LOAFING IN LAOS

Since my last report from Savannakett in Southern Laos, we've advanced to the capital, Vientiane. I say "we" with some reservation, as Leana probably got tired of my "Ugly Mug" (who can blame her?) and sent me on may way. However, fate has a way of intervening, and on that very day her front wheel hub collapsed. After struggling along, she "happened" to find me where I was staying for the night. After sourcing an ancient rusty spare hub at a small all-purpose store the following morning, I spent most of that day repairing Leana's bike. We subsequently cruised to Vientiane via some beautiful river- and hilly tropical scenery - very tasty dried/smoked fish at the roadside! Vientiane, on the banks of the Mekong river, is not at all a bad place as far as capital cities go - I've been cycling around a bit to explore the place, including the giant stupa in the picure (I'm sure it has a name). The "Arc De Triomph" (it also has a name) was built in 1959 from cement donated by the USA for airport construction - now some jokers refer to it as the "vertical runway". The main problem for me was still that I had limited gears due to a useless middle chain-ring. I'd been informed of a good bike shop in the city (the only one), which happened to be closed for the first 4 days after we arrived. Once re-opened, Leana bought a new front hub, but my spares would have taken too long on order so the owner gave me a 2nd-hand part - which is better than what I had, but won't last long. I was still focused on heading for China (even after all the disappointments in that regard over the past year or more), so I applied for a visa - which was granted, no questions asked! As it seemed so easy Leana also got a Chinese visa, but now she's not quite sure what to make of it. Daily distances cycled since my last report were:- Tha Khaek 131 km; Vieng Kham 109 km; Pakxan 91 km; Ban Hai 90 km; and Vientiane 70 km. Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town at the start of this journey is 46 010 km.

LEAP INTO LAOS

I found Laos to be literally a breath of fresh air, the quiet road through the rolling tropical hills was in stark contrast to the “hustle & bustle” which is much of Vietnam. Thus far the people seem extremely friendly, and there is a continuous chorus of “sapa-dii” (hello) emanating from the stilted bamboo houses (complete with satellite dish for TV reception). In these hill villages the younger children often run around naked (why not? – the climate is good and after a swim in the river they can simply “drip-dry”). As we’ve approached the Mekong valley life appears to have become a bit more modern – but the locals remain friendly. My biggest problem is that my bike (Old Saartjie) is so worn-out that I can’t even use the middle chain ring anymore (a major problem on a hilly road!). I’ve looked around for spares, but around here there is nothing suitable (anyway, I don’t have any money). I spent almost an entire day paying some attention to Old Saartjie and fitting used spares which I've previously replaced on Leana's bike. I initially wrote and published this report in the town of Savannakett on the Mekong river, where we spent 2 days (Thailand is on the far banks - see recently-built Friendship II bridge in background of photo). Since then we have moved further up the Mekong to the town of Tha Khaek. Daily distances cycled in Laos have been:- Xepon 54 km; Donghen 133 km; Savannakett 80 km; and Tha Khaek 131 km. Total distance cycled since Cape Town is 45650 km.

RETREAT BACK SOUTH

Unable to gain access across the Vietnam border to China in the North, Leana and I had to beat a hasty retreat – I guess it’s not the first such retreat in the past 6 decades or so! Our best option was to cross into Laos from Central Vietnam, which meant a fair amount of back-tracking. First, however, we had to deviate to the N-E coast, to experience the famed Halong Bay – World Heritage Site. From Haiphong (big river port and 3^rd largest city) we took a ferry to Cat Ba Island, and stayed over in pretty but touristy Cat Ba town for a day (impressive views from our cheap room – photo). As with many touristy places in this country, karaoke and massage are advertised all over (also known as “singing and sex”). Much of Cat Ba Island consists of beautiful, hilly, tropical forest National Park – through which we cycled to the Northern ferry port. From there the ferry took us through the surreal Halong Bay (flat sea scattered with tall pinnacle rock islands) back to the mainland. Earlier Leana had received spares from SA, and on our Southern retreat one day we spotted a guest house which had adequate space for me to do an overhaul on her bike (with spectators and unwelcome helpers – of course). As fate would have it, 2 days later we cycled the entire day (135 km) in “Typhoon Rain” – deep flooded roads and wet gravel clogging up the new parts on Leana’s bike and destroying what was left of those on old Saartjie (my bike). We retreated back across the DMZ to Dong Ha, from where we headed West on Highway 9 (formerly a branch of the infamous “Ho Chi Minh Trail”) towards Laos. Before reaching the border town of Lao Bao we had to traverse a testing ascent over the “watershed” (where rivers flow East to the sea and inland West to the Mekong river valley). We crossed the border to Laos on the very day our Vietnam visas expired – how’s that for cutting it fine! Daily distances cycled since the retreat from Hanoi are:- HaiPhong 109 km; Cat Ba 14 km (+2hr ferry); HaLong city 37 km (+1 hr ferry); Bieu Nghi 27 km; Nam Dinh 127 km; Tinh Gia 135 km; Vinh 103 km; Ky Anh 104 km; Dong Hoi 96 km; Dong Ha 98 km; and Lao Bao 84 km. Total distance from Cape Town to Lao Bao is 45252 km.

PUSH TO THE NORTH

Since my last report from Central Vietnam, we had to get a move-on towards Hanoi in the North. However, both Leana and I were suffering from flu, which hampered our progress somewhat. Therefore we had our visas extended – in the city of Hue. Hue, and surrounding areas, was the scene of some intense battles during the US/Vietnam war. Not too far North of there we crossed the former De-militarised zone (DMZ) on the 17^th Parallel, the border between the former North and South of the country. Since the end of the war the ruined cities and towns have been mostly re-built, but in places there are still water-filled bomb craters amongst the rice paddies. Peasants still dig up bomb fragments to sell as scrap metal, and these people continue to be maimed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) – there are big signs in the region warning against this practice. I was again reminded how small the world is, as in the city of Ninh Binh we bumped into British cyclists James and Tracey – who we’d previously met in Cambodia. Just to confirm the tennis-ball size of the globe, in Hanoi we also bumped into Canadian cyclist Marc, who we’d met in Nepal and last seen in Bangkok. In Hanoi we also bumped our heads against the Northern border, as we were shocked to discover that Chinese visas are not available to South Africans in Vietnam. The implication of the non-visas meant that we had to re-invent our route (now I think I know what a headless chicken feels like). Hanoi, the capital and second largest city in Vietnam, is quite pleasant as far as large cities go. Yes, the roads are clogged with throngs of motorbikes, but the French legacy of tree-lined boulevards and architecture is still evident. The old part of the city, where we stayed close to one of the lakes, is interesting to explore and to observe Hanoi people going about their business. Daily distances cycled since my last report from Hoi An have been as follows:- Phu Bai 122 km; Hue 14 km; Dong Ha 73 km; Dong Hoi 104 km; Ky Anh 107 km; Vinh 106 km; Tinh Gia 115 km; Ninh Binh 107 km; and Hanoi 96 km, Total distance cycled from Cape Town to Hanoi is 44318 km.

SOUTH CHINA SEA COASTING

Since leaving Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Leana and I headed for the SE coast of Vietnam, from where I posted my previous report in Mui Ne. Up to that point we were slightly disappointed in the environment (scenery and people) which was not quite what we'd expected. The countryside seemed relatively arid for this part of the world, and we were cycling through endless large towns in heavy traffic. However, since moving Northwards along the coast, things have improved. The road alternates between the coast and the nearby plains, and the switch between the two usually involves some sort of pass (hills!). At the coast we regularly find ourselves high up on the slopes, looking out over turquoise bays with boats and islands in the distance. We also cycled past stretches of isolated beach and picturesque fishing villages. On the plains we mostly found ourselves surrounded by emerald-green rice paddies, set against a backdrop of the mountains to the West. The peasants under their traditional grass hats were all around, tending the rice, herding buffalo, or drying crops on the paved shoulder of the road. Large flocks of ducks galavant in the channels amongst the rice paddies (of course they'll end up on the dinner table, but they don't know it yet). There were also a number of cities along the way, and we stayed over in Nha Trang as well as Quy Nhon (attractive places with beaches, islands, and surrounding hills). There are many monuments (mostly related to war), and we also saw a number of the surviving ancient Cham Towers. One of the war memorials which we did visit is the Son Mai site, in memory of hundreds of villagers massacred by US troop on 16 March 1968. We managed to find cheap accommodation close to the beach a few times, where it's a pleasure taking a dip in the warm tropical waters. One complaint which I do have is that locals behave as though every foreigner has bags full of dollars with which he is eager to part. It's even difficult to find basic foodstuffs in the markets at a reasonable price, and in touristy areas this situation can be painfully taxing. Currently we are in the touristy town of Hoi An, which has a historic old quarter and various Chinese Temples (photo). We have been here for a few days now, as Leana is struggling to shake a bout of flu. Daily distances cycled since Mui Ne have been:- Ca Na 131 km; Nha Trang 140 km; Tuy Hoa 130 km; Quy Nhon 102 km; Sa Huynh 118 km; Mai Khe Beach 79 km; Vinh Dien 125 km; and Hoi An 21 km. My total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town at the start of this journey is 43 484 km.

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

The day after crossing the border from Cambodia into Vietnam we ran the gauntlet and entered the city of Saigon amidst an escort of thousands of small motorcycles. No matter how wide the roads may be, they are always clogged by this popular mode of transport, buzzing around our bicycles from all sides like swarming bees - sometimes from the front. Faces are often covered by all manner of masks (anti-pollution or anti-sunshine?). As a result the women cyclists in rural areas dressed in traditional hats resemble bank robbers with lamp-shades on their heads making their getaway on bicycles. I've only been in Vietnam for about a week, but so far I estimate that in terms of development Vietnam is somewhere between Thailand and Cambodia. The city of Saigon (officially re-named Ho Chi Minh City, but still referred to as Saigon by many locals) seems to be under construction, and at this rate the skyline may rival that of Bangkok in a number of years time. So far everything here seems to be more expensive than in Cambodia, but there is a greater variety and availability of commodities such as foodstuff. So far accommodation comes at about double the Cambodian rate, but these are proper hotels with A/C, TV, fridge, hot shower, and clean bedding. Talking about TV, I've been able to view 2 SA sports channels, also watching the Springboks beat the touring British Lions at rugby. So, there I was, sitting in Saigon watching Kobus and Toks speaking Afrikaans on TV ( I wonder if those 2 big fish know how small the pond really is?). The language barrier in Vietnam is one of the toughest so far, as the spoken word has very little resemblance to it's written counterpart. For instance, our first night in the country was spent in the district of Cu Chi, but even there we were not understood when we asked "is this Cu Chi?" - instead we were offered food, or pointed off somewhere in the distance. Incidently, Cu Chi is the centre from where the Viet Cong waged their war on the Americans from underground tunnels. Since leaving Saigon 3 days ago Leana and I have caught the tail wind East to the coast, and are currently at the coastal town of Mui Né (close to Phan Tiet). There are many fancy resorts here, as well as a renowned golf course designed by Nick Faldo. We're staying in the budget bungalows, right on the beach - not too bad for church mice! Daily distances cycled since I've last reported these from Phnom Penh have been:- Traeng Tratueng 91 km; Veal Rinh 97 km; Sihanoukville 50 km; Ream Nat Park 30 km; Kampot district 86 km; Kampot town 14 km; Kep 24 km; Kampot 24 km; Takeo 97 km; Neak Luong 131 km; Svay Rieng 65 km; Cu Chi 87 km; Saigon 38 km; Cia Ray 102 km; Phan Tiet 96 km; and Mui Ne 37 km. Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town at the start of this journey is 42 638 km.

MEKONG MADNESS

By "madness" I'm not referring to the effects of the local hazardous rice spirit - although it's best use is probably for the sterilization of the suspect drinking water. Rather, I'm referring to the mighty Mekong river which originates in Tibet and flows into the ocean via the delta in Vietnam, dominating this region of SE Asia. Since my last post from Phnom Penh Leana and I took in some of the city sights, including the Toul Sleng museum which is a former school where the Kmerh Rouge regime in the 70's imprisoned, tortured, and killed thousands. While in the city I also had my beard shaven by a local barber, but as the local men don't have much facial hair he couldn't bring himself to totally clean my face and left me with a mean moustache (I eventually persuaded him to go through with the evil deed). After catching a glimpse of the nearby Mekong, we pedalled South, visiting the coastal towns of Sihanoukville, Kampot, and Kep. We stayed in some interesting places such as the Prek Teuk Sap "guest house", which consisted primarily of a stilted wooden deck over a river in the Ream National Park. There we also rented a leaky wooden canoe with a single short paddle, with which we explored the channels amongst the mangroves for a couple of hours. During our time in the South Leana decided that it was time to "do her own thing", but we ended up staying in the same place again a few days later (the "Wide World" is not so big when you're on a bicycle!). Our time in Cambodia is running out, and on the way towards the Vietnam border we crossed the Mekong after dark to find accommodation in Neak Luong on the far banks. That was the end of an unexpectedly long day on bad roads in the rain, repairs to Leana's bike also taking up some time along the way. There are many roadside- and street stalls in the area offering interesting foods. Some of these eats include dried frogs, a variety of deep-fried birds, crickets, and turtles. I didn't even try any of these tasty treats, let alone Leana who is a vegetarian - no wonder we exist mainly on noodles! Total distance cycled since Cape Town at the start of this journey is 42 278 km. (In my next update I will give the daily distances cycled since Phnom Penh).