22 November, Somsanouk to Pakmong, 80km
Nam Teuy Guest House 80,000LAK

Our road waxed and waned through the foothills and villages that parallel the west bank of the Nam Ou river, gifting us with lovely vistas of bamboo-rich forests and sluggish brown water running south. We cycled a mellow Saturday Laos – still a workday for many, but at a reduced pace. It was a day for lolling in hammocks strung beneath Asian “crisps” on sale in tiny stores, for washing the puppy and tending the garden. It was a day for weaving something silken on an ancient loom under a thatch roof or for weaving fencing for the veggie patch or a basket for the ducklings. For drinking beer with friends under a shady tree or singing out of tune in a karaoke bar. A lovely day, cool in the morning, steamy by mid-afternoon. Three young men passed us late morning on their dirt bikes headed for Thailand. Shortly afterwards we unexpectedly caught up to them as one of them had had a fall and ripped a nasty hole his knee. His friends were tending him as best they could, but had no first aid kit. We supplied what we could – a scissors for cutting away his jeans, anti-septic cream, a gauze bandage and mild pain killers. We also advised them to flag down a vehicle for both the bike and their fallen friend and not long after we left them, they overtook us again, two of them following a small truck transporting their friend and his bike. We trust they are OK. 

Between Somsanouk and Pakmong

Between Somsanouk and Pakmong