BANGKOK TO HANOI
2244 Km – 30 Days
1
September – 30 September 2017
MAP
PHOTOS - THAILAND
PHOTOS - LAOS
PHOTOS - VIETNAM
LAOS (5)
13 September – 18
September
13 September - Khemerat,
Thailand – Savannakhet, Lao – 105 km
Sluggish following the
previous day’s hills, a leisurely ride took us to the Thai/Laos border. En route,
people, basket in hand, were collecting leaves and herbs. I thought Thai people
were privileged as they still enjoyed the luxury of foraging. No wonder they can
prepare the tastiest of meals simply using one or two ingredients. They’ve a knack
for collecting tiny fish, crabs, and snails in ponds or rice paddies and conjuring
up a meal you’ll think you’re in a 5-star restaurant.
Lunch consisted of noodle
soup accompanied by a basket of fresh greens, giving it an extra unique taste.
Afterwards, the way continued to the immigration to get an exit stamp. Biking across
the Thai/Laos Friendship bridge spanning the Mekong River, wasn’t allowed. Instead,
pedestrians and cyclists were required to use the bus, which carted people
across the river to the Laos side. It didn’t take much to corrupt Tania, and we
hopped on the bicycles and gunned it across the bridge, to great protest of
border officials. We, nonetheless, kept going as fast as possible and laughed
ourselves silly at how ridiculous it must’ve looked to bystanders.
Once in Laos, a $30 visa allowed
entry into the country, and we made our way to Savannakhet and Savanpathana
Guesthouse. The fun part was going to the ATM to draw local currency (Lao Kip).
As the conversion rate was 8,280 Kip - US$1, one could draw 1,000,000 Kip without
breaking the bank. I still had a SIM card from my previous visit, and it only
needed topping up.
14 September – Savannakhet
Savannakhet sported a
Vietnamese consulate made applying for a Vietnam visa easy. A 30-day visa was
$45 and a 90-day one $55, and therefore best to apply for the latter, as it allowed
exploring far more.
Savannakhet was a lovely
place to wander about. We strolled the leafy streets of the old quarters and
along the Mekong River, marvelling at all there was to eat at the eateries
lining the riverbank. Although I must admit, pig’s brain in banana leaf didn’t sound
all appetising.
15 September – Savannakhet
Rumours of a typhoon off
the coast of Vietnam scared us, but I didn’t think Laos was in the path of the
storm. Savannakhet was located 300 kilometres inland from where the typhoon was
to make landfall. It, nevertheless, rained the entire day and the best part of
the day was spent indoors. At around 15h00, we returned to the Vietnamese
consulate to pick up our visas. As our abode lost power, it left little else to
do but eat. Not an unpleasant way to spend a day. By evening, I managed to lock
us out of the room. Luckily, those places generally had spare keys. It, nevertheless,
took a surprisingly long time to locate it in the dark.
The following day, the rain
came bucketing down. As the weather forecast predicted rain throughout the region,
one more day was spent in Savannakhet.
17 September – Savannakhet
– Muang Phalanxay - 119 km
Tania was up and packed by
5h50. Unfortunately, I wasn’t equally inspired and took considerably longer to
get ready. The route to the Vietnamese border proceeded in an easterly
direction. From Savannakhet, one could follow a rural path past Ban Bungva, a
lake featuring restaurants on stilts, which looked inviting.
Our path eventually ended up
at That Ing Hang, a stupa rumoured to house a relic of Buddha’s spine. We
snapped a few pics and continued in the direction of the Vietnamese border, a lovely
ride, through a rural area dotted by tiny settlements and markets. Late
afternoon digs offering food nearby made an excellent place to overnight. The place
was basic and barely worth 60,000 Kip, but what does a person expect when
paying 60,000 Kip ($7)?
18 September - Muang
Phalanxay – Ban Dong – 115 km
It rained throughout the
night and in the morning, we departed our humble abode via a muddy, potholed
road right through the morning market. By the stares and giggles, one could
tell, not many “farangs” frequented their market.
Like the previous day, the
day was spent biking through tiny settlements featuring simple houses on stilts
and past people carrying their wares in woven baskets on their backs or shoulder
poles. Women preparing food on open fires and children herding cattle reminded
me of Africa. We overtook people going to the market in basic, wooden, homemade
carts and others in equally minimalistic longboats motoring upriver. Bare-bottomed
children played in the dirt next to the path as their parents sold bamboo
slivers for tying up rice. Lunch was a bowl of noodle soup from a stall admiring
the stunning landscape. We dodged chickens, goats, and black pigs on arrival in
Ban Dong before finding a suitable guesthouse. The conveniently situated food vendor
across the way made it a comfortable overnight stop.
