"I LOVE THAILAND & LAOS" RIDE - DAY 7

12TH FEB 2013: LUANG PRABANG – PHOU KHOUN – VANG VIENG (226KMS) 

I checked out around 7am. It was not difficult to exit the town and enter route 13 heading south. The road condition was similar as from Pak Mong to Luang Prabang. However, there was some off road (due to damaged asphalt road) for about 40kms before and after Phou Khoun which slowed me down. I rode a relaxing ride today to enjoy the mountainous view and the valley down below. It was lovely, but the haze kind of spoilt my pics. 

While riding today, I witnessed lots of interesting things. I saw girls in their teens sitting on the stairs of their houses searching for head lice. When was the last time I saw this kind of scene? When I was a kid? I also saw naked children bathed at the public tap while laughing and playing among themselves. They seemed so happy with their lives. I saw teenagers and some even small children, carrying piles of woods on their shoulders. I saw the men driving one type of farming vehicle with long fork (I hv no idea whats the name of the vehicle) and it seemed that this vehicle was the most dominant vehicle here in the mountains. I saw women walking by the road side with large baskets tied to their backs with all sorts of thing in it. I also saw kids with hands stretched out holding squirrels to offer to the passing vehicles. Along the way, I saw kids, men and women laying the broom plant on the road to dry or lift the dried ones up on the lorry to be taken to the nearby factory. The best part was I saw a young lady standing by the road side and urinate without the least of care of whoever saw her doing that. I remembered the term ‘Happy Room’ quoted by my kayaking guide yesterday, which meant that you can do your business anytime, anywhere, anyhow. I didnt see any censored part of hers, but what I saw was 'Niagara Falls'. LOL... 

Laugh aside, what I didnt see in the mountains is a school :( 

I may be wrong, but from my ride, it seemed that schools only existed in towns. It makes me wonder if the mountain kids ever had the chance to go to school, to learn to write, to read and to count. My heart fell for them...

I continued riding while enjoying the greens and the spectacular landscapes. Sometimes I wished that I can stay here forever to enjoy the view, but I dare not speak it out loud. Doa orang bermusafir dimakbulkan Allah, there and then....so must be extra careful with your words Anita.

This time its going to be me, DREAM....and the clouds :)

The cloud is low here

Vang Vieng 147kms...when riding the mountains, this is still far

I didnt encounter too many pigs compared to June 2012 ride

I arrived Vang Vieng around 1pm and headed straight to Nam Song Garden GH. This GH was owned by a nice Norwegian guy who had a Lao girlfriend. His gf was happy to know that I was from Malaysia as she said that her sister married a Malay guy and lived in Malaysia. They were both very friendly. I got a small room where I can park DREAM just next to my window. The view was nice with mountains, river and greens. 

Not long after that, the electricity was cut off. The whole of Vang Vieng blacked out. To avoid the heat inside my room, I took a stroll around the small town and stopped at a bridge by the river bank which happened to be the end point for kayaking and river tubing tour. It was so happening at this place where lots of people just gathered here for a drink and people watching. It was also a spot for sun set viewing. 

I get back to my GH around 7pm. By the time I wanted to sleep, I suddenly remembered about my pouch which I kept my extra money. I normally hide it in the inner most pocket inside my back pack. I searched for it but couldnt find the pouch. I was getting worried as I hv only little money (Kips, equivalent to RM75) inside my wallet. I searched for the pouch everywhere, but couldn’t find it. Since it was dim inside my room (due to being lighted by a candle), I calmed down by telling myself to be patient and search for it again tomorrow morning when the room will be brighter, and hopefully the electricity has recover by then.