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Introduction: Bangkok Airport. Friday January 13, 2006
Luang Prabang: Only non-cycling tourist stuff here. Sunday January 15, 2006
Vang Vieng and Vientiane: No cycling here either. Wednesday January 18, 2006
Vientiane: Almost there. Thursday January 19, 2006
Vientiane to Thapabat: Away at last. Friday January 20, 2006, 93 km (58 miles) – Total so far: 93 km (58 miles)
Thapabat to somewhere: Riding in the dark. Saturday January 21, 2006, 131 km (81 miles) – Total so far: 224 km (139 miles)
To Thakhek: Strong coffee and rat on a sticks. Sunday January 22, 2006, 113 km (70 miles) – Total so far: 337 km (209 miles)
Rest day in Thakhek. Monday January 23, 2006, 77 km (48 miles) – Total so far: 414 km (257 miles)
Thakhek to Savannahket: And a genuine Laos massage. Tuesday January 24, 2006, 130 km (81 miles) – Total so far: 544 km (338 miles)
Savannahket to Paxson. Wednesday January 25, 2006, 70 km (43 miles) – Total so far: 614 km (382 miles)
Paxson to Khongsedone: Another non-descript town. Thursday January 26, 2006, 105 km (65 miles) – Total so far: 719 km (447 miles)
Khongsedone to Champasak: and some nice policemen at Pakse. Friday January 27, 2006, 110 km (68 miles) – Total so far: 829 km (515 miles)
Champasak to the middle of nowhere: Homestay on the highway. Saturday January 28, 2006, 100 km (62 miles) – Total so far: 929 km (577 miles)
Onwards to Don Det: Time to relax. Sunday January 29, 2006, 45 km (28 miles) – Total so far: 974 km (605 miles)
The bridge from hell. Monday January 30, 2006, 15 km (9 miles) – Total so far: 989 km (615 miles)
The first flat of the trip. Tuesday January 31, 2006, 5 km (3 miles) – Total so far: 994 km (618 miles)
Don Det to Stung Treng: Cambodia. Wednesday February 1, 2006, 90 km (56 miles) – Total so far: 1,084 km (674 miles)
Stung Treng to???: More dust. Thursday February 2, 2006, 67 km (42 miles) – Total so far: 1,151 km (715 miles)
To Kratie: Dolphins. Friday February 3, 2006, 102 km (63 miles) – Total so far: 1,253 km (779 miles)
Kratie to Phnom Penh: By bus. Saturday February 4, 2006, 5 km (3 miles) – Total so far: 1,258 km (782 miles)
Happy happy in Phnom Penh. Sunday February 5, 2006, 5 km (3 miles) – Total so far: 1,263 km (785 miles)
Lazy days in Phnom Penh. Monday February 6, 2006, 10 km (6 miles) – Total so far: 1,273 km (791 miles)
Boat to Siam Reap. Tuesday February 7, 2006, 20 km (12 miles) – Total so far: 1,293 km (803 miles)
Siam Reap: What wat? Wednesday February 8, 2006, 40 km (25 miles) – Total so far: 1,333 km (828 miles)
For sale: 1 bike. Thursday February 9, 2006, 5 km (3 miles) – Total so far: 1,338 km (831 miles)
A lot of nothing. Friday February 10, 2006
Siam Reap – Bangkok: Ping pong ping pong ping pong balls
And back to Taipei: The end of an adventure. Sunday February 12, 2006
I guess this will serve as an introduction as any. I write this half-drunk at Bangkok airport, in between flights. I turned down a night out on the town in return for a little solitude and a slightly greater chance of making my 6:00 AM flight to Udon Thani.
This is a long deserved holiday. Four weeks cycling in Laos and Cambodia. It is a long overdue rest away from it all. I am escaping an intolerable colleague, who only today treated me like a dog in front of my students and boss, and some weird stalker who calls twenty times a day yet won’t say a word whenever I answer. I need to distress. I hope that the cycling may help to relieve some of it.
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Two or three days ago Ken informs me that he might be able to meet up with me a little earlier. His application for residency has been denied and he will need to do a visa run sooner. So maybe he’ll meet me in Vientiane. Maybe a little further down. It is all very uncertain for him until he comes to Bangkok in three days time and tries to get another visa at the Taiwan consulate, or whatever office they call themselves as Thailand do not recognize them as a separate sovereign state. Heck, even I almost landed in trouble trying to leave Taiwan. I was taken aside at passport control because some government agency had failed to cancel a disused re-entry permit. Don’t worry though as I have another, valid, one.
So yeah, the plan for the next few days I catch a 6: 00 AM flight to Udon Thani. Then I buy a bicycle. Then I ride the 55km to the border, over the friendship bridge, and into Vientiane. Then I plan to book a flight up to Luang Prabang. I’ll take the bus back down to Vientiane, via Vang Vieng, spending a couple of days in each. I have pretty much decided to leave my bike somewhere in Vientiane. I do not want to do any long distance cycling in these few days and figure that it will only prove to be a hindrance on the plane and buses.
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