Crusty Quinns do Northern Laos - December 2012

Great stuff !

Look forward to the next installment.

Ally
 
Yesss - great stuff and look forward to the rest. Good idea to feed us the story in bits of pieces so we have time to "take it all in".
 
Great stuff Pounce. Keep it coming.
 
Pounce said:
Day 4 – 6[SUP]th[/SUP] Dec 2012 – Phonsavan – Luang Probang

We have a few more rivers to cross but these have bridges. Well bridges of a sort. We probably could have gone through the water, but why miss out on paying 5000k & having a photo opportunity.

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Priceless Local Engineering Skills

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I didn't do that particular crossing... I did that same section, going in the other direction.... but somewhere north of Phonsavan I went right at an intersection instead of left and came through a very different area for the last few hours and ended up doing the last 40km into Phonsavan on the tar. I did get stung at one river... cost me 50,000 kip. I learnt after that to ask the price before boarding and most of the time I just rode up with 5,000 kip in my hand and they'd take it and off we'd go.
 
I went the same way into Nale and up to ban Long last year, great to see your fotos
 
That last day's ride is similar to my first day in Laos last September. I managed to get a speedboat from Hatsa downriver to Pakhop. Cost me 1000 baht ($30)... but it was fun scooting down in a flat-bottom speedboat at 65kph on the GPS.
 
Pounce said:
Day 14 - 16[SUP]th[/SUP] Dec 2012 - Houay Xai - Hongsa


Into Hongsa around 5pm. Now the fun begins, trying to find a bed. We try everywhere & get 3 rooms at the Jumbo GH, (which if there isn't 2 called that is marked wrong on the map?) 1 at the Nongsavady GH & 45 minutes late I find the last in town at what the GPS calls Villa Sisouphanh. In reality I reckon it's a Chinese brothel.
We get sorted & a couple of beers in us. While Mike & I were riding around town, we found a great restaurant called Nangnook where we decide to go for a feed. It's a great place & popular.

We call it a night & I head back to the GH. Out the front are heaps of girls & a few drunken Chinese workers, hence my thoughts about it being a brothel. Straight to bed without making eye contact for me.
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There are indeed two Jumbo GH (Jumbo Monica and Jumbo Phatada). The latter has been rented to a construction company so I guess you guys stayed at the Jumbo GH run by Monica. Villa Sisouphan was one of the better places to stay till a few years ago but with the influx of all the Chinese and other construction workers many more GH'es have sprung up. Mark Rossi stayed at the Sisoupahn a year ago and he found it quite good actually.
 
Great detailed report Pete, one of the best of the year for sure, really enjoyed it and the route excellently explained.


Mac saw you're Sisoupahn GH photo and sent me this of it in 2009



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Grrrrr. I'm gunna come back later and post some other photos of that same route in the wet. Unbelievable difference.
 
We should start a "trip report hall of fame", this one would make it for sure..... great stuff Pete, thank you!
 
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