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FireFlyz | 23
I left early the following morning after
staying in a small town that night. The
road immediately became potholed and
was steep and windy. The Chinese have
just started to reseal and improve it. It will
take quite a while to finish. There were
countless slips, which are an ever present
battle onmany roads in Laos as the land is
slip-prone. The road was closed for a time
the week before and sometimes I would
have to stop as they were still clearing
slips. The guys do a great job at clearing
the road fast and efficiently.
I reached the Chinese border in the
afternoon andmixedwith the truck drivers
who were also passing through. I was the
centre of attention and we all had a good
laugh over dinner that evening. Next
morning I crossed into China, little did I
know the difficulties waiting for me there.
That is for the next issue though...
closed due to flooding and slips. The road
was covered in 3m of stones that the river
had swept in. The huge pile of rocks was
being cleared, but a rough path had been
made over the top.
I eventually reached Luang Prang in the
early afternoon. It is a beautiful town with
old buildings, temples and the Mekong
River flowing through it. It used to be the
capital of the Luang Prabang Kingdom.
The road is very scenic after Luang
Prabang as it follows the Mekong River.
Laos is still very agricultural and many
people live in villages. It is interesting
to pass through the many small villages.
People generally have electricity, but no
running water. There is often a communal
tap or pipe froma streamand they use it to
bathe and collect water. Kids are out and
about playing football and other games.
Not a computer or smartphone in sight.
Mekong River
Van Vieng
Rural Laos