Champassak completed.
We didn’t
really wonna stomp the same ground twice but didn’t have much choice unfortunately
so we knuckled down and got into it, was like a new trip going the other way
LOL.
Taking a
side road out from just past Savaanakhet was cool, slightly lesser condition
than the main but a distinct lack of big trucks was our reward.
Visions of
romance and a waterside homestay quickly diminished as al lot were closed, we
found one that was open but it looked dodgier than back yard drug deal at night.
We had done
313 km already, to be fair 90% of it was pretty reasonable main road/highway so
not a biggie and we had left early because a fuckin rooster started chiming off
at 5.00am…little bastid.
Deciding to
carry on we stumped up the last 48 km and got to Thakhet and got a dodgy hotel
there, backyard parking for Xiao Lyu so sweetas.
Planning
our next day was firstly to The Giant Wall near
Thakhek is a 15km-long sandstone formation, sparking debate about its origins.
Some believe it's a natural geological wonder, while others suggest it was
built by an ancient civilization. A 75-meter section, 16 meters high, is
accessible to visitors, with a historic Christian shrine nearby. (that
by Gooooogle)
Pics
It was ok, geologically cool but not much to write home about, the tentative desto was Lak Sao, piling off down the No 12 road we soon hit WW3 super mega bombholed road and literally hundreds of truck pushing and shoving trying for a undamaged road, the only bit was very short and the WW3 section lasted 30 km, about 10 km into it we were thinking bugga this and turn around but I thought won’t be much longer and it will be done.
Well…it didn’t, took us over an hour
dodging trucks, undertaking, overtaking, stopping for on coming trucks in our
lane (what there was of it).
Finally it started smoothing out to WW2
so not as bad, we stopped and decided to air down a bit then not far up an
intersection and a sign….”no heavy trucks past this point”, a blessing from the
Moto Gods, the truck all going to the Vietnam border.
So the road went from the undisputed worst
in Laos to an epic hill climb followed by beautiful twisties up at 600 cooler
meters with no traffic, black and white or night and day.
You would not credit the difference within such a small distance…but we weren’t complaining as after the bad part the rest was well worthy and pleasant.
Reaching Lak Sao we decided that was
enough, a 200km day was done and dusted, I really REALLY wanted a coffee once
we had settled in, jokingly I put in coffee near me in google and beside our
hotel and down an alley it said there was a cafe, we checked it out and sure
enough there it was, a café and the owner could speak English.
We had our best coffee in Laos right there, was sorta surreal
These two cheeky little buggas, I know they were pissing the piss outa the whiteyfoo LOL
A vid of today
Back to the main road tomorrow.
