Day 27 - South from Kasi to Tha Heua - Trial by fire: new bike, first tour, first time in Asia

November 21, 2024

Day 27 - South from Kasi to Tha Heua

I got back last night to a flat tyre. Before going to Luang Prabang, I cleaned and adjusted my chain and pumped the tyres. I expected to find a slow leak but the tube had a massive hole. It was very old!

We had breakfast at the guesthouse, Keo delivered my laundry including patched shorts. We bought fruit and water from her and got on our way.

Keo at her stall outside the guesthouse. She really is a jack-of-all-trades.

One of many clutters of bicycles at the local school.

It was 5 km back to the highway in Kasi and from there we got 30 km of very poor road. Indeed the state of the roads is much poorer than when Cora and I cycled this way in 2011. Back then, a vehicle would probably be a grey Hilux. Semi-trailers were rare and many trucks belched black smoke. These heavily loaded unarticulated trucks are rare now.

At least they're doing something about it!

Why should this elderly woman have to lug her load along a dust-ridden road?

The grey Hilux ute - the common vehicle in 2011.

I began to understand the symbolism of the Chinese Government's Belt and Road initiative. The latter symbolises modern railways and freeways. In contrast, the holes in the belt symbolise devastated road and dusty villages. One is for the haves and the other for the poor.

We were heading for Vang Vieng, where there's been a tragic incident of methanol poisoning in the last few days, causing the deaths of several young travelers. Cora and I weren't impressed with the place in 2011, but that had more to do with the behaviour of tourists (see story in blog).

Sometimes one gets the stencil back to front.

A field of dreams; there were many today, some quite good.

Winston getting to the top of the only hill of the day.

Some sights were more dramatic than others. Unhappy about the state of the road?

There was a big Buddha too. Theme park or temple?

I wouldn't like to cross this along with a big Chinese truck.

We had lunch in Vang Vieng and continued on for another 25 km to Tha Heua. The scenery wasn't as dramatic but there were still surprises.

None of the temples in Luang Prabang offer this line-up.

The only one that counts for those born in 1958. Such people are honest, amiable, sincere, hard-working, loyal, etc.

There was a seemingly related display a little further on by the roadside - rows of funerary items which, unlike the zodiac animals, are for sale.

Tha Heua sits on the northern end of the massive Nam Ngum Reservoir.

Thus, it was hardly surprising when we walked into town for dinner to see a lot of fish. We just didn't expect huge piles, more or less on the footpath, with people cleaning them.

The owner of the restaurant offered us shrimp with tofu rather than fish because he felt that his fish wasn't of the highest quality. He could have solved that with the shortest of short walks. Alas, he dished up a fine meal.

We returned to our guesthouse to find this fine visitor.

Today's ride: 90 km (56 miles)
Total: 1,149 km (714 miles)

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Graham SmithI’m greatly relieved to see that your bikes have been safely recovered from wherever they were incarcerated.
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