When we got to Laos and we actually had to go looking for immigration to get our visas and our passports stamped. It was about 2km from where the ferry dropped us ,down a little alleyway. When we got there they were telling us to hurry up because they wanted to go home, we could have got away without even going there no worries except we thought we might have trouble getting out later on. This place is 3rd world for sure.
The border town itself was a bit of a kip and ignoring all the advise about not riding at night we set off for the next big town on the map. We rode for 4 hours in the pitch dark along dirt tracks cut into the side of cliffs, there was no traffic except for the occasional truck. When you get within 100 meters of them all you can see is dust so your blindly trying to overtake these things all the time hoping you don’t go over the edge. We found a little guest house as it was just starting to rain at about 10pm, politely asked them to feed us and put us up for the night to witch they agreed to for the price of a packet of smokes, you got to love this country.
2/10/7
We set off early knowing it was going to be a long day heading for Luangprabang. Along the way we came upon all these little villages that were like something out of a fairy tale, the big bad wolf would have not trouble huffing and puffing here, everything’s made from straw and wood, the people wash underneath the village well that’s pumped by hand and there’s absolutely no electricity anywhere. These people are some of the nicest and happiest people I’ve ever met, they have nothing to their name except for the smiles on there faces. They have no idea what’s going on 10 km away not to mention what’s going on in the world, there missing out on the joy of watching the doom and gloom broadcast form the likes of the bbc world news. I filmed some kids and showed them the images on the camera, they were all screaming and laughing in amazement.
Riding in this place is like being on some kind of safari , there’s cows, pigs, chickens and ducks all over the dirt they call roads. At one point I hit a chicken and sent feathers flying everywhere, later a cute little duckling escaped with minor injuries.
We stopped for lunch in the middle of somewhere and met a guy from Norway named Helge. I’ve actually heard about this guy before . He’s been in over 100 different countries on his motorbike and is here on a scouting mission. We agree to meet for dinner in Laungprabang. We rode for about another 3 hours on these “roads”
and found a hotel.
We met Helge and his team, Sterling the camera man, Chon a travel agent and Chris an investor who was along for the ride, for dinner. These guys take people on motorbike adventures all over the world and are here working on setting up a new tour from Vietnam to Singapore via Cambodia and Thailand. They confirm my suspicions that we cant bring bikes into Vietnam, so that’s off the list. We had some dinner and exchanged a wealth of information whilst drinking the night away…….
Day 18
I cant help but think that the Laos whiskey I was drinking last night would have been better off being used as fuel in the bike, shell may want to look into this as a new form of bio fuel, it’s the most powerful stuff I’ve ever tasted for sure. It also comes complete with it’s own form of hangover. Today I done sweet fa, stayed in bed watching the rain beat hole's in the shop across the way for most of the morning. I went for a stroll around Laungprabang to explore and found it to be like a little piece of France, complete with Baguettes , nice little town. I spent the rest of the day eating.
Day 19
No time wasting this morning, we had 380km to ride in the rain on some of the most treacherous roads known to man . One slip here and it's all over, over a cliff that is. All the same we spent the first hour driving around in circles in Laungprabang helping with the making of a documentary on overland bike travel, funny that. Now I know why it takes so long to make movies. We had a quick interview and set out for Vientiane, only stopping along the way to take more footage of us riding through these mountains , as if riding them once wasn’t enough, we’d go back and do them again for the camera. I even hired myself a camera man to make a documentary about the making of a documentary but it would have helped if he could focus. On arriving in Vientiane we got a hotel and had a farewell dinner with Helge, Chris, Sterling and Chon ,the guys we’d been riding with all day.
Day 20
Out an about early to check Vientiane, not much to see except for there version of the arc de triump. Border crossing’s went sweet , the usual 2 hour ordeal. We hit the road for Bangkok and lost one another early on today. Spent 10 hours on the bike all up. I once again surprised my self by finding my way around the city with ease, this time in the dark. Got a hotel room and eat the night away.
Day 21
I spent today doing nothing, its good to have a break from the Adventure, It's hard work after all, I took a stroll around the slums of Bangkok and took some photos, went for a haircut witch was different, just take a little off in Thai means run a razor through the middle of my head. I hit the bars around 7ish and the rest is a blur.
Day22
Waking up to find my self in the wrong hotel was the first delight of the day, the second was the hangover.
I even found myself on the other side of the city, strange days. Pretty funky hotel all the same. I then had to drive around bangkok looking for the shipping agent for a while, all went good, but it's going to take a little longer than expected, I should have the bike on a plane bound for Nepal next wed . I spent the afternoon Getting my bike serviced and getting new tyre's put on her. She's reached the 10,000 km mark, 6000 since I've left Sydney and I want her to feel good for the plane journey. I'm not going to have enough time to get over into Cambodia now because delays in shipping. Anyhow, apparently a certain airline is paying the Cambodian government to leave the roads as they are and having witnessed them "roads" for myself in 01 I'm not too upset.
Day 23
I'm still in bangkok and loving it. I could live here permanently as long as I'd never have to work of course.
I spent most of the day getting the bike fitted for a crate that Gypeto is kindly making for me, for a handsome price too I must add. Then It was back to the bike shop for a new air filter. Following that ordeal , witch was way too much like a days work for me I hit the town for a big one, I ended up in some place called the spice bar in an underground car park, a pretty wild night was had by all participants some went missing and have not been scene since, ah well thats Bangkok.
Day 24
I went to a dentist in an ally way in Bangkok, best day so far. Oh the pain of it all.
Day 25-27
Not much to report really, still in Bangkok eating and drinking the days away whilst waiting on this form and that form so I can send the bike to Nepal. I knew that I should have risked going through Myanmar and into India or Bhutan, I think it would have worked out less hassle, that is if I didn't get shot, but hey I'll have plenty of opportunity to dodge bullets later on this trip.
Well I'm leaving here Monday morning at 6am bound for Calcutta, a short wait of 7 hours and it's off to Nepal. There are no direct flights to Kathmandu for another 10 days, apparently there's some festival on there, great timing yet again. My bike wont be there until Wed night so that gives me time to sort out visas for India and Pakistan I guess. I'm looking forward to starting this leg of the trip, it's the start of the real adventure, South east Asia's a cool place but it's over run with backpackers on tight budgets complaining that they had to pay a dollar for a nights accommodation and there was no TV in the room. I'm looking forward to the peacefulness of Nepal and Tibet, The mayhem of India and Pakistan and whatever Iran throws my way.........
Day 28
I spent most of the day in hospital, last night we went to a club in downtown Bangkok, they had one of those mechanical bulls there so of course we had to give it a go. My French buddy and riding companion was doing really well, I was quite impressed. He managed to hold on for 59 seconds until the bull went nuts and flung him through the bar, resulting in him tearing some ligaments from his left knee. The doctor put him in a leg brace like Forest Gump and he seems to be in a bit of pain but he's going to keep going. We are leaving Bangkok tonight bound for India then Nepal, things have just gotten a lot more interesting....
Click HERE to continue to Nepal