Laos - Start of a New Adventure

We just finished Sikkim, but it is time to get on with the next adventure...Laos.  Everyone turned up at Chian's Guesthouse, save one, so our group size is 14.  That is a good number. 

Chian's is a funky eclectic place...a good spot to start the tour.

Here is our group photo the morning of the first ride:

We had to work a little to fit all these bikes in.

Dominque and I were the only ones to stop by this temple.  There was a Black Buddha inside.  Unusual to say the least.

Buddhas ringed the entire temple.

The whole thing overlooks the Mekong in dramatic fashion.

This was our lunch stop on the way to Chaing Khong.

It's actually not hard to take.  They grow their own stuff here.  I noticed that as soon as we ordered a young girl ran out to collect some onions and lemon grass. 

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Indochine Feb 16

We had a great ride today.  The weather cooperated.  Although it started in usual Sapa fashion....fogged in, it broke up shortly and turned into a great weather day.  The timing was good because there are tremenous views from Tram Tom Pass.  Everybody met on top for some pictures.

It was a little unusual up there as the place was crawling with Vietnamese soldiers who had been mobilized to fight the forest fire on the mountain.  I tried to take some pictures of them, but I was waved off.  I might have snuck one in though.  I will have to look to see if it turned out.

After that, we had a 25k downhill.

We had lunch in Binh Lu.  To be honest that place doesn't look like it used to.  the main road is torn up and the only way to get through town is via a side road.  The place we stopped in was deceiving.  It really wasn't much in front, but it has a lovely little garden in bank and Mr Joe came up with some pork sandwiches and fried rice and tomatoes and cucumbers.  I'm not sure where he got the food, but it was very much appreciated.  It is Tet New Year's here and very little is open in the way of restaurants.

We made it in to our destination of Lai Chau about 4:00.  The place we are staying in can only be described as weird.  It's a big 10 story hotel with cement dinosaurs in front and a replica of what look's like the Eiffel tower in back.  I have been here several times and my reaction is always the same....this is really unusual.

Tomorrow we have a longer day...about 110k to Moung Lay.  Muong Lai's days are numbered.  A dam is going in and the whole town will be under a couple hundred feet of water shortly.  Last year the were working on relocating the road to a point high up the valley wall.  It will be interesting to see how much progress they have made.

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Indochine - Feb 14

Today is a free day in Sapa.  It's not as though anyone really needs a rest day because of the riding, but Sapa is the preeminent tourist destination in Northern Vietnam because of it's setting in the Hoan Lien mountains and because it is surrounded be very colorful hill tribe minority people.  

People did various things today.  Chantal, Robin and I spent the morning riding to Tai Phin, a Red Dao village about 13k out of town.  Nhu came with us.  Chantal had met Nhu earlier at the Victoria hotel.  She is from Ho Chi Minh City and has been in town for a couple months checking out all the minority villages for a tour company.  There are 17 villages in the area that she is visiting.

The Wilson's along with a lot of other people made a lot of purchases.  Jim modeled (and bought) a red Dao hat.  It has a lot of style.

View from our room in Sapa:

Chantal with Red Dao Ladies in Tai Phin village

Bacon drying in Tai Phin

Jim with Red Dao

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Paolo and Federica (aka "Freddy")

Straight from Italy!!  They are posing with the gold lion (it's the year of the lion!) laying on gold coins (good luck).  It's Tet New Year here.

Best,

Bob

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Hanoi- traffic free for all

It does stop....about 11pm.

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Bob

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Indochine February 9

This morning we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.   We have tried to get into it several times in the past and have never been successful.  It's only open certain days of the week and only in the mornings.  On top of that, HCM is sent to Russia frequently for a makeover so the mausoleum can be closed for months at a time.

In any event, after trying 3 or 4 times, we finally made it in today.  The mausoleum itself is a building that is all marble pillars and has guards all around.  You have to check your cameras and they are returned only after you exit.  I assume the belief is that people could not resist taking a photo and I suspect that belief is correct.   Truth be told, there is not much to take a photo of.  HCM is in an open casket behind glass and I suspect he looks the same way he did 30 odd years ago when he left this earth.   Still, it really isn't much of a photo op. 

The HCM museum was much more entertaining.  It is a surprisingly avant garde affair and  has very "with it" displays dealing with the life and teachings of HCM.   It was interesting to read about where he spent his time in China and to see the "declaration of independence".  It was surprisingly short.  Certainly no longer than ours.

I am glad we finally got in. 

In the afternoon we built up bikes for Chantal, Gwyn and Robin.  They take the overnite train for Lao Cai tonite.  Tomorrow morning they will ride their bikes up to Sapa and then the next day hike up Mt. Fansipan.  They will be joined by the Mack's, who have yet to arrive, and are taking the train tomorrow night (talk about a long trip!!!...they arrive late at night from the US and then get on a train the next night...and hike in the morning they get off the train).  Everyone else arrives (or should arrive) over the next two days and we take the train the night of the 12th.

Anyway, the adventure is about to begin. 

Here are a few photos from the day:

This morning from our hotel:

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum:

This is the inside of the museum:

An artistic display.  I have no idea what this had to do with HCM:

Quotes from HCM are on this pyramid:

This is a shot of the Golden Lake Hotel where we are staying in Hanoi.  It is right in the heart of the action and very nice:

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Indochine Feb 6

Our plane left NY about an hour and a half late (10:45 instead of 9:15). We were all boarded and ready to go at the scheduled departure time so I'm not sure what the hold up was. They never announced a reason. It was snowing and they sprayed the plane with de-icer. That took a few minutes. And there were 20 planes ahead of us in line to get off. That took some time too. Anyway, I am glad we are now off the ground and on our way. Most of the people on the plane are Chinese. The guy next to me is headed for mainland China to a town I didn't recognize the name of. He is fidgeting with something pretty much all the time. He has asked me for the time about 4 or 5 times and then he really surprised me by asking whether we were flying direct to Hong Kong. Most people would know that before they got on the plane. On top of that the screen in front of us has shown our route with a little tiny plane progressing over a map all the way from NYC to HK about 30 times before he asked. Apparently satisfied with my answer, he has taken his shoes and socks off and is now barefoot.

The flight is 14 hours. That is a fair junk of time. I think I miscalculated where I will be when the Superbowl is played. I won't be on a plane. I will be in Hanoi. I imagine I can find a place to watch the game there. There won't be American style chicken wings to eat while viewing but there might be plenty of beer. They are big beer fans in Vietnam. And instead of chicken wings they might have those little itsy, bitsy whole birds that are about as big as your thumb. You pull the head off and then eat everything else. I know that sounds gross but they are actually pretty good. they are stuffed with something.

Time to hunker down. I am not a good plane sleeper, but occasionally, if I find the right position, I can dose off. Wouldn't it be great if I were to doze off and find myself in Hong Kong? I wish.

My guess is that everyone back in the DC area will have a hard time getting out. The problem is generally not the resumption of airport operations and flights. It's the fact that flights after a shutdown are often full and the next available seat can be 3 or 4 days out. We will find out soon enough.

Good luck to everyone back home battling the effects of the storm!

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