Simply cycling around
Finally, I’ve reached my first goal, Phonsavan! This morning I wasn’t sure if I would make it but I knew Stephane was there and was going to move very soon. Fortunately, a long downhill helped a lot! It gave me the motivation to keep going. For the first time since I left Luang Namtha, I’ve seen a valley. I think the worse is behind me now.
Arf! Another big day today. Right this morning, just after I left the village where I slept, I had to push my bike again and for a while. The first 400 metres climb was so steep! I was so tired too! Bloody hill! Once I arrived to the top, a roughly 6 kilometres downhill brought me back down to 600 metres high. I was in the bottom of giant bowl except that the next climb ahead was 1000 height difference… Every day I’m getting more tired obviously but every day the road becomes more difficult. At this pace I won’t be on time in Vientiane… These mountains (or big hills) are killing me!
Another day, another climb, the highest I’ve done in Laos and maybe even since the beginning of my 4 years trip! It started by a wet morning and finishes by a wet night. Between that, the weather was super hot. I feel I’ve been only climbing today except that huge downhill that fortunately came at last. Normally, every road I will use until Vientiane will be easier than this one today. Few!
I started the day in the mist. During the first hour I could not see very far. The first part of the day was easy compared to the second part that was much steeper. I had to push my bike few times. I finished cycling at night today and experienced another storm later on. The weather in the northern part of Laos is very different compared to Northern Thailand. It’s raining almost every night. Well, rain only would be okay if strong wind, strikes and thunder would not join it each time.