DE JE VOUS IN VIENTIANE

Here I am, once again in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Similar to last year it was a charge North from Bangkok, and I crossed the border a day or 2 before my Thai visa expired. It was so much of the "same old route" that I only realised afterwards I did not take any pics. At least this time (unlike last year) I did not have my computer, or anything else, stolen along the way. Also, to save some time and effort, I jumped the gun and took the train to Ayuttaya.

There doesn't seem to be much new to photograph in this city, but I've stuck on some pics anyway. At least I have obtained my China visa here again, and will be heading in that direction shortly. I will probably not be able to update my blog from there (as in the past), but there are ways and means and hopefully I can get access to that.

Distances cycled since Bangkok have been:- Ayuttaya (+ train) 12 km; Pakchong 109 km; Nakhon Rachasima 121 km; Temple Camp 124 km; Kong Kaen 120 km; Truck Stop 65 km; Nonh Khai 59 km; and Vientiane 28 km. Total distance is 129 472 km.

RETURN TO THAILAND

(THESE FIRST FEW PICS ARE FROM LAOS, ON MY RETURN FROM CHINA TO THAILAND) So, after crossing the Chinese border on the afternoon of the visa expiry day, I was once again in Laos and could relax a bit.

In Vientiane (the Laos capital), I obtained a 2 month Thai visa, which would give me plenty of time to do what I still wanted to do in Thailand. Otherwise, by crossing a land border into Thailand I only get to stay 15 days). (THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE IN THAILAND, MAINLY IN THE EAST OF THE COUNTRY) Magnificent Sukhothai historical park; Camping at Buddhist temples where they never turned me away and always offered sheltered camping from the frequent showers; 2nd WW tourist attraction and place where soldiers suffered - Bridge over the river Kwai at Kanchanaburi.

The idea of returning to Thailand was also partly because I wanted to try and cycle through Myanmar, and needed to obtain the visa in Bangkok (which I did). However, I did go all the way to the Myanmar border with Thailand at Mae Sot, but for a number of reasons I decided to stay in Thailand and return to Bangkok (from where my flight was back to Miami). Myanmar is certainly on my agenda for the near future. Daily distances cycled are:- Ayuttaya 92 km; (Train to Phitsonulok 6hr) - previously cycled route; Sukhotai 83 km; Tak 74 km; Mae Sot 91 km; Temple camp 94 km; Thoen 98 km; Lampang 111 km; Lumphun 84 km; Chang Mai 43 km; DoIkun NP 71 km; Utteradit 117 km; Phitsonulok 107 km; Nakhon Sawan 141 km; Chaiyo 127 km; Ayuttaya 51 km; U-Thong 105 km; Kanchanaburi 56 km; Sukhaburi 110 km; Saraburi 98 km; Lopburi 101 km; Ayuttaya 121 km; Forest Wat 97 km; Kanchanaburi 66 km; Nakhon Prathom 66 km; and Bangkok 75 km. The total distance which I've cycled so far is 128 834 km.

OUT OF CHINA

Hello, I'm back in the on-line world again (although it be from internet cafe's). I had to leave China after 2 months (was hoping for 3 months but couldn't get the 3rd extention). So instead of going all the way through China to the N-West, I had to make a difficult decision. I turned around in the central-West and I went back South, crossing the border back into Laos on the afternoon of the day which my Chinese visa expired. Because I could not access my blog while in China, I now have my work cut out for me (hundreds of pics to sift through, and a number of post updates to complete). So, please bear with me if it takes a while for me to get this blog up to date - hopefully I can do that at the internet cafe's here in Laos within the next week or 2. Yes, I have to make use of public internet, as my computer was stolen a few months ago in Thailand (for the 2nd and final time!).

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.