[Betzgi's cycle tours]: Cycle tour My Asian Odyssey: Report Laos noth

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Saturday, 4. February 2012

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My Asian Odyssey

My newest trip starting in april '08

Kailash! ...a pilgrimage

As soon as I am back in Laos I go for another detour to the west, leaving the main road. This whole area here is full of big, steep karst hills and the road winds around them. This is much nicer and more interesting for cycling then the endless flat plains I had the last weeks. Inside the hills there are many caves and along the way I visit some of them.

Somewhere along the road a family lets my stay overnight in a little bungalow. At night it starts to rain. After almost 2 month this is the first rain. But it is quite a tropical storm and at some point I almost start to believe the my little house is being washed away in the floods.

: Tham Kong Lo

What does a river do if there is a big mountain in the middle of its course? Normally it would probably become a lake or try to find a way around. Not here in Kong Lo. Here the river has simply cut a tunnel straight through the mountain! With a longtail boat I travel on the river through the 7km long cave. It is pitch dark and only the beam of the headlights of my 2 boatsmen lets me guess the massive dimensions of these up to 100m wide and high caverns. I feel like being in the middle of Jules Verne's 'Journey to the center of the earth'. It is a fantastic and unique experience.

At least as nice as the cave itself is the night at the little village. A family has a simple room for me for the night. Food is mainly sticky rice. After some weeks in Laos I am already pretty used to that. After 8 it is dark and quiet in the village, but at 5 the next morning everyone seems to be on its feet again. Before I start again, the grandmother puts a colourful band around my arm while she whispers something. It's meant to bring me good luck they explain.

: Pha That Luang, Vientiane

Vientiane is a very peaceful little town. You would never guess it is actually a capital wasn't it for the embassys here and there. The main attraction for me is without a doubt the food. There are some very good international restaurants here. Sitting along the Mekong with a cold Beerlao and watching the sunset is obviously not only my favourite pastime here.

I always start very early in the Morning. This is also the time when the monks in their safran robes walk through the streets asking the locals for food. Almost every morning when I leave a place I can see that.

At the markets there are often very curious things on sale. It seems that everything that has moved is also being eaten. There are birds, cats, rats, frogs and more. At a break a man offers me from his food. I try and ask what that was. Ant-eggs he answers! Good I didn't know that beforehand. But best of all: it was actually good!

: Tat Kuang Si

My prayers seem to have been heard. North of Vientiane It is finally going into the mountains. There are some steeper, longer climbs and at 1400m it is finally cooler at night.

Uli & Bine have been on the road by bicycle for also about a year. According to our last email contact we should meet somewhere here along the road. One afternoon when I already enjoy my Beerlao in a little guesthouse along the street they actually turn up. It is going to be a interessting evening and we have plenty to talk about.

: night market, Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is the most popular tourist destination in Laos. It is a quiet little town on the Mekong. Most of the houses are built in the colonial style. Men play boule in the shade of the palm trees and you can buy baquette and crepes. In the evening, the main road is blocked and becomes a giant handicraft market. At the food stalls there is a lot to be tried out.

Having so many short term tourists here is unfortunately also a problem. Everything has its price here, mostly a rather hefty one. To see a (not so impressive) cave I have to pay 10 times the price as elsewhere. Even to park the bike in front of it, someone quickly asks for money.

: burnt earth everywhere

Unfortunately I seem not to have been very lucky with my food choices. For some days my activities are limited until I feel good again.

Before Luang Prabang there have been already many fires where the whole landscape was being burnt down. But here this has now come to a new scale. During the day you can often hardly see the sun anymore because of the fog und the smoke. I had planned to do some sidetrips here in the north. But with the current air and burnt down scenery I skip those plans.

I pass the last kids who come running for a high five to the road, the last Sabai Dii's then I leave Laos at the border to China.