Luang Prabang

Arrived 15/6/2011

Man it was an epic day today.  Epic, wicked sticks, awesome, sic as views, big grins and big descents!!

I didn’t expect to get this far today as by lunch I was on 50km down but things just got a whole lot better after lunch.  My lunch was awesome, fried fish and rice and some pineapple to finish off a satisfied stomach.  I undulated along for another couple of k’s then, ooooohhhh yea!!!!!!! 20km of pure uninterrupted descending, apart from me stopping for a video at pothole death corner.  Smooth roads (generally), not too steep (but happy not to be climbing it) and nice flowing corners with sunken depressions for me to use as a berm – perfect!!  I’m soooo happy!!!!  I’m actually contemplating back tracking the 130km of hills because I just grinned for so much of it but that may have been because was going generally descending.

Garth, Thomas (hiding) and Anga.
Hope you guys find the hot spring resort!

After so much descending it was inevitable to head back into climbing, but being so happy and a reasonable grade meant a middle/middle gear climb so it felt good, in comparison to the slow progress of other climbs.  Randomly while making another of my captivating videos a farang cycle tourist zipped by and soon enough two others followed and we had a good cycle tourist yarn.  Gear, bikes, how far, how much climbing, the great descents, places to stay, where we’ve been and stories involved. Always fun bumping into other cyclists, sharing experiences and passing on a few tips of the good and bad.  Another awesome descent but only about 15km this time and a bit of undulating breaking it up but can’t complain.

It was actually more like 50km but that was ok.

Only one pincher of a sneaky hill (half killed me with the steepness but it was comparatively short) before finally arriving in Luand Prabang.  Man what a day of riding.

Luang Prabang is somewhere down there

So that only gets me to Luang Prabang.  The city itself I am not even sure how to begin to describe it.  It’s relaxed, fun, friendly, touristy but not, the age and culture has been maintained, monks walking the streets in the morning collecting offerings, the night market, the beauty of the fairy lit streets at night, the food, the people, the smiles.  Man it’s cool here and I’m stoked to be spending time here to take it in.

Walking down the street into the night market