The Wobbling Sprocket

We have been going to Laos for about 8 years.   It’s changed greatly over that period of time and it’s going to change more.   One thing that hasn’t changed though is the beauty of the country and the spirit of the people.

We’ve tried to capture it in our own video and we are always on the lookout for videos or articles from others that attempt to do the same.

Part of that spirit is the ability to make something out of nothing.   The things we take for granted are not givens in Laos.  That is easy for me to forget and that is part of the reason I keep going back year after year. As Brian T put it (when asked why he was signing up for our cycling tour in Laos for the third time), “it keeps me grounded.”

I just noticed this article about the under 18 Lao soccer team traveling to an international tournament in Sweden.   I have been to plenty of soccer tournaments and I have been to Laos and I can only imagine the kind of challenges and difficulties any team from Laos would need to overcome in order to make this happen.  To top it off, the team loses their sponsor in a manner that is a tragedy beyond description.

But then again, it’s all in your perspective. The ability to make something good out of nothing is big trump card and it is one that we all have.

For anyone planning to travel to Laos, the video and the story are instructive. For those that have already been to Laos, I imagine that watching and reading will bring back some memories.

Below is the link to the story about the Lao under 18 team which apparently is also being made into a feature length movie.

Lao Football Team Wins Trophy

Here is our own video effort attempting to capture the uncapturable.

Frank is what I call “a gamer”.    Not a true, blue,  24 hour a day cycling fanatic, but someone who enjoys the experience and enjoys the challenge.  He gets it done.  I like that.  How do I know this?  Easy.  He already has Corsica,  Slovenia and Croatia (and will have Spain shortly!) under his spandex.

I also like that he is from Australia.  I am thrilled when someone not from the USA signs up for one of our tours.  After all,  a cycling tour is all about shared experience and the shared experience is not only about biking in a foreign country.   It extends to biking with someone from another country.

Here’s Frank.  Frank has the moxie to put “magnificent” next to his initials in his email address.  It fits him.

Give him a thumbs up wherever you might be reading this post.

"Magnificent"!

Chris is the charitable auction winner for a spot on our November 8, 2010 Lao Tour.

Chris is relatively new to cycling and lives down the street in Alexandria VA so he rode his bike over and had me check out the suitability of his bike for Laos.  It was perfect.  Even the tires were right for the kind of riding we do (wider, but easy rolling on pavement).

Chris has no bike pics, but I really do like this one.

Chris doesn’t know it yet, but his catch is a lot bigger than what he is likely to find in his fish soup during our homestay.

In Laos, that's a keeper!