As I sit here in my guesthouse enjoying some Internet spare time, I guess I might as well put down a few words before I leave. The weather has changed recently – it is overcast, temperatures have dropped a few degrees and it is relatively windy. However, it feels like monsoon just will not kick in for real. Good for me, but the locals clearly hope for water for their rice fields and what other crops they grow.

I have just come back from a 2 day detour on my bicycle, where I went to Muang Sing, right next to the border to China. The main attraction of Muang Sing is the people living there, and the tourist draw is “tribal treks” with home stays in local villages. I did not do any guided treks but just going around in the area on my bicycle I got through several “tribe” villages.

I’m attracted to the idea of home stay – something I will pursue if or when I come back to Laos. The idea of these home stays is you stay with a family and participate in their daily life. I’m not a big fan of these tribal treks: They actually try to keep it on a reasonable level in Laos, but still… Whenever I got through a village kids were soon swarming around me trying to sell me all kinds of stuff. From the villagers point of view it is fine that they get a chance to make an extra income. To me these villages looked more or less like the numerous villages I have passed through and sometimes stopped at on my travel, for lunch or just to buy water. The difference being that, in the other villages, the reception was way more quiet and … yes, you might call it “authentic”. The countryside around Muang Sing was beautiful, though, and so was the hilly ride through Nam ha national park.

In one of the villages I bought a bracelet from this girl and she let me take her picture:

Girl in of the small villages around Muang Sing, Laos. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

It is now less than a handful of days before I reach Thailand again. Today will be an easy ride (60 km) to Vieng Poukha, where I plan to stay tomorrow. Then other two days to get to the border. That is, if all goes according to my plan.

Oudum Xai in Laos, where I spend one day is a city of some 80.000 people and a key trading post, as it connects the main roads of the area and is near to China. You would expect such a city to be linked with at least half decent roads, not? My departure is delayed as it is raining and I choose to spend time some quality time in company with the Internet and a solid breakfast. I have plenty of time after all … 120 km should not be a problem!? On my last update, I estimated that 5-10% of the road I rode on to get to Oudum Xai had vanished. To be honest, I was a bit kind on the Lao Road Service on that estimate… it probably was a fair bit worse. I have hardly left town before the road is doing its vanishing trick again … and to cut the story short: For the first 50 km there simply was no road surface at all or it was the same on-off situation. With the rain pouring down all morning, it was a muddy, rocky hell. Then clouds parted, and I reached a descent on a perfectly smooth asphalt road that got me thinking that the rest of the day would be fine.

On the descent, I meet to cyclists. Strange thing is, they are nor riding their bikes, but pushing them up the hill. “Weaklings,” I think, “can’t deal with a bit of climbing”. Still, I do stop to talk to them. Susanna and Jürgen have ridden their bikes from Germany and have plenty of gruesome stories to tell: of stubborn Chinese authorities, substandard roads and mechanical problems. I have a look at their bikes and they sure are in a pathetic state. There is hardly anything but the compass on Susanna’s bike that is working as it was intended. There’s little I can do to help them, at least not at the roadside – and I feel sorry for leaving them behind with nothing more than a wish for good luck. While I continue downhill they resume pushing their bikes uphill. Welcome to the world of bike touring. – And people back home insist on calling it “vacation”.

As the downhills ends, so does the good road. At least, this time it is more gravel and dirt than rocks, and this I can better handle. As I reach I get something to eat and rides on, even though I notice the town has a couple of guesthouses. I soon notice I have a flat. Another sign from above, I reckon, and decides to go back to one of the guesthouses.

Next day is an easy ride on well maintained roads to Luang Nam Tha. Here I’m told that the roads’ condition is due to a Chinese team having carved off the road surface. The road is going to be resurfaced soon. Now I understand!

House and children from a small village in the North of Laos. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

Small village in the mountains of Northern Laos, almost invisible because of the cloud. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

Houses at the road from Oudum Xai to Luang Nam Tha. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

On today’s schedule is 115 km of cycling from Nong Khiaw to Oudum Xai. Again, I’m not sure what lies ahead – will it be mostly flat or one large mountain, how many possibilities will I have to buy food and water along the way? So I aim for an early start. I have my breakfast at a place, where I’ve got to know the friendly young couple running it. We end up talking quite a bit, which delays my departure. To make things worse I chat up another tourist. Reason? He is flashing a Pentax camera (we Pentax users are a rare species these days) and seems to be writing, so I’m curious if he is a travel writer or something. Eric from France is travelling by motorbike, doing a bit of small scale writing for a local paper, and we end up having a long conversation. Once again, it is getting late before I finally hit the road.

The first 30 km back to Pak Mong is well known territory since I’ve just been going in the other direction. For once I feel strong and maintain a constant speed. I’m rather high on experiences and am humming the David Sylvian/Nine Horses song “Wonderful World” to myself. At the turn towards Oudum Xai real fun begins! The road is soon in an appalling state, asphalt simply gone missing in large patches leaving a rough gravel road to ride on. I hope things will improve once I’m out of the city, but is turns out this is to be the order of the day. Maybe 5-10 percent of the road have gone missing, small pieces of road maybe 10-20 meter followed by 300 meter decent asphalt, then another section of gravel road. At the same time the road starts turning upwards. As a result my average speed for the next 50 km is less than 10 km/h. On the few descents I have to ride slowly across the rocky parts to minimise the rumble and to reduce the risk of flats. When I do get a flat I find that my pump is not working properly. Another piece of kit that breaks down – and not the best time for gear to fail! I shall have a serious talk with the guys at Roseversand that sold me the Red Bull, when I get back!

With 32 km to go, I ride through a small town with a guesthouse and considers if I should call it quit for the day. I only have two hours or so before it gets dark. I decide to run the risk – in some perverse way I guess I hope I do not make it and have to find a place to stay in a private home in one of the small villages. After a while I’m finally rewarded with an excellent descent with occasional views of the valley below bathed in golden light of the sunset. The final km into town are on a nice, flat road. It is dark when I check in at a guest house. Talk about timing!

It’s a wonderful world
Full of wonderful things

(Nine Horses)

People working in the rice fields. Laos 2010. Photo: Joel Schumann

As I write this update I’m sitting on the balcony enjoying the late afternoon sun and the view over the small village Nong Kiaw and river Nam Ou. Enjoying is perhaps not fully covering the state I’m in, suffering is also part of it – it is just so ridiculously hot and humid. In theory my balcony with river view (sounds posh, eh?) at least provide a bit of a breeze, but that is just that – theory. The mirror reflection on my laptop shows my upper body drenched in sweat. Hold on, I think I’ll just take a cold shower.

… Okay! Based on weather charts and word of mouth I was expecting some more rainy days with more mild temperatures, but no! Anyhow, I’m just angling for sympathy or excusing myself, for the fact is the past weeks  have been testing at times but still such a enjoyable experience that I cannot consider myself anything but privileged … Oh, bugger, I certainly am getting sentimental on my older days.

Since last, I managed to escape the gravitational pull of Luang Prabang. Once again, I got up to the first rays of the rising sun and watched the monks do their thing. Then it was all a my and my bicycle doing a highway 13 job towards my next goal, Nong Khiaw. I did not make it that far, though. Too many rest days and too little sleep the night before had taken its toll, and I could not get the heavily loaded Red Bull move up the never ending short hills at any half decent speed. Still, a ride of 115 km. So pit stop in Pak Mong, where I’m off to Wonder Land the moment my head hits the pillow. Short nap, up for a late dinner, back to bed – that sum’s up  my experience of Pak Mong.

Next days ride to Nong Khiaw is only a short 30 km or something like that. So that is where I am now: a tiny, quiet town on the river Nam Ou. Been out exploring the countryside, visited a nearby cave where villagers lived during the 2nd Indochina War and explored some back roads to see where they would take me (see photos). Tourism is in its infantry here, so very little information on what to do. The big thing is to go upriver in a boat to the village of Muang Ngoi Neua, and that was my initial plan. However, after Studying the map and counting the days I have left in Laos, I decided the dear villagers will have to do without me. 30 days in Laos are just not enough. I will now start going towards Thailand again. Before I leave town there is a herbal steam bath and massage centre near by, which I consider trying out tonight. So that’s all folks.

View of mountains in Laos, with a corn field in front. Countryside near Nong Khiaw. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

Bumpy, unpaved backroad in Laos I explored on my bicycle. Around Nong Khiaw. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

PS. Just now a group of about 10 women and girls are giving themselves a good scrub in the river – for all I can tell they are shaving legs and all – and washing some clothes. This is taking part on “my” side of the river while some kids are splashing about on the other side. Do each sex have their own side? It feels rather voyeuristic watching them, even though there are decently covered in sarongs – and the distance is perhaps 50m. I often see similar scenes from the road, and don’t quite know what to do with my eyes: Is ignoring them altogether, just staring straight ahead, more impolite than giving them a “hello”? These baths are a public and social activity for the villagers, but I feel I’m intruding on their private space.

The streets of Luang Prabang are made of some sticky substance that prevents me from leaving the town. I have thus been unable to leave this place for five days – for me an unusually high number of days to stay in the same place. One more day than intended as I had everything set to leave today … or so I thought, for when I got up this morning (at 5 something in the morning … and hold on now, that is the 3rd day in a row!) and discovered my bicycle had at flat rear tire I convinced myself that it had to be a sign that I couldn’t leave today. It also buys me time to organize my photos and write this update. Finally, I shall buy my ticket back home to Denmark today.

So Luang Prabang! Yes, tourists are plenty, and most of the shops in the central part of town cater more or less directly for tourists: restaurants, souvenir shops, tour agencies etc. But the geniality of Luang Prabang is that there are almost no cars – but tuk tuks, scooters and cyclists – in the central part of the city, and that make it ideal to explore on foot or supported by the two wheeled iron horse. It is truly  a town of colour and scent. Flower covered gardens with old crumbling colonial style villas are everywhere, decorated temples are plenty and young monks roam the street in their sienna coloured robes. In the early morning people come from the countryside to sell their fresh produce at a morning market. In the evening people is offering their handicraft – and for once the quality is exceptionally high and price low – at the night market. Unfortunately I have an aversion towards shopping – I know, in the Western world it is indeed a very rare disease, you might never have heard of it before!)

Apart from spending time exploring the city I took the bicycle for a spin the other day and went to a waterfall some 30 km from town. I’m sure there are more spectacular falls (I have seen some myself) but the place was lovely with local people having a picnic and swimming in the cool waters of the water fall’s pools. Perfect for a days escape from the sticky heat.

I got tons of pictures from Louang Prabang, but little time to deal with the slow connection. Therefore, I will save the rest for later:

I spent some time resting from my bicycle adventures in Laos in Louang Prabang. One of the highlights of this city is the reliogious ritual of Tak Bat. Photo: Joel Schumann, 2010

Part of the reason for getting up before 6 in the morning is to behold – and photograph – the monks on their early morning round where they collect food from townspeople. Even more curious than the monks performing this old ritual is the townspeople participating by getting up at dawn, preparing food and then sit down at the roadside waiting for the monks to pass and without an exchange of words or getting eye contact hand over a small handful of rice. It is a beautiful ritual, certainly showing the people’s respect and admiration of the monks. It takes maybe 15 minutes then it is over for that day. For the same reason, it was quite challenging to photograph, but I managed to get quite a few decent shots. The one I chose to upload here is a bit curious. The motion blur is intentional, but I have to admit the faces of some of the monks look quite disturbing.

Louang Prabang is one of those places I hope to come back to soon. I even got a friend here now, Souly, a monk with whom I talked and am now exchanging emails.