Mad dogs and Two Aussie 2 Women
A sound sleep despite the pillows of course the airconditing makes a huge difference in these temperatures.
Simple breakfast of bread, jam, bananas and an omelet made to order. The coffee looked more like axel grease but with your eyes shut it tasted ok.
Leaving Oudomxai we headed out straight from the hotel this morning along the main street. after 5km we turn left heading for Nong Khiaw on the Luang Prabang main road... With some giant pot holes and craters in the middle of the road.
Very soon we begin climbing up to our first hill for the day of 400 meters. Fortunately it was overcast so we weren't baking in the sun. Today, it made a huge difference much more enjoyable even with the up hill.
It was hard work just the same. We passed a group of 8 or so Thai bike riders carrying their panniers and covered head to toe to keep off the sun. That looked like hard work. We had our mountain bike shy shorts and t-shirts on with a coating of sunscreen. which felt much cooler for us.
We stopped after 14km at the top of the first hill for a drink and snack. The local Lao snack bar Beng Beng a little like rice bubbles and chocolate was very welcome.
Back on the bikes for a down hill and the next uphill section a further 10-12 kms. Again the weather was kind and stayed over cast.
Riding a mountain bike on hills in low gear means your going quite slow, between 6-10 kms per hour and spinning your legs quite fast. It does mean it takes longer to get to the top very different than riding a road bike,which I have done more often.
We finally reach the top of the second hill at 1000 meters knowing there is a big section of down hill coming :)). I douse myself in water and fill up on bananas and chocolate bars.. At this point Carole decided she would take a break in the van and save herself for later in the day.
The down hill was great. Due to the large number of pot holes on both sides of the road, we had to control how fast we went and slow down for the rough road bits. The views and landscape in this area is beautiful, very hilly, many villages along the way with children waving and shouting sabadii as we wizzed past.
Of course where there is a down hill there is always and uphill. By this time the sun had come out and it was pretty hot work the next 6-10kms of climbing up. I had saved my granny gear so far during the day, but on this bit I dropped down into it as my legs were feeling it, and I was running low on energy and water. Finally the van caught up and passed us and fortunately stopped up the road a bit thanks to Carole. I decided I had had enough, it was suppose to be 4km until the top and when we stop for lunch but I was running on empty so jumped in the van. Our lunch stop was a further 6km to the top.
We had a salad, tuna and fresh bread rolls that our guide and support crew prepared for us.
Refueled we all jumped back on the bikes for the down hill to Pak Mong was 22km and a great ride. The road was a little better in this side which meant we could build up a litle bit more speed! A few short up hill bits and we reached the junction of Pak Mong. A cold coke from the fridge was very welcome as we all wait to regroup. Our guide Chit decided to order some food, he sat down with a plate full of fried bugs. Grasshoppers, cockroaches, and other bugs and ate the whole Plateful. Occasionally spitting out the legs.
Most of us decided it was enough riding so jumped in the van, Sandy was the only brave one to continue on the bike fir the remaining 26km to Nong Khiaw.
Arriving at our guest house it is on the river and very pretty with comfortable rooms, bathrooms.
After showing off the days sweat, dust and sunscreen we had a quick Beerloa at the guest house meeting another group of riders who had come from Hanoi also with Grasshopper adventures.
We headed off in the van for dinner at a local restaurant on the river. Again the food was great and way too much for us to finish.
We were all exhausted, having riden 80 or more kms today. A great achievement.
No air-conditioning tonite, just a ceiling fan. Hopefully we will get a good nights rest.
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