Laos in September

[The Bigfella]

Need I say? Its wet.

I did the Boten ride with Phil and Adrian on my KTM 950 Super Enduro three weeks ago, but came back better equipped in mid September, on the ex-Justin KTM 525 EXC. The bike on the left here. The other one didn't impress me so much... I like to be able to overtake... any time I choose.

I'd crossed over on the ferry at Houang Xai

... and did another two crossings to pick up a copy of the closed-out TIP that some Lao soldier wanted.... I got it but couldn't be bothered taking it to him...

I had a bit of a hangover from my night out with seven women I'd met... there are photos, but this is a family site, isn't it?

I waited for the rain to lift on the morning of the 13th and headed down along the Mekong

Checked out the new bridge construction a few km from HX

Lined up at the head of the customs queue

Symbolically got my feet wet at the first "crossing"

Jumped the river again and gained 20km downstream in the process to Pakop (or is that Prakop?) Names never were my strongpoint

65kph down the river....

Tried my luck with the local women

.... and headed for Hongsa. Forgot to change the GPS from shortest distance...

Oops...

Nah... not that way...

Or this...

Got some physical exercise getting out of there...

I did make it to only 750 metres from here... where the track is supposed to exit. The locals have let it grow over, unfortunately. Vegetation is about 3 metres high now

I lost the clutch on the way out of the sticky spot... I need a new slave cylinder, but I'll try and remember to top up the baby oil in future to avoid that. I rode 50km without the clutch before I got it back by pumping it up every now and then and letting it bleed itself via the master cylinder.

Just after I hit the bitumen, about 40km shy of Hongsa, the bike died. I'd given it a rev and was enjoying the twisties when it farted, coughed and died. I went to reserve. Nothing. Looked at, but didn't touch the filter... turned the fuel back on and it started. OK... guess it got a slurp of water somewhere that I disturbed when I revved it.

Just before Hongsa, met some slow traffic...

I met another one, in the rain, the other side of Hongsa the next morning... came scooting around a corner and nearly slid up its bum. Bloody road hogs.

I tried my luck at getting into the new power station. Got past one checkpoint but they radioed ahead and blocked the access

The road from Hongsa to Luang Prabang was a tad tiring. It took me 7 hours elapsed... at a moving average of 28 kph. I didn't see a living soul for about an hour up in the rough stuff... then had this pointed at me...

The didn't wave it under my nose... but you can bet your boots it came out of the tent as I came up the road...

I charmed it off them ....

Speaking of boots....

Bit of an issue there.... I need a pair of size 48s

The road up on top... from the village 30km out of Hongsa to about the half way mark was a real mess. Ruts up to 750mm deep, slippery - and it bloody well rained on me. In fact it started raining just as I got on the bike at Hongsa.

I'll post more on the 4B later... but its beer o'clock and I'm thirsty.

Before I go, I met these 3 guys from Bangkok about 90 minutes before I got to Luang Prabang.

It'd taken them 3 hours coming from LP. I'm not sure why, although I did fang it a bit... and there wasn't a real lot of slippery stuff on that section... just 4 river crossings... 3 of which I stopped and walked before riding. The 4th was the deep one, but a whole heap of locals were walking through it (with poles to carry me over)... and it wasn't as deep as one I'd done the day before... so I just rode it. No worries.

Back to the D Trackers. They asked me about the road. I told them it'd taken me 5 1/2 solid hours to get from Hongsa to that point... so at 2:45pm, they weren't going to make it that night... and to wave some money around in a village. I told them they'd need to let their tyres right down... and looking at their bikes I asked "do you have a pump?". No.... Hmmm.... I left them discussing whether to proceed or not. Given I'm a pretty average to mug dirt rider and I did what they took 3 hours to do in half the time... I'm hoping they turned around. I was doubting my sanity on a few of the hills out there...

There's no photos of the really gnarly bits, of course, because I was a tad busy at the time.

 

[KTMphil]

Great story so far Ian, looks like it was a good idea to turn around on the dirt road from Hongsa to LPQ a few weeks back, that looks nasty! Look forward to reading more of this, you're brave doing this in the heart of rainy season.

 

[The Bigfella]

Yep... there's no way through there on a big bike at present. I was waved back by a local just a few km in on 4B. I'd just seen where the first bridge had been washed away and expected that he was waving me back because of a slip or that bridge being out.... but not so.

Here's where the first bridge used to be... from the now finished new bridge

Incidentally, in that photo you quoted above... the reason I was stopped and could take the photo is that the bike was pointing 90 degrees to my intended travel.... Oops.

I haven't reviewed all my video yet, but here's a couple of short clips. The gnarly stuff will be in a longer segment and I don't know if I can edit or upload it on this 'puter.

This bit was relatively tame, if a tad slippery, so I rode it like a granny

[video=youtube_share;-4TPzvPAuq0]http://youtu.be/-4TPzvPAuq0[/video]

Here's one of the last water crossings... I spotted the sinkhole when I had the front wheel somewhat elevated...

[video=youtube_share;M2PlSRSxv0Q]http://youtu.be/M2PlSRSxv0Q[/video]

This sort of stuff went for a fair distance.... several hours of it, but the gnarly stuff was all the wheel ruts on the hills - especially the ones that the rain had dug deeper.

It was nice when I started meeting people again

 

[KTMphil]

Yep... there's no way through there on a big bike at present. I was waved back by a local just a few km in on 4B. I'd just seen where the first bridge had been washed away and expected that he was waving me back because of a slip or that bridge being out.... but not so.

Here's where the first bridge used to be... from the now finished new bridge

Ian --so you turned back and went via Xayabouri to Luang Prabang?

 

[The Bigfella]

Ian --so you turned back and went via Xayabouri to Luang Prabang?

Turn back a second time? No way.... It took me 7 hours to get there though.... but once those 4 hills were out of the way, it was OK.

 

[Ally]

Brave Granny !!

Thanks for taking us along with you Ian.

Ally

 

[2wheels]

Wonderful report and pics BigFella; you sure seem to like an adventure.
I believe that the Luang Prabang Boat Festival is on 17th/18th.

 

[The Bigfella]

Wonderful report and pics BigFella; you sure seem to like an adventure.
I believe that the Luang Prabang Boat Festival is on 17th/18th.

I'd been told about it and got Granny's disease... believe me, I was knackered after the last two days.... and I got to the river after it'd finished today. Hopefully its on again tomorrow. I'm in love with my masseuse... in a non, well, almost, non-sexual way... and I want her to get her hands on me again.... so I'll stay another day here.

Whoever was at the boat festival sure left a lot of empties behind...

 

[bigntall]

Ian looks like you're having some fun. Good on ya. You can use motor oil in the hydro clutch on the KTM if you cannot find baby oil. Reckon the 525 paid for itself getting you to see that nice ridge trail from Hongsa to LPB. I'm missing my bike already.

When I saw the pics once you passed Pakop I was wondering where the hell ya went??????????? As the route I gave you was an easy three lane width dirt road, haha. Did you enjoy the track paralleling the Mekong to Hatsa to pickup the boat?

All the best.

 

[The Bigfella]

Yeah, that track had me stumped too... then I figured out what was going on with the "shortest route" setup. The Mekong to Hatsa route is great... as is the ridge trail to LPB.... albeit a bit sloppy.

The views up there are great...

Nice people too

Kids have great pets

Lots of bike washing opportunities

Three locals came the other way and crapped out in this one, but there was a village just around the corner, so I pretended not to notice...

I haven't used a crosscut saw since before most people were born

Wet at times....

 

[2wheels]

Great photo; like something from 'Day of the Triffids'.

 

[KTMphil]

Jesus --- amazing you got through, most of us wouldn't have tried ------congratulations. You've got some great people shots there, they are very special.

Turn back a second time? No way.... It took me 7 hours to get there though.... but once those 4 hills were out of the way, it was OK.

 

[The Bigfella]

Hey, speaking of people... I had a cruisey day today, shot out to the waterfall (photo or two later), buggered up the cruisey bit by dropping my tank bag, complete with SPOT, phone and GPS in it, 50' down into the jungle off the track to the top of the waterfall... so had a bit of a slide and crash session retrieving it... a bit dirty but otherwise unscathed.... and then, I bumped into Mr GT-Driver. Dave was down the bottom of the waterfalls, photographing a lovely lady (I didn't get introduced). Both in non-riding gear and no bike in the carpark, so I guess he's driving, not riding.

Interesting character... when I first met him, in Chiang Mai, I was looking for Phil and Rider's Cafe. I spotted an Africa Twin at a cafe inside the moat and put 2 + 2 together and got 5. I introduced myself and said "you must be Phil"... and he agreed. Strange... he finally told me he was Dave about 15 minutes later.... after I'd prattled on about the email I'd sent Phil a year earlier and so on. Got quizzed about how I'd found out about the maps, etc, etc. I dunno, but I don't think I've ever represented myself to be another person.

edit... I was talking to Old Mate again last night, at the GT-Rider monthly dinner for key people. He was hot under the collar about this post... and I promised I'd review it today. I've done that, removed the bit about "presumably his Missus" and replaced it with "a lovely lady". Dave, mate. Is that OK?

 

[Just Bob]

Nice pics, thanks. Crazy ride. Makes my last mud bath look like a minor splatter.

 

[The Bigfella]

Nice ride again today... the mud got up onto the tank today.... sorta stopped the engine for a little while too. Oops. Should have some nice photos of Luang Prabang to Phonsovan later on... but after 9 hours in the saddle, I'm having lunch.

 

[KTMphil]

Nice ride again today... the mud got up onto the tank today.... sorta stopped the engine for a little while too. Oops. Should have some nice photos of Luang Prabang to Phonsovan later on... but after 9 hours in the saddle, I'm having lunch.

Ian - did you take the off-road route that's in magenta on the map below?

View attachment 10063

 

[Pounce]

Looks like you're having fun Bigfella. Your doing some of the route I've planned for December by the looks of it, so thanks for pre running our course, even though you're doing it backwards.
Enjoying your story.

 

[The Bigfella]

That's the route Phil. Lovely ride.... although one landslip had my sphincter a bit tighter than usual. 200' to the bottom and less than a metre to ride on. Funnily enough, it was at a spot where there was a choice of two tracks. The GPS told me to take the other one... but this one looked more "interesting". Photos later.

 

[The Bigfella]

Interesting ride yesterday

A few bamboo bridges to cross

Wanna buy some white powder?

The guys there would have given me some, but, no thanks...

No AK47s here... its all home made.... using iron balls and gunpowder from old munitions

Had my sphincter tightened ....

That's a 200' drop on the left, its wet, slippery and less than a metre wide. Yeah... my heartrate was up too.

Nice scenery.... not a sign of human occupation here...

Bit muddy in places though

 

[The Bigfella]

"Found" some jars on the way in... a long way from the tourist spot ones...

You'd probably want to carry some spare filters with you if your bike had fuel injection...

It was a fair way out of the village for these ladies, collecting their clean drinking water for the day

This is as close to a titty shot as I'll post.... She was sitting on the stool, buck naked, combing her hair.... and no, I didn't take any titty photos of the ladies hanging them out while they bathed...

I'm not so sure about the medical services here though. Came across this on the side of the trail... nice dentist's kit... a few good sets of pliers... even had anaesthetics.. no single use needle though and certainly no sterilisation.

Extractions only... the spitoon was the ground... and it weren't pretty.

 

[The Bigfella]

That muddy bike photo above came from this little puddle. It drowned the bike for a brief moment... my guess was an electrical short that dried out pretty quickly rather than muddy water in the fuel. I should have taken the right hand side option....

Scared quite a few locals on the way through...

The older kids were often OK

but some just dropped their bundles and dived into the jungle

I'd have loved a shot of those two kids... poverty personified, but it wasn't to be.

I was going to say something about lift and separate... but that'd be crass

Not hard to see why the kid is a bit chubby...

Nice cafe decor... I got into Phonsavan about 6pm... just in time for lunch

Doing 9 hours on just a bacon and egg bagel was a bit taxing.

 

[KTMphil]

Ian - This is the same river crossing with the stick bridge in dry season.

Below is the link to when we went through that route:

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...rt-trail-riding-north-east-laos-part-3-a.html

 

[2wheels]

Really enjoying your work BigFella.

 

[The Bigfella]

I've had a few days enjoying the areas around Phonsavan and was going to head off this morning, but came down with the lurgy last night... so I've had a quiet day instead. I may even stay over another day and head out to the crater village. Time will tell... and the rain now may mean I have a quiet night in tonight. I may head to Vientianne to see if I can score a new rear tyre too... this one's taken a pounding.

I've been out and done the Jars thing... here's one with battle damage from the war

and one with a bloody great bomb crater right beside it

.... and lots more

I got to one of the Jar sites and lobbed into the middle of a tour bus invasion of the restaurant.... walked in and heard a table of Aussie greyhairs talking, so said "G'day". It got funny... especially with one of the guys. "Where are you from?" says he... 'Sydney'... "How'd you get here?" ... 'rode my motorbike' "Nah, how'd you get here from Sydney?"... 'rode my motorbike'... "Bullshit".... so I leant over and flicked back a couple of photos from the day before on the camera. They turned out to be a nice mob.

I wasn't sure whether I was allowed inside the fence to take this photo...

I should've stayed outside the fence I guess, because I ripped the leg out of my trousers climbing back out. Talking to a guide the next day he says its safe in there, although there's no clearance signs

I reckon its safe enough, the tank had been picked clean of every removeable item

Nice cascading waterfall nearby. No tourists due to road and water crossing... which got my feet wet... so all footwear is now soaked. Oops.

Damn near trod on a snake on the way down to get this shot. Dunno who got the bigger shock.

Stalled it on some big rocks in here

Not much cleared... just the very close areas around tourist spots

Slippery in the wet - the local high school is those stable-like buildings on the hill

I didn't realise how close I was to the war scrap village the day before... so I went back yesterday. More damn slitherers. Ran over one while avoiding cattle, nearly hit another on the way back, and think I may have hit one while watching it. Sheesh.

Should I mention again that riding into a village like this one on a bike means that the women at the water point don't realise there's farang about... more titties. Nice ones too... No photos for here though.... Got a big smile afterwards from the woman who looked up and spotted me... I just waved.

So... this village, Ban Naphia, which is 26km from Phonsavan, not 40, like the internet says... is where some folks started melting down aluminium war scrap - downed planes, choppers, drop tanks, etc.. and producing spoons. There's also bottle openers, bangles, chopsticks and the like. I saw three or four places doing it and stopped at one. First up though, some farang have helped extend the industry and theres a building with a goup of women weaving in it....

I bought one of their scarves, not cheap (relative term) at $12.... but good to support them. I bought about the same in war scrap castings... chopsticks, etc.

Here's some new moulds, air drying at the foundry.

The foundry. That's some wing spars going in at the right. I have my suspicions that there might be some virgin material going in... but I didn't any evidence of it at all... and I did look.

The track out of the village to the next one was only cleared 2 years back... 6 bombs removed from it. That's 6 bombs everyone's been walking or riding over for 40+ years...

... and the cleared width is two metres wide. Gawd there's a huge amount of sh!t still in the ground.

Got pulled up by the Army yesterday too.... "no photos.... no photos"... OK.... so can I go in? "No, no...." I kept smiling and being nice and the officer calmed down in the end. I'd been trying to get onto the airfield to see the Mig 21 Fishbeds. Wiki still lists them as being in service with the air force, along with the An-26. I don't think so....

Maybe some, but certainly not all.... and I doubt any

I think whoever parked the Antonov is in trouble

I'd been given a contact who it was thought might be able to get me in, but unfortunately, he died 3 years ago. Bugger. I extended my condolences to his widow and asked her what she thought. She suggested the tourist info office... but nah... they didn't have a clue what I was talking about, or if they did, they weren't letting on. I actually rode through the gate at the airfield... but stopped just inside, as the security guy had crossed his arms. Didn't want a bullet in the back. No luck with him either. Never mind... I saw them, didn't take (m)any photos either.

Here's what half a load of bombies looks like... and a third of them didn't explode...

The locals play boule with them

The candle for dinner the other night was in one of these

and did I post this one? Damn cold... its stuffing my thinking up

How much war scrap do you want?

Part of the restaurant wall display at the Maly Hotel

I've been the only guest for the last 2 days.... paying bottom rate in the top room. Pity it took me two days to figure out that fiddling with the hot water switch until it was in the almost on position would actually produce hot water.

 

[KTMphil]

Looks like you're lovin the Phonsavan area Ian --- fabulous photo's that really capture the region, nice job.

 

[2wheels]

'Onya BigFella.

I reckon you're in one of (if not the) most interesting areas of SE Asia.

 

[The Bigfella]

How about a quick village ride through?

Damn bridge had about a 5' rise and fall

... or we could take a ride through the bomb craters.

 

[2wheels]

Thanks BigFella.

May be wrong but I understand that most of these craters were caused by US Airforce dropping their payload over Laos in preference to landing in Thailand (Udon Thani/U-Tapao) with bombs attached.

 

[KTMphil]

Where are you now Ian?

 

[2wheels]

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2562.cfm


" When U.S. bombers couldn't find their targets in Vietnam due to bad weather, they just dumped their load on the Laos countryside, as the airplanes couldn't land with the bombs on board. After the end of the bombing campaign against North Vietnam, the U.S. military decided to simply use its old bomb arsenal (by dropping it on Laos) accumulated in Southeast Asia, instead of carrying it back home. The value of human lives, of the Lao people, was never taken into consideration. "

 

[The Bigfella]

That as well Ron... that's the extra bombs that aren't in the official figures. The official stats are for the 2 million tons that were actually targetted at Laos.... and the Phonsavan area was a critical field of operations.

No photos today... internet's a thin 2G connection. I'm in Mok. Road was the usual mix... some good, some very sloppy, some very rough. Saw the usual two snakes today... both 4 footers... one wanted a look, the other was like greased lightning. Yesterday they were 3 footers... and I got one (unintentional).

Just scored a late lunch... much needed.... two packs of crappy noodles and two warm beers. Yum.

This back tyre isn't going to be much good by the time I hit Cambodia.... and I had to cut one of my boots off today... the good one... after the zipper shit itself.

Stuff it... I'm going to have a third warm beer.

 

[2wheels]

Good to see from you mate; for a while there I thought you may have created another crater!
Warm beer; an absolute insult to a hard working Aussie. (just pretend these are chilled)

 

[The Bigfella]

Thanks Ron... that's a comforting thought... I did nearly get shot out there though. I was scooting along a dirt road, saw a ute pulled up on the wrongs side, driver's door open. At the last minute, I noticed the rifle barrel... and I skidded to a halt here, just as he fired

Hopefully he wasn't trying to feed a swarm of hungry kids....

Betya it boosted his ego though.

I offered this old lady a lift, but she was almost home.

I'd given an old bloke a lift out near Jars 2 and he was really happy about it. He was lugging a couple of bottles of petrol.... and he wanted to fight me for the only footpegs on the bike... but he got the idea soon enough.

There were plenty of oldies on the road yesterday and today. These are from yesterday (no uploads yet today)

This older lady was blocking most of the road. The log was at least 2.5 metres long.

A much older lady at a petrol stop.

Speaking of petrol.... with this bike as well sorted as it is, I'm damned if I know how Justin put up with that damn crappy petrol cap for so long. It leaks fuel all over the bike and me for the first 60+ km after a fill ... lots of it.... and I'm thinking it may also be the cause of the sudden engine stopping I'm getting. Its happened several times now.... bike just stops. Switch to reserve... nothing. Take the fuel cap off .... bike will start again. Its definitely fuel related but I can't see how a leaking fuel cap would cause a vacuum fuel stoppage. I dunno. I sure as hell wish I could walk into the local bike shop and get a decent fuel cap.

There was plenty of slop on yesterday's roads, but virtually none today.

I wish I'd gotten a better shot of this old geezer, but he was on a mission... a long way up a mountain.

I'm in Lak Xao this evening. I may have been mistaken in my position report for yesterday, I was basing that on what a local said. I stayed at the guesthouse in IIRC (its not on my paper map) Khangviang.... about 16km past Muang Mok. Nice little place - gensets only for a few hours in the evening. Didn't get much in the way of food. Guesthouse was being run by a teenage girl and there were some kids around. Only adult was the other guest, a Vietnamese guy who was packing into the mountains with a guide. I've seen a few of them doing that btw.

Here's the place

All I scored was a couple of packets of crappy instant noodles.... and that was lunch and dinner At least I found a brekkie place today for some proper noodles and gristle.... with a bit of Spam thrown in.

Riding today was a bit tight for the first hour... saw plenty of people on foot, but only one bike in that hour. I scared the crap out of some poor woman... late 20's to early 30's. She was heading down the road to a creek that I was crossing... I went to wave and she just bolted.... flat out running away. Sheesh, I know I'm a tad ugly, but really luv. Same thing later on with a boy of about 10. Instant run away response. Not long afterwards, I got stopped at a military checkpoint.... rope across the road. No real worries with them... smile, be friendly, wait for the boss to come down and check me out... and off I went.

I got stopped again about 65km short of Lak Xao. No rope... just waved down. About 8 soldiers and cops at this one. Had to get the Passport out here and a cop wrote about half a page in his exercise book. Got photos at both places. Departed from both places "appropriately" too. ie... smoked her up. Being a bit careful about that. The rear tyre ain't good.

I had to cut my "good" boot off yesterday when the zipper shit itself. So the morning ritual now involves taping one boot on and taping the sole onto the other one. I wish I could get some more gaffer tape. I've got a small bit left, but I'm not using it just for a day's ride. At least I can get insulation tape.

More photos some other time....

 

[2wheels]

Fantastic stuff mate; here's another coldie for ya ....

Would like to see a pic of your modified footwear.

 

[bigntall]

Nice pics Ian, keep em coming.

Fix the fuel cap with two layers of innertube cut to fit up the inside the cap. No more petrol crotch, unless you're beginning to enjoy that stinging feeling in yer crotch.

Over here there are small wasps that often plug up carb vent lines and such with there muddy concoctions. I just had to clean out my fuel tank vent line for the same reason. Betting you have a new home in your vent line. The nests also don't dislodge too easily so be patient.

At every market they should have someone to repair and resole shoes. Can't believe those things are still even on your feet without any attention.


All the best.

 

[2wheels]

An unfortunate little Common Kingfisher (thanks to a Field Guide kindly given to me by Ally).

 

[The Bigfella]

Bugger. Front wheel bearings are shot. They were new and I didn't get any spares, which is a bit of a problem methinks. Can't see a bearing shop here in Nian.

 

[KTMphil]

Justin's checking to see if he has spares

 

[VietHorse]

Truly adventure ride. Love the original scene all around....
Thanks for share!

 

[The Bigfella]

Fuark has some bearings... no seals though. He's just shot off to Thailand for an hour or so.... I'm waiting on his call. I had him talk to a local and he's getting them on a bus (probably tomorrow) to somewhere 20 miles from here.... I think. The fun bit is going to be getting the money to Fuark... the last bank transfer I did here took a week. I hope he's a trusting chap. The good news is that there's electricity here and I found someone with cold Beer Lao.

Here was me thinking that my riding was going to sh!t... couldn't handle the gravel. I looked down to check the front tyre wasn't going flat... and there was this 2-3" wobble going on. Oops.