April 11, 2007
To Dempa: Snow on the summit
Today we see the Mekong River for the last time after first seeing the river in Vietnam.
The weather is still drizzly, we decide to go on. First down across the bridge over the Mekong, then the start of the climb. The road climbs, winding around, switchbacks, up and up. We can see the road up the mountainside. At one point the Mekong River veers off to the left down a different valley as our road goes to the right.
It's amazing to see where houses and fields are built. Perhaps it's the contrast between the brown slopes makes the green fields even more brilliant. Along the slopes we can see the crisscrossing paths that are used by the goats, sheep, donkeys and yaks...people.
As we go higher, rain turns to sleet and by the time we reach the summit a blizzard of snow. It is 3pm before we reach the summit and then a 16km descent, Rachel having to walk the last 2-3 km. We are cold and wet. Rachel's brakes are worn and not dependable and walks the steepest sections of the downhill. Even though Patrick said, "We are not walking down this mountain", he is almost hypothermic. Visibility is low yet we can see the steep valley off the edge of the road. Rachel's brakes become less and less functional, cycling parts that are less steep. Patrick cycles ahead. By the time Rachel reachs the village and guesthouse, she has no brakes, and has to stop "Fred Flintstone" style with her feet.
When Rachel reached the guesthouse, Patrick has a cup of hot tea ready for her and we stay in the restaurant to get warm. We stay near the fire trying to dry gloves and shoes. Patrick moves our gear into the room and locks the bikes to the balcony. It's 5:15pm we order food: scrambled eggs, fried hash browns that are really tasty and cauliflower over rice.
Trucks arrive from the direction we had come, the plants on the roof of the cab covered with snow. There must have been about 8 drivers, each have a bowl of instant noodles, they eat in a flurry and leave. The owner of the restaurant cleans their table by opening the window and chucking the containers, some still with noodles into the river far below.
The toilet is better than last nights--built over the river and didn't smell as much. But it is still out back and has a wooden floor with an area cut out and 2 wooden feet on each side of the hole indicating where to stand...Just hope you don't have to get up in the middle of the night!!
This was quite a day....
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Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 7,815 km (4,853 miles)
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