Heading to Vientiane

Ban Nom Thone - Arrived 4/6/2011

The first day of riding in Lao.  Undulating roads, great scenery, the occasional sunshower and everyone is super friendly.  All the kids yell at you “sa bai dee, sa bai dee!” (hello) it really gets you smiling.  I had one group of kids line up on the side of the road ready for high fives, it was awesome!! 

I was told as I ride out of Thakhek I will see the new and almost complete Lao Thailand Friendship Bridge.  Never saw it until about 20km along the highway.  Random place to choose to put it, it's the middle of nowhere.  Looks impressive, but will be a shame to see what effect it has on the ferry crossing because that was cool.  

Friendship Bridge

I have been warned that breakfast, lunch and dinner is noodle soup.   Lunch today: noodle soup.  It’s fine, but if you have it every day I can easily see how you would become sick of it so I will hunt for other dishes whenever possible.

Potential other dishes – not sure if would stomach these though.

This is wild jungle food - literally from the jungle behind the town

Instead I had some chicken, head, feet and all!  Why would waste anything that might be food. 

Shared dinner with the owners of the guesthouse and enjoyed some local brew – Beer Lao.  It’s good.

Pakxan - Arrived 5/6/2011

I wasn't really too sure how to describe this piece of 'food'.  it was like mashed up tuna, salt and anchovies or something with bones all through it, sloppy and slimy.  Actually wrapped in banana leaf not bamboo leaf.  Couldn't think about what I eating just did it.

A random dinner outing tonight – fried rice and joined by the locals, pretty normal.  A couple of them test rode my bike while I was eating, one down the road for a while just had to hope he was going to come back.  One of the guys invited me to have some drinks with him after, sure why not.  We ended up going to a random ‘house’ – smoking, money and cards not sure how legal it was.