The blue gaiters are leech socksGordon: Yesterday, on a whim, we took the unusual step of joining an organized tour. I don't generally enjoy being herded around by someone else at great expense, but this full day outing in Khao Yai National Park was...
Ruth: This morning we said goodbye to Laos and cycled across the Friendship Bridge into Thailand. The transition from right side driving to left happened just as we headed onto the bridge and now I am so mixed up that before every turn I shoulder check in every...
Ruth: Vientiane is a world away from rural Laos. On our approach to town we stopped at a shopping mall that was more like a western suburban mall than any other place in Laos. For a communist people's republic, wealth distribution has slid decidedly towards...
Gordon: Now that we are only 22 kms from crossing the border into Thailand, I think it is time to discuss road safety in Laos. It is certainly something that we talk about a great deal.The time that we have spent in Laos has been one of our best travel...
Picturesque, but the dugout in the foreground is probably a bomb craterRuth: Today's ride made up for all the climbing we did on the way to Phonsavan, with a 22 km descent back down to the jungle and rice paddies.It is the final day of the New Year's parties and we...
Ruth: Happy New Year! We are enjoying the first rainy day of our trip by sitting around the fire at our guest house. The fire pit is made from the casing of a US cluster bomb dropped on Laos in their Secret War on the country. As the fire starts to heat up, our host...
Gordon: The regional capital of Phonsavan, where we are spending three nights, is well-known for two things: the Plain of Jars, and unexploded ordinance (UXO).The Plain of Jars is an area with clusters of carved stone vessels. Although little is known...
Ruth: Overnight the Hmong villages in the mountains between Phoukoun and Nong Tiang were transformed into a colourful display. It was the first day of their multi-day New Year celebration, and we were lucky enough to be passing through. Everyone was wearing their very...
Ruth: Even if we had wifi or cell yesterday, which we didn't, I had no leftover energy to blog a single word. We have set a new personal record for vertical climbing in a single day: 1900 meters! Fortunately the road was well graded and stunning. By the time I rolled...
IRuth: On our third day in Luang Prabang we decided to take the slow boat a few hours up the Mekong River to visit the the Buddha Caves at Pak Ou. The Mekong is still a major transport route for all the countries along it, and perhaps the only flat ride in Laos. Of...
Gordon: Like a number of other travellers we have met we made an effort to be in Luang Prabang for Christmas. This small city is certainly the most popular destination for foreign tourists in Laos. And for good reason, as Luang Prabang is a charming...
Ruth: So what do you call sea weed that is not from the sea? The villages along our route this morning were busy producing a nori like river weed product. Women were working the river collecting the greenery that was later slapped out into a uniform layer on a drying...