Monday 7th January. Today was the day Matt C had nightmares about for months. Two equivalent ride to the top of Mont Ventoux in one day. Not quite, but it felt like it. Around 85 kilometres may not sound too much, but carrying the weight in planners makes it a tough day. We have just stopped in a guest house in Pakbong, close to the junction that will lead us to Luang Prabang.
The ride was tough and whilst the people were friendly, they were nowhere near as friendly as in the Bang valley a few days back. There is a very strong Chinese influence and it has affected the locals a bit. There are lots of Chinese businesses from which the locals appear to be excluded. The locals rely on local manual work and farming.
That said, the ride today was in stunning scenery. The mountains were shrouded in cloud as we climbed but once above the clouds the views were great. No Wi-Fi at our very basic guest house so this will be posted tomorrow…..
Matt
3blokesonspokes

Categories: Getting Ready

2 Comments

Martien and Carla · 08/01/2019 at 2:53 pm

Nice to haar you all survived the shortcut. We stayed in Oudomxay an extra satans Will be in Muang Khua on wednesday. Enjoy and we Will follow your website!

    Chris · 12/01/2019 at 1:17 am

    Thanks Martien & Carla….It was a big couple of days but without any problems. Roads deteriorated a little with roadworks and potholes but passable…..catch up soon… MMC

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook