{"id":3243,"date":"2012-02-15T19:51:49","date_gmt":"2012-02-15T11:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=3243"},"modified":"2019-12-29T02:35:10","modified_gmt":"2019-12-29T07:35:10","slug":"the-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2012\/02\/the-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Path Less Pedaled through Laidback Laos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Cross some borders and you\u2019d hardly know you\u2019d switched countries. Roll across the 49<sup>th<\/sup> parallel from the US into Canada and you\u2019ll soon spot a Walmart, a Safeway and a Pizza Hut.\u00a0 Switch from the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego to Argentina\u2019s half of the island and the winds blow with the same relentless fury.\u00a0 Pass between Kenya and Tanzania and the rice and beans still taste just as bland.<\/p>\n<h4>Vietnam and Laos: a world apart<\/h4>\n<p>Roll across the border from Vietnam into Laos and you notice an immediate change of mood.\u00a0 The entire nation seems to be infected with a laidback sort of happiness and contentment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: 5px solid black;\" title=\"Cycling Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6844922491_abd5f193f6_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"385\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" title=\"A gaggle of followers in Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6845225645_f3798a3f45_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kids love to greet cyclists and high-five &#8217;em as they pass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And what a knack for making a touring cyclist feel welcome\u2026the <em>Sawaidees<\/em> and <em>Hello\u2019s<\/em> hardly let up. Need a place to rest for the night?\u00a0 No problem, there\u2019s room at the village health center, the primary school \u00a0or, heck, why not just pitch your tent right here at my house and while you\u2019re at it, come on in and join us for dinner.<\/p>\n<p>One of the Lao people\u2019s favorite expressions is <em>bow penh nyang<\/em> \u2014no problem.<\/p>\n<p>Want to snap my photo?\u00a0 Bow penh nyang!<\/p>\n<p>Like to fill up your water bottles? Bow penh nyang!<\/p>\n<p>Need a lift because you\u2019ve got a busted derailleur?\u00a0 Bow penh nyang!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880303483_e51dfdf46a_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"427\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">I never thought we&#8217;d end up camping in Laos! Where are all the guesthouses when you need them?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Up for a challenge<\/h4>\n<p>As you can imagine, with all this positive energy floating around, we\u2019re feeling pretty good in Laos.<\/p>\n<p>Good enough to give ourselves a little extra challenge and explore some of the backroads of the land of a thousand elephants.<\/p>\n<p>While we\u2019d heard Highway 13, the main road leading south of Vientaine, was a beautiful ride, we\u2019d also heard talk of heavy traffic and hordes of two-wheeled tourists.<\/p>\n<p>Wanting to see a less-visited side of Laos, we opted to turn off on Highway 1C towards Phou Loei National Park and then hop onto Highway 6 to Phonsavan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: 5px solid black;\" title=\"Eric biking Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880312155_9d74c203d2_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>A tiny little regret<\/h4>\n<p>I won\u2019t lie to you, the riding was tough, and more than once I questioned our decision not to stick to a more well-worn route.\u00a0 That was when I was grinding up one of the many 15%- 20% grade passes.\u00a0 The climbs were real killers, 20 kilometers up and then all the way down to around 500 meters before we\u2019d climb again right back up to 1,500 meters or more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: 5px solid black;\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880297325_7410fae418_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"427\" height=\"640\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The down side of the passes was bliss. \u00a0A sense of pure elation often overtook me as I sped downwards through the cool mist-covered tropical forest, not a vehicle in sight, nor a sign of human habitation.<\/p>\n<p>Of course that ecstasy was over in a matter of minutes and then it would be another couple of hours of hard slog back up the mountain.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately the Hmong, who inhabit these remote parts of the country, are fond of building their villages on mountaintops.\u00a0 For hungry cyclists, that translates into a bowl of hot noodle soup waiting at the summit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880288111_f9bb8038b7_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"383\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alright the noodle soup in the little shops at the top of the pass wasn&#8217;t quite this tasty looking, but it filled us up.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Some very hungry cyclists<\/h4>\n<p>Pickings were pretty slim most days.\u00a0 Bush meat\u2014bats, rodents and small animals found scurrying around the forest\u2014is a popular source of protein in much of Laos.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" title=\"Bat for Sale in Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6844962877_088c452325_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Not too tempting for me!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Apart from noodle soup, eggs and sticky rice were about the only tempting staples we could count on coming across.\u00a0 After a few days of skipping lunch and surviving on vast quantities of junk food imported from China, we took to stopping by the side of the road and whipping up some fried eggs when the hunger pangs could no longer be ignored.<\/p>\n<h4>Star struck<\/h4>\n<p>Villages were best avoided for our lunchtime feasts as our forays into cooking tended to attract large crowds.\u00a0 One day as we were setting up, a woman even brought some kindling assuming, I suppose, that we were going to start a fire.\u00a0 Locals in the highlands certainly don\u2019t have the luxury of a gas cooker and for them it\u2019s campfires day in and day out.<\/p>\n<p>Our multi-fuel stove was of great interest, as were our lightweight pots and pans.\u00a0 Locals never seemed to grow bored of gawking and I tried my best to ignore their stares and carry on eating.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" title=\"Making lunch in Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880305685_4b7c50349d_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Not the best lunch I&#8217;ve ever indulged in, but fried eggs go down pretty good when you&#8217;re REALLY hungry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Flat-fixing was also of great interest, and I\u2019m pleased to report that we supplied free entertainment for gaggles of kids on far too many occasions.<\/p>\n<h4>Why now?<\/h4>\n<p>The bikes have been acting up.\u00a0 Flats galore (5 one day) and finally Eric\u2019s derailleur decided to give out.\u00a0 We were stuck by the side of the road, but not for long.\u00a0 The first driver that saw us in distress pulled over and we were able to hitch a ride to the next village where a team of mechanics and passersby got the bike back into working condition in no time flat.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Damn derailleur!\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880289343_5fc139f316_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"383\" \/><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880298523_b828151de2_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric ended up fitting the bike with an old derailleur he&#8217;d been carting around since who know&#8217;s when. Sometimes it&#8217;s good to be married to a pack rat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4>Hot and sweaty<\/h4>\n<p>The cool villages of the highlands are behind us now as we sweat it out in the town of Pakxsan on the banks of the Mekong.\u00a0 The last few days of riding from Phonsavan have been rough ones.\u00a0 No, not due to the hills, they\u2019re far gentler further south.\u00a0 It\u2019s the state of the road that\u2019s posing a challenge.\u00a0 Some parts are smooth as silk, others, well\u2026.a work in progress.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" title=\"Laos bridge crossing\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880296255_1a17c27494_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rickety to say the least!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880293995_50027c30e2_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dry and dusty on this stretch of road&#8230;the highlands were so much more pleasant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 427px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Laos road to Phonsavan\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6880294595_8017d1ba25_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"427\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The road south of Phonsavan, not quite finished!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019ll be sticking to Highway 13 south to Thakek for the next 250 kilometers before we break back onto the backroads and follow a quiet track along the Mekong towards Cambodia.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, off the main road we may not stumble across a comfortable guesthouse each night and sticking to the backroads could mean a return to fried eggs and rice.\u00a0 Bow penh nyang! \u00a0Taking the path less pedaled always results in rewards.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" \" title=\"Chatting with Locals in Laos\" src=\"http:\/\/worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6844962369_0fa82ff0c1_zthe-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chatting with locals, one of the very best reasons to hit the backroads.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Show a little love and leave us a comment and let us know what you&#8217;re thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Send us an email at worldbiking@gmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/final-3402-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8985\" width=\"593\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/final-3402-1024x683.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/final-3402-500x333.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/final-3402-768x512.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/final-3402-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><figcaption>Bath Time!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cross some borders and you\u2019d hardly know you\u2019d switched countries. Roll across the 49th parallel from the US into Canada and you\u2019ll soon spot a Walmart, a Safeway and a Pizza Hut.\u00a0 Switch from the Chilean side of Tierra del<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[115,126,49],"tags":[78],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Path Less Pedaled through Laidback Laos - Worldbiking.info<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2012\/02\/the-path-less-pedaled-through-laidback-laos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Path Less Pedaled through Laidback Laos - Worldbiking.info\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cross some borders and you\u2019d hardly know you\u2019d switched countries. 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