Day 17

Restday in Sam Nua (Sam Nua - Viang Xai: 60 kilometers)

The cleaning has to be done at the only place in town with enough clean water; the river. When heading back to the hotel Jeroen finds out that his smallest chainwheel is letting lose. Now he knows why changing gear was such a problem yesterday but he counts himself lucky that it did not come off during yesterdays stage. With a multitool and an adjustable spanner and some combined effort the chainwheel is fixed within no time. After that we decide to spoil our bikes a little extra so we pay a visit to the local oil shop were we put a few drops of extra thick oil on our chain. But even that does not lessen the noise that can be heard when we chain gear. Maybe the bicycles have had such a hard time yesterday that even the local wonder oil does not help anymore. So no other remedy then to change gears smoothly the remainder of the trip..

After lunch everybody goes he own way. Kitty and Frank give their bicycles also a check up, Marcel and Jeroen visit the local temple to rest their mind and legs and make some nice pictures. Kees heads of to Vang Vieng to take a look at the local attractions; caves that are used by the Lao big shoots to hide during the American War. Kees asks if somebody wants to join him making the remark that it is only 28 kilometers from Sam Nua. But even Jeroen, who yesterday took a good look at the mountain between Vang Viang and Sam Nua, is not in the mood for another adventure that will definitely result in painful legs this evening. So Kees heads off to look if this tourist trap is really worth the effort. But when he returns he is not that talkative. He is out off breath because he to off to late for the return trip so the way back was another race against the clock the be back in Sam Nua before night fall. The only thing he tells the others that he did fall when he had an argument with a truck passing by. Luckily the damage is not that back just a graze, another whole in his cyclingshirt that is in rags already and (most important of all) a whole in his ego. The others also have not much to tell at diner. It look likes it is a good move to take a day of rest today so we can hit the road tomorrow with renewed energy.

Day 18

From Sam Nua to Na(m) Neun (106 kilometers)

Kitty, Frank and Marcel head off like a couple of pro's while Jeroen and Kees make a detour to buy some bread for lunch. Jeroen is quickly back with the pack but Kees is unable to catch up with the others, his legs protest against another day in this bikers paradise. This is the toll he has pay for his trip of yesterday. Just another case of prides goes before a fall and in this case a deep fall. Today it is only character that can help him to reach today's endpoint at some 100 mountainous kilometers from Sam Nua.
The first steep 7 kilometers will bring us to 1300 meters and after that we go down again. Only permanent use of the brakes prevents us from falling down as a rock. This will be the recipe of today: a harsh struggle to reach the top and no advantage going down because we have to use the break all the time as is shown on the profile of today's ride. But at 1300 meters the views are beautiful especially when we ride in and above the clouds.

After some 20 kilometers we make our first stop of the day not only for breakfast but also to pump some air in the tire of Kees his rear wheel. His tire is slowly losing air but as we expect that it can be managed by putting air in it on a regular basis we decide not to fix it. After the first col of the day Frank tells the others that he has had it and that he will take the first bus that passes by and that he will meet the others at the end point. So the plan is that we will continue until a bus passes by and that Frank will jump on it while the others continue. The we decide to take off again. After a few meters Kees finds out that not only the tire of his rear wheel is slowly losing air but also his front tire is flat. The last one has to be fixed before he can go on. Marcel decides to give him a hand while the others cylce on.
When they are busy fixing the tire two local beauties want to pass by put the hesitate to do so because with two strange man on the road they have their doubts of it is save. When when it is clear that we have more attention for the tire then for them the decide to make a run for it. A few meters after us they return to normal pace and continue their way. When we fix the tire not only two local ladies pass by but also two busses; the bus to Vientiane and Lang. Prabang. The two gentleman look at each other and come to the conclusion that Frank has to cycle today's stage. These are probably the first and last busses that will pass by and they doubt if Frank will stop one of them. After the tire is fixed the mount their bikes again to catch up with the others.
Halfway today's stage we dismount in a village and mix with the local population. Marcel and Jeroen look with admiration and jealousy how relaxed daily life is being enjoyed. Frank has his own problems because the Fanta he has bought is over the tenability date. After the shopowner gives him a new can he starts nagging that a date does not mean anything because it is still the dark middle ages here. For sure it is time to mount the bikes, lead the bunch and let get some people gasp for oxygen !
And with a stage like this that is no problem, the whole day up and down and then it is 12 kilometers down. But we are wrong. First it goes down indeed but then it goes up endlessly up again, so step that we have to walk some stretches. At half past five Marcel, Kees and Jeroen are the first one to reach the top, just a half hour before it will get dark. We decide that Marcel waits for Kitty en Frank and that Jeroen and Kees will head for the T-junction (Samjeeg in good Lao). A the junction they inform if there really is a guesthouse in NA(m) Neun and when the people confirm it Jeroen stays behind to wave the others through. Kees descends to NA(m) Meun in a breathtaking speed to look for the guesthouse.
When Kees reaches the foot of the mountain the seconds house he passes is the guesthouse and they have free rooms too ! Then the others arrive. Just in time because when they enter the guesthouse grounds somebody up there touches the switch that is named "daylight" and it is instantly dark.
After the bicycles are save we quickly take a shower because there is only cold water available and now it is still a little warm. The lady of the house asks if we want to join dinner and Kees tells that is OK. But when she shows up with a living cock that a little later appears chopped to pieces on the table next to a bottle of local ricewine. When Kitty sees this she decides she will go for diner at the village minutes. After diner we head for our beds because after the cold shower we are not able to get warm again or is it today's hardship that has drained all power ?

After yesterdays long day on the bike most of us are not that keen on getting into the saddle again. Only Kees is ready for another ride after he has fixed the tire of his rear wheel. But when Frank tells him that everybody else want to go by bus today, the democratic made decision is set.
We are lucky there is also a driver of a songthaw-taxi sleeping in the guesthouse. His initial plan was to go up the mountain to the Samjeeg and then south to Ponsavan, but that was yesterday after a bottle of ricewine. So this morning we inform again. We can not make anything out of it, but no problem South or North is but out of here and into the good direction so bikes on top of the car and we in it. When we drive away we find out that we head South and it will be Ponsavan today. But the ride does not take that long. The first stop is after 500 meters; NA(m) Neun village. Here the preparations for a wedding are being made. Parachutes are being hung on the village square to provide some shade. When the bride and broom spot us we are invited to drink something. Jeroen and Kees accept the offer drink a glass of traditional brew ricewine on the heath of the soon be wed pair. The others tell that it ½ past 9 and therefore to early to drink. So all attention is given to Jeroen and Kees who enjoy the ricewine or sato. It is an ingenious concept: one takes a jar, put some glutinous rice in it with some yeast, let it stand for a while and then put an antenna in the jar and use it as a straw. Take a sip and poor water on the top so that juice keeps coming out of the jar picking up the alcohol in the rice.

After both Kees and Jeroen have finished 3 glasses it is time to go. With a honking horn we leave the village square. But we do not leave the village yet, first a new stop to enjoy a bottle of beer with the friends of the driver. After the driver has taken one sip he stops and introduces Kees to his friends and pushes him to finish the bottle fast so that we can go to Ponsavan.
On the way it never gets crowded in the back of the taxi, something we enjoy because we have had different experiences taking public transport in the region. In the first village we pass we make a stop to purchase a silver peasant caught in the surrounding forest. This deal is made in the house of the most beautiful girl of the village and of course bottles of beer Lao (more then a couple) are used to smoothen the negotiation process. Kees is dragged along again by the driver to absorb most of the alcohol that is being served. After the deal is successfully made we board again and head off. At the next stop Marcel and Jeroen complain that the driver is driving like a madman and that is probably because of the alcohol. Kees who did not notice anything makes a remark that it cannot be that bad. But maybe it is because he is sleeping away his hangover in the front of the car and it will take a crash to get him awake and sober.
A few kilometers before Ponsavan we make another stop to pick up the dad of the driver and make use of this opportunity to talk with the old bloke. He is a nice man who was teacher before his retirement and he had a hard time during the years of the American war. The enormous number of bombes and grenade and other war souvenirs in and around his house are witnesses of that era. Kitty is not that interested in the hardware around and uses this stop to go to the toilet. When she announces that she wants to make use of the toilet a girl brings the key and takes her by the arm to show her the way.

After arriving and relaxing yesterday, today we will visit The attraction here: The Plain of Jars. Nobody knows why and how the Jars got there. A reason more to take a look at them with our own eyes. It is 11 kilometers to one of the sites with the jars so it is also a restday.

After we arrive we run around within the marked areas and on the marked paths (so we do not tremble over UXO or unexploded ordnance that lingers around since the 1960's), take a picture here and there and eavesdrop when we meet a tourgroep. After one hour we have seen enough and head back to the guesthouse.

Today we gather at 8 because that is the time everybody shows up on the street. After a short meeting we decide to head for Thailand today so Frank can catch this evenings train from Nong Khai to Bangkok. But first we will pay a visit to the Xieng Khuan Buddha park. A local attraction that we missed on our last trip two years ago. And today we will almost drive by the park that is on the banks of the Mekong River and just a few kilometers away from the Friendship bridge where we have to go anyway to cross the border.
When we cycle along Wat Si Saket we persuade Kitty and Frank to sniff some more culture and enter the temple. The boys, who visited the temple at least one time before, will wait on the sidewalk and enjoy a cigarette. When Kitty and Frank are finished sniffing the pack mounts their bikes again and enjoys the views and good roads in Vientiane. It is some 17 kilometers to the Buddha park and everybody takes it easy and soon we are scattered. We meet each other at the park and the first thing we do is order a brunch. Kitty enjoys her coconut, Frank, Jeroen and Marcel a good plate of fried rice and Kees a bowl of noodle. But during lunch the group splits up because on this first day with bright sunshine Frank and Kitty look for a place in the sun while the others enjoy the shade.
After the break it is time to take a look at the statues in the park. It is a strange mixture of Buddhist and other themes. Because pictures say more then words take a look at the slideshow of Laos. It is striking to see that most statues or donated (or better the money to make the statues) is donated by high ranking military officials or businessmen. Together with the Buddhist character is the park probably the reason why after 1975 the park was not taken care of. But nowadays it is a different story of course because the visiting tourist bring hard cash it has become a real milk cow. A pity that the benefactors can not enjoy their gifts anymore. It is even the question if they had the luck to make it to the USA after the war was over.
Enjoying the atmosphere in the park we decide to fill in all papers under a tree in the shade before heading to the border. Due to this action all formalities are arranged smoothly at the border when we arrive there a hour later. We are even allowed to cross the Friendshipbridge by bicycle. That is a big improvement compared with our crossing two years ago. Then we had to put our bicycles in a van. Of course we take this opportunity to make a picture on the border.

When we arrive in Thailand we immediately ride to the train station of Nong Khai. Frank is planning on taking the train to Bangkok tonight so we better hurry a little so the train is not full. When we arrive at the ticket office we discover that it is in vain. The tickets are sold out, although after some talking back and fourth Frank finds out there are still some first class tickets available. But the price tag added makes Frank to think it over again. But finally he decides that after three weeks and many harsh kilometers on his bike it is time to enjoy this more luxury way of travel.
We wait at the shops nearby for Frank his train to leave or nightfall. Whatever comes first because we have to leave Frank when it is still light due to the fact that we do not have light on our bikes and riding on the highway to Nong Khai without light is not something we look forward to.
Because we are in Thailand it is time to look around for good food. Although in Laos it is also nice we did not have the opportunity to enjoy real Lao delicacies but we are planning to catch up in Thailand. Kees orders some sausages and herbs and enjoys them with Jeroen. Marcel only want to drink a beer Singha because it it the local brand and Frank orders a bread with bread as usual. A daily practice that we have to miss from now on, just like his cries for joy like "the best cook I have ever met" or "Kitchen princess" when the cook manages to deliver an egg with a solid yolk. The other gentleman ask themselves for the last time how he will manage when he is for business in a foreign country. Will he also rush into the kitchen of the hotel or restaurant to make sure his fried egg is prepared properly, or will he there just accept the salmonella bacteria (which are in western countries probably just as widespread as here).
Around 5 O'clock we wished each other good-bye and it was a real Dutch farewell, due to the number of tears dropped that is considerable higher then with a Thai farewell. After a last glimpse over our shoulder we head off to Nong Khai to find a place to sleep. And we installed ourselves in a nice guesthouse on the bank of the Making river and a shower we hit the road for a good diner. And it is a nice diner but the more experienced cyclist tell that they had better diners before. So that is something we are going to take care of, next to cycling hard and far of course !