The Wobbling Sprocket

It's not an easy ride to Kasi. Phoukoun, which is the cross road to the Plain of Jars sits on a ridge and the road to get there is up and down along another ridge. Not easy by any means.

On the way to Phoukon we all passed Tamir, the Israeli guy that had just bought a bike in LP and started to ride. He had shifted from flip flops to army boots. I think that was a wise move. He still wasn't moving fast though. When I passed him he was zig zagging up a hill and barely making progress. I offered to carry his bag again in our truck, but he wasn't having it. I had no doubt he was going to make it.

We stopped in Phoukon where we all had noodle soup. There really isn't too much there other than a local market. The soup was very good.

From there is was a massive downhill to the hot springs where some went into the water. And then on to Kasi, which sits hard by a river. Kasi is famous for its oranges and ladies line up on the street to hawk them.

Everyone seems pretty tired and after a dinner of Fish Soup, beef laab and fried vegetables.  We all hit the sack early.

Tomorrow we have some kayaking and Vangvieng…..party town.

This was the view from Kiu Kacham in the morning. KK is at 2200 meters and the valley below fills with fog.

Same spot the night before...with the sun setting.

At lunch in Phoukon on the way to Kasi. Phoukon is where you turn off to go to the Plain of Jars.

The view shortly after Phoukon on the way to Kasi....it is 30k of down.

Philip and Daolit soaking at the hot springs on the way to Kasi

View from the hot springs.....

It has been an interesting day to say the least.

Weather perfect and the road a lot better as well. We met Tamir on the road first. He is Israeli. He just started his ride from Luang Prabang. He is riding alone and had his backpack lashed to his rack. He was riding in flip flops. He told me he bought a bike for 500,000 kip…about US$60…from China and then had it break a couple time on his shakedown ride to Kuangsi Falls…about 30k…so he traded it in and added another 140 to buy a Trek. It looked pretty good for the price to me.

I told him he should put his bag in our bus and just ride to Kiukacham and meet up with it there. It would be a lot easier. I could tell he did not want to do that. It is not unusual. He doesn't know me and all his stuff is in it…stuff he could ill afford to put at risk. He took off up the hill.

What he didn't realize is that he left his expensive SLR camera on our rest stop table. Our bus caught up to him and we delivered it.

Then we met Mark, from Holland, he was riding fully loaded. He has started in Hanoi….basically our Tour d' Indochine.

Then Pip crashed and gave her head a good bump. A few of her fellow Australians were quite prepared to put a hole in her head if there were internal bleeding (I am quite serious). Thankfully there wasnn't.

Then, who showed up in Kiu Kacham but Sasha from Big Brother Mouse (Lao children's reading books).

We invited all of Tamir and Mark and Sasha to dinner and had a little bit of a party on the new deck (KK has gone a little upscale!).

Anyway, it was a nice ride and a nice day and it is ALWAYS nice to meet independent travelers on the road. I have been on the road alone enough to know that it is good to meet a group and share some time with. Tamir is on the road for 5 weeks and I think Mark…for several months.

Sasha gave a little tutorial on Big Brother Mouse at dinner. If you have chance Google it. It is a good cause that we have supported over the years.

Great sunset, nice dinner and good company. It is hard to top that in KK. I even had hot water.

View on the way to KK

Pip after her crash...she is going to be ok...thankfully.

Sunset in KK

Lots of shade for our rest stop

Here is Tamir. He was riding in flip flops. He made it to KK just as it was gettibg dark.

At the start of the ride to KK in front of Sabaidee GH.

Today's ride is “Lao flat”….about 105k. “Lao flat” translates to rolling hills with a few short climbs over the humpty dumps.The entire morning it was overcast which was good for riding. After about noon though, it burns off and it gets warmer.

We rode along the Nam Ou River and lunch beside it at a restaurant….we each had a plate of fried rice big enough to choke a horse.

The excitement of the day, was that Philip had a kid run into him in the road. He wasn't going fast, but they kid got bowled over and suffered some minor scapes. A small fee was paid and all was well, but not before 90% of the village came to observe the proceedings.

I had some excitement myself when a chicken decided to run into my wheel. I was going fast enough that it just bounced off and went on its way. Everything and everybody is on the road here so it is a wonder that more bad things don't happen. You need to be vigilant all them time. Not everyone is watching what they are doing.

We arrived in Luang Prabang and everyone found the guesthouse without any problem. Luang Probang is a lovely town where the Nam Ou River enters the Mekong….temples, traditional architecture with French influences, a huge night market, shopping, great restaurants and plenty to do and see.

Tomorrow is a rest day, which give everyone a chance to explore and do as they please.

Mushrooms at a stand on the way into LP....hmmmm

Everyone was happy to get to the Sabaidee Guesthouse.

Temple by the National Museum in LP

Sunset on the Mekong in LP

One of the trucks that adorn the grounds of the Sabaidee Guesthouse