FROM THAILAND UP TO CHINA

When I eventually left Bangkok I had 6 days of cycling to do through the North of the country so I could cross the Mekong river into Laos before my Thai visa expired. I'd hardly done any cycling for some time, so I wasn't looking forward to this "race" at all. My plan had been to have at least 3 weeks to get back into the cycling, cruising along this route and enjoying the scenery. But that was not to be, due to my own negligence - having to wait in Bangkok for the return of my lost wallet.

BUS AND TRAIN THROUGH LAOS TO CHINA. I had previously (about 5 years ago) cycled a certain route through SW-China up to Chengdu city. That route took about 3 months to cycle, and my plan was to continue onwards from there. I was going to get the Chinese visa in Vientianne, Laos, and then take public transport from there all the way to Chengdu in China.

Daily distances cycled since Bangkok were:- Ayutthaya 93 km; Muak Lek 107 km; Nakhon Ratchasima 125 km; Ban Phai 137 km; Udon Thani 131 km; and Vientiane (Laos) 91 km. Long distance bus stations in particular tend to be on the outskirts of cities, allowing me plenty of opportunity to find my way around in the urban traffic. The distance which I cycled in Vientiane, Kunming, and Chengdu between trains, buses, and hostels was 95 km. This takes my total so far to 122 258 km.