... So I got to Phonsavan where I was going to hang out for a few days for some time off the bike - I had done 4 days riding of which 3 were pretty long. Phonsovan as a town if pretty fugly, but it had a good atmosphere and I treated myself to the only 5 Star hotel in town at the lofty price of $40 a night. Hey Big Spender...
Anyway, the next day I went to the Plain of Jars, three sites over about 40km with these big stone jars. They are UNESCO protected and the reasons for their existence are varied, but they are thought to be over 3000 years old and make for an interesting landscape.
The guide was not overly inspiring, in fact did not have much to tell us about the jars at all, but it was a good tour and gave my rear end a rest from the saddle. The driver we had took us to the bus stop where some of the guys wanted to get tickets for later on that day. Before we knew it we were playing drinking games with the locals at the bus station, drinking their local home made spirits they call Lao Lao... their version of whisky, made to 50% and only takes 2 weeks to ferment the rice. You can guess how great it tasted!
The next days was New Years Eve and I was going on the road back to Vientiane after 3 weeks. I was going to stop of half way in Vang Vien. The start of the ride was cold and wet and I was too stubborn to pull out my waterproof and warm gear - just used coffee instead. But after 100km or so, I came to a steep descent that saw me make my way down a couple thousand meters and onto the hot plains. I pulled into Vang Vien and did not like what I saw. The scenery surrounding was stunning but the town was swarming with semi-nude back packers who had things written across their chests like "2010 rave party tonight". It was as if I had stumbled across a completely different country and did not want anything of it. I made some half-hearted enquiries at hotels, but they were full. A tout asked me if I was looking for a room.I just blurted out "nah, I am going to Vientiane" before I really thought what I was saying. I had already done a full days ride, but I figured the road would be fast and it was 1:30pm. If I hammered it, I could make it in under 3 hours. The gas attendant told me it was 160KM, so with a tank of fuel I hit the road again, flying past everything, but also trying to be careful as I knew that this was the time in trips where accidents happen.
The closer I got to Vientiane, the busier it became until it was just a manic road full of car, trucks and bikes all vying for bits of the road. But after 2:30 hours I pulled up outside the hotel I had started from some 3000km earlier. Despite being NYE, they had one room free for one night only. Relieved I checked in and thought "but where should I stay tomorrow?"... after an hour or so I knew where I would be, having booked a ticket to Hanoi for the next day.
I wandered the streets that NYE and found most people sitting alone. It did not have a NYE vibe really and to be honest, after the trip I was pretty glad about it. I had some pizza and went to bed.
The next day I took the bike back to the rental shop (and highly recommend it if anyone wants a bike http://www.bike-rental-laos.com/) and had a good chat with Terry, the guy who ran the shop about the trip. Then it was back to the hotel, pack my bags and jump on a plane out of Laos.
It is always interesting flying over land that you are familiar with from the ground. Knowing the steepness of the hills, the dustiness and the climate, from the plane it really did not do justice.
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