Then it started to rain heavily. So I thought oh well why not stay another night in Vang Vieng?? But there was no water!!! And I'm too lazy to pack up just to move to a new guesthouse.
8am I went out to buy breakfast after the rain stopped. I ordered a bacon baguette and waited, then I suddenly ordered another egg baguette.. for lunch?! And bought a bottle of water..
All for 35,000kips ($4.50) and suddenly I had all the food I need for today.
This was enough excuse for me to go riding.. Yee Har!!! Quickly made my way back to the guesthouse, took a powder bath and packed up. At 10.30am I started my ride.
The ground was still very wet and muddy from the rain. Today's ride will take me on route 13 through 230km of endless mountain roads to Luang Prabang. During the ride, it drizzled a little and the air in the high altitude was freezing cold. 12 to 15 degrees I estimate.
At my rest stop, I had a chat with some French tourists who told me it's was raining like crazy in Luang Prabang yesterday. Oh shit! I thought to myself.
The scenery along the mountain road was out of this world but conditions were generally very poor with crazy potholes where you least expect them (around a hairpin turn). The road ran through numerous small villages with little children running out to greet me 'sabaidee' as I rode pass. Damn cute and heart warming lah!
6 hours and 230km of mountainous roads later, at 4.30pm, I reached Luang Prabang (UNESCO world heritage city) Rode around the town and got a room for US$8 a night at 'view khem khong' guesthouse. Not bad and there's wifi.
After doing my laundry, I went out to the huge night bazaar that was selling alot of handicraft. Didn't buy anything as I have lots of time to go shopping.
Went for dinner at one of the back lanes where there is 'buffet' for 10,000kips (US$1.25) There was a large variety of vegetarian dishes but no meat?! Wasn't really hungry but tried it anyways. The food was cold but edible. Ordered another BBQ pork skewer for 10,000kips (US$1.25)
After dinner I went around scouting for tour packages that I can sign up for. Had a hard time choosing between the various packages available. End up signing up for the half day trip to Pak Ou cave and Lao whiskey village for 80,000kips (US$10). I need to report to the travel agency at 9am tomorrow. I was informed that I needed to
pay a separate admission charge of 20,000kips (US$2.50) for the site
If this is good, I'll sign up for the other package to the Kuang Si waterfall for 50,000 kips for the day after.
10pm made a trip out of town to look for the only disco in town, 'Dao Fa disco'. It is absolutely freezing cold on the roads... When I reached, the place was playing good thai music, typical thai disco style, but it's quite empty so I sat back relaxed and watched a football match with my beer lao. Man City won 3-1.
Beer is still cheap at 20,000kips for a big bottle (US$2.50) Who ever heard of paying $3 to go to a disco?! zzzz.
Next up, went to another pariah Laotian 'disco', I really wonder why they call their discos 'night club' when there's really nothing much going on inside. It's very very very dark inside with singer on stage and people on the dance floor dancing like zombies to really bad music. (line dancing?) As if it's a scene out of new shanghai?? haha. wtf?! damn chui.. But this time round, it's packed inside and I ordered another beer for 20,000kips (US$2.50) and immersed myself into the 'atmosphere'.
After a while, techno music came on.. Athem 3 and Billy Jean from the 90s followed by some random Indian sound track. This place really takes the cake.. Omg!! back to the future!! What the heck!! After techno came folk music. zzz..
I'm really starting to enjoy Laos. Nonsense to the max yet damn cheap. Just that the traveling between the towns can be very tedious. Maybe I should stay for a few more days.
Btw, beer lao is quite potent. 2 big bottles only and I can feel it already. Woot!!! Time to go back sleep. Gotta wake up at 8am tomorrow. yawn.
On the way back to the hotel, I nearly froze to death. @_@
Expenses:
Hotel: US$8
F&B: US$7.75
Petrol: US$18
Entertainment: US$15.50
Your trip made me want to go ride but I I have family attachment in Singapore.
ReplyDelete