Adventures on the road to Vang Vieng

The thought of road from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng made me very nervous.  Everything I read and everyone I spoke to said that only the brave will tackle this on a fully loaded bicycle.  Cyclists who had completed it commented only on 2 things – the steep mountain passes and the magnificent vistas.  I agonised over whether to cycle or whether to put Bobbie on a bus and be driven over the mountains.  At one point I was losing sleep over this issue.  I really wanted to attempt the ride and I definitely did not want to have to confess here that I had chickened out and caught the bus.  However, I did not want to start and not be able to finish. I started telling people that I would catch the bus and everyone agreed it would be a good idea except for a couple of cyclists I met on my way into Luang Prabang.  They encouraged me to give it a go. Their advice,  “Just take it slowly, you have time and it is do-able” convinced me to at least try.

So, with my heart in my mouth, I packed up in the rain and slowly rode out of Luang Prabang on the old road.  I had planned to ride the 76 kms to Kiu Kacham on the first day but I did not understand how slow I would be.  I left after breakfast, just as the rain started to ease.  The first 15 kms were relatively easy and I gained confidence but then the mountain pass began…………….it was very slow going with lots of stops “to admire the view”  :o)

Around lunch time I stopped at a roadside stall to buy a drink.  There was a group of people there who where setting up a picnic.  It turns out that they were on their way home after a family wedding.  They generously invited me to lunch with them.  The food was really good.  Fish and fish roe, green leafy vegetables, pickled bamboo, sticky rice with dips, dried meat and bananas.  I’m glad that I had done the cooking course in Luang Prabang because I learned to eat sticky rice properly so I did not disgrace myself while sharing their meal.  Again – the kindness of strangers

Lunch with the wedding party

After 35 kms I mistakenly thought I was at the top of a mountain so I stopped at a view point to rest.  There are three platforms that have been constructed by a family who live nearby and who run a small shop at their home.  The idea is that you buy something to drink and snack on while you use their platforms to admire the view.  I lay down on one of the platforms panting from exertion thinking I was doing well as I was about half way.  The family came over for a chat, organised a pillow for me and said I was welcome to have a nap which I duly did.  When I awoke there was a plate of bananas and some herb tea next to me and the family all sitting round waiting to chat. I was told to eat and drink because I was going to need my strength.  When I said my destination was Kiu Kacham, the mother promptly invited me to stay the night.  The family was adamant that I’d not make it there by nightfall. They made me supper and rolled out a mattress and a blanket for me (it’s high in the mountains and gets cold at night).  What an incredibly generous and open-hearted family.  For the second time in one day I had been blessed by the kindness of strangers and both of these tales have been recorded on that page in this blog.

The amazingly generous and kind Ouanvileuth family. From left to right, daughter Si, mother Jeu, daughter Serm and father Tsathon

The family home

Serm gazing at the view

So beautiful

After breakfast I took my leave amidst fond farewells and entreaties to come back and sit with the family again.  It was then that I discovered that the mountain top was still 5 long slow kms away and the ride to Kiu Kacham began.  The mountain passes were long and steep (15 and 26 kms) but so was a delightful downhill (15kms).  It took me 7 hours to reach Kiu Kacham that day. (Thank you family for insisting that I stay overnight!!)

By now I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.  There was only one more hard day’s ride ahead to Phou Khoun before heading out of the mountains and down into Vang Vieng. Despite all of the fear in my mind, I had persevered and was managing this challenge pretty well.  It was hard but I could do it.  Oh dear me…pride comes before a fall…

The road to Phou Khoun, all 51 kms of it, was just so beautiful.  The cyclists were right on both counts, yes the roads are steep but the vistas are absolutely incredible.  I cycled all day with a huge grin on my face.  Most of the day was spent cycling along the brow of the mountains never going too far down nor too far up. What a glorious day.

Then, a frustrating 3.5 kms from Phou Khoun…….

Puncture number 3

Not a problem.  Change the tube, find a place to stay and patch tube. Standard operating procedure.   Then just as I arrive in Phou Khoun…..

Puncture number 4

This time I had so much help from a delightful bunch of kids in the neighbourhood.         I even got them to pump the tyre.  :o)   But then things escalated – life is such an adventure…..

I replaced the tube with one that I repaired from puncture number 2 but I was worried about it because the hole was from a half-inch nail and it was rather big compared to the patch. Anyway, me and my merry men pumped up the tyre and I went off to find a place to stay.  At that point, the weather was fine and it was fairly early in the day so I was considering continuing for another 22 kms to a camping resort.  I sat down in a restaurant to have a Coke and to check the route.  When I came out the tyre was flat.

My plans then changed rapidly and I walked across the road to a restaurant that also had a guest house just like in Kiu Kacham.  It also started raining! The owner let me take the bike upstairs to a balcony where I could fix the puncture under cover.  Then the drama started.  One tube proved to be very weak and every time I patched a hole another one appeared.  At first, I thought it was a thorn in the tyre but after much checking and even turning the tyre inside out to double-check, it was not so.  So that tube got dumped.  Then I tried to remove the patch from the last tube that I had fixed but, because of the size of the hole, I only managed to tear it bigger, so that tube got dumped.  Now I only had one left.  This one had two holes in it which I patched but when I pumped up the tyre to the full 4.2 bar required, the pressure simply blew holes in the patches – they are clearly not made for that pressure.  I have no other patches.

What to do? There are no bike shops in these small villages so I took the tube to a guy who had a motor repair shop and for 10 000 Kip (sounds huge but that’s all of R16.00) he put two car grade patches on the tube.  I replaced it in the tyre and pumped it up.  All good!  I went for supper.  On my return I checked – still rock hard.  Excellent.  Ready to ride to Vang Vieng.  In the morning I arose early to thumping, pouring rain ……..and a flat tyre!!

Plan B immediately kicks in – get on a bus with Bobbie and go to Vang Vieng to buy a new tube and some spares.

Aaah but all is not well with plan B….I have a problem….I have enough money to get to Vang Vieng if I cycle but not enough for a bus, I also do not have enough money to stay another night in Phou Khoun..  The nearest ATM is 44 kms away.  I can no longer cycle and so I have no transport.

What to do?  All sorts of scenarios enter my mind, for example: try to persuade a bus driver to trust that I’ll pay if he stops at an ATM on the way.  Eish – difficult when you do not speak the language.  Then I remember that, in Luang Prabang, based on nothing more than wanting to get it over and done with, I went and bought US dollars for my Cambodian visa.  I asked the guest house owner if anyone would change dollars for me in Phou Khoun.  He was very happy to oblige and gave me a fair rate so now at least I had money.  He then took it upon himself to get the bus ticket for Bobbie and me, this entailed several phone calls to various buses en-route to find out if they had space.  As it happened a mini-bus arrived within 5 minutes who could accommodate my request.  We loaded Bobbie and all my stuff and were on our way.

Bobbie and baggage in the mini-bus

We stopped several times to pick up more passengers and luggage, so it was a very full bus. The trip was interesting, notwithstanding the assurances from everybody and a profile of the road on Maps.Me – there is at least 10km of steep uphill before the long downhill begins – that would have been tough for me if I had carried on as I had planned!

In the end, I am glad I did not ride as it poured with rain all the way and the road was quite treacherous for cycling.  But I’m sad because in between the rain and mist the views were absolutely magnificent – even better that the previous days.  Those huge, tall peaks of the Karst mountains rising majestically out of the jungle were breathtaking.

Anyway we arrived in Vang Vieng at the bus station which is about 5 kms outside the town and that’s where the driver wanted to offload me.  Thanks to Google maps I showed him where we were and where I wanted to be so he kindly continued on his route to Vientiane but he stopped for me almost in the centre of town.  All good but now I have a problem.  It’s raining so I scuttle my bike and baggage into a nearby shelter and consider my options.  I cannot ride, I also cannot load my baggage onto the bike and push because the tyre will be wrecked and probably the rim as well with all the weight.  In addition, I have 6 bags so there is no way I can carry them and push the bike.  I see that the hostel I’ve been recommended is about 1.5 kms away.  I try to get a tuk-tuk driver interested in giving me a lift but he thinks I’m joking and keeps saying that it’s not far – just ride.  I manage to convince him after showing him the flat tyre and miming broken.  For a mere 20 000 kip he brought me close to the hostel.  He didn’t actually know where the hostel is but he did know the Sakura Bar just up the road where he dropped me. (Thanks Google!)  I then had to ask the receptionist at a hotel opposite the bar to look after my baggage while I did several trips back and forth to the hostel.

Whew – now I’ve checked in at the hostel, but I still have a problem.  Google does not know of a bike shop in Vang Vieng.  I go next door to a guy who rents bikes and he says it’s not a problem he’ll sell me a tube.  Awesome, I think.  I scuttle off to get the bike and bring it to his shop.  The tube turns out to have a car type valve that is too big for the hole in my rim. He suggests that I walk around the corner to another rental shop.  I try them, but no go.  I check again on Google and the only bike shops likely to carry spares are in Vientiane.  I’m not happy about another bus ride and all the pain of baggage separate from the bike and then once in Vientiane to get organised.  It’s also too far to go and buy a spare and come back – a waste of time as well.  The guy suggests that we drill the hole in my rim a little bigger to accept the car type valve.  I’m reluctant but the alternatives are difficult.  We did that, fitted the tube and pumped up the tyre.  At the time of writing the tyre is still rock hard.  What a relief!  On arrival in Vientiane I shall buy more spare tubes and some better patches. 

To my great joy and relief though, and despite all my fears and angst, I made it to Vang Vieng, very happy to have done the ride and so pleased to have had such interesting experiences on the way.

Hooray! Vang Vieng

Life is just awesome – this whole trip has taught me that more stress is caused in the mind than in reality – just when you think you cannot do something, make a plan and things will happen!  I am so glad I attempted this ride.  What amazing experiences and wonderful people I would have missed if I had caught the bus from Luang Prabang.  That is what this ride is all about.