Day 38 - an island adventure on Laos National Day - Trial by fire: new bike, first tour, first time in Asia

December 2, 2024

Day 38 - an island adventure on Laos National Day

The Laos PDR came into existence 49 years ago. Tan and her family were out celebrating.

We had a plan for the day: cycle about 80 km and stay in a guesthouse 10 km from the Cambodian border.

I was making a mess of yesterday's blog and so I got a late start. Nevertheless, I felt like a king sitting on a bed eating goods that I bought at the French bakery in Pakse. Meanwhile, Winston reported that he'd had a good coffee and got on his way. I was getting a coffee, when a flat tyre stopped Winston 12 km down the road. He fixed it in a shady spot on the side of the road.

The way to start the day: a Lao coffee and a scribble of the diary.

A constant stream of people stopped in vehicles to get meat on sticks. Why did this restaurant catch the clientele?

It was 9 by the time I got cycling on this clear, hot, humid day. Nevertheless, by keeping my speed up I felt reasonably comfortable.

This stretch of the highway seemed quieter than other parts. There seemed fewer villages, fewer houses and fewer people. This may explain why the watercourses appeared cleaner. But, there was still little birdsong.

That constant reminder that the Mekong is nearby.

This lily pond must look fantastic in the right season.

This winged Naga might have low enough wing loading to fly.

It was that sort of day - seek the little shade on offer.

I wasn't far from Winston when I met Ovel and Christine, Swiss tourers from Berne.

I was within a few kms of our proposed guesthouse when I saw a sign to a river port. We had not considered this option, but I recalled the thousands of islands and falls on the Mekong from Milton Osborne's book "The Mekong". I had no doubt that there would be a plethora of accommodation and good food at the port or on the islands. Fortunately, there was a small hut - a traffic observation post, at the turnoff where I could escape the sun while waiting for Winston.

We got to the port and I returned to an ATM because we thought we might be short of kip. Neither ATM worked and so I changed some $US, with the usual battle over the quality of the notes.

The ticket office: 60,000 kip got our two bikes and us to Don Det.

Not what you would call a roll-on roll-off ferry.

It was a short but interesting 15 minute trip. And, put simply, you haven't been on a cycle tour if you haven't got your bike on and off a boat.

In case we didn't already know that this was a tourist destination.

We landed on the very touristy Don Det, where every place is selling tours or bus tickets or food or all three and where there's an Indian restaurant offering vegan and vegetarian food. We took virtually the first guest house we saw - a rather upmarket place overlooking the river that has breakfast as part of the deal.

So plush that one can see through the floorboards.

The view's terrific, dominated by a giant fig on the next island and the constant activity on the water.

We had a short wander and then settled in with a beer to watch the light fade and the boats get blurrier and blurrier - Monet-like.

Our hungers came on with the sun gone and the heat diminished. It was time for what turned out to be a very good Indian meal. We'll excuse him for not having Basmati rice on an island in the Mekong.

Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 2,166 km (1,345 miles)

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John GrantG'day Gents
Excellent photos of the activities on the Mekong !
John
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