"Sabaidee. Massage, Boom-Boom?"

[2wheels]

My good mate of some 40 years, Alan, was keen to see Laos for the first time and I was keen to show him. We hadn't ridden together since 1973 when working in Central Oz. He flew over from Oz for his Asian Adventure. Fully aware that one of the best ways of testing a friendship is to tour together, we got our act together and prepared to 'hit the road'.

Alan rented from Khun Lan at C&P Rentals. Lan had a CRF250L prepared for Alan which had new tyres fitted, also new chain and sprockets. He also gave us brake and clutch levers, front and rear tubes, a can of chain spray and even a new cam-chain tensioner! He also gave us a tutorial on how to change the tensioner (which he thought would be inevitable.) An excellent person to deal with. Alan's CRF had some 13,000 kms on the clock; mine only 1455 kms.

Khun Lan at
N 18.78604
E 98.99346

I used my own CRF250L, which carried puncture repair kit and clutch cable.


7[SUP]th[/SUP] November

We set off from Doi Saket in great anticipation of the upcoming adventure.
The first, and now obligatory stop, was at Charin.





We did a fuel consumption check just so we knew what to expect from a tank-full.
Alan's CRF returned near 40kms/litre for that first stretch!
Mine was 'only' 36.
Lan had inflated the tyres to 28psi, so after I did likewise our consumption was almost identical throughout the entire tour.

Then we stopped at Wat Rong Khun but didn't enter because of this sign.

N 19.82347
E 99.76379





Weird place!



We stayed at the very comfortable and quiet Huannuer Resort in Mae Chan for 500 baht/room.
N 20.13441
E 99.86211



Later we met up with Phil and Khun Pim, David and Khun Fon and enjoyed a meal at the Aussie owned Lena Restaurant on the main highway.

N 20.20567
E 99.85906

And tomorrow the real adventure would begin!
(to be continued)

 

[KTMphil]

Lovely pictures Ron, 40km/ per liter that is quite amazing efficiency.

 

[2wheels]

8[SUP]th[/SUP] November


Khun Pim and Phil kindly provided breakfast in the morning then Phil escorted us on his PCX150i through some handy back-roads out of Mae Chan. We followed #1098 to Doi Luang then the #1271 to the Mekong and #4007 to Chiang Khong.







Along #4007 we stopped at the wonderful Phu Naka Coffee and enjoyed the views and conversation.










N 20.32069
E 100.37930


The formalities at Chiang Khong only took about an hour, so we each paid the 500 baht (at the new ticket office) for the ferry crossing and floated over to Laos. The Lao formalities took another 90 minutes (during which time I made a small indiscretion which we wouldn't discover until crossing the Friendship Bridge! But that's another story.)


We checked into the Udomphone 2 Guest House in Houei Xai, mainly because it offers good security for the bikes and adequate accommodation.



N 20.27806
E 100.41109


Later, we walked down along the river to the Tavendeng Restaurant where to first cold Beer Lao awaited us. Alas, the food didn't because the chef hadn't yet arrived! However she did while we were downing the first beer. Not bad food and superb views along the river and a nice sunset.


It is here that we, for the first time, actually made some travel plans, the first of which was to inspect the old French Fort the next morning.



Great! I only wanted a light lunch. Sorry.




N 20.26804
E 100.41365


To celebrate our arrival in Laos we spent a few hours and a lot of kip at the Kob Jai Bar, consuming all sorts of cocktails.

N 20.27776
E 100.41119


(to be continued)

 

[LivinLOS]

Why the suspicion of the camchain tensioner ??

 

[2wheels]

Because Khun Lan has already replaced some on his CRF rentals and was certain that we would have issues with it!
We didn't.

 

[2wheels]

9th November

We were pleased to find Fort Carnot and especially lucky to be allowed to walk throughout the grounds.
Not a lot is written about this place and I'll have to do some research to find as much information as possible but apparently it was constructed around 1900 and housed members of the French Foreign Legion.
Officially it is currently off limits as it is reportedly still being used by the Lao Army.
We saw no signs of current activity apart from some young Lao folk at the site who politely allowed us to spend as much time there as we wanted then locked the gates as we departed.
The Fort is definitely worth a visit.

N 20.27171
E 100.41525









There are attempts to restore the Fort, which I hope succeed.





So then it was time to ride to Luang Namtha.
I couldn't believe how this road has been transformed since I last road it. What a superb and comfortable ride it now is .... apart from the truck drivers who believe they own both sides of the road!

We were both impressed with the numerous humble little dwellings with million-dollar views, often with TV satellite dishes attached.



We were always conscious of the need to remain well hydrated, so often stopped along the way. One great little place we spent an hour talking to the locals, eating their food and rehydrating was at Ban Mai, some 40kms before Luang Namtha. The eatery is outdoors under a big shady tree and there people who own it are extra friendly.

This girl was helping her Mum, taking it in turns with her sister to move between school and work.



Young brother seemed to have the best deal.



They even have a Barber's shop.



Alan brought over many pages of stickers which we handed out along the way.





We didn't waste time in Luang Namtha.
The main road through town was receiving major work, which is long overdue and should improve things there a lot.

We headed for Muang Sing along the delightful #17A, which winds through an attractive valley following a stream for many kms.

The road is a bit lumpy but very enjoyable in both directions.



At Muang Sing we booked into the Sing Cha Lern Hotel for 100,000 kip per room.
It's deteriorated in the last couple of years but is still a good place to stay.





That night, there not being a great deal of activity in Down-town Muang Sing, we settled in at the market and had a thoroughly enjoyable night with the locals. We even managed to find some cold Beer Lao and great BBQ chicken etc, even green tea cake.







Then it bucketed down with rain and everything closed down.





We were a bit apprehensive about the rain because we were intending to ride some dirt roads to the Burma border the next day.

(to be continued)

 

[Ally]

Fabulous as usual Ron, thanks for sharing your journey.

Ally

 

[2wheels]

Hope you can get there soon Ally.
You'll love it and they'll love you.

 

[Loop]

My patience for the Sabaidee Massage Boom Boom bit is just about exhausted

 

[2wheels]

Hang in there Sunshine! :MJ

 

[2wheels]

10th November

So after some solid rain we had to discuss whether or not to hit the dirt road to the Burma border.
We decided that the rain would have settled the dust and 'yes, let's ride to the border'.
I had thought of riding out of Muang Sing, up through the mountains to Xieng Kheng. Auke had told me there was a check-point along the way which may or may not cause a problem.
So the decision was to ride to the check-point. If it was 'no go' we'd ride along 17B to Xieng Kok.

But first some repairs.
My Airhawk (God Bless It) had been ripped by my boot when dismounting a day earlier and it was essential (for me) that it be repaired.
Luckily Alan also had an Airhawk and some patches, which did the job perfectly.

Now to break our fast at the local market.
We were there around 6-30.



A wonderful bowl of Pho was consumed and some surprisingly nice coffee.



There were a few bikes already parked there.



Unfortunately the Museum was closed.
Next time.



Apparently the local hospital has a story to tell which involves 'Tom Dooley'; I'll research that later.

(From 'Lonely Planet')

"

From at least the late 16th century until 1803 Muang Sing belonged to the Thai principality of​

Chiang Khong

, after which it came under the control of the​

Nan

Kingdom. In the early 19th century much of Muang Sing’s population was transferred to Chiang Kham district in​

Nan

(now part of​

Thailand

). Both the Siamese and the British subsequently laid claim to the area, but in 1896​

France

took Muang Sing as part of French Indochina.As soon as the French left Laos in 1954, the area fell into the conflict between the Royal Lao Government and the Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao. From then until the Pathet Lao takeover of Vientiane in 1975, ancient Muang Sing served as a setting for a series of international intrigues involving the Chinese, Vietnamese, Americans and Lao. The famous American ‘jungle doctor’ Tom Dooley, a pawn of the CIA in Laos from 1957 to 1961 and a man who courted Catholic sainthood until he was dismissed from the US Navy for his sexual orientation, founded a hospital in Muang Sing during this era. The town was virtually abandoned until after the 1975 revolution. "

And from Wikipedia;

" After leaving the Navy, Dooley went to Laos to establish medical clinics and hospitals under the sponsorship of the International Rescue Committee. He explained to the Laotian Minister of Health that he wished to work in an area near theChinese border because "there are sick people there and furthermore people who had been flooded with potent draughts of anti-Western propaganda from Red China."[SUP][5][/SUP] Dooley founded the Medical International Cooperation Organization (MEDICO) under the auspices of which he built hospitals at Nam Tha, Muong Sing, and Ban Houei Sa. During this same time period, he wrote two books, The Edge of Tomorrow and The Night They Burned the Mountain, about his experience in Laos. "


​

So, in fog and light drizzle, we got onto the 17B for the Burma border, passing this tin Temple.



The road is okay.
A bit gnarly in parts but I kept to the very right where it was smoother and avoided most of the sharp rocks.

Sadly, the check-point leading to Xieng Kheng was closed so we satisfied ourselves with 17B.

The scenery along this road is spectacular and there were no scary drivers sharing the road with us. I recommend this 70km ride to anyone contemplating it.







This little group of vegetable sellers didn't want to be photographed openly, so I waited for them to hide.



A fuel and water top-up.
There are now plenty of fuel stops on this road if necessary.
I always apply my personal motto of 'whenever you can get it, get it; no matter what it is'.





These little school kids, many who walk a long distance to this school, have a great view from their classroom window once they arrive.





These Chinese battery-powered bikes are all the rage in certain parts of Laos now, especially Luang Prabang.
I was told by this lad that they cost the equivalent of $400.



Onwards towards the border.



We arrived at Xieng Kok without any drama and cooled ourselves beside the Mekong for an hour or so.







(Alan travelled with a copy of his local newspaper and would pose with it at significant sites throughout the tour. This one was published.)

We initially checked into the (not to be mentioned Guest House) which offered splendid views of the Mekong but closer inspection of the bedding made us realise that the place was merely a 'short-time' rendezvous for the locals. So we looked elsewhere.





Alan found the Khem Khong Guest house which offered 'rooms' for either 30,000 or 50,000 kip.
We decided to indulge ourselves and bought a couple of their 50,000 kip suites!



N 20.89941
E 100.64272

Khem Khong offers this view from their 'dining room' ...



... and, for those brave enough, a nip of Pangolin liqueur.



Yes, the owner is a delightful Chinese lady named Jong who was an excellent host.
She has six rooms on offer. According to the Register the most recent guest arrived eight days ago, so she was pleased to see us.



She made nice food for us and kept us supplied with cold beer.
Jong doesn't have much English, is a 32 year old single lady and is making a brave stand at Xieng Kok in an attempt to support her parents and grandparents back in China.

But, for the benefit of fellow riders, I must admit that the rooms should be classified as 'basic-primitive'. However, if one is tired enough (or inebriated enough) 'primitive' may just be adequate. Hey, there's not much choice!

So, after settling in we headed down to the Mekong for the sunset show.
I found these women planting peanuts on the edge of the river.















Tragically, I later discovered, somewhere between the Pangolin liqueur and the Mekong sunset, I had lost the star-headed tool that locks my Garmin onto its mount and no amount of searching found it.

Maybe, if I could get down to the river-bank early in the morning before all the locals, I could find it?

(to be continued)

 

[KTMphil]

I think your trip reports are some of the best out there 2wheels, makes you feel like you're along for the ride.

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Phil.
See you for lunch.

 

[2wheels]

11th November

Well, I was there at 6-15am and no GPS key so it had to remain locked onto its cradle until I could find a replacement tool.
Early morning on the Mekong at Xieng Kok was nice though.



So was Miss Jong's breakfast.



Now to return to Muang Sing on 17B.







More friendly little vegetable sellers on the dusty roadside.







And more stickers.



Riding into some wetness, so we pressed on wanting to reach the bitumen near Muang Sing before things got too sticky.



Another coffee at the Muang Sing market and time to formulate a plan.
Why not ride from one world to another?
Phil's pics of the very weird Boten convinced us that would be our next stop, so we headed back along the wonderful 17A, this time stopping more often to take in the scenery.

Looks like a new village or maybe a Refugee Camp?















Bypass Luang Namtha again, onto the 13B and up to Boten and another world.



This Customs check can be ridden past without stopping.
We didn't want any hassles so we actually sought and received permission to proceed from the very friendly Officer.



(to be continued)

 

[2wheels]

We found (it's a bit difficult to miss!) this Huang Jin Hotel which eventually accepted non-Chinese money in the form of 130,000 kip for a couple of salubrious rooms. Note the barred windows.

N 21.18338
N 101.67011







The rooms have this kinky 'look at me have a shower while you lie on the bed' approach.



But the water was hot, the room was clean and a complete contrast from the previous night. So, couthed up and ready to 'hit the town', we were looking forward to discovering this planet.

(to be continued)

 

[KTMphil]

Beautiful photo's 2wheels

 

[Just Bob]

Love your write-ups Ron. This was worth waiting for.

These flowers are stunning!

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Bob (and best wishes).
Yes, a lonely and delicate pair of tiny flowers on a bank of the Mekong yet with vicious little thorns.

 

[2wheels]

So, for those who haven't been to Boten aka 'The Town that Greed Created', here's a tour of the place which we did before sunset on our day of arrival.
Get ready for weirdness. (and I hope the images actually get posted!).

The Lao/China border.



This is one of the few buildings actually in use.



But this is the norm; extravagent waste.













One desperate lady making a brave stand for capitalism.
Alan went in and, if I recall, she was hoping to sell sandals and handbags.

























Then we saw this squadron bravely waddling past a nasty restaurant we had discovered and who reluctantly opened for us. We only found two places in Boten which sell food, so it's probably best to eat a few kms out of town.





(to be continued)

 

[2wheels]

Getting tired of re-doing these!

 

[2wheels]

12th November

I thought the place would be even weirder smothered in the fog of early morning, so I went riding around Boten at 6am.
It was!





Back at the border crossing, pre people.

 

[2wheels]

I found this structure in the nearby jungle.
Not sure if it's an old residence or merely a place to store timber.
Maybe an original Boten house?



Life!





We serviced our bikes while the sun was burning away the fog and departed this amazing place around 9am, heading for Udom Xai.

Departing Boten.



This was to be a very long day and a day that taught us a few lessons about bike riding in Laos. Never too old to learn.

(continuing)

 

[2wheels]

A BBC article about Boten (May 2011)

BBC News - Fears over growing Chinese industry in Laos

"This used to be just a rubbish Lao village," Robert tells me.

We should spend money on rice but instead we spend it on phonecards and alcohol Borsai - Lao villager

"They gave each of the villagers around $800 (£488) and told them to get out of here."

 

[KTMphil]

Fabulous story Mr. L

 

[2wheels]

And from 'The Economist', May 2011.

China in Laos: Busted flush | The Economist


"The trouble started in December, when Chinese gamblers found that the operators refused to let them leave until they had coughed up for betting losses. Officials from Hubei province apparently negotiated the release of several "hostages", but many more continued to be held against their will. Accounts in the Chinese media say that casino recruiters lured gamblers with offers of free travel and hotel rooms, only to be kept captive and beaten when their credit ran out. Lao villagers swap grisly tales of corpses dumped in the river."

 

[2wheels]

We were on the road for Udom Xai at around 9am, after the fog had lifted and the atmosphere had dried.

#13 sure has had some major improvements made to it since I last rode it two years ago.
So smooth and fast now.
But that has it's down side too, as we noticed many accident scenes marked on the road due to the increased speed most likely.
And slipping off the edge of that road would have a rider dropping into a sheer half metre drop into the water drain.
Care is still needed.

We passed a few traditional villages, such as this one with the humble little homes showing off their new satellite dishes.



This is sound advice (sorry).



Who said the CRF brakes are not up to it?



A local policeman proudly showing off his mount beside a police box.



Some scenes along #13.





Just look at those little homes perched on the hill-side.







Alan was loving this.
(There mate, gotcha into RideAsia!)



More friendly little urchins, so more stickers.
Actually, I once heard a little fella yell out 'Hello, thank you' at me just for riding past him! Bless them.





This group of lads were perched precariously on the road-side half way into a blind curve. And they were too intent on their game to show much interest in a curious passerby.



Gotta love these bamboo bridges.





That section was excellent, but slow because we stopped often. But we got into Udom Xai, not having eaten so far that day and hoping to lose some weight.





We rode around town for too long looking for a particular bakery that no longer exists ('Lonely Planet, you are wrong!) and, more importantly, a decent place to have breakfast/lunch.

We passed this deli.



Eventually some very helpful students led us to the wonderful Kanya Restaurant. More stickers!!



Kanya is to be highly recommended.
We were starving, so ordered a lot not knowing that their serves are huge. We had actually over-ordered and apologised for doing so as we both hate the idea of wasting food. We doubted it would be wasted though.
Mark this place fellow riders; it's excellent.

N 20.68931
E 101.98508



We spent too much time at Kanya and should have 'bitten the bullet' and found a hotel in Udom Xai. The decision not to would kick us in the guts later.

(continuing)

 

[Ally]

Really enjoying this report Ron. You certainly gave Alan a wonderful tour.

Ally

 

[2wheels]

OK, time to 'hit the road' again.
Onto #13, making sure not to ride straight ahead at the junction with 2W some 6 kms out of Udom Xai ... as a fellow rider on his Africa Twin did yet enjoyed his ride down to Pak Being when he thought he was heading towards Luang Prabang! It's easy to do, being no visible signage at the junction.

The road to Pak Mong was bad and slowed us down. The views where nice though. But we wanted to make up time so we worked the CRFs.
At Pak Mong (yuk) the road quality improved, but the sun was sinking. It was now inevitable that we would break one of our rules ie "No Night Riding."

Only two photos along this scenic stretch.





Then darkness fell and all the unlit vehicles came out to play.
This slowed us down to a trickle.
Riding up to carts, bicycles, trucks which didn't have tail-lights.
Squinting against oncoming buses and trucks who insisted on using high beam.
Narrow road.
So I stopped to have a chat with Alan about tactics and the road into Luang Prabang,
parking the bike off the edge of the road and checking the Montana for the motorbike bridge into town.
"OK, we'll just have to take it really easy. Safety is our priority."
And then I fell off my bike! Yes, the bitumen was about 12cm thick, with a sharp edge and while the front wheel straddled it okay the rear slid along the edge and flipped me off at 1kph into the dirt. That's what fatigue can do. By this stage we'd been riding for 10 hours. My pride was hurt more than my palms; I hadn't fallen off since 1972.

But we eventually arrived in bustling central LP and the GPS took to exactly what we wanted. We checked into the Udomsouk Guest House for 100,000 kip per room.
Then, as I was settling in, 6 loud guys arrived and took the room alongside!
No amount of polite requests for them to quieten down would bring a response, so I surrendered and went across to the Phonmalay, where I remained for the next few days.

NO NIGHT RIDING.

(continuing)

 

[2wheels]

13th November

A day strolling around Luang Prabang.
For those who have not been there, and I recommend you do, this is what it looks like.

The very adequate Phonemalay Guest House. 100,000 kip, lockable gate, WiFi and free breakfast.

N 19.88945
E 102 13187





The ancient tree beside the Mekong which has seen so many changes over so many years.



Many fine dining venues.







I'd been salivating for a fresh, crisp baguette for 2 years!
'Thank you French Colonists.'



Alan and I were buying some fruit juice and this Mum and daughter arrived.
They spoke an ethnic language that I couldn't understand, but what I did understand was they wanted to buy some orange juice from the stall owner who said it was 5000 kip. Mum and daughter looked surprised and turned to walk away, not another work spoken.
I approached Mum, tapped her on the shoulder and beckoned her to return to the stall, ordered two bottles of juice and gave them to the thirsty walkers. The wonderfully appreciative smile was my reward. I'm not into patronising, but this couple were genuine and thirsty, so we were all happy.











'Sabaidee. Massage, boom-boom?'



Even the little daughter had learnt to say 'Sabaidee massage'!























I bought the slippers.































The 'side-saddle' loo at my Guest House!









Having sated my appetite for baguettes, it was time to address my need for fresh fish so we found a river-side restaurant offering nice views and excellent food (down by that ancient tree).





The waiter.



Farming the river-bank.



Then this happened, so we went home.



Excellent day.
Fascinating place.

 

[2wheels]

14th November


Another day in Paradise.

















Lots of old timber being recycled for the construction of new restaurants.









These electric bikes, Mum informed me, cost 4 million kip and are all the rage now in Luang Prabang; many students riding them to and from school.



Just call into Mum's restaurant, recharge and ready for another day.











But the afternoon actually had a purpose for me.
I was searching for a replacement tool so that I could unlock the Montana from its mount on my bike before some-one else did, (the original being lost way back in Xieng Kok, beside the Mekong).



Behold, I eventually found one at a bicycle shop opposite the Dara Market. This shop and some in the Dara Market have a wide selection of specialist tools and the area may be of significance to other riders.

N 19.88754
E 102.13493

(continuing)

 

[GSForLife]

Hi Ron,

great report and educational as usual. I always admire your sense of road trips and perspective. To most bikers in this region (and I am sure it is the same else where) Laos and Northern Thailand are just same old world to same old eyes but the difference is how you look at what is in front of you, not what it is. And you always show me something new.

Thank you for this wonderful RR and looking forward to see you again .....hopefully next year.

Best regards,
Ding

 

[KTMphil]

Can't believe there isn't a photo of that old Citron in Luang Prabang here yet!

 

[Changnoi1]

Thanks for the lovely photos of LP. I have found memories of "La CaLao" Restaurant & Hotel, in those years about 23years ago I think it was the only western classy place to eat. But that were the days you could have put an chair on the middle of the road to take an afternoon nap and nobody would even notice it (well maybe the chickens).

Chang Noi

 

[2wheels]

Mr Ding; nice to hear from you again and I look forward to seeing you again some day. Thank you.

Phil; well spotted! I looked for it but it eluded me. However Alan saw it and photographed it.

Chiangnoi!; thank you too. I would love to have seen LP a few decades ago.

 

[Lone Rider]

Chiangnoi!; thank you too. I would love to have seen LP a few decades ago.

Ron/Changnoi

There are quite a few old pictures (some 50-60 years old I guess) of Laos and some for Luang Prabang in the Joel M. Halpern Lao slide collection which you can find online here: Joel M. Halpern Laotian Slide Collection | SouthEast Asian Images and Texts | University of Wisconsin Digital Collections

This is the US Embassy in Vientiane in 1957

 

[Just Bob]

Great link Lone Rider! Fantastic old pics.

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Auke; you've done it again.
Fascinating contrast.

 

[2wheels]

15th November

Now to Phonsavan, in light rain.

This was our first sighting!
I went back and checked and was relieved to discover that he was breathing.
A precarious bed. Some people are doing it really tough.



Getting wetter.



Mountain views totally blocked by low cloud, yet beautiful in its own way.





And onto one of my favourite stretches of road.



Then the sun appeared.



It was a good road to the junction of #7 at Phou Khoun.
We topped up with fuel here, about 500 metres down 13 towards Vang Vieng.
Major works are going at at this place but we didn't linger; not a favourite place of mine.

Along #7.

These children may own nothing but they sure have superb views, bless them.







I always call into this 'School on the Hill' and chat with the teachers and students.
It's only a few kms from the junction and I always receive a friendly and enthusiastic reception from all. There's a lot of new construction going on along beside the highway here and the village seems to be an especially happy one.

Here's the school.



N 19.46928
E 102.51905

We timed it to be there at lunch time so as not to interrupt lessons.
It now has a new fence around it and what was a 'sala' is now another classroom.

And here are some of the happy students.

















And here's some of the scenery they get to see from their wonderful school.





We handed out more stickers, which were immediately pasted onto their shirts; sometimes upside-down but that's forgivable under the circumstances!





As usual, our Airhawks received a lot of attention.



(The tour would have been misery without those Airhawks.)

OK, back onto the highway and towards Phonsavan we saw this ominous vista.



No choice but to ride through it. Luckily, it was only light drizzle and we had time to spare.

We checked in to the Dokkhoune Hotel, which has received major improvements when I last stayed there 2 years ago. The improvements are continuing too, one of the best of which is an elevator. The weary rider no longer needs to carry all his/her gear up a few flights of stairs. That alone has to be worth quite a few kip. We paid 100,000 kip per room here.

Eight hours on the Airhawk today.



N 19.45040
E 103. 21868

We parked here.





Just a hint here.
The Dokkhoune can be noisy.
Construction work, loud Mini-bus 'music' from the parking area at an obscene time of the morning and wretched promotional 'music' from the major new development on what was the old airstrip just behind the Hotel can make life unbearable for some. The hint is to get a room as far away as possible from that; e.g. room 13.
One big positive is that their car/bike parking area is out of view and they now have a gate which is locked at night.


We couthed up as much as possible and wandered across to Craters for dinner.
The 'service' here is now terrible. There seems to now be a complacent, almost contemptuous attitude towards its diners.
I recommend eating elsewhere, such as 'Bombies' or 'Simmaly'.






We went across the road to MAG and to another place which I'll research before commenting on here (because I suspect it is not 'the real deal'). More later.





Tomorrow to The Plain of Jars, which was on Alan's 'Bucket List'.

This map was entered into another thread by 'Lone Rider' and shows the extent of the bombing of Laos from 1965 to 1975.

View attachment 15136

(continuing)

 

[bsacbob]

Fantastic trip reports and the pictures are just amazing .....

 

[bsacbob]

There you go!