Day 23 - A train to Luang Prabang and a wander around town - Trial by fire: new bike, first tour, first time in Asia

November 17, 2024

Day 23 - A train to Luang Prabang and a wander around town

Our aim today was simple: get the 1030 train to Luang Prabang, find a lift into town, 11 km away, find some accommodation and then wander the town. We succeeded on all points and before that we had a good breakfast. I even cleaned, lubricated and adjusted my bike chain and pumped up the tyres. We strolled over to the station at 10 and purchased a ticket for the return journey. We couldn't do this yesterday but had to wait to today. We hung out in the spacious station before being allowed onto the platform.

After that, I managed to do things wrong. I left my pannier a few metres away and then overstepped a yellow line. This caused great offense to an official with a megaphone. I simply smiled and pointed to a local who was far beyond the line.

The train looked nothing like the fancy one we saw yesterday.

Don't mess with her or you will require the wheelchair.

I was looking forward to the train but it was one tunnel after another broken by 2 second glimpses of the landscape. There was nothing to do but contemplate the fact that British cheese missed out on the World Cheese Awards in Portugal, after failing to clear import controls. Did anyone see that coming with Brexit?

A fellow in deep contemplation over cheese.

Getting into town was a simple matter. We were dropped near a bevy of guesthouses 100 m from the Mekong and soon had an abode for three nights. It was all as simple as slipping over in a Laos bathroom. We felt like winners and spent the remainder of the day wandering, interspersed by a visit to a bakery, a draught Beerlao on the Mekong and a fine meal.