18297 km Chiang Mai
Door: Erik en Tjeerd
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Erik en Tjeerd
14 Maart 2008 | Thailand, Chiang Mai
Sa wa dee!
After almost two weeks of meeting Lao kids yelling Sabai Dee to us, it now back to Sa Wa Dee In Thailand. We had saved the worst for last in Laos and were up for a battle heading north from Vientiane. We met a few cyclists and read up on some forums on where we could sleep and on how many days travelling it was. Most people cycle it in 5 days but some hardcore Scottish cyclists on the way said that if we push it it can be done in four. We managed however in 3!!! days :) We started with a whooping 158 km to Vang Vieng. What the hell, it's not a nice distance for 2 days either (just to short for that).
We had some great fun in Vang Vieng, the "tubing capital" of Laos. What's tubing you wonder? It's going down a rapid (or not so rapid in the dry season) on a big rubber tyre and party and drink till you loose all sense of direction. We had some great fun mingling with the backpacker scene, drinking cheap cocktails, jumping in the river and exploring caves. After two days it was time to move on however since Carlos was on a bit of a deadline and needed to enter Thailand before the 11th. At that point we thought we would need three days to cover the 240 km to Luang Prabang. Don't ask us how but we managed to do it in two monstrous mountain stages. Doing around 2000 vertical meters a day. We almost forgot what a flat road looks like ;)
It was not all pain and suffering though. The views have been absolutely great and we feel bad for the backpacker crowds missing out on all the beauty. The tiny little villages on the way are absolutely beautiful. People living in small bamboo huts. Local food being displayed on the market. Which is a highlight in itself. There is some pretty awkward cuisine in Lao. We have seen squirrels, bats, rats, cats, beaver, basically everything that lives in the woods on display. As usual we had double meals all day, i.e. a huge breakfast, a double portion at lunch and a double dinner. Who knows how many of these creatures we have devoured... Quite frankly we don't want to know...
We passed countless of the most idyllic villages and have been greeted by enthusiastic children almost without exception, well except where the tourist buses have their stops and the locals are used to seeing some "farang" We decided to do something back for these children that have stolen our hearts. We bought a bunch of plastic balls and handed these out to the children on the more remote places along the road. The looks on their faces were absolutely priceless.
In Luang Prabang we had a look at some temples and recovered a bit. We expected a lot of Luang Prabang but it's a bit to touristy for our liking. Walking around in town feels identical to any other backpacker town. Our guess is that, by being named a Unesco cultural heritage site, the authenticity flew out of the window. Anyways, after two days in Luang Prabang we had to move on, this time we are taking a boattrip. There are simply no roads here over the mountains to Thailand (unless you want to do a detour around the whole Lao mountainrange) and the only means of transportation is either a speedboat or a slowboat. The local speedboats here however had their fair share of fatalities in recent years, so we choose the slowboat. This way we got treated to some more amazing scenery before leaving the country.
In the end we managed to cross the Thai border just 30 minutes before closure on the 10th. Perfect timing ;) Next goal was to reach Chang Mai in Thailand about 330 km with some serious climbing. Easier said then done however since Erik developed a nasty skin infection somewhere near Luang Prabang. We decided to give the cycling a go however. We didn't get this far to quit without a fight! The first day was relatively easy and we managed to find a nice place to stay in Pa Daet at a bikerclubhouse, that was set a by Ruud a Dutch hardcore moterbiker that found his love in Thailand (like so many). We had the honour to be the first guests ever in this village since the guesthouse was opened just a day before and we were the first to stay there.
Next day we got lucky again. We got sort of stranded in a little mountainvillage and did not feel like cycling another 16 km over yet another mountain to the next guesthouse. Carlos had back problems and Erik's leg was getting worse as well. When we asked around if we could sleep somewhere a local offered us a real authentic Thai wooden house that we could sleep in for the night for only 150 bath for all of us (3 euro) She was very hospitable and even went to the market for us to buy groceries to cook us a fantastic meal. We had a long and good night sleep in the wooden shack to start the next day with a really nice homemade breakfast. Even though she won't be able to read this since she does not have internet we would like to give a very big thank you to Yune for taking such good care of us!
So then it was only one more day to go to Chang Mai. With some good teamwork we managed to make it on a hard and very hot day. When we entered town we immediately went to a hospital to do a check on Erik's leg. Immediately Erik was put into a wheelchair. He tried to convince the nurses that he could make it across the hall, having just cycled 100 km and all, but no way! the wheelchair was needed according to the nurses :) From there it was straight on to measure the blood pressure. Coming straight from the bike it was a whooping 171! Erik told the nurse to just wait for a sec and then it dropped to 75 so no problems there :) After a consult and a staggering bill of 308 Bath (60 for the wheelchair, go figure!) we got some antibiotics and hopefully the leg will heal in the few days we stay in Chang Mai now. If not Erik will need to take a bus to Bangkok. But lets not think the worst just yet ;)
For now it's relaxing a bit in Funky Monkey guesthouse. We got a nice spacious room with western comforts like a tv and a hot shower! the easy life ;)
Yours Erik, Tjeerd and still with us Carlos!
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/erikopdefiets/30%20Laos%20Vientiane%20Louang%20Phrabang/
After almost two weeks of meeting Lao kids yelling Sabai Dee to us, it now back to Sa Wa Dee In Thailand. We had saved the worst for last in Laos and were up for a battle heading north from Vientiane. We met a few cyclists and read up on some forums on where we could sleep and on how many days travelling it was. Most people cycle it in 5 days but some hardcore Scottish cyclists on the way said that if we push it it can be done in four. We managed however in 3!!! days :) We started with a whooping 158 km to Vang Vieng. What the hell, it's not a nice distance for 2 days either (just to short for that).
We had some great fun in Vang Vieng, the "tubing capital" of Laos. What's tubing you wonder? It's going down a rapid (or not so rapid in the dry season) on a big rubber tyre and party and drink till you loose all sense of direction. We had some great fun mingling with the backpacker scene, drinking cheap cocktails, jumping in the river and exploring caves. After two days it was time to move on however since Carlos was on a bit of a deadline and needed to enter Thailand before the 11th. At that point we thought we would need three days to cover the 240 km to Luang Prabang. Don't ask us how but we managed to do it in two monstrous mountain stages. Doing around 2000 vertical meters a day. We almost forgot what a flat road looks like ;)
It was not all pain and suffering though. The views have been absolutely great and we feel bad for the backpacker crowds missing out on all the beauty. The tiny little villages on the way are absolutely beautiful. People living in small bamboo huts. Local food being displayed on the market. Which is a highlight in itself. There is some pretty awkward cuisine in Lao. We have seen squirrels, bats, rats, cats, beaver, basically everything that lives in the woods on display. As usual we had double meals all day, i.e. a huge breakfast, a double portion at lunch and a double dinner. Who knows how many of these creatures we have devoured... Quite frankly we don't want to know...
We passed countless of the most idyllic villages and have been greeted by enthusiastic children almost without exception, well except where the tourist buses have their stops and the locals are used to seeing some "farang" We decided to do something back for these children that have stolen our hearts. We bought a bunch of plastic balls and handed these out to the children on the more remote places along the road. The looks on their faces were absolutely priceless.
In Luang Prabang we had a look at some temples and recovered a bit. We expected a lot of Luang Prabang but it's a bit to touristy for our liking. Walking around in town feels identical to any other backpacker town. Our guess is that, by being named a Unesco cultural heritage site, the authenticity flew out of the window. Anyways, after two days in Luang Prabang we had to move on, this time we are taking a boattrip. There are simply no roads here over the mountains to Thailand (unless you want to do a detour around the whole Lao mountainrange) and the only means of transportation is either a speedboat or a slowboat. The local speedboats here however had their fair share of fatalities in recent years, so we choose the slowboat. This way we got treated to some more amazing scenery before leaving the country.
In the end we managed to cross the Thai border just 30 minutes before closure on the 10th. Perfect timing ;) Next goal was to reach Chang Mai in Thailand about 330 km with some serious climbing. Easier said then done however since Erik developed a nasty skin infection somewhere near Luang Prabang. We decided to give the cycling a go however. We didn't get this far to quit without a fight! The first day was relatively easy and we managed to find a nice place to stay in Pa Daet at a bikerclubhouse, that was set a by Ruud a Dutch hardcore moterbiker that found his love in Thailand (like so many). We had the honour to be the first guests ever in this village since the guesthouse was opened just a day before and we were the first to stay there.
Next day we got lucky again. We got sort of stranded in a little mountainvillage and did not feel like cycling another 16 km over yet another mountain to the next guesthouse. Carlos had back problems and Erik's leg was getting worse as well. When we asked around if we could sleep somewhere a local offered us a real authentic Thai wooden house that we could sleep in for the night for only 150 bath for all of us (3 euro) She was very hospitable and even went to the market for us to buy groceries to cook us a fantastic meal. We had a long and good night sleep in the wooden shack to start the next day with a really nice homemade breakfast. Even though she won't be able to read this since she does not have internet we would like to give a very big thank you to Yune for taking such good care of us!
So then it was only one more day to go to Chang Mai. With some good teamwork we managed to make it on a hard and very hot day. When we entered town we immediately went to a hospital to do a check on Erik's leg. Immediately Erik was put into a wheelchair. He tried to convince the nurses that he could make it across the hall, having just cycled 100 km and all, but no way! the wheelchair was needed according to the nurses :) From there it was straight on to measure the blood pressure. Coming straight from the bike it was a whooping 171! Erik told the nurse to just wait for a sec and then it dropped to 75 so no problems there :) After a consult and a staggering bill of 308 Bath (60 for the wheelchair, go figure!) we got some antibiotics and hopefully the leg will heal in the few days we stay in Chang Mai now. If not Erik will need to take a bus to Bangkok. But lets not think the worst just yet ;)
For now it's relaxing a bit in Funky Monkey guesthouse. We got a nice spacious room with western comforts like a tv and a hot shower! the easy life ;)
Yours Erik, Tjeerd and still with us Carlos!
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/erikopdefiets/30%20Laos%20Vientiane%20Louang%20Phrabang/
-
14 Maart 2008 - 08:08
Peter S.:
Erik, tough luck met je been man. Lijkt het op dat wat je in NL ook wel eens hebt gehad? Anyways, hoop dat het snel heelt. After all, Bangkok binnenfietsen lijkt me een overgetelijke ervaring! -
14 Maart 2008 - 08:15
Erik:
Hi Peter,
Lijkt inderdaad een beetje op dat blauwe been van een paar jaar terug. Hopelijk doet de antibiotica zijn werk... We gaan het wel zien, ik hou jullie op de hoogte -
14 Maart 2008 - 08:26
Paul:
Sandra en ik hebben goede herinneringen aan Chiang Mai. We waren daar in 2006 gedurende het jaarlijkse Loy Krathong festival.
Sterkte met je been! -
14 Maart 2008 - 09:43
Mat McDonald:
Great work guys, just awesome, well done. After that training you'll be doing 200 days along the flat roads south of Bangkok!
You guys are gonna start catching up to me pretty quick - keep in touch!
- Mat (650km S of Bangkok) -
14 Maart 2008 - 09:49
Mieke:
jullie verhaal laat me de reis meebeleven; maar gelukkig hoef ik niet te fietsen! sterkte met het been
-
14 Maart 2008 - 18:58
Evert + Els:
Lekker stukkie fietsen mannen. Het stuk wat jullie nu net gefietst hebben kennen wij en dus petje af. Wat een tempo op dat stuk! Joost heeft een jaar in Thailand gestudeerd en wij zijn met z'n allen nog naar hem toe geweest. En natuurljk ook in Chang Mai. Een heel mooi stuk Thailand met superaardige mensen. Ben benieuwd naar jullie volgende stuk en Erik, nu maar hopen dat je been er niet af hoeft. Want meestal moet de rest er dan ook naar verloop van tijd aan geloven. Je ziet, wij houden de moed er wel in. Veel sukses en groeten van uit het kikkerland. -
14 Maart 2008 - 21:21
Daph:
Hey!
leuk dat jullie in Chiang Mai zijn, wij sliepen daar ook in een heeeel leuk guesthouse. op zondag is er een heel leuke markt in het centrum, voor de locals, beter dan de nightmarket!
Succes met je been eer, hoop dat het snel geneest. Dus maar niet naar de Wat fietsen op de berg? Taxi is gelukkig goedkoop.
ben jaloers dat jullie in thailand zijn, vond het geweldig daar. Oliviers broer is er nu ook.
ps. bus naar Bangkok is echt een heeeel slecht idee: drama bussen! neem het vliegtuig, te boeken online 24 uur van tevoren, thai airways, prima!
kus en veel plezier daar. Denk graag terug aan dat mooie land en super vriendelijke mensen.
daf -
14 Maart 2008 - 21:50
Cily:
Hoi Erik,
Leuk dat jullie in Thailand zijn. Erg vriendelijke mensen daar. Ik ben dus nog kort geleden in Bangkok geweest,niet in Chiang Mai. Je zult ook met het chaotische verkeer in Bangkok te maken krijgen.
Maar eerst sterkte met je been, hopelijk helpt de antibiotica. -
15 Maart 2008 - 06:18
Maartje:
He kameraden-still going strong! Erik kom op met je pootje!!!!!!
Wij zitten nog steeds ver achter jullie-momenteel in Bangalore. Dan waarschijnlijk dezelfde route als jullie-met welk vervoermiddel is nog de vraag....Nepal-China.Hebben Ben en Dan ontmoet in Arambol-die lui van de dobbelstenen. Ze hadden jullie ontmoet. Hoe is het met jullie liefdesleven eigenlijk als je de hele dag op de fiets zit? Vakantieliefdes die je achter je fiets aan hollend uitzwaaien? Ben en Dan leken vooral daarmee druk bezig-een soort Play Boy Mansion in India met alle nationaliteiten gerepresenteerd in vrouwelijk schoon. Jaja...
Okee-geniet!!! Veel gezondheid
Maartje
-
15 Maart 2008 - 09:28
Maaike:
Ik zie dat juullie al behoorlijk verwend zijn en de toeristische plaatsen liever mijden. Hoe is je been nu Erik? Ik hoop dat je gewoon weer op de fiets kan stappen ipv in zo'n suffe bus zitten -
15 Maart 2008 - 09:37
Maarten:
Ha Erik,
Blijft leuk om telkens jullie stukjes te lezen. Heel veel succes, hopelijk horen we snel dat je weer op de fiets zit.
Groeten,
Maarten -
15 Maart 2008 - 14:09
Gerard And Gloria:
You're adventures are flabbergasting! Hopefully you will recover soon Erik,take care. The pictures give an impression of the world you meet. It looks very exotic and interesting. We can see you're enjoying your time. Good luck, we are looking forward to read more about your experiences. -
16 Maart 2008 - 15:32
Truus:
Hi Guys,
Geweldig dat jullie nu al in Thailand zijn. Al die foto's roepen herinneringen op. Is dat Tjeerd op het filmpje? Verder is die foto van Tjeerd als kaartspeler echt een giller. Ik wens Erik een snel en goed herstel toe, want fietsen met een been lijkt me niet echt handig. Jongens wat fijn dat er foto's bestaan,want jullie weten vast niet meer wat je allemaal al hebt en nog zal gaan zien, fantastisch. Hou jullie haaks en nogmaals beterschap voor Erik. -
19 Maart 2008 - 13:00
John Harwood:
Hi Guys,
Sorry to hear about you leg Erik, all the best for a speedy recovery.
I am currently in Myanmar and have been delayed here somewhat otherwise I would also be in Chiang Mai now. I am scheduled to arrive on Thursday 27th, but I would guess that you will have moved on by then.
I was interested to read about your route from Luang Prabang as I thought there was a road through the mountains to a border crossing at Xian Soi or something like that. What ever route sounds really tough though, especially in this heat. It reaches 45 during the day here, too hot for me.
All the best,
John -
20 Maart 2008 - 07:17
Erik:
Hi John,
We've kept up to date with your website. You had some tough luck in Myanmar :( After almost a week we are still in Chiang Mai. The leg has recovered, but both Carlos and I have a stomach infection. We'll get moving as soon as that's properly healed. We'll keep in touch.I'll drop you a line about our travelling plans. Basicly the plan is to head south towards Bangkok. That should be around 10days cycling normally.
There is indeed a road to get to Luang prabang. A fairly new road build by the Chinese but it's a big detour around the mountainrange. You could also consider to take a boat for just 1 day from Chang Song (thai border) to Pak Beng.From there you can cycle towards Luang Prabang.
yours,
Erik -
20 Maart 2008 - 15:53
Funkymonkey:
hi from mutly & fatdog when are you next taking me to the jungle... Fat -
22 Maart 2008 - 12:59
John Harwood:
Thanks for the info on the Loas roads. Sadly we wont meet up again as I leave Chiang Mai and make the reverse trip to yours. Having read your report though, I am really looking forward to it. Hope the health situation improves, I know how frustrating it is.
I will keep in touch though.
All the best.
John -
23 Maart 2008 - 20:41
Gerard And Gloria:
How is the infection proceeding Eric. We hope you have recovered. Rest also works healing. Guess you have taken some by now. Waiting for your messages, keep in touch. Take care... -
25 Maart 2008 - 11:48
Erik:
Hi all, Just a quick note that the leg has recovered and Tjeerd and I are on the road again. Currently in Nakhan Sawar, halfway between Changmai and Bangkok -
29 Maart 2008 - 12:45
Michiel:
Hi guys,
Sorry, tijdje niet gelezen, maar jullie hebben me weer goed laten lachen. Enjoy the road kill.
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