September 6, 2015
To Vang Vieng: Potholed roads, a firefly and good company
To Vang Vieng: Downhill more or less
04/09/2015
Blip, Blip, Blip
Got up fairly early and left quietly so as not to wake up the sleeping hotel staff who were partying pretty hard late into the night. The descent down off the mountain range was spectacular. It was steep for sure, but it’s kind of difficult trying to gauge the angle when you’re flying down it – no time to think, just zoom! Right before the big descent there is a restaurant perched on the edge of the mountains. What a view they have.
From there it’s about 10 km of straight down with plenty of tight bends and waterfalls and magnificent views. At the bottom of the hill there is a short steep uphill before you arrive at the Hot Springs resort. Just about every Crazyguy who has ridden through Laos has stayed here, so I felt an obligation to spend one night. What sold me on the very short day (20 km) was that the manager told me there were, "blip blip blips"; each blip accented with a pinching movement of her thumb and forefinger as she moved her hand in front of her. Ah!!! Fireflies!!! Oh yes, I’ll stay if there’s a chance of seeing some fireflies.
The power was out, it had been for two days, but I was reassured it would be back on soon. The huts are very basic, but have electricity, a fan, a bathroom with toilet and cold shower. It’s a fantastic location with a magnificent view of both the “hot springs” (not very hot at all during the wet season) and the dramatic Karst hills that surround it. Most of the local village shows up in the afternoon for a wash. Grabbing towel and soap, I joined them.
Pity there was no electricity/water/fan/bathroom, and only one firefly showed up that night. But the beer and conversation in the pitch black dark and the food were all good, very good.
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Vang Vieng
From the hots springs to Vang Vieng is about 75 km. I got an early start as I arranged to meet up with David Walker there for lunch. So once again I left before the staff were stirring. Breakfast of noodle soup at Kasi and from that point on the traffic intensified; both the number of vehicles on the road and the risk taking driving behaviour. The road surface has also changed: less mudslides as we're now out of the hills, but many more pot holes and rough patches with no paving for 20 to several hundred metres at a stretch. The combination kept me on my toes and also kept down my average speed to around 16 kmph. I'm riding on Schwalbe XRs and they are indestructible, but you pay for that with a terrible ride on a very slow wheel. I'm going to retire them when I get back to Perth. I'll hang them on the garage wall as a monument to my stupidity.
I slowly bounced my way in to town. The views are still sublime...
At one point I met another cyclist coming the other way. French of course. If they are not French, then they are Dutch. And they are few and far between in the wet season. He had started in France over a year ago and was cycling into the hills for a bit of variety. I told him about the road ahead and that he would soon have his wish granted. When he enquired about my trip his reply startled me, “Oh, a long journey.” I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I guess it certainly isn’t a short 2 week holiday adventure.
I have a couple of other French cycling friends (Mathieu of the Thailand appendicitis and his Sancho Panza, Laurent). They opted for the less travelled Bolevan Plateau and dirt roads. From all accounts they are having a lot of fun snorkelling through the mud. I'm sticking to the mostly, kind of, paved roads.
I made it into town at the appointed time for my lunch rendezvous with David and took a room at the same hotel, away from the backpacker Sodom and Gomorrah that Vang Vieng tends to be. When you're cycle touring, especially when you are going solo, good company with someone who shares the same language and world view is appreciated. I got my fill in Vang Vieng.
75 km and one hot and dirty rider. I'll spend two nights here, my legs are better, but still don't have the reserves in them I expect.
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