The end of an epic journey

Eventually we made it to the peaceful town of Luang Prabang:A charming town, where after loads of scraggly accommodation we spoiled ourselves by staying in a really nice guest house.


Here we found a welcome retreat from the bike world by strolling around the markets, the Mediterranean style waterfront and the vicinity of the town. On one of these walks we got drenched by a hefty rain, the beginning of a bad weather spell which lead us to decide to short cut and take a boat along the Mae Kong to get back to Thailand.

Nightmare boat

This turned out to one of the biggest mistakes of the entire trip. Not because the weather actually stayed dry, but because the organization turned into absolute mayhem. With 0 communication between the tour organizer and the captain, a massive language barrier once we set off on our 2 day tour, unexpected extra payments etc. etc. – Top Tip: Don’t go on these boats if you have a bike!

We did however finally make it to the border town where we thought to have ended in the next hole with bad expensive accommodation. Quite by surprise however, we did meet a lovely Korean family that invited us into their home for dinner and to stay. They must have been some of the kindest and most selfless people I have ever met in my entire live.

They were working for the Korean government as aid workers to provide their help in Laos. The wife was a nurse and the husband a builder, making playgrounds for local schools. They didn’t have much themselves either – only a near empty house they rented and an electric bike.

Thailand

With mixed feelings we finally entered Thailand. On one side we were really happy to return to places and things we already knew, but on the other side we felt a bit sad that the trip was nearing its end.

It felt bizarre. After Vietnam and Cambodia the traffic seemed very organized, it all was so civilized and easy – one might say boring. After having lived through a saturation of extremes, something we really learned to appreciate.

4 Sale

Although we weren’t in a hurry, after a loop through Chiang Rai we quickly arrived at our final destination – Chiang Mai. A spot we were well familiarized with and consider an Asian home away from home. It was a nice break where we could regain some energy, clean our clothes, edit photos and sadly organize the sale of our now beloved bikes.


They carried us and our belongings over tracks most would only attempt on proper cross bikes, through slippery mud, water holes, creek crossings and sand over a distance of 10.000 KMs. We maneouvered them through the insane traffic of Cambodia and Vietnam, across long flat plains and up to 2200m’s of altitude. And even though they have given us a good bit of pain either by breaking down or us crashing, they found a place in our hearts.

With a few last trips around the area and the bikes eventually sold it was all over.

Thank you Asia for being such an epic adventure!

Laos

After a night in yet another shabby Hotel, our massive detour and probably the bumpiest road we encountered on the entire trip; Vietnam showed us one of its rougher sides.

Another tricky border crossing

However, on the 10th of July not long before lunch time, we arrived at the border post. But there was a problem: Although we entered into Vietnam through an official border post, we had no proper documentation proving legal import of our bikes. This in a way rendered them illegal and that in a communistic country with strict immigration rules.

Worried but still optimistic we marched into the border post office. Consequentially the Vietnamese customs officer did see some issues with our bikes and took us in for a questioning. Luckily, it only took a short walk to the Lao border post to see if they would allow us in, a prolonged chat and being sent from one counter to the next, a photo of our entry and a 10$ fee for a "formality" and we were on our bikes past the Vietnamese post.

With Laos being a neighbor country of Thailand, entry was a much smoother story. But with the time it took to cross over from Vietnam, we had another hold up as the Laos post went for lunch.

Fortunately, there was a canteen where we could refuel and kill the time – Awesome. Better still, a group of Lao locals including a police officer invited us over to their table for a lovely chat about our motorbike trip and some beers (never seen that happen in a Western country).

Vieng Xai

Once through, our first destination was Vieng Xai. A very memorable stop where we got to learn a good bit about the country’s history, particularly the Vietnam War era. During which, in an attempt to stop the spread of communism and to suppress the inhabitants, Laos had fallen victim to severe bombing by the US (260 million bombs were dropped).


Located in the mountains and a maze of sandstone karsts, Vieng Xai was an ideal location to hide from the bombings. The entire area is littered with man made caves that were used as bomb shelters, protecting the locals and the royal leadership.

Although to us Laos seems to be as poor as Cambodia, the history of teamwork and the communistic system (we never saw any rich Lao people) have influenced the way the people behave. Especially in the remote areas we felt an inquisitive and positive atmosphere.

Twisty Bends

Back on the road a new adventure began. Particularly the North is very mountainous and sparsely populated.


On the well surfaced, narrow and twisty roads we entered motorbike heaven. One corner chases another with steep ascends and descends demanding all from engines and brakes. Our average speed partially dropped down to 40KM/h but having this much fun and with the stunning views at an altitude of up to 1700m, we found what must be one of the longest great roads ever.


An also very rewarding experience were the small villages where except for the arrival of a few motorized vehicles, life remained virtually unchanged since hundreds of years. Being so remote tourism luckily hasn’t arrived yet, making it a special occasion for the villagers to see 2 “long noses” on tour. With their reserved attitude, genuine smiles accompanied with shy waves they allowed us an insight into their lives yet not making us feel like intruders.


A wonderful experience we won’t forget and one part of the world we would certainly like to revisit again.

Meeting fellow "long noses"

However, we couldn’t drive through an entire country without visiting some of the more touristic places. And so we paid a visit to one of South East Asia’s more mystical places, the Plain of Jars.


Being in areas with a strong influx of westerners it was a welcome break for us to finally meet some people that speak a language we can understand. Quite by accident we met up with a group of fellow backpackers that wanted to see the sites and to do a tour around – Great. In an assembly of 6 we went for a drive to visit the sites and other places the area had to offer.


Although we all got along quite well we weren’t meant to stay together. With everyone having a different schedule we carried on on our own the next day. Back to the twisty roads which brought us to an overnight stop in one of the dodgiest towns we had come across until then – something where one might imagine finding Borat himself.

Vietnam Part IV

Still travelling in the convoy our trip continued to a little town named Nin Binh. Getting there turned out a little trickier than we thought it would. In order to avoid the busy coastal highway we stayed inland on the Ho Chi Minh road.

We had to cut across to the coast eventually and choosing the right route wasn’t easy. In the end we decided on a far northern road that ended in yet another dirt track. Battle hardened from our Da Lat adventure this was a doddle. Despite that, with nightfall in sight we went for the first guesthouse we could find. That turned out to be a bit of a hole: We had to ask for new sheets, the bathroom hadn't been cleaned, our aircon was leaking, regardless whether it was on or not. The icing on the cake was at 5:30 the next morning when what seemed to be an open air night club started playing happy hardcore with the volume turned up to max. Nevertheless, we had a very entertaining dinner, where we dined on meat which origin we could only guess.


We eventually arrived in the town Nin Binh. Having crashed the day before this was a welcome place to let my wounds heal a bit and get fresh first aid supplies. Laura’s bike also required some attention.

Ha Long Bay

With time pressing on we carried on to our most north eastern destination, Ha Long. One of the few spots where we arrived should have prepared ourselves a bit better. To see the bay properly we would have had to book an expensive tour locally or take a ferry to one of the islands.

With me being crooked and us having an issue with time we regretfully decided to do neither. As it happened we split up from our group and drove towards Hanoi.

Hanoi

Hanoi. Certainly the most nerve wrecking of all cities we had ever encountered, with kamikaze style traffic, before-sunrise-blaring-loudspeaker-propaganda, practically no walkways and never ending hordes of people. It also proved to us that there are big differences between the South and North Vietnamese people as such. Here, it was hard to ever go unoticed as a Westerner, there were pestering sales people everywhere.

I have to admit, it wasn't a place we thouroughly enjoyed. However, being a big city with foreign influence, Hanoi did have some benefits in form of facilities. Laura had picked up a parasite that needed treating and I still had my scuffs that I preferred to get checked up and treated properly as we where about to enter Laos - another country with very limited health care. So we paid an expensive but worthwhile visit to a Western clinic. It was so western even George Bush had been there once


Despite the madness, Hanoi also gave us a chance to relax and get away from sitting on the bikes all day.

To the Border

Without any particular sights in mind we carried on East and stumbled upon some of our last highlights of this diverse country. Along the beautiful mountain roads that carried us into the clouds and into the Mai Chau district. Here in a little Village that belonged to a Thai Hill Tribe, we found some accommodation of a different sort. Our first Home Stay. A beautiful experience; Not only did our 2 days there give us a glance into the life of these people, but also after a good bit of madness we finally found a place of peace and tranquility.


The last two days before Laos however have been a bit of a chaotic experience. It all started fantastic: Small roads, little traffic and stunning views turned the ride into a grand tour. But it didn’t stay like this for too long. Our ambitious target was to drive the 200KM from the Home Stay to the border. However a navigational mishap shattered these hopes. Instead of staying on the main Highways Google Maps highly recommended a short cut on a slightly smaller road. A tiring 50KMs after we entered the road it slowly started to turn into challenging mud track from hell.


Scarred from a similar experience a few weeks earlier, no chance of arriving at the border before it would shut and no accommodation in sight we were forced to turn back.
Yet Another lesson to be extra careful with navigation in developing countries. After a massive detour and a night in a forgotten town we did make it across the border the following day.

A quick update from Oz

It has been a busy time since we left Asia. So busy, I still haven’t managed to edit all the photos or even finish the travel journals for South East Asia.
Since we're back to Australia. We picked up the van and restarted touring around Oz. A tour that so far proved to be a challenge. Especially for my van that was never built for the "roads" we took. We drove across the Gibb River Road while in worse condition than on my first drive, conquered the Great Top End Road (The Savannah Way) with its demanding unsealed tracks and as a final challenge took on Cape York.

Properly shaken and bathed in dust we are currently heading to Cairns. Here we will take a short though important break from traveling and give the van some good TLC.

Fixes to get done:

• Work on the Gearbox
• The shifter is jamming partially
• New Windscreen
• Put in new Fuel Pump
• The old one creates a horrible sound – works though.
• Fix a Coolant Leak (Stop Leak will do)
• Fix an Oil Leak
• Clean the Engine
• Refit the spark Plugs (That’s where it leaks from)
• Potentially change a Front Bearing
• Give the car a good clean

Also I will try to get some new photos edited and uploaded as well as more detailed posts of our Travels.