Practical Luggage

Day: 187
Vientiane



It’s packing day. A lot has changed since we packed up and headed to New Zealand. When we first left we had perfectly sized bike boxes and stylish duffels. Now we have homemade cardboard parcels and rainbow colored plastic bags. The two handcrafted boxes were created from four smaller ones. Our four panniers fit nicely inside the two plastic bags. We call it practical luggage.
The process of packing has become as much art as it is a task. It begins with research on our chosen airline’s website. Height, width, length, and kilograms; it’s all about the linear dimensions and weight. Luckily, most airlines allow bicycles as part of the baggage allowance. Then the hard work begins; reinforce the boxes around the derailleur, contain the small items, and balance the weight. Finally, we seal everything up and find a scale. It’s all a craft that we’ve been working on over the last six months.
Chris resumed his duties as chief bike packer and today he had some help. The staff at our guesthouse was very eager to assist. At first Chris wasn’t thrilled, he normally works alone. In the end, he had great fun. One employee in particular, who has been very gracious through our stay, was Chris’ right-hand man. The two of them practiced their English and Lao and traded life stories. At one point the guy crawled into one of the boxes and tried to coax Chris into taking him to the US. He’s actually had a wild past that included surviving a gunshot. Chris didn’t get all of the details, but it seems rather harsh for Laos. He lives here in the city now after growing up in the country and being kicked out of the house by his parents. He’s been nothing but a hard working and courteous host since we arrived. I guess it just proves that people can struggle and overcome regardless of where they are in the world.
See you in a few days,
LK

Harley Honeys

Day: 186
Vientiane to Buddha Park
Time: 4 hours
Distance: 63 km
Avg Speed: The speed of a moped
Terrain: Flat

We decided to go out to a place called the Buddha Park today. The park is a product of an eccentric man’s desires to create a place of both Hindu and Buddhist worship. He passed away and the grounds were made into a tourist attraction. The park is located 25 km out of town and is easily found with a moped. We were planning on riding our bikes out there, but with my bum wheel we decided not to fiddle with it. The plan was to get breakfast, get the bike and roll wheels out of town. I was a little worried when Leslie got up this morning wearing her t-shirt that read ‘if you can read this then my bitch fell off’. I took that to mean that she was planning on driving. We splurged and spent the extra $1 to get the Honda scooter rather than the little Suzuki for $4. I fit just fine on the back and Leslie was a great motorcycle mama getting us around the country side. We took a wrong turn on the way out and had a great little drive through some little villages along the Mekong River. We finally got on track and found the Buddha Park and spent a great couple of hours checking out the statues, checking out the football (soccer) matches and talking to the local English students practicing their conversation skills. We got back on the road during the hottest part of the day and Leslie took the wheel and expertly guided us back into town for our afternoon baguette sandwich and mango smoothie. We took a little rest before we got on to the afternoon plans. We headed out to a local temple where we took a class on meditation and then followed it up with an herbal sauna and massage. I didn’t think that the sauna would do much since we had been riding in one for the last several weeks. I guess that the 4” vent shooting herbal infused steam into a 6’ x 6’ room did the trick. Leslie and I were both sweating within a few minutes. After about 20 minutes of steam Leslie and I both got our massages. We both had little Lao guys yanking, leaning and kneading on us for an hour. After it was all said and done we had spent 80,000 kip for the two of us to be treated. We were all smiles when we figured out it was only $9 for it all. It was great day hanging out in Vientiane with my best friend before we get our act together tomorrow and get packed up to leave.
Peace from the road.
CK

The Universe

Day: 183
Vientiane


I believe in the universe. I have to think that yesterday’s events weren’t just a coincidence. My flat tire led to putting air in Chris’ rear tire. That event led to discovering a severe crack in his rim. A compromised wheel required a decision to go back to Vientiane. Coincidently, a bus pulled up going in our direction just as we were going to check tickets at the bus station. It didn’t stop there. In addition to learning that a new wheel was a week away, we also received news that a close family member of mine is in the hospital. You know what they say, “Life happens while you’re making other plans”.
After a restful night in a comfortable bed we made a pretty important decision this morning. We will be coming home for a break. We’ll be back in Colorado in about a week. The plan to come home has actually been in the works for about month, we’re just moving it up a bit. The combination of a little homesickness, monsoon season and the bureaucracy of a Chinese visa seemed a bit overwhelming. The icing on the cake was the failure of Chris’ wheel.
Now don’t worry, we plan to continue our dream of riding our bicycles throughout the world. The fall season will take us to China, Nepal and hopefully Europe. In the meantime, we’ll be on our home turf for late spring and most of the summer. If you’ve gone with us this far you might have expected the plan to change again. Thanks for sticking with us. We can assure you that Colorful Colorado is full of great Bicycle Geography stories.
We’re really excited about coming home to tour. Chris and I have been exploring the homeland in bits and pieces our whole lives and now we can devote some serious energy to the task. We can’t imagine a better way to travel the state – on our bicycles.
We look forward to catching up with everyone when we return. And, if you feel like you want to get out and ride this summer, let us know, we can get you set up.
Here’s to cool, crisp mountain air and blue skies,
LK

Day 178: Vientiane

We said the first goodbye today. We new it was inevitable, but after ten days together, it was still bittersweet. Our roommate Joanne is due back in Chiang Mai and set off on the bus this afternoon. Somehow I think we’ll be seeing her again.
On the way to seeing our new friend off , we pedaled down to the Patuxai. If you’ve been to Paris (I love Paris), this monument might seem familiar. It bears a striking resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe. The monolith was built in the 1960s with concrete donated by the United States. The building materials were supposed to be used for a new airport, but were used for the monument instead. Wouldn’t you rather have a replica of a French icon rather than a new transportation center?
We snapped our pictures and then bid farewell to Joanne. We then hopped back on the bikes and cruised around town. After spending the last few days within a small radius, we finally got a feel for the city. From tree lined streets to soulless concrete structures, Vientiane is very laid back and reflects a multitude of different influences. It’s quite a mix of ancient Siamese and Khmer, early 20th century French, and recent decades of communism.
The capital of Laos shifted to Vientiane in the mid 16th century from Luang Prabang. The name of the city is actually pronounced Wieng Chan (the French provided the current translation) and means “Sandalwood City”. It’s set along the banks of the Mekong River with a population of only 300,000. The city, now quite peaceful, has a tumultuous and torrid past. It was leveled by the Siamese invasion in 1628, rebuilt by the French in the early 1900s and ruled by communism since the 1970s. The city is definitely on the capitalism track, but I still catch myself doing a double take when I see the hammer and sickle flags flying around town.
Tomorrow we start our journey south toward Savannakhet. We will be following the Mekong River the whole way. We’ve heard that the cultural interactions will far outweigh the natural beauty. I guess we’ll all find out together.
LK