July 10, 2023
Day L3: What the Truck
He said, “One day you’ll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember”. My father told me when I was just a child “These are the nights that never die” (Avicci 'The Nights')
Part of this trip was to build in some much needed time to properly grieve the passing of my father last Sept. The Kasi Hotspring Resort seemed like the ideal place to spend some much needed downtime to do this, but things didn't quite go as planned.
For starters the pool was dry since they close it during the rainy season. The waterfall was still there to chill out and relax, but that wasn't the main issue. What happened is that this section of road got totally destroyed by all the heavy trucks going back and forth. Most likely there is some highway construction project going on. There is a mix of both Laos and Chinese trucks so probably a government contract or something. The locals at the guesthouse said it gets so bad sometimes there are traffic jams that go on for kilometers.
I don't remember these trucks at all from the last trip. They ripped up the old road to shreds and made it impossible to sleep as the traffic went on all night. So, a change of plans. I mapped out a route to the Thai border and would do a short ride first to another guesthouse near Kasi where I could properly grieve. Meanwhile I spent a few hours at the waterfall researching Ukraine support donations and try to sort that out.
As for here in Laos, these construction projects had ruined my plan for a proper retreat and so it was time to do a U-turn and get this bike moving in the opposite direction for Thailand.
This hotsprings resort experience wasn't remotely like I remembered it before but that's really the key here, we can't expect to repeat the past. It is the way it is now.
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I asked the owner Vieng about routes to Thailand and she said the new road from Luang Prabang to Nan via the Huay Kon crossing is the way to go. The thing is I had already done that before. It's certainly an epic ride but it would mean getting to Luang Prabang first on Route 13 which I wasn't in the mood for.
She also told me that covid plus the devaluation of the kip was affecting her business. Indeed I could see the suffering. She was still nice and all that but compared to the last visit it was almost like she was a completely different person. Vieng mentioned that if possible her son can go to a nice university in the US.
The trucks for whatever reason were using this as a main route despite how the more direct route to Luang Prabang is via the new road near Sayaboury. The other traffic long since used that and Route 13 became THE best route for biking. But that was before the trucks came in. Now it's the worst route.
Clearly the trucks are using the road for something else. If others are reading this you'll definitely want to avoid this route. Sorry to say this will affect the business of these places more as they used to rely on cycle tourists a lot. I really sympathize with the owner but trying to ride a bicycle with all this trucks is beyond unpleasant and downright dangerous.
These trucks are killing machines. They barrel around corners so fast I had to take evasive action and bail off the road several times.
Much to my dismay I found one of the sources, a barite mine from a Shanghai company no less and a 22 year concession. This made me furious. I knew this kind of thing was happening in Laos, now there was evidence. The trucks from these Chinese concessions have literally destroyed it.
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 630 km (391 miles)
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