Laos
Big contrast to Thailand
Much poorer country which can be seen all around you
Many small villages where people live in almost basic conditions. It felt similar in some places in Thailand but here it struck me much more seeing this.
Thailand felt much more touristy while Loas feels much more REAL
Roads in terrible conditions (in places even worse than when I was in Africa)
Extremely dusty roads force you to wear a face scarf a lot as endless passing trucks make huge dust clouds.
Lubing the chain with oil becomes necessary almost on a daily basis!
Children are welcoming strangers with their hands and smiles, but are still shy to approach and take photos.
Elderly people mostly stay away.
Food prices are a little bit higher and choice is quite limited (at least when buying food in stores). Street food is still very cheap (compared to Europe standards).
Harder to find drinking water (usually water streams can be found higher in the mountains).
Cycling in the north through big mountains felt rewarding but also extremely hard because of endless climbs on broken roads.
Roads in the south got better but the scenery was not as scenic for me.
So my favorite part of Laos was north of Phonsavan.
Haven't explored south of Thakhek.
Children in Laos were were welcoming strangers but were often shy when you wanted to photo them :)
French cyclist I met in town of Luang Namtha.
He came all the way from home across Asia.
Left to right (mandarinas, rambutan, mangosteen, longan, grapes)
Wooden and bamboo built shelters in and around fields were excellent place to hide from the sun in the middle of the day or even sleep overnight.
Bike traveler from Switzerland in I met one day in Laos close to Nong Khiaw.
Sometimes the only people I could find in a monastery were children (no grown ups).
Was this only temporary, I dont know, but it was funny seeing small children running the monastery.
Nam Ou river next to Nong Khiaw.
Many rivers crossing Laos offer ability to travel by boat.
Some cyclists have spent days traveling on "slow" boats through Laos.
I have heard of this option but never really consider using it seriously because I have a lot of energy (most of the time:) and would probably feel bored by staying on the boat for days.
Working behind Budhha.
I embraced this yoga position of cross-legged on my sleeping mat and working on raised level when table to sit was not available to me.
It was actually quiote comfortable and I could spend hours in this position.
Nong Khiaw is a small little touristy oriented town (in a good way) where you can see many westerners coming to rest and explore nature (like hiking, kayaking and other activities on offer).
Town is packed with restaurants with delicious and cheap food and many guesthouses.
Togehter with a Switzerland cyclist I met few days ago, one evening we went hiking on one of famous viewpoints above Nong Khiaw.
And views from the top were nothing but amazing!
Trails leading up are well maintained and entrance fee is only 1-2 eur for most trails around this place.
These raw villages where people live in most basic conditions located on dusty roads where literary brown from all the dust passing vechicles would lift in the air.
Sleeping high in the mountains in one of farmers shelters (which are plentiful everywhere in countryside Laos).
Children are very happy to see foreigners!
The town of Luang Prabang i sone of those touristy towns (full of white people).
It has a niche center street with many coffee shops and fancy guesthouses.
Trying some local food.
Green vegetables was tasty, but other was not rice (as I initially though).
It was some kind of sausage (which I do not eat and I had to fed local dogs with)
In Loas, I was often able to find drinkable water when I was higher in the mountains. Usually it came in a form of man made well on roadside.
Epic views in Laos mountians
Pile of trucks on main road 13.
I saw 4 accidents during my time in Laos.
Most of the time it was truck who capsized on the road, causing big delays in traffic, sometimes even in days!
Only vechicles who can cross were motorcycles and of course bicycles.
Most of my days in northern Laos I was super dusted (including my clothes and my bike)
Small temple without people.
Some of the temples simply had no monks or anybody else around.
You could still come and visit.
Also, tempels in Laos (compared to Thailand) were generally in worse condition.
Northen Laos was very mountainous, much more than northern Thailand.
Working from the top. Not a bad office!
Amazing viewpoint from the top of the mountain in small town of Phou Khoun.
ther is atemple at the top (with nobody around) where I spent overnight resting.
I was contemplating whether to go up to check the temple and I am glasd I did.
Both electricity and water for showering was available when I was there.
But The view alone is worth going up for!
Italian cyclist I met in northern Loas.
He was on short vacation in Laos.
We were discussing dust conditions here.
My bike dusted like never before (except maybe when I was in Sahara)
Plenty of cows occupying roads in Loas.
Together with Water Buffalo, they are most common big domestic animal that can be seen on daily basis.
Rice, several forms on fish and other goodies for lunch.
French cyclist I met going in oposite direction.
He cam all the way from Uzbekistan where he participated in Silk Road mountain race.
During my stays in Buddhist temples, I could work while resting and being surrounded by temples.
My usual dinner, pasta or rice with vegetables and Olive oil.
Close to Thakhek loop in central Laos.
Here, surrounding hills were getting more interesting, although you still cycle mostly through the valley.
Four Spanish cyclists I met close to Thakhek loop.
Their shirts said "Bikes and beers" (or something in this context) on they were traveling from Bangkok to Hanoi.
Lakes in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park.
Here there are actual elephants roaming free and I heard from other cyclist they actualy saw them one night when threy were camping near the lake!
Sanitary facilities in Buddhist temples.
Often they look poor, but you dont really need anything more. Running water and basic toilet is pretty ok!
In Laos (and in fact whole south east Asia) you are never hungry.
Every once in a while people sell food on the road side.
From fruits and vegetables to local dishes, fish and more than you can imagine.
Last climb towards border of Vietnam in Na Phao.
This day it actually rained quite a bit, temperature was cold and I had a headwind all over the mountian, all which surprised me a lot!
To make matter worse, they held me at both border for almost half an hour, because border guards didnt know Croatia was visa free for Vietnam.
It was super frustrating because I was cold and muddy because pass over the top of the mountain was not paved.
Plus, I didnt really liked part around the lakes in a Thakhek loop (it was pretty boring).
If I knew all that, plus the muddy pass over the mountain, I would not take this border and would shorten my stay in Laos and choose Nam Phao border (which was one border north before this one).
