we know and old French colony. Here and there one can see French leftovers like 'ecole de this or that' and 'gendarmeries'. When talking to older Khmers it is often better to try French than English.
The landlady at Mekong GH in Chlong adressed me only in French, and asked with optimism in her voice, if I am French. Fortunately I am not, and I have never studied her language. I was the only guest in her beautiful old wooden house filled with lacquered furniture in fine hardwood. The lady proudly showed me around all the rooms and the veranda overlooking the Mekong.

I moved in, had a shower, and when I went out for dinner I asked the lady for 'restaurant?' in as French an accent as I could. She explained and I had a passable 'chicken bhai' at a small little joint a bit up the road. When I came back I made up my journal and then went out on the veranda to enjoy the evening breeze. Before closing the door I felt in my pocket for the key, it was there. But when going back inside half an hour later I found only the key to my bike lock. I had locked myself out. It was around seven in the evening and dark already. I ran down to the lady and gave her the 'Mon cle e (mumble mumble) la chambre, ~~ le port ~~ ferm้e' -explanation. It took a couple of repetitions but then she got it. The timing was fortunate since she was just about to lock up downstairs and leave. I suppose she has another house somewhere and don't actually live here. She had a master key and soon let me in to my room and my key. It would have been a long night on the veranda had I not caught her in time.


Map Sihanoukville - Kratie

Chlong

Chlong, Jan 5, 2011.

95 km, ave 16, total 1387 kms.

Kompong Cham was really good to me. At Mekong Hotel I had a great room with all the amenities. The Mekong Crossing restaurant fed me great food and cold Anchor beers.

I quite expected to have sore legs from yesterdays long ride and was not altogether certain I should actually set off on another longish day. But my legs felt better than feared and finally at 9 o'clock I was off. Contrary to many others I elected to remain on Mekong's NorthWestern side for the first half towards Chlong. It was a wise choice. The road was not wide but fully asphalted. Lovely Khmer countryside, and not much traffic at all. I was by the ferry before noon.
Chlong (pronounced Schlong with a Dutch sounding Sch, like rrlong), is on the other side of the river and as far as I could find out there is only one place to cross, other than by the new bridge right at Kompong Cham. Once on the eastern side of the river the road is really bad for some 40 kms. The going was slow and my GPS kept switching off from all the bumping. Eventually I came on better asphalt again and the last bit into Chlong was nice.


Khmer houses


Khmer kids
There was one guest house right centre in town. Only 5$ and the room quite acceptable. But so much traffic noice that I continued on. Then there was a sign towards Mekong Guest House, and I moved in there.

Chlong is not much and probably only get cyclists staying overnight. After the 95 kms I felt in no mood for another 32 to Kratie.

Kompong Cham

Kompong Cham, Jan 4, 2011.

115 km, ave 15,5, total 1292.

I had my first flat for this trip today. Arrived very dusty and tired. Still it was a lovely cycling day along The Mekong.

One can either take the big road, hghwy #7, via Skun, where restaurants serve roasted spiders for lunch, or the dirt track along the river. There have been many reports on the horrors of doing the river dirt track in monsoon conditions, and I can imagine it being really muddy then. But now in early January, at the height of the dry season, it was very good. Dusty at times, indeed, but not too bad. I met or was overtaken by some 15 cars today, of various sizes. And they did pull up dust! Plus there were quite a few motorcycles too going in both directions. They are not all dust free either.


Nice dirt track
The first 17 km from Phnom Penh, 154 st, was on the main road, Japanese bridge and all. Then I saw a sign towards an 'oil terminal' and decided to ride down to the river just to see. Voila, there was the dirt track leading to Kompong Cham!
For the next 25 kms or so I was in cyclist heaven. A perfectly smooth dirt track, as wide as a country road, and beautifully set a little bit behind the river. It is a well populated area. Not strange with the mighty Mekong river providing as much water as any farmer could wish for, and fish of course. It is also not far at all from Phnom Penh.




Several times the dirt track was interrupted by a large factory of sorts, and I had to go out on the asphalted road for a bit. But at first opportunity I swung back towards the river again.
Further on the quality of the track varied rather a lot. Sections of it was a good bit more bumpy than I would have wanted, but still to my mind a lot better than going to Skun, and eat spiders. Yaacchh!

I had stopped at a small coffee shop for a tasty glass of ice coffee. When I should leave I realised that my front wheel had a flat tire.
At least the front one is easier than the rear. No need to take off panniers and turn the bike upside down. I just took off the wheel and let the bike rest on its fork while leaning against a nearby wall. In less than half an hour I was up and running again.


Kids who had watched me fix my first flat.
Now at the lovely Mekong Hotel in Kompong Cham. Air con, hot water, fridge, wifi and a huge balcony out towards the river. 15$

Cambodia, Phnom Penh

Cambodia is very nice!

It is populated somewhat denser than Laos and seems a bit wealthier too. Not like Thailand or Vietnam but still one notch up from Laos. With the big port in Sihanoukville Cambodia certainly has one up on its landlocked neighbor to the North.


Royal Palace
People are nice everywhere I have been in this country, but I think of the countryside people as especially friendly. Cambodians everywhere seems convinced that all western tourists are rich. Obviously we can afford to come visit here while most of them could not at all go to our countries on holiday.

Phnom Penh is really cool.
There is a huge difference between Bangkok/Saigon and P P. It is rougher here, more genuine and feels a little bit dangerous. Not as bad as a few years ago when there were still a lot of guns around and quite many armed robberies. But still it is only a few blocks near the riverfront that has street ligths. At night the city is rather dark.
Traffic is intensive. Thousands of motorcycles and needlessly many large SUVs. Crossing a street here feels a hundred times more dangerous than flying to Asia in the first place.


Phnom Penh Tuk Tuk
But I do like P P. I have this feeling of being here ten years before the tourist invasion. It is inevitable that tourism will grow here too, it is simply too nice a place to have so relatively few tourists. As of yet there are no Seven-Elevens at all.

Along the central riverfront there are many nice restaurants and bars. They are decidedly for the tourists, and more expensive. Some I have been to are very beautiful in a style that I assume is good modern Khmer style. Artsy and very tasteful!

Cambodia was a French colony for about a hundred years. The architecture on most fine houses have a distinctive French flavor to it. A French Indo-Chinese style I have seen in Laos and Vietnam as well, and to my mind goes well with the climate, landscape and people here. Other French leftovers are good crispy baguettes, and great coffee, Café Cambodienne, hot or chilled, and always good, with an almost chocolaty side flavor. Yummy!

Happy New Year!

Phnom Penh, Dec 31, 2010.

85 km - Total so far: 1,175 km

I had an annoying headwind all day today. Right in my face, and it kept getting stronger all the way till I came in to Phnom Penh proper.


Phnom Penh cyclo


Phnom Penh
I have a handheld GPS mounted on the handlebar. Since I had been once before in Phnom Penh, a few years ago on a boat and bus trip, I had a few waypoints stored in the GPS. It is often hard to locate where on the map I am. With the exception of the touristy streets downtown there are only very few street signs saying the name of it. The streets seemed to be going either NW or NE when I wanted to go straight North. I kept asking for Monivong Blvd and was sent here and there, probably coming closer all the time but frustrating nevertheless not being able to home right in.

Eventually I reached the house where King GH was. I cycled right in only to realise that this was now someones private home. King had moved and I never bothered finding out to where. It was not that good anyway. Eventually I got a room at Royal GH. Big room, hot water, fridge, 13$. Very nice. Several other cyclists stay here too.


Old Phnom Penh has many beautiful spots