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.

Arriving In Laos!!

The Thai side

Thakhek – Arrived 3/6/2011

The border crossing.  This has been the most fun I have over a border crossing – a boat trip across the Mekong!  Things were made a little bit tricky though with the immigration offices being at the top of the river banks and having to get bike and all to the boat down a whole lot of steps.  Thai side no worries a happy helper carried my bike and I carried the gear – not sure which was heaviest to be honest!  Things, stuff and whatever was thrown onto the boat to ‘export’ to Laos and everyone crowded on.  I got a few funny looks with my bike.

The Laos side

The Laos side.  Well you cross a river and you step into a new country.  It was pretty funny as soon as we hit the dock a bunch of guys jumped on started unloading all the goods it seemed all rather frantic and I thought someone was going to grab my bike and gear and just take off.  I just stood there looking dumb and soon enough I was left there with all my stuff.  A guy helped me again carrying my bike up to the immigration office.  He took it through to the other side of the offices so I just had to hope that it would be waiting for me once I got through immigration.  All sorted my bike was there and the guy was even kind enough to sort of move it out of the rain (it was pouring by now, a sign of things to come).  I load up, thank my helper then go to head off.  The guy starts talking Lao to me and gesturing money for carrying my bike.  I had a little bit of Thai baht left so go to hand him 20 baht (about $1) but he doesn’t take it and shows me a 100.  Not really in the mood for arguing and I had a 100 spare so that was that. Cheeky, but kind of funny too.

On the ferry

My bike waiting for me
at immigration 

Sorting a SIM card was a general disaster.  It took 3 SIM cards and a whole lot of confusing broken conversations to finally get one working.  The people who sold me it though were very helpful and patient.

I take a wee cruise around the streets of Thakhek to suss the place out.  Money exchange.  Not sure how exactly the currencies work here, USD and Thai Baht are accepted but not legal tender.  Think I read you can use USD in the cities though.  Exchanged some American dollars anyway – instant millionaire.  Only problem is that a bunch of my notes are too old and creased that they aren’t accepted.  The wee money machine literally spat them back out.  It’s sooo stupid, the money is good and the local kip notes are ripped, torn and crinkled to pieces and they use that!!!  I’ll find somewhere to use the ‘bad’ dollars.

Accommodation is cheap.  Air con, warm shower, fridge and TV for about $10 NZD pretty sweet.

The bed my look deceptively reasonably comfortable but it rock hard and concaved on three sides, a new meaning to a solid night’s sleep.

Beef Lahp feast

Wander around the streets for a bit (the rain has stopped now) lots of people say hello and smile at me seems a friendly country so far.  Dinner was a crack up.  I had to show the people my phrase book and see if anything it listed was what they had.  I ended up with Beef Lahp and soup.  Salad, sticky rice, minced beef with herbs and chilli and soup.  Looked a grand feast.  Not sure how you were meant to mix everything so I did just that a bit everything and into the mouth.  Laughed at and talked about at bit but I’m use to that now.

Dessert time.  A fruit stall across the street, perfect.  A group of friend sit around next it (one or two of them ran the stall) and randomly one of them asks me try their food/dinner.  Sure.  I start  by getting some salad then sticky rice then…. Laughed at.  I stop and gesture the guy to show how they eat it.  Rice and main dish or salad and dish, not all three.  Ok, I do a salad and main dish.  Not bad, and they gesture for me try it with rice so I had a bit more.

“Korp Jai (thank-you).  Good.  Korp jai”

I wander away and about 1 minute later my mouth goes on fire!!!!!!!!! Yea they had the last laugh, but I looked tough when I was eating it and when I left them so they wouldn’t know my mouth was being sacrificed.

Welcome to Laos Calvin new food, new people, new roads (probably older roads actually), new language that I need to pick up fast and a whole lot of new challenges ahead.

Looking forward to getting on the bike and starting the riding again in what looks to be a very scenic country, but hopefully not in the rain too much.

Thailand to Laos Cycle Log

Week 2 back in Thailand

This just cracked me up - on my bathroom door.  No squatting on the toilet

Wang Sam Mo – Arrived 30/5/2011

I got pointed all over the show trying to find somewhere to sleep and the vague directions shown on the sign boards were unhelpful.  There were two places within 400m of where I was standing but I couldn’t find either.  Finally found a nice place off a sand road off a dirt road off the main road.  Not too sure how.  I pay a little extra for an air con room only to find out later on that it doesn’t actually work.  It is cooler outside than inside my room.  How you can stuff up an air con unit so much?! Oh well I at least had a fan to stop me from sleep in a pool of sweat.

Phang Khon – Arrived 31/5/2011

Local surveyors!!! Two of them did something
while the other three just sat and had a smoke.

Happy to leave behind my roasting room and head off to find Boonruam’s friend.  It all started out fine, the sun beating down and ticking along nicely.  I look down and one of my gloves has fallen off (keep them strapped to the handlebars in the morning so I can work on my hand tan) so swing around a do a wee back track to see if I can spot it.  No luck.  Gutted, I’ll just have to get some new ones should be easy enough.  Then the rain came along, soaked within minutes.  This day isn’t quite going as planned.

Phang Khon approaches and the limited bike shops don’t have any gloves.  Hmm, you never seem to be able to find what you want when you need it.  85km down and just wanting a bed I decided to flag continuing for another 20km or so (which will just be backtracked the next day) to find Boonruam’s friend.  Would have been cool to meet him – that is if I found him as I was told just ask the locals where Tong lives and they’ll show you.

Found a quiet room and lots of food and I was happier again.

Sakon Nakhon – Arrived 1/6/2011

Woke up to the sound of rain.  I procrastinated for a bit hoping that it would ease off but no real chance so it was to be riding in the rain for the next 3 hours.  About 2 hours along it eased off but my feet and hands were pretty well pruned by then anyway.

Arriving into Sakon Nakhon was really nice.  Garden strip down the centre of the road and located along the edge of a lake. Seemed a relaxed town.

Hanging out in the local park helping to slay the dragon

This poor guy was stuck in the grass

I found a bike shop with some gloves.  The sizes don’t quite fit but it will do.  Will save my hands from getting baked in the sun though.

Happier again.

Nakhon Phanom – Arrived 2/6/2011

A really excited Thai guy pulled over to the side of the road after tooting when passing me, waved me down and was just so excited to see me touring it was fantastic!  He could speak a little English and asked me where I had been and was going.   Said I had gone through Cambodia

“You go to Siem Reap?” I reply yes and he gives a big grin and says

“Oh number one!”

I continue to say I have come up through Lahan Sai and past the temples

“Oh, you see Phanom Rung. Number one!” Massive grin and getting excited again

So I continue and say I’m heading into Laos and up north.

“Luang Prabang?! Number one!” Massive grin and excitement

He was classic and so keen to want to join in.  Kept me entertained for a while!

My first view of Laos

View from my room looking over to Laos

My final destination in Thailand – Nakhon Phanom.  I’m perched up on the 4^th floor (top) of a reasonably basic hotel just setback from the Mekong so I gaze out to Laos – very picturesque.  Laos looks to be a distinctively different looking country.  All I really see is bush with some signs of a city popping out of it then hills.  I think hills are going to sum up Laos especially for my planned route through the northern part.

It’s soon going to be time to say goodbye to 7-11 stores and all the convenient roadside shelters and continue into the unknown territory of Laos.  But first it was to be a feast from the night market and even to my luck there was a banana pancake cart!

The night market down the street

Week 1 back in Thailand - updated 29/5/11

Ta Phra Ya - Arrived 23/5/2011

So today I experienced the joys of riding without the front panniers and unnecessary extras.  It was funny to ride and look down at my bike and just see bike – no gear.  It’s not until you look behind that you see what you are carrying.

Haven’t quite mastered the kick stand on the bike yet with all the weight at the back it’s really unbalanced standing still.  Not much of concer though as the payoff was loosing 5½ kg and a whole lot of bulky wind catchers!

Here’s a story for you… wandering through the market at Ta Phra Ya getting some food supplies (too much again – the eyes bigger than the belly as usual) and I spot a banana pancake man.  I have to get one of these they are fatty deliciousness.  A bunch of guys were standing around the cart so I just stood alongside and waited.  Then the pancake maker started packing up. What?! Why? I want one.  One of the guys standing around the cart gives me a discrete wave on.  I’m a bit confused so just stand there.  Then they start to escort pancake maker away.  Oh. Somethings going down – well actually already gone down. He was getting arrested.  Illegal banana pancake making…. I’ll never know.  No banana pancake for me, stink!

I witnessed a Cock fight where I was staying.  Man they really go for each other and quite addictive to watch!

Lahan Sai – Arrived 24/5/2011

Thai work force clearing the shoulders. All manual labour no tractor

The rain clouds chasing me

Mini playground

Stayed in a mosquito ridden room that night.

Surin – Arrived 25/5/2011

One of the bigger days so far and I actually felt good for the most of it.  The bike blazed along the roads – the benefits of downsizing!  On my way over I thought I’d pass by Phanom Rung Historical Park and check out the couple of temples there.  Well this involved climbing a small hill (maybe 200m) but literally it was straight UP no sidling, it was fricken steep!  I reckon parts of the road got to 20% it was mental.  I was down into granny gear and actually sweating out of the palms of my hands it was intense.  The descent was cool – a little bit out of control at the run out!  Oh and the temple (Phanom Rung) was at the top, I stopped and checked it out for a while.

Phanom Rung

Muang Tam

In Cambodia they just called it a Bamboo Stick a-rei.
It's just a simple treat no need for a full blown research centre 

You would think this is a motocycle convention
but it's just parking for the market.
 Both sides of the road and for about 100m.

Suwannaphum – Arrived 27/5/11

The unbeatable shooting range

Well I thought this was just going to be another stopover town but I was wrong.  I got some directions then ended up being led to some accommodation by a nice young lady and was invited to come back to their restaurant and look at some maps of Thailand with them.  Sure why not. Talked maps for a while, then got shown around the market, got some food, checked out the local festival and got ripped off trying to shoot cans and toys off a shelf that I’m pretty sure they were glued to because I hit one can square on and the bullet bounced back at me! 

So that was the start of the night.  Met a bunch of her friends, drunk a lot of Leo (Thai beer) with them and had many disjointed conversations.  Had a very funny comment made about me:

“You have a big nose and a small mouth.  You look like an alien.”  Classic! I just laughed it was funny to know what people/cultures think of one another!  Marcus you would really stick out over here.

After feeling pretty tipsy we went next door where her family was having dinner so I met all of them and was made to make a fool of myself on stage.

I have no idea what I'm doing

Rocking it out with Yan (the Father)

More Leo.

Thinking that would be the end of the night as everyone was leaving but no, it was to a random place about 10km out of town to a karaoke restaurant.  Also made a fool of myself here as I had to go on stage and stand next to Yan (father) while he sang in Thai.  Hilarious night and made for a slight hangover and late start the next day.

Me and the family

I also found out what Tesco Lotus is – a supermarket!!!  It felt like home wandering around it, I wanted to buy so much food!  All the times I had passed Tesco Lotus and not realised what it was, I could have stuffed my face and got all the luxuries I wanted…but that wouldn’t be getting amongst the culture.

Phon Thong – Arrived 28/5/2011

So I was struggling to find some to stay here.  There was a hotel a few k’s out of town but didn’t really want to be so far from town.  I pulled into a beautiful tree covered place that I was sure was a guesthouse or something.  Wandered around and found the owner.

“Hello.”

“Bungalow?” Pointing at the place.

He looked at me and said laughing

“No, this is a school. Kindergarten.”

“Oh, do you know where a bungalow is?”

“Sit down and rest first, have some water and we’ll talk.”

Many discussions later (he spoke good English which was fantastic) and he decided I should stay in one of the classrooms for the night if I wanted.  Free so the decision was made, I slept at the kindergarten.

My classroom.  I learnt to count, and the alphabet
but it finished at X for some reason

Boonruam (owner of the private kindergarten) took me to the market and introduced me to a whole range of new fruits – there are just so many tropical fruits around here but it is hard to know if you are looking at fruit sometimes and especially what’s going to be good.  We had a feast for dinner and way to much fruit for dessert, breakfast was much the same literally – rice, meat and fruit with the addition of an omelette.  Can be hard to stomach some of that stuff in morning.

Very tasty. The wee fella looks like a baby potato with it's skin on

Our dinner table and Surit's bedroom

Me and the school drivers. Surit (I think that's how you spell it)
on the right. Didn't really meet the other two.

Me and Boonruam.  He's a character!  So happy and positive and eager for conversations and he loves planting trees.  His Kindergarten is like an adventure jungle for the kids!

I now have directions to see one of Boonruam’s friends who is more or less on my so will hopefully be able to find his place and stay with him too.

Phone number, good.  I'll probably use that when I'm lost.

I'm happy he drew me a map because I'm not sure
 where I would have ended up if I followed the description.

Cambodia Cycle Log

Heading back to the Thai Border

20/5/2011

So I got myself briefly lost leaving Siem Reap, you have to keep to your eyes peeled for road signs around here or maybe I should just pay more attention!  100km to Sisophon well I made it 115km.  A head wind the whole way and I went  23kph….20…19….18….16…14kph it was slow progress and straight, super straight.  And refreshing warm turning hot water to hydrate.

Straight, flat, hot, head wind

Sisophon!!!!! Yay!

Well It has taken 7 weeks and two trips to a post shop but my bike has gone on a massive diet and lost it’s ‘front bum’.  After repeatedly seeing other cycle tourist carrying half of what I have, multiple comments of “you have a lot of gear”, continually wonder what I can loose and finally a skype session with the comments passed:

“Have you got a tent?”

“No.”

“Do you cook your own food? Have you got a cooker?”

“No.”

“Oh.? Man I’m just trying work out what you are carrying around?”

“hmmm, I don’t know.  One bag I don’t even really use.”

downsizing - the pile centre back slowly grew

And that was it.  Time to get ruthless. The front panniers go, my pack that I have only used three times (once being on the flight over) is gone, and a stack of random stuff that I just haven’t used.  It feels good and really looking forward to the first day riding without it all.  My legs will hopefully be well rewarded!

It is interesting to find out just how little you need when cycle touring.  I had back-ups of everything it felt.  Why?  You’ll find a solution if something runs out or breaks.  I could still cut back if I wanted but have kept a few luxuries for myself.

22/5/2011

My last day in Cambodia.  Just like any other and funny enough very similar to a couple of days ago with a head wind again.  It was not until I was about 15km out of Poipet (border crossing) that it struck me that it was my last day in Cambodia, well for the mean time anyway it will be nice to come back.  A few thoughts on my time through Cambodia:

• poor country but very giving for what they have
• Cambodia grew on me over my time there. Ups and downs and breaking wheels but things just seemed to work out at the end of the day.
• An easy enough country to travel around (even for a beginner). I have experienced and enjoyed local and rural lifestyle and some of those nice treats of tourist areas.
• I only found hills in the south and the rest of the time it was remarkably flat. I’m looking forward to some hills to enjoy the descents again!
• Cambodia has an incredible history – The Temples, the Khmer Rogue, the wars, the landmines
• The Poipet border crossing is a confusing shambles but fun to go through.

The border crossing:

Khmer, Khmer, Khmer, Casino

Departure easy – filled out the departure card and stamped out.  Now where do I go, follow the 64 signs in different directions and multiple options to get to other side.  Being on a bike I mixed things up between following vehicles and foot traffic.  Didn’t quite get it right… I almost made it through the border without getting a visa.  Stood in one queue labelled ‘Visa on Arrival’ I’m pretty sure that’s what I need?  Apparently not.  I’m told to stand in the ‘Foreign Passport’ and I’ll just get stamped another two weeks.  Sorted.  Go back outside and get my bike and ride down the vehicle lane and come up to the vehicle border pass office.  Nah stuff that I’ll just jump back on the footpath and walk through to freedom thanks.  For being a major border crossing it’s confusing, I don’t know if was just me but there were a couple of other foreigners that were all over the show too.

The border crossing

The Casino in the middle of the crossing - right

I actually feel sad saying farewell to Cambodia.  There were days I was happy to leave and be somewhere else but looking back I can only really think how everything I did and what happened to me was a really great adventure.  There will be lots that I’ll miss.

Aranya Prathet was my destination of the Thai side, about 6km from the border.  Being back into Thailand was a weird feeling.  All the things I remembered started to appear again: the yellow roadside shelters, 7-11 stores, being on the left hand side of the road, smooth roads with your own moto/cycle lane and spicy food!  I had forgotten about the last and dived into my dinner then shortly after began a fire in my mouth!!! Stay calm and drink water, look like you're fine... eyes watering, nose starting to run I don't think I look very normal!

Found the post shop in Aranya Prathet and that was the end of the front panniers... a bit on the expensive side for postage but it's for the better! 

Before

After